BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

0- 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


E  IP  OR  T 


OF 


J.ROSS     BROWNE 


ON   THE 


MINERAL  RESOURCES 


OF  THE 


STATES  AND  TERRITORIES  WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


PUBLISHED   BY  H.  H.  BANCROFT  <fc  CO., 

SAN    FRANCISCO,  CALIFORNIA. 
1868. 


a 


LETTER 


FROM 


THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  TREASURY, 


TRANSMITTING 


The  report  of  J.  Ross  Browne  on  the  mineral  resources  of  the  States  and  Terri- 
tories ivest  of  tlic  Rocky  mountains. 


MARCH  5, 1808. — Keferred  to  the  Committee  en  Mines  and  Mining  and  ordered  to  be  printed. 


TREASURY  DEPARTMENT,  March  5, 1868. 

SIR  :  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  to  the  House  of  Representatives  the  report 
of  J.  Ross  Browne  on  the  mineral  resources  of  the  States  and  Territories  west  of 
the  Rocky  mountains. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

II.  McCULLOCH, 

Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

Hon.  SCHITYLER  COLFAX. 

I 

Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 


REPORT 

OF 


J.  EOSS    BKOWNE, 

ON 

THE  MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  THE  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES  WEST  OF 
THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  March  5,  1SG8. 

SIR:  In  the  preliminary  report  which  I  had  the  honor  to  transmit  to  you  from 
San  Francisco  in  Novcmlicr,  Is'id,  a  general  summary  was  given  of  the  mineral 
resources  of  the  States  and  Territories  west  of  tlu?  Rocky  mountains.  It  was 
not  anticipated  l>y  the  department  that  the  information  required  under  letter  of 
instructions  dated  August  2,  1SGG,  could  bo  obtained  in  full  within  the  brief 
period  intervening  before  the  next  meeting  of  Congress;  but  it  was  hoped  that 
sufficient  data  might  be  collected  to  furnish  a  general  idea  of  the  rise  and  pro- 
gress of  the  mining  interest  on  the  "Pacific  slope.  No  oiHcial  document  in  any 
department  of  the  government  contained  accurate  information  on  this  subject, 
and  it  was  considered  desirable  that  special  attention  should  be  given  to  the  fol- 
lowing points: 

1.  The  origin  of  gold  and  silver  mining  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  present  condi- 
tion of  that  interest,  as  tending  to  show  the  progress  of  settlement  and  civilization. 

2.  Geological  formation  of  the  great  mineral  belts  and  general  characteristic's 
of  the  placer  diggings  and  quartz  lodes. 

3.  Different  systems  of  mining,  machinery  used,  processes  of  reducing  the 'ores, 
percentage  of  waste,  and  net  profits. 

4.  Population  engaged  in  mining,  exclusively  and  in  part,  capital  and  labor 
employed,  value  of  improvements,  number  of  mills  and  steam  engines  in  opera- 
tion, yield  of  the  mines,  average  of  dividends,  and  losses. 

5.  Proportion  of  agricultural  and  mineral  lands  in  each  district,  quantity  of 
woodland,  facilities  for  obtaining  fuel,  number  and  extent  of  streams,  and  water 
privileges. 

G.  Salt  beds,  deposits  of  soda  and  borax,  and  all  other  valuable  mineral  deposits. 

7.  Altitude,  character  of  climate,  mode  and  cost  of  living,  cost  of  all  kinds  of 
material,  cost  of  labor,  &c. 

8.  Population  of  the  mining  towns,  number  of  banks  and  banking  institutions 
in  them,  facilities  for  assaying,  melting,  and  refining  bullion;  charges  upon  the 
same  for  transportation  and  insurance. 

9.  Communication  with  the  mines  and  principal  towns,  postal  and  telegraphic 
lines;  stage  routes;  cost  <>f  travel;  probable  benefits  likely  to  result  from  con- 
struction <>f  the  Pacific  railroad  and  its  proposed  branches. 

10.  Necessity  for  assay  offices  and  public -depositories;  what  financial  facili- 
ties may  tend  to  develop  the  country  and  enhance  its  products. 

11.  Copies  of  local  mining  laws  and  customs  regulating  the  holding  and 
working  of  claims. 

1:J.   Number  of  ledges  opened,  number  claimed,  character  of  the  soil  in  the 
mining  districts,  and  its  adaptation  to  the  support  of  a  large  population. 


4  RESOURCES    OF"  STATES  "AND   TERRITORIES 

The  preliminary  report,  submitted  in  answer  to  these  inquiries,  embraced  such 
i  ii  I1,  .rmation  as  could  be  obtained  within  the  brief  period  allowed  for  its  preparation. 
\lihough  imperfect  in  many  respects,  it  was  received  by  the  people  of  the  Pacific 
coast  as  tin  indication  of  a  growing  interest  on  the  part  of  government  in  the  de- 
velopment of  our  mineral  resources.  It  was  a  source  of  gratification  to  the  miners 
to  I  hid  that,  after  years  of  unprofitable  toil,  during  which  they  had  contributed 
largely  to  the  national  wealth,  the  peculiar  character  of  their  occupation  was 
beginning  to  Lc  understood,  and  its  influence  in  promoting  settlement  and  civiliza- 
tion to  be  Letter  appreciated. 

The  report  which  I  now  have  the  honor  to  submit  is  the  result  of  many  years 
of  labor  :md  exploration.  It  contains  the  aggregated  experience  of  the  ablest 
statisticians  and  experts  on  the  Pacific  coast.  If  there  be  any  merit  in  the  work, 
it  belongs  chiefly  to  my  co-laborers,  who  have  devoted  themselves  with  such 
unselfish  zeal  to  the  promotion  of  the  objects  designed  to  be  accomplished  by 
this  commission.  The  fund  appropriated  by  Congress  was  insufficient  to  admit 
of  compensation  adequate  to  such  labor;  but  assistance  was  cheerfully  given,  as 
a  ii  latter  of  public  benefit,  without  regard  to  personal  or  pecuniary  considerations. 
When  it  is  1  liken  into  view  that  this  inquiry  extends  over  the  Territories  of  Utah, 
Arizona,  Montana,  Idaho,  and  Washington,  and  the  States  of  Oregon,  California, 
and  Nevada,  embracing  an  area  of  country  stretching  from  the  Hocky  mountains 
to  the  Pacific,  and  from  Mexico  to  British  Columbia;  that  in  many  parts  of  this 
vast  mineral  range  travel  is  still  difficult  and  expensive;  that  the  business  of 
mining  is  new  to  the  American  people,  and  the  collection  of  statistics  unsystem- 
ati/.ed  in  this  department  of  industry,  it  will  be  conceded  that  as  much  has  been 
accomplished  as  could  reasonably  be  expected. 

An  erroneous  idea  prevails  that  the  collection  of  mining  statistics  involves 
original  explorations  and  detailed  personal  examinations  of  every  mine  through- 
out the  vast  range  of  our  mineral  regions,  writh  scientific  and  practical  deduc- 
tions relative  to  the  treatment  of  ores;  and  it  is  expected  by  some  that  the  infor- 
mation obtained  shall  be  entirely  new,  and  furnish  a  complete  index  for  the 
purchase,  sale  or  working  of  every  mine  in  the  country.  Apart  from  the  fact 
that  such  an  investigation  would  require  the  employment  for  many  years  of  a 
large  scientific  force  at  great  expense,  it  would  be  difficult  even  then  to  present 
statistics  which  had  not  already  been  made  public.  The  same  sources  of  infor- 
mation are  open  to  all.  The  mining  press  of  the  country,  closely  connected  with 
that  interest,  directly  identified  with  its  progress,  in  daily  and  familiar  contact 
with  its  details,  makes  it  a  special  duty  to  keep  up  the  current  record  of  cost  and 
production,  success  and  failure.  There  may  be  misstatement  or  exaggeration, 
Lnt  not  more  so  on  the  part  of  the  press,  which  is  held  to  a  certain  accounta- 
bility by  public  sentiment,  than  on  that  of  individuals  who  maybe  prejudiced  or 
irresponsible.  Statements  publicly  made  and  thoroughly  criticised  are  as  likely 
io  Le.  correct  as  casual  examinations  made  by  persons  visiting  a  special  locality, 
unfamiliar  with  its  growth  and  progress,  and" compelled  after  all  to  depend  upon 
information  derived  from  others.  Nevertheless,  it  must  be  admitted  that  there 
are  difficulties  in  the  way  of  absolute  accuracy. 

Every  miner  naturally  desires  that  his  mine  should  be  carefully  examined 
and  reported  upon  in  detail,  especially  if,  as  in  the  majority  of  cases,  it  be  unpro- 
ductive. Without  reflecting  that  a  mere  list  of  the  unproductive  mines  would 
fill  a  volume,  the  miner  is  disposed  to  estimate  the  value  of  a  report  by  its  men- 


Jor  speculative  purposes  or  the  promotion  of  special  or  individual  interests.  The 
public  desire  reliable  statements,  and  herein  lies  the  difficulty —a  spirit  of  ex- 
aggeration on  the  one  hand,  a  demand  for  facts  on  the  other.  To  afford  satis- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  5 

faction  to  all  is  impossible.     I  have  therefore  relied  upon  my  own  sense  of 
fairness,  and  endeavored  to  present  the  truth  impartially. 

That  errors  may  have  been  committed,  and  false  statements  given  by  interested 
parties,  is  probable,  but  precaution  has  been  taken  to  guard  against  them.  The 
selection  of  assistants  was  made  with  reference  to  their  integrity  and  capacity. 
Instructions  were  given  to  them  in  detail,  enjoining  careful  scrutiny  and  verifi- 
cation of  every  statement.  The  revision  of  their  work,  under  these  precautions, 
has  occupied  more  than  four  months.  There  is  no  subject  upon  which  greater 
difference  of  opinion  exists  than  that  of  mining  statistics.  It  is  an  open  iicld  in 
which  there  is  room  for  discrepancy  under  any  existing  circumstances.  No  two 
persons  rate  the  product  of  the  precious  metals  alike.  The  superintendent  of  a 
mine  often  furnishes  information  which  when  submitted  to  the  board  of  directors 
is  pronounced  incorrect.  Representatives  from  the  mining  districts  are  apt  to 
rate  both  population  and  products  higher  than  persons  who  have  made  them 
special  subjects  of  inquiry,  but  whoso  opportunities  for  judging  may  not  bo  so 
favorable. 

A  fruitful  source  of  error  is  in  supposing  that  the  ordinary  channels  of  trans- 
portation cannot  be  relied  upon  as  a  clue  to  the  gross  product  of  the  mines.  It 
is  alleged  that  largo  quantities  of  the  precious  metals  are  carried  away  in  the 
pockets  of  the  miners.  Kven  if  this  were  so,  it  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
the  miners  continue  to  burden  themselves  with  their  treasure  after  arriving  at 
their  place  of  destination.  It  must  lind  its  way  into  the  mint  or  branch  mints 
for  coinage  or  the  custom-house  manifests  for  exportation.  It  cannot  be  assayed 
without  paying  its  internal  revenue  tax.  The  gross  yield  of  all  the  mines  can 
be  determined  with  approximate  accuracy.  It  is  more  diilicult  to  arrive  at  a 
subdivision,  when  it  comes  to  the  product  of  each  State  and  Territory.  In 
California,  for  example,  during  the  early  days  of  placer  mininir,  before  the  trans- 
portation of  bullion  by  orgaui/cd  companies  had  become  a  business  entitled  to 
confidence,  a  large  proportion  of  the  gold  derived  from  the  mines  was  carried 
out  of  the  country  by  private  hands.  There  \\as  comparatively  little  danger  of 
loss.  The  routes  to  San  Francisco  were  short,  public,  and  protected  by  general 
interest.  From  that  point  to  New  York  the  passengers  usually  combined  for  mutual 
protection,  and  the  risk  was  inconsiderable.  It  was  not  until  the  idle  and  the  prof- 
ligate began  to  obtain  an  ascendency,  the  business  of  transportation  by  express 
more  iirnily  established,  and  the  mines  more  diilicult  to  work  with  profit,  that 
the  increase  of  risks  and  reduction  of  charges  resulted  in  the  general  aban- 
donment of  this  system.  It  doubtless  prevails  to  a  limited  extent  now,  but 
the  transportation  of  bullion  by  private  hands  in  California  is  exceptional.  It 
probably  does  not  exceed  seven  per  cent,  in  the  aggregate,  and  this  applies  only 
to  the  routes  by  which  it  reaches  San  Francisco.  In  reference  to  silver  it  is 
impossible  that  any  considerable  amount  can  escape  notice  in  this  way.  The 
yield  of  Nevada  can  be  determined  with  more  accuracy  than  that  of  other  States. 
Silver  predominates  in  the  mines;  and  where  gold  is  obtained  it  is  not  in  an 
uncombined  form.  When  we  come  to  Montana,  Idaho,  Washington,  and  Oregon 
the  greatest  difliculty  is  experienced. 

Shipments  of  treasure  from  Montana  and  Idaho  may  become  incorporated  with 
others  before  reaching  their  destination.  From  Montana  most  of  the  bullion 
goes  east.  T\vo  main  routes  are  open  to  examination — one  by  the  Missouri  river, 
the  other  by  Salt  Lake  City.  Indian  disturbances  and  the  insecurity  of  the 
roads  have  during  the  past  vear  almost  entirelv  closed  the  latter;  so  that  the 
chief  exit  is  by  the  former  route.  Shipments  from  Idaho  are  made  chieily  by 
way  of  Portland  and  the  inland  stai^e  route  through  Ilumboldt  and  across  the 
Sierra  Nevada.  On  both  of  these  routes  it  is  alleged  that  they  are  liable  to 
become  merged  with  the  products  of  other  States  and  Territories.  It  has  been 
Impossible  to  obtain  an  account  of  the  shipments  from  each  agency  at  the  express 
oilice  of  AVells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  at  San  Francisco.  For  reasons  of  private  expe- 


6  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

diency  they  refrain  from  giving  the  desired  information.  We  have,  however, 
the  aggregate  receipts  at  their  office,  and  knowing  very  nearly  what  amount  can 
fairly  be  credited  to  California,  Nevada,  and  British  Columbia,  can  draw  reason- 
able conclusions  as  to  the  proportion  derived  from  Idaho,  Washington,  and 
Oregon.  From  the  best  information  available  the  following  is  a  near  approxi- 
mation to  the  total  gold  and  silver  product  for  the  year  ending  January  1,  1867 : 

California $25,000,000 

Nevada 20,000,000 

Montana 12,000,000 

Idaho 6,500,000 

Washington 1,000,000 

Oregon 2, 000,  000 

Colorado 2,500,000 

New  Mexico 500, 000 

Arizona 500,000 


70, 000,  COO 

Add  for  bullion  derived  from  unknown  sources  within  our  States  and  Territo- 
ries, unaccounted  for  by  assessors  and  express  companies,  &c 5, 000,  000 


Total  product  of  the  United  States 75,000,000 


The  bullion  product  of  Washington  is  estimated  by  the  surveyor  general  at 
81,500,000.  That  of  Oregon  is  rated  as  high  as  $2,500,000.  Intelligent  resi- 
dents of  Idaho  and  Montana  represent  that  the  figures  given  in  the  above  esti- 
mate, so  far  as  these  Territories  arc  concerned,  are  entirely  too  low7,  and  might 
be  doubled  without  exceeding  the  truth.  The  product  of  Idaho  alone  for  this 
year  is  said  to  be  from  $15,000,000  to  $18,000,000.  That  of  Montana  is  esti- 
mated by  the  surveyor  general  at  $20,000,000.  Similar  exceptions  are  taken 
to  the  estimates  of  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  and  Arizona.  As  I  have  no  grounds 
for  accepting  these  statements  beyond  the  assertion  that  most  of  the  bullion  is 
carried  away  in  the  pockets  of  the  miners,  I  am  inclined  to  rely  upon  the  returns 
of  the  assessors,  express  companies,  and  official  tables  of  export.  Admitting 
that  a  fraction  over  seven  per  cent,  may  have  escaped  notice,  although  reason- 
able allowance  is  made  for  this  in  the  estimate  of  $70,000,000,  and  that  a  con- 
siderable sum  may  be  derived  from  sources  not  enumerated,  I  feel  confident  the 
additional  allowance  of  $5,000,000  is  sufficient  to  cover  the  entire  bullion  pro- 
duct of  the  United  States  for  the  year  1867,  thus  making  the  aggregate  from 
all  sources  $75,000,000,  as  stated  in  the  report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

I  have  endeavored  to  obtain  returns  of  the  annual  product  of  each  State  and 
Territory  since  1848 ;  but,  for  the  reasons  already  stated,  and  in  the  absence  of 
reliable  statistics,  it  has  been  impossible  to  make  the  necessary  divisions  with 
more  than  approximate  accuracy.  As  nearly  as  I  can  judge  from  the  imperfect 
returns  available,  the  following,  in  round  numbers,  is  not  far  from  the  total  pro- 
duct: 

California $900,000,000 

Nevada 90,000,000 

Montana 65,000,000 

Idaho 45,000,000 

Washington 10,000,000 

Oregon 20,000,000 

Colorado 25,000,000 

New  Mexico  and  Arizona 5,000,000 

In  jewelry,  plate,  spoons,  &c.,  and  retained  for  circulation  on  Pacific  coast..  45, 000, 000 

1,205,000,000 

Add  for  amounts  buried  or  concealed  and  amounts  from  unenumerated  sources, 
and  of  which  no  account  may  have  been  taken •.       50, 000, 000 

1,255,000,000 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  7 

This  statement  requires  explanation.  Up  to  1855  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  gold  taken  from  California  was  not  manifested.  In  1849  the  actual  yield 
was  probably  $10,000,000 ;  in  1850,  835,000,000  j  in  1851.  §46,000  000  •  in 
1852,  $50,000,000;  in  1853,  860,000,000 ;  and  in  1854,  $53,000,000.  The 
amount  unaccounted  for  by  manifest  was  not  so  great  after  the  last  date.  In 
1861  Nevada  and  Idaho  commenced  adding  their  treasure  to  the  shipments,  so 
that  after  that  date  a  deduction  for  the  amounts  produced  from  these  sources 
would  be  necessary,  if  the  manifest  alone  were  taken  as  a  criterion,  in  order  to 
arrive  at  the  product  of  California. 

An  addition  should  be  made  for  the  amount  retained  for  currency,  estimated 
by  some  as  high  as  845,000,000,  but  probably  not  exceeding  $35,000,000  or 
$40,000,000 ;  and  for  plate,  jewelry,  £c.,  of  California  gold,  say  $2,000,000, 
and  Nevada  silver,  83,000,000. 

Incorporated  in  these  shipments  are  the  amounts  received  from  Nevada, 
Idaho,  Oregon,  Arizona,  Washington,  and  British  Columbia ;  but  these  cannot 
be  deducted  from  the  manifest  of  exports,  according  to  the  express  returns,  since 
the  proportions  are  not  accurately  known  of  the  amounts,  retained  and  shipped, 
derived  from  separate  sources. 

The 'general  condition  of  the  mining  interest  on  the  Pacific  slope  is  encourag- 
ing. There  have  been  fewer  individual  losses  than  during  past  years,  and  the 
yield  of  the  mines  has  been  comparatively  steady  and  reliable. 

Fluctuations  in  mining  stock  have  not  been  so  great  as  usual,  and  those  wild 
and  injurious  speculations  which  have  impaired  confidence  in  this  great  interest 
are  gradually  becoming  narrowed  down  to  individual  operators,  whose  influence 
in  the  community  is  limited. 

Legitimate  mining  has  been  as  prosperous  as  other  pursuits,  though  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  there  are  uncertainties  attached  to  this  peculiar  business  which 
render  it  hazardous  and  require  more  than  ordinary  profits  to  make  it  remunera- 
tive under  the  most  favorable  circumstances.  It  may  seem  strange  in  this  view 
that  the  gross  product  of  bullion  has  been  gradually 'diminishing  for  some  years 
past,  but  a  brief  reference  to  the  history  of  mining  operations  on  the  Pacific 
coast  will  explain  this  apparent  anomaly. 

The.  existence  of  gold  in  California  was  known  long  before  the  acquisition  of 
that  territory  by  the  United  States.  Placers  had  long  been  worked  on  a  limited 
scale  by  the  Indians ;  but  the  priests  who  had  established  the  missionaiy  settle- 
ments, knowing  that  a  dissemination  of  the  discoveries  thus  made  would  frus- 
trate their  plans  for  the  conversion  of  the  aboriginal  races,  discouraged  by  all 
means  in  their  power  the  prosecution  of  this  pursuit,  and  in  some  instances  sup- 
pressed it  by  force.  As  early  as  December,  1843,  however,  Manuel  Castanares, 
a  Mexican  officer,  made  strenuous  efforts  to  arouse  the  attention  of  the  Mexican 
government  to  the  importance  of  this  great  interest. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  enter  into  a  detail  of  the  events  preceding  the  dis- 
covery by  Marshall  on  the  19th  of  January,  1848,  or  the  subsequent  excitement 
which  resulted  in  the  opening  of  the  great  placer  mines,  and  the  rush  of  immigra- 
tion in  1849.  Reference  is  made  to  these  incidents  in  the  history  of  California 
merely  to  show  the  changes  in  the  character  of  the  business.  At  first  gold  was 
easily  found,  and  required  but  little  skill  in  separating  it  from  the  loose  gravel 
or  sand  in  which  it  was  imbedded.  Frequently  it  lay  so  near  the  surface  in  such 
quantities  and  in  grains  of  such  form  and  size,  that  a  simple  pan  or  rocker  com- 
prised all  the  means  necessary,  with  ordinary  labor,  to  insure  cxtraordinaiy 
profits.  Mere  will  and  muscle 'were  sufficient.  Our  people  were  inexperienced, 
but  ingenious  in  devices  for  saving  labor,  energetic  and  industrious. 

Unskilled  as  they  were,  nearly  all  who  went  into  the  business  realized  hand- 
some profits;  and  the  reports  of  their  success  induced  a  rapid  immigration  from 
the  Atlantic  States,  South  America,  Australia,  and  other  parts  of  the  world. 

Tims  towns  were  built  up ;  a  new  and  extensive  commerce  sprang  into  existence ; 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

lands  were  cultivated  to  supply  the  miners ;  roads  were  cut  through  the  difficult 
passes  of  the  mountains  ;  steamboat  and  stage  lines  were  established ;  and  the 
country  from  the  western  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas  to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific, 
for  many  hundred  miles  north  and  south,  became  suddenly  filled  with  an  indus- 
trious, intelligent  and  enterprising  population.  Even  in  those  early  days,  how- 
ever, as  the  surface  placers  receded  towards  their  sources,  time  and  money  were 
expended  in  the  rediscovery  of  inventions  which  had  been  known  to  the  old 
world  for  centuries. 

With  all  the  genius  and  enterprise  of  the  American  people,  no  important  dis- 
covery in  the  way  of  machinery  for  mining  was  made  which  had  not  been  long 
in  use  in  South  America,  Mexico,  or  Europe.  The  same  necessities  gave  rise  to 
identical  contrivances  for  saving  labor,  and  it  is  sufficiently  creditable  to  our 
miners  to  say  that  without  any  knowledge  of  what  others  had  clone,  they  frequently 
improved  upon  the  originals.  The  fact  demonstrates  very  clearly  that  want  of 
knowledge,  even  in  the  preliminary  stages  of  mining,  is  a  source  of  loss.  When 
the  precious  metals  are  easily  obtained,  and  the  profits  of  individual  labor  are 
large,  less  injury  results  from  ignorance  than  in  the  subsequent  stages  of  the 
business,  when  capital  is  required  and  the  process  of  reduction  is  more  complicated. 
Mining  differs  essentially  from  every  other  branch  of  industry.  Unlike  agricul- 
ture, there  is  but  one  crop  in  a  mine.  As  the  work  progresses  the  stock  of  mineral 
is  decreased,  and  can  never  be  replenished  by  any  human  art.  There  is  no 
opportunity  of  recovering  wThat  has  been  lost  or  wasted. 

The  former  changes  his  crop  or  his  system  of  cultivation ;  and  his  land  can  be 
improved  and  his  profits  increased  by  experience.  So  also  in  manufactures  and 
other  pursuits.  Hence  it  is  important  that  the  experience  of  mankind  should  be 
preserved  so  that  error  may  be  avoided. 

Comparatively  little  progress  was  made  in  vein  or  quartz  mining  prior  to  1860. 
Quartz  veins  containing  the  precious  metals  were  discovered  in  California  in  1850, 
and  for  several  years  experiments  were  made  in  working  them,  generally  with 
loss.  The  Mexicans  with  their  arastras  were  the  only  successful  quartz  miners. 
Experience  in  their  own  country  enabled  them  to  realize  fair  profits  upon  their 
labors.  Their  system  of  mining,  however,  was  too  slow  for  an  American  popu- 
lation, to  whom  large  investments  of  capital  were  of  no  consequence,  provided 
there  was  a  prospect  of  immediate  and  abundant  returns. 

The  discovery  and  development  of  the  Comstock  lode  in  Nevada  gave  the  first 
impulse  to  this  kind  of  mining.  The  wonderful  richness  of  that  vein  attracted 
attention  at  once,  and  drew  from  all  parts  of  the  world  men  of  scientific  attain- 
ments. By  the  developments  made  in  working  it,  the  principle  was  established 
that  quartz  veins  could,  be  rendered  a  profitable  source  of  supply  on  the  Pacific 
coast.  The  experience  thus  gained  impelled  the  adventurous  miners  of  California 
to  attempt  new  systems,  and  devote  themselves  with  greater  vigor  to  the  opening 
and  working  of  the  gold-bearing  veins  in  that  State. 

In  1860  the  product  from  this  source  in  California  did  not  exceed  $2,000,000. 
As  the  surface  diggings  gave  out,  a  resort  to  vein  mining  became  indispensable. 

The  proportion  of  bullion  now  derived  from  various  sources  within  the  limits 
of  the  State  is  about  as  follows :  from  surface  diggings,  62,000,000  ;  from 
cement  or  deep-lying  placers,  $18,000,000;  from  quartz  mines,  89,000,000 — total, 
$25,000,000. 

Professor  Ashbumer  estimates  that  about  80  per  cent,  of  the  gold  is  produced 
from  the  mines  lying  north  of  the  Mokelumne.  The  production  of  the  southern 
mines  is  diminishing  every  year,  and  the  surface  diggings  will  soon  be  exhausted. 
Wherever  the  latter  predominated  a  sudden  but  ephemeral  prosperity  was 
engendered.  General  stagnation  now  prevails;  towns  are  depopulated;  real 
estate  is  of  little  value;  business  is  depressed.  The  population  consists  of 
hundreds  in  many  counties  where  it  formerly  consisted  of  thousands.  Ref- 
erence to  the  accompanying  reports  will  show  the  present  condition  of  these 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  9 

localities.  Good  quartz  veins  exist  in  many  of  them,  but  the  want  of  capital 
lias  retarded  their  development  Unskilled  labor  can  make  no  further  progress, 
and  new  iields  of'  enterprise  have  been  sought  by  those  who  formerly  depended 
upon  the  pincers.  Some  have  pushed  their  way  over  the  mountains  "into  Idaho, 
Montana!  and  other  new  Territories;  others  have  given  up  mining  and  devoted 
themselves  t;>  farming,  trade,  or  commerce. 

Similar  changes  have  been  experienced  in  Idaho,  Montana,  and  other  Terri- 
tories in  which  surface  mining  attracted  a  population.  At  first  the  yield  was 
large  and  easily  obtained  ;  as  the  surface  deposits  were  worked  up  to  their  sources 
quart/  veins  were  discovered,  and  machinery  and  skill  became  requisite;  the 
difficulty  of  access  i<>  the  more  remote  mineral  regions  increased  the  expense  of 
transportation,  and  the  uncertainty  of  remunerative  results  impaired  confidence. 
History  shows  that  these  changes  occur  in  all  mining  countries  and  are  insepa- 
rable from  this  branch  of  industry. 

No  uneasiness  need  be  frit  as  to  a  decrease  in  the  source  of  supply.  After 
many  years  of  travel  <>vcr  the  mining  regions,  I  feel  justified  in  asserting  that 
our  mineral  resources  are  practically  without  limit.  Explorations  made  by  com- 
petent parties  during  the  past  year  in  many  parts  of  the  mineral  region  hitherto 
unknown  demons! rate  the  Tact  that  the  area  of  the  mineral  deposit  is  much  larger 
than  was  ever  before,  supposed.  It  is  safe  to  assume  that  of  the  claims  already 
recorded  in  the  settled  parts  of  the  country,  and  known  to  be  valuable,  not  more 
"inn  one  in  a  hundred  is  being  worked;  and  of  those  worked  perhaps  not  more 

an  one  in  fifty  pays  anything  over  expenses,  owing  to  mismanagement,  ineffi- 
cient, system.-^  of  reducing  the  ores,  want  of  capital,  cost  of  transportation,  and 
other  causes  susceptible  of  remedy.  In  many  districts  of  Nevada  silver  ores  of 
less  value  than  $100  a  ton  cannot  be  worked  by  mill  process  so  as  to  pay 
expenses;  and  there  are  districts  in  Idaho  and  Montana -where  gold-bearing  ores 
will  not  justify  working  unless  they  yield  from  840  to  850  per  ton. 

With  such  wealth  of  treasure  lying  dormant,  it  cannot  be  doubted  that,  by  the 
increased  facilities  for  transportation  and  access  to  the  mines  soon  to  be  furnished 
by  the  Pacific  railroad  and  its  proposed  branches,  and  the  experience  in  the  treat- 
ment of  OH-S,  and  the  scientific  knowledge  to  be  acquired  in  a  national  school  of 
mines  adequate  to  the  necessities  of  the  mining  population,  the  yield  must  eventu- 
ally increase. 

The  adventurous  Americans  who  take  the  lead  in  the  development  of  these 
frontier  regions  are  generally  energetic  and  intelligent,  but  prone  to  extravagance 
and  reckless  speculations. 

No  country  in  the  world  can  show  such  wasteful  systems  of  mining  as  prevail 
in  ours.  At  a  moderate  calculation,  there  has  been  an  unnecessary  loss  of  pre- 
cious metals  since  the  discovery  of  our  mines  of  more  than  $300,000,000,  scarcely 
a  fraction  of  which  can  ever  be  recovered.  This  is  a  serious  consideration.  The 
question  arises  whether  it  is  not  the  duty  of  government  to  prevent,  as  far  as  may 
be  consistent  with  individual  rights,  this  waste  of  a  common  heritage,  in  which 
not  only  ourselves  but  our  posteritv  are  interested. 

The  'miner  has  a  right  to  the  product  of  his  labor,  but  has  he  a  right  to  deprive 
others  of  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  the  treasures  of  the  earth,  placed  there 
for  the  common  good  I  The  precious  metals  are  of  an  imperishable  nature,  evi- 
dently designed  to  pass  beyond  the  reach  of  the  discoverer  and  to  subserve  pur- 
poses'of  human  convenience  for  generations.  Our  children  have  an  interest  in 
them  which  we  cannot  with  propriety  disregard. 

The.  bill  to  establish  a  national  school  of  mines,  introduced  in  the  Senate,  cat 
the  bcirinning  of  the  present  session  of  Congress,  by  Mr.  Stewart  of  Nevada,  is 
designed  to  rcmcdv  this  evil.  Similar  schools  have  been  established  in  various 
parts  of  Kuropr.  and  the  best  evidence  of  their  utility  is  the  fact  that  we  are 
indebted  to  them  f,.r  nearly  all  the,  knowledge  we  possess  on  the  subject ^  of 
mining  and  metallurgy.  <  Mir  mines  and  mills  are  practically  managed  by  foreign 


10  RESOURCES   OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

experts;  we  furnish  the  labor  and  mechanical  ingenuity,  but  they  furnish  the 
scientific  skill.  Without  the  aid  of  foreign  institutions  we  could  have  made  but 
little  progress  in  mining  5  and  yet  we  lose  much  by  not  having  similar -institu- 
tions in^piir  own  country.  The  local  circumstances  existing  in  Europe  differ 
essentially  from  those  which  prevail  in  the  United  States.  It  would  be  a  great 
advantage,  not  only  in  the  saving  of  expense,  but  in  the  more  direct  availability 
of  the  experience  gained,  if  our  young  men  could  learn  at  home  what  they  are 
now  compelled  to  learn  abroad. 

The  plan  proposed  by  Mr.  Stewart's  bill  seems  both  feasible  and  economical. 
Such  an  institution  would,  if  properly  conducted,  lesult  in  a  large  annual  increase 
in  our  bullion  product.  It  is  not  unreasonable  to  anticipate  that,  instead  of 
declining  within  a  few  years  to  forty  or  fifty  millions  per  annum,  as  will  undoubt- 
edly be  the  case  if  the  present  state  of  things  continues,  there  would  be  an 
increase  amounting  to  at  least  100  per  cent,  on  the  yield  of  the  mines  for  the 
past  year.  I  venture  the  hope,  therefore,  that  Congress  will  take  this  propo- 
sition into  favorable  consideration.  The  bill,  as  amended  by  the  Committee  on 
Mines  and  Mining,  of  the  Senate,  and  the  considerations  upon  which  it  is  based 
will  be  found  in  the  appendix,  (A.) 

It  is  proper  that  I  should  give  due  credit  to  my  assistants  for  the  part  which 
they  have  taken  in  this  work.  The  duty  of  collecting  statistics  in  California 
was  intrusted  to  Mr.  John  S.  Ilittell,  the  able  and  experienced  author  of  several 
valuable  works  on  the  industrial  resources  of  that  State.  In  the  performance  of 
the  special  service  assigned  to  him  he  visited  the  principal  mining  districts.  His 
reports  are  based  upon  actual  observation,  and  may  be  relied  upon  as  accurate 
and  impartial.  With  the  exception  of  the  report  on  Nevada  county,  by  Mr.  E.  F. 
Bean,  the  county  assessor,  and 'Mr.  II.  Rolfe,  his  assistant,  and  the  brief  reports 
on  some  of  the  northern  and  southern  counties  by  Dr.  Henry  Dcgroot,  with 
a  sketch  of  the  Morriss  Ravine  mines  by  Dr.  A.  Blatchlcy,  nearly  all  the  gold- 
bearing  regions  of  California  are  described  by  Mr.  Ilittell.  Important  papers 
on  the  condition  of  the  mining  interest  in  Mexico,  South  America,  Australia,  &c., 
arc  also  furnished  by  the  same  authority. 

An  elaborate  and  interesting  report  on  the  miscellaneous  minerals  of  the  Pacific 
States  and  Territories  is  furnished  by  Mr.  Henry  C.  Bennet,  a  mining  engineer 
familiar  with  the  subject.  No  such  complete  and  extended  notice  of  the  miscel- 
laneous mineral  productions  of  the  Pacific  coast  has  yet  been  published.  This 
report  will  be  found  valuable  to  business  men,  and  to  all  others  seeking  informa- 
tion respecting  the  resources  of  the  States  and  Territories  west  of  the  Rocky 
mountains. 

To  Mr.  R.  II.  Stretch,  late  State  mineralogist  of  Nevada,  the  Comstock  lode 
and  regions  adjacent  were  intrusted.  His  scientific  and  practical  knowledge  of 
the  various  departments  of  mining,  his  long  experience  in  this  particular  region, 
and  his  known  integrity,  rendered  the  selection  peculiarly  fortunate,  as  will  be 
conceded  upon  a  perusal  of  his  report. 

Dr.  Henry  Degroot,  a  statistician  and  writer,  whom  I  deputed  to  travel  through 
Nevada,  has  furnished  a  series  of  interesting  papers  on  the  miscellaneous  resources 
of  that  State. 

Mr.  Myron  Angel,  of  Austin,  a  gentleman  wrell  acquainted  with  eastern 
Nevada,  contributes  a  report  on  that  region,  from  which  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
mineral  wealth  of  Nevada  is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  Cornstock  lode. 

The  services  of  Dr.  A.  Blatchley,  a  mineralogist  and  mining  engineer,  were 
secured  for  an  exploration  of  Montana  and  Idaho.  This  gentleman  travelled 
through  those  Territories  during  the  months  of  June,  July,  and  August,  and  was 
enabled  to  collect  the  information  which  is  embodied  in  his  reports. 

Mr.  Elwood  Evans,  of  Olympia,  formerly  territorial  secretary  of  Washington, 
lias  kindly  furnished  detailed  reports  on  the  resources  of  that  Territory. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  11 

To  Mr.  Ainsworth,  Mr.  Hill,  Mr.  Ladd,  and  otliers7 1  am  indebted  for  informa- 
tion relative  to  the  trade  and  resources  of  Oregon. 

The  report  on  Arizona  is  from  the  pen  of  Governor  II.  C.  McConnick.  It 
will  be  found  extremely  interesting. 

Mr.  W.  M.  Gabb,  of  the  State  geological  survey  of  California,  whose  "recent 
expedition  through  Lower  California  has  attracted  considerable  attention,  con- 
tributes a  detailed  report  on  the  mineral  resources  of  that  peninsula.  It  is  the 
result  of  the  first  scientific  exploration  ever  made  of  that  region,  and  possesses 
a  peculiar  interest  at  this  time,  owing  to  the  investment  of  American  capital 
there  and  the  purchase  from  the  Mexican  government  of  an  extensive  grant  by 
private  parties  for  colonization  by  Americans. 

Many  other  prominent  and  experienced  gentlemen  have  assisted  me  in  the 
preparation  of  this  report.  I  claim  little  more  for  myself  than  the  direction  and 
supervision  of  the  work ;  it  has  occupied  my  entire  time  for  upwards  of  a  year, 
and,  whatever  may  bo  its  imperfections,  few  will  be  disposed  to  deny  that  it  pre- 
sents evidence  of  an  earnest  attempt  to  carry  into  effect  the  wishes  of  the  de- 
partment and  the  objects  designed  to  be  accomplished  by  Congress. 

It  is  a  common  error  to  suppose  that  mining  is  inimical  to  the  welfare  of  the 
people.  No  branch  of  industry  requiring  mechanical  skill  and  the  acquisition 
of  scientific  knowledge  can  justly  be  said  to  contain  in  itself  elements  injurious 
to  public  morals  or  to  the  prosperity  of  the  state. 

The  tendency  of  this  pursuit  is,  at  first,  to  attract  a  reckless  and  adventurous 
population,  whose  disregard  of  conventional  restraint  leads  to  tlic  assumption 
of  risks  and  to  bold  and  hazardous  undertakings,  by  which  new  countries  are 
most  rapidly  opened  up  to  settlement  and  civilization.  Providence  so  ordains 
it  that  the  superficial  treasures  of  the  earth  designed  to  attract  this  enterprising 
class  soon  disappear,  and  a  higher  order  of  intelligence  is  required  and  a  more 
permanent  condition  of  things  is  established.  It  is  only  necessary  to  look  back 
over  the  past  eighteen  years  to  find  in  the  advancement  of  the  vast  region  known 
as  the  Pacific  slope,  the  strongest  possible  refutation  of  the  assertion  that  mining 
is  inimical  to  the  welfare  of  the  people.  Looking  forward  to  the  future,  who 
can  predict  the  high  condition  of  prosperity  likely  to  be  attained  by  these  new 
g  and  Territories  eighteen  years  hence? — with  trans-continental  railroads 
and  telegraph  lines  binding  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific;  with  branch  roads  and 
lines  traversing  the  country  north  and  south;  with  the  commerce  of  Asia  pounng 
its  treasures  into  our  seaports;  with  an  export  trade  commanding  the  whole 
(•astern  world;  with  a  probable  coast  line  stretching  from  Behring  Straits  to 
Cape  St.  Lucas;  with  innumerable  flourishing  cities  and  seaport  towns;  with  an 
agricultural  population  numbering  thousands  where  they  now  number  hundreds ; 
with  busy  manufactories  scattered  over  the  land ;  with  churches,  schools,  and 
colleges  everywhere  throughout  the  mountains  and  valleys — All  these  many  of 
us  may  live  t«»  see,  but  few  can  now  realize  the  magnificent  future  that  lies  before 
us.  Jn  this  favored  land  the  laborer,  the  artisan,  the  mechanic,  the  man  of 
science,  c;;u  each  find  profitable  employment  and  a  congenial  home.  As^we 
want  population  to  develop  the  dormant  wealth  of  our  new  States  and  Territo- 
it  is  the  interest  of  our  government  to  disseminate  a  con-cot,  knowledge  of 
their  material  resources. 

Kntenaining  these  views,  I  trust  the  report  herewith  submitted  will  not  bo 
without  practical  utility  wherever  It  may  be  circulated. 
Verv  rest iect full v,  vour  obedient  servant. 

J.  ROSS  BROWNE. 
Hon.  II.  McCuLLOCH, 

Secretary  of  tlie  Treasury. 


12  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

CALIFORNIA. 

SECTION    I. 

GENERAL  CONDITION  OF  THE  MINING  INTEREST. 

The  information  and  statistics  relative  to  the  gold  mines  of  California  were 
collected  between  the  17th  May  and  the  25th  July,  but  some  interesting  changes 
have  occurred  since  the  tour  of  inquiry  was  made,  and  the  facts,  when  ascertained, 
have  been  mentioned.  Many  of  the  figures  and  data  could  be  obtained  only 
from  the  mine  owners,  who  may  sometimes  have  misrepresented  the  char 
and  yield  of  their  claims  in  a  favorable  light  for  the  purpose  of  selling,  or  in  an 
unfavorable  light  for  the  purpose  of  misleading  the  assessor  and  tax-collector. 
It  is  believed,  however,  that  the  statements  as  made  arc  generally  true,  and 
it  is  hoped  that,  taken  together,  they  will  be  found  to  be  the  fullest  and  most 
correct  collection  of  important  facts  ever  made  relative  to  gold  mining. 

The  general  condition  of  gold  mining  in  California  is  that  of  decline.  The 
amount  of  production  becomes  smaller  every  year,  but  the  decrease  is  confined 
chiefly  to  the  placer  yield.  In  quartz  more  work  is  being  done ;  it  is  being  done 
better  than  ever  before,  and  there  are  more  mines  in  successful  operation.  The 
business  is  flourishing  and  improving,  with  a  fair  prospect  of  continuous  increase ; 
and  the  success  of  many  of  the  mines  is  most  brilliant. 

In  1864  Professor  Ashburner  wrote  a  report  on  the  Mariposa  estate,  and  in  it 
he  made  the  following  general  remarks : 

In  ISoS  there  were  upwards  of  2SO  quartz  mills  in  California,  each  one  of  which  was  sup- 
plied with  quartz  from  one  or  more  veins.  The  number  of  stamps  in  these  mills  was  '•>.<'> !»», 
and  the  total  cost  of  the  whole  mill  property  of  this  nature  in  the  State  exceeded  $3,000,000. 
In  the  summer  of  1861,  while  I  was  attached  to  the  geological  survey,  I  made  a  careful  and 
thorough  examination  of  all  the  quartz  mills  and  mines  of  the  State,  and  could  only  find 
between  40  and  50  in  successful  operation,  several  of  which  were  at  that  time  leading  a  very 
precarious  existence. 

Many  of  those  old  enterprises  have  not  yet  become,  and  never  will  become, 
profitable;  but  of  the  quartz  mills  built  within  the  last  four  or  five  years,  the 
successful  proportion  is  much  larger  than  before  I860.  No  business  offers  greater 
facilities  to  ignorance  and  folly  for  losing  money  j  and,  unfortunately,  most  of 
those  who  engaged  in  it  had  no  experience  and  were  led  by  their  presumption 
into  gross  blunders  in  both  mining  and  milling. 

The  greatest  common  blunder  in  quartz  mining,  and  the  most  common  error 
in  early  times  as  well  as  in  our  own  day,  has  been  that  of  erecting  a  mill  before 
the  vein  was  well  opened  and  its  capacity  to  yield  a  large  supply  of  good  rock 
established.  The  commission  of  this  blunder  is  proof  conclusive  of  the  utter 
incompetency  of  its  author  to  have  charge  of  any  important  mining  enterprise. 
If  there  were  any  possibility  that  it  should  in  some  cases  lead  to  considerable 
profit,  there  might  be  an  excuse  for  it,  but  there  is  none.  It  never  pays.  All 
the  chances,  including  that  of  utter  failure,  are  against  it. 

The  next  blunder  was  that  the  difference  between  a  pocket  vein  and  a  charge 
vein  was  not  understood,  and  the  existence  of  rich  specimens  was  considered 
proof  of  the  high  value  of  a.  mine,  whereas  among  experienced  quartz  miners  it 
excites  their  suspicious  and  distrust.  Nine-tenths  of  the  lodes  which  yield  rich 
specimens  do  not  pay  for  milling.  West  Point,  in  Calaveras,  and  Bald  Moun- 
tain, in  Tuolumne,  the  richest  pocket  districts  of  the  State,  are  not  to  be  com- 
pared for  yield  with  Butter  creek  or  the  Sierra  Buttes,  where  there  is  scarcely  a 
passable  specimen  in  a  thousand  tons. 

The  next  error  was  that  nothing  was  known  of  pay  chimneys,  and  if  good 
quartz  was  found  in  one  place,  it  was  presumed  that  the  whole  mine  was  of  the 
same  quality.  In  some  cases  the  pay  chimney  was  near  the  end  of  a  claim,  into 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  13 

which  it  dipped  not  far  from  the  surface,  leaving  the  mill  without  rock.  In 
other  cases  the  miner  had  his  pay  chimney  in  his  own  claim,  Imt  he  did  not  know 
enough  to  i'ullow  it,  and  he  worked  straight  down  into  ban-en  rock,  while  there 
was  an  abundant  supply  of  good  quartz  higher  up. 

Another  ern-r  was  that  of  sinking  when  nothing  was  found  at  the  surface;   a 

policy  that  may  do  in  mining  for  other  metals,  hut  is  very  risky  in  gold.     If  the 

croppinirs  an-  barren  along  a  considerable  distance,  deep  sinkings  will  rarely  pay; 

but  if  the  vein  does  not  crop  out,  the  only  way  to  examine  it  may  be  by  a  shaft! 

Much  rock  has  been  crushed  without  examination  and  without  any  proper 

•ion. 

In  the  mortars  ip  :iaon  mistake  to  use  too  much  quicksilver  and  too 

much  water. 

It  has  not  been  customary  to  make  assays  regularly  of  the  tailings,  so  as  to 
know  what  was  passing  off. 

The  mine  owners,  in  a  large  proportion  of  the  cases,  have  not  resided  at  the 
mines,  and  have  not  made  a  >indy  of  the  business;  and  no  occupation  requires 
personal  supervision  and  thorough  knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  owner  more  than 
mining. 

The.se  blunders  are  gradually  being  connected,  and  if  they  were  not  still  quite 
common  ihc  quartz  mines  of  California  would  yield  nearly  twice  as  much  as  they 
do.     The  business  will  never  be  established  upon  a  proper  basis  until  the  super- 
dents  as  a  class  are  well-educated  chemists  and  mining  and  mechanical  engi- 
.  and  the  mine  owners  frequent  visitors,  if  not  regular  residents,  at  the  mines. 
In  placer  mining  there  is  not  room  for  much  improvement.     All  the  processes 
are  simpler,  and  the  work  has  generally  been  done  well. 

The  southern  mines — that  is,  in  the  counties  of  Amador,  Calavcras,  Tuolumne, 
and  Mariposa — have  nearly  exhausted  their  placers.  They  had  few  deep  gravel 
depo.-its.  and  in  all  four  there  lias  not  been  one  large  hydraulic  claim  such  as 
abound  north  of  111  Dorado.  Placer,  Yuba,  Nevada.  Sierra,  and  Plumas  are  more 
prosperous  than  the  counties  further  south,  mainly  because  of  their  extensive  beds 
of  auriferous  gravel  more  than  a  hundred  feet  deep. 

Tn  .'>,  IsGG. — Few  applications  have  been  made  for  the  pur- 

<l'iartz  mines  or  of  agricultural  lands  in  the  mineral  districts,  under  the 
.•ranting  the  right  of  way  to  ditch  and  canal  owners  over 
the  public  lands,  and  for  other  purpo- 

The  farmers  of  the  mining  districts  have  long  been  anxious  to  get  titles,  but 

the  value  of  their  possessions  has  decreased  considerably  of  late,  and  many  of 

•el  able  to  pay  for  the  expense  of  a  survey.     They  are  required  to 

pay  not  the  survey  of  their  respective  farms  alone,  but  for  the  survey  of  all  the 

iltural  land  "in  the  whole  township  in  which  they  are  situated,  and  in  some 

may  be  $400.     If  several  unite, the  cost  is  less  to  each;  but 

the  whole  expense  comes  upon  the  iirst  application,  whether  made  by  one  or 

many.     After  the  survey  has  once  been  made,  applicants  have  no  expense  save 

the  price  of  the  hind  anil  a  few  small  incidentals.     Previous  to  the  first  of  June 

twenty-live  fanners  in  Tuolumne  and  Stanislaus  counties  had  expressed  a  desire 

.  and  all  would  undoubtedly  have  taken  them  if  the  survey  had 

"0,1  in  the  \\-ay.     The  public  sentiment  of  the  State  is  unanimously  in  favor 

of  these  airricultural  lands. 

The  surveys  of  quartz  mines  are  not  so  expensive  as  those  of  agricultural 

claiii.  it  is  not  necessary  to  survey  the  whole  township  for  a  mine  claim, 

but  onlv  to  connect  it  with  the  public  surveys  by  some  one  line,  so  that  it  can 

id  down  accurately  upon  the  map.     The  expense  depends  upon  circum- 

it  it  will  seldom  exeeed  ^100  for  every  step  from  the  beginning  until 

the  issue  of  i  he  patent,  exclusive  of  the  time  and  travel  of  the  surveyor  in  getting 

to  the  place  where  the  mine  is  situated. 

The  owners  of  quartz  mines  generally  desire  to  get  patents,  but  the  fact  that 


14  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

the  claims  on  public  lands  arc  not  taxed,  and  that  those  which  have  been  granted 
l*y  the  government  are  taxed,  is  a  strong  objection.  The  tax  in  the  mining 
counties  varies  from  three  to  four  and  u  half  per  cent,  annually,  and  that  is  a 
serious  consideration  with  many. 

The  revenue  law  of  California  sa3~s  : 

All  property,  of  every  kind  and  nature  whatever,  within  this  State  shall  be  subject  to  tax- 
ation, except  *  *  *  mining  claims.  (HittctL's  General  Laics,  article  G'J(JS.) 

A  supplementary  act  says  : 

All  provisions  of  law  exempting  mining  claims  from  taxation  are  hereby  repealed  so  far  as 
they  apply  to  lands  or  mines  in  the  condition  of  private,  property,  and  granted  as  such  by  the 
Spanish  or  Mexican  government,  or  the  government  of  the  United  States,  or  of  this  State. 
(  The  same,  article  Cxi65.  Instructions  under  the  act  of  July  2(>,  186C.) 

The  instructions  issued  by  the  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office  to  the 
surveyor  general  of  California,  and  by  him  to  his  deputies,  are  worthy  of  being 
placed  within  their  reach,  and  will  be  found  in  the  appendix. 

SrnvEYS. — Up  to  the  10th  of  October,  1867,  eleven  surveys,  made  under 
applications  for  patents  of  lode  mines,  have  been  received  at  the  United  States 
surveyor  general's  office  in  San  Francisco.  These  eleven  are  the  Pelion  Blanco, 
Virginia,  Jones,  Potts,  and  Oakes  &  Reese,  (these  two  last  adjoin,  and  may  be 
considered  as  parts  of  the  same  mine,  though  on  different  veins,)  in  Mariposa 
county ;  the  Trio,  MeCami,  Arbona,  Hitchcock,  and  Grey  Eagle,  in  Tuoltimnc 
county  ;  and  the  Kelsey,  in  Eldorado  county.  Applications  f< >r  surveys  for  patents 
have  been  made  in  many  other  cases,  probably  fifty,  at  least,  and  notices  of  the 
applications  have  been  advertised  in  the  newspapers  in  the  mining  counties,  but 
the  surveys  have  not  yet  reached  the  surveyor  general. 

The  State  has  been  divided  into  nine  districts,  with  a  deputy  surveyor  in  each. 
The  following  are  the  districts : 

First  district. — Del  Xorte,  Klamath,  and  Humboldt  counties. 

Second  district. — Siskiyou,  Shasta,  and  Trinity  counties. 

Third  district. — Plumas,  Butte,  and  Sierra. 

Fourth  district. — Yuba  and  Nevada. 

Fifth  district. — Placer,  El  Dorado,  and  Sacramento. 

Sixth  district. — Amador. 

Seventh  district. — Alpine,  Mono,  and  Inyo. 

Eighth  district. — Tuolumnc,  Mariposa,  Stanislaus,  Merced,  Fresno,  and  Cala- 
veras. 

Xinth  district. — Los  Angeles,  San  Bernardino,  Kern,  San  Diego,  and  Tulare. 


SECTION  II. 

THE  MOTHER  LODE. 

The  mother  lode  is  in  many  respects  the  most  remarkable  metalliferous  vein  in 
the  world.  Others  have  produced  and  are  producing  more,  but  no  other  has  been 
traced  so  far,  has  so  many  peculiar  features,  has  exercised  so  much  influence  on 
the  topography  of  the  country  about  it,  or  has  been  worked  with  a  profit  in  so 
many  places.  The  great  argentiferous  lodes  of  Mexico  and  South  America,  the 
most  productive  of  precious  metal  of  all  known  in  history,  can  be  followed  not 
more  than  six  or  eight  miles ;  while  this  Californian  vein  is  distinctly  traceable 
on  the  surface  from  Mariposa  to  the  town  of  Amador,  a  distance  of  more  than 
GO  miles. 

Corr.si:  AXD  DIP. — The  general  course  of  the  vein  is  very  nearly  north  west  and 
southeast,  but  to  be  more  precise  it  is  north  40°  west.  If  a  straight  lin<>  be  drawn 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  15 

DII  tfre  map  from  Mariposa  to  Amador,  the  mother  lode  will  be  in  several  places 
two  or  three  miles  distant  from  the  line,  Imt  usually  within  half  a  mile  of  it. 

The  dip  is  always  to  the  eastward,  and  usually  at  an  angle  of  45°  or  50°  to 
Lhe  horizon. 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  GOLD. — The  gold  is  generally  in  fine  particles,  and  i-s  dis- 
tributed evenly  through  a  large  portion  of  the  lode  in  the  pay  chimneys,  and 
there  is  very  little  of  the  rock  entirely  without  gold.  The  sulphurets  are  not  very 
abundant  nor  very  rich,  and  when  found  they  consist  almost  exclusively  of 
pyrites  of  iron  and  copper,  without  those  mixtures  of  lead,  arsenic,  antimony, 
and  zinc  which  interfere  with  amalgamation  seriously  in  some  other  lodes.  The 
quartz  of  the  mother  lode  is  usually  hard  and  white ;  and  in  most  of  the  pay 
chutes  near  one  wall  or  the  other,  ribbon  rock,  or  rock  with  numerous  black  seanis 
lying  parallel  with  the  wall,  is  found.  In  some  mines,  especially  at  the  Raw 
Hide,  the  quartz  is  colored  green  with  carbonate  of  copper ;  and  the  same  color, 
though  not  so  strong,  is  observed  in  portions  of  the  Princeton  mine. 

WIDTH. — The  width  varies  from  a  foot  to  thirty  feet ;  that  is,  the  main  vein  as 
worked ;  but  it  is  accompanied  by  branches  or  companion  veins,  so  that  the  total 
width  of  vein  matter  is  sometimes  nearly  a  hundred  feet.  In  some  places  these 
side  veins  are  known  to  be  branches  separated  at  the  surface  from  the  main  vein 
by  "  horses ;"  in  others  they  are  different  in  material  and  do  not  unite  at  the  deepest 
workings.  The  most  remarkable  side  veins  arc  those  of  talcose  slate,  which  in 
some  places  can  be  traced  for  miles.  They  are  from  two  to  twenty  feet  wide,  and 
are  rich  in  gold.  We  do  not  find,  in  our  books,  mention  of  any  similar  auriferous 
deposit  in  other  countries;  but  in  California  a  number  of  them  have  been  found, 
remote  from  the  mother  lode  as  well  as  near  it. 

South  of  Maxwell's  creek  is  a  parallel  talcose  vein,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
main  mother  lode,  known  as  the  Adelaide,  which  name  was  given  to  it  by  Mr. 
J.  1<\  Johnson.  The  same  name  lias  been  given  by  mistake  in  Tuolunine  county 
to  a  companion  talcose  vein  on  the  east  side  of  the  main  lode.  There  is  no 
reason  that  the  two  are  the  same  vein,  or  for  extending  the  name  of  one  to  the 
other. 

PAY  CHIMNEYS. — The  pay  chimneys  are  usually  large  and  regular,  and  are 
either  vertical  or  have  a  slight  dip  to  the  north. 

In  the  companion  talcose  veins  the  pay  chimneys  are  not  distinctly  marked, 
HOI*  are  the  character  and  limit  of  the  lode  well  defined. 

HILLS  AND  HOLLOWS. — The  streams  seem  to  have  made  their  beds  in  places 
where  the  mother  lode  is  split  up  into  a  number  of  branches,  as  at  the  Mercede, 
Maxwell's  creek,  Tuolumne,  Stanislaus,  and  Mokelumne  rivers;  while  in  those 
places  where  the  lode  is  wide  and  solid  there  are  high  hills,  as  at  Pefion  Blanco, 
Pine  Tree,  Whiskey  Hill,  Quartz  Mountain,  and  Carson  Hill.  The  richest  part  of 
the  vein  was  on  the  top  of  Carson  Hill,  and  next  to  that  in  richness  was  Pine 
Tree  Hill.  The  Hay  ward,  the  Oneida,  and  the  Keystone  are  in  valleys.  The 
Golden  Kulc  and  the  mines  at  Angels  are  neither  on  hill  nor  in  hollow,  and  are 
yet  very  rich. 

No  other  class  of  quartz  mines  in  California  is  so  poor  in  specimens  as  those 
on  the  mother  lode,  nor,  with  two  or  three  exceptions,  are  there  any  others  in 
which  the  gold  is  so  regularly  distributed  through  the  pay  chutes. 

PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  LODE. — The  chief  peculiarities  of  the  mother  lode  arc 
its  great  length,  its  great  thickness,  its  uniform  character,  the  near  proximity  of 
large  companion  veins,  of  which  at  least  one  is  usually  talcose,  and  the  richness 
of  the  talcose  veins.  In  reply  to  questions  about  the  chief  distinguishing  fea- 
ture of  the  mother  lode,  the  miners  engaged  in  working  various  mines  gave  very 
different  answers.  One  said  it  was  the  presence  of  a  belt  of  green  stone  on  the 
eastern  side.  Another  thought  it  was  a  black  putty  gouge.  A  third  spoke  first 
of  the  occurrence  of  places  as  smooth  as  glass  on  the  walls.  Another  consid- 
ered the  mother  lode  to  consist  of  two  branches,  one  the  luminated,  the  other  tho 


16  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

boulder  branch.  The  former  is  usually  on  the  west  side ;  the  latter  has  the  most 
curves.  The  lode  is  richest  where  the  two  meet.  Another  says  the  mother  lode 
is  a  series  of  branches,  sometimes  a  dozen  in  number,  covering  a  width  that 
varies  from  5QO  to  3,000  feet,  with  a  greenstone  porphyry  wall  on  the  east,  and 
dioritic  porphyry  wall  on  the  west. 

Is  IT  A  FISSUEE  VEIN?— The  question  whether  the  mother  lode  is  a  gash  or  a 
fissure  vein  has  little  practical  importance.  S uch  an  inquiry  is  serviceable  in  regard 
to  deposits  the  character  of  which  is  doubtful ;  but  we  already  know  that  in  regard 
to  length,  uniformity  of  veinstone,  continuity  in  depth,  and  number  of  pay  chutes, 
few  fissure  veins  exceed  this.  Professor  Ashburner,  in  a  report  made  on  the  Pine 
Tree  and  Josephine  mines,  in  May,  1864,  expressed  an  opinion  that  the  "great 
majority"  of  the  auriferous  quartz  lodes  of  California  are  gash  veins;  and  he 
implies  that  the  Pine  Tree,  which  is  a  part  of  the  mother  lode,  belongs  to  that 
class.  Whitney,  in  his  ll Metallic  Wealth  of  tlie  United  States"  says : 

True  fissure  veins  are  continuous  in  depth,  and  their  metalliferous  contents  have  not  been 
found  to  be  exhausted  or  to  have  sensibly  and  permanently  decreased  at  any  depth  which 
has  yet  been  obtained  by  mining. 

Segregated  and  gash  veins,  and  the  irregular  deposits  of  ore  not  included  under  the  head' 
of  veins,  and  not  occurring  in  masses  as  part  of  the  formation,  cannot  be  depended  upon  as 
persistent,  and  they  generally  thin  out  and  disappear  at  a  not  inconsiderable  depth;  at  the 
same  time  they  are  oi'ten  richer  for  a  certain  distance,  and  contain  larger  accumulations  of 
ore  than  true  veins,  so  that  they  may  be  worked  for  a  considerable  time  with  greater  profit 
than  these,  although  not  to  be  considered  as  of  the  same  permanent  value. 

In  a  report  on  the  Princeton  mine  made  by  Professor  Blake,  in  December, 
1864,  he  said : 

The  identification  of  the  Princeton  as  a  fissure  vein  leads  us  to  the  question  whether  all 
the  gold  veins  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  other  gold  districts  of  similar  formation  are  not  also 
of  fissure  origin,  rather  than  formed  by  metamorphism  from  materials  pre-existing  in  the 
strata.  It  certainly  is  not  essential  to  a  fissure  vein  that  it  should  cut  across  the  strata  of  a 
country.  In  a  region  of  regularly  stratified  slates,  the  line  of  least  resistance  to  a  breaking 
force  is  certainly  the  line  or  plane  rather  of  the  stratification.  In  that  line  or  plane  the  rocky 
crust  may  be  most  readily  split,  and  hence  it  is,  I  believe,  that  most  of  our  veins  are  found 
conforming  to  the  stratification.  Professor  Tuomey,  in  his  report  on  the  geology  of  South 
Carolina,  describing  the  gold-bearing  veins  of  that  State,  mentions  several  that  for  a  part 
of  their  course  follow  the  bedding  of  the  rocks,  and  in  other  places  cut  across  the  bedding. 
I  have  observed  similar  conditions  at  various  places  in  California,  and  I  am  daily  more  and 
more  inclined  to  the  view  that  gold  veins  are  the  results  of  emanations  from  great  depths 
below,  which,  ascending  through  rifts  and  fissures  of  the  rocks,  were  condensed  or  deposited 
upon  the  walls. 

CLAIMS  rsr  MARIPOSA. — The  following  is  a  list  of  the  claims  on  the  mother 
lode,  beginning  at  the  mother  lode  and  going  northward : 

The  Crown  Lead,  4,500  feet  on  the  mother  lode,  besides  claims  on  two  parallel 
lodes.  Not  at  work.  Noticed  elsewhere. 

The  Virginia,  2,500  feet,  crops  out  largely.  A  tunnel  160  feet  long  strikes  the 
vein  at  a  depth  of  100  feet.  Several  shallow  shafts  have  been  sunk.  Some 
good  quartz  has  been  found,  but  no  work  is  being  done  now.  There  is  no  mill. 

The  Pyles,  1,200  feet ;  no  work  done. 

The  Mary  Harrison  has  a  mill,  and  is  at  work. 

The  Clayton,  3,000  feet. 

The  Louisa,  3,000  feet,  is  being  opened  and  explored.  One  shaft  is  down  130 
feet,  and  another  is  being  sunk  to  the  same  depth,  and  a  third,  commenced  on  a 
lower  level,  is  down  90  feet.  A  tunnel  started  near  the  level  of  Maxwell's 
creek,  strikes  the  bottom  of  the  90  foot  shaft.  About  2,000  tons  of  ore  have 
been  taken  out,  and  have  been  crushed  at  the  mill  of  the  Maxwell  Creek  Mining 
Company,  yielding  $8  or  $9  per  ton.  The  mother  is  split  up  here  into  a  number 
of  branches. 

On  the  Margaret,  3,000  feet,  no  work  has  been  done.  In  this  claim  the  mother 
lode  is  split  up  into  a  number  of  narrow  branches,  at  least  at  and  near  Maxwell's 
creek,  which  separates  it  from  the  Louisa. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  17 

The  Pumpkin,  3,000  feet,  is  not  doing  anything.  Several  shafts  have  been 
sunk,  and  some  rock  taken  from  it  seven  or  eight  years  ago  yielded  $40  per  ton 

The  Nonsuch,  1,400  feet,  is  lying  idle. 

Parallel  with  and  opposite  to  the'Nonsuch,  300  feet  distant  to.  the  eastward, 
on  a  talrose  slate  vein,  is  the  Ilidely  and  Cunningham  mine.  A  four-stamp  mili 
commenced  running1  last  spring. 

On  the  King  Solomon,  3,000  feet,  no  work  is  doing. 

The  Yosemite,  3,000  feet,  has  a  tunnel  of  exploration,  but  no  mill,  and  is  not 
at  work. 

The  Pofion  Blanco,  6,000  feet  long,  is  being  explored  by  a  tunnel  running 
285  feet  on  the  vein  from  the  northwest  side  of  the  hill,  and  by  a  cross-tunnel 
from  the  east  side  of  the  hill.  Eight  men  are  at  work,  and  $6,000  or  88,000 
have  been  spent  on  the  claim.  The  name  is  Spanish,  means  "  large  white  rock/7 
and  was  suggested  by  the  immense  croppings  of  white  quartz  on  the  top  of  the 
high  hill,  which  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  land-marks  in  the  western  part  of 
Mariposa  county. 

The  Murphy, feet,  has  done  nothing. 

Th«  Me  A 1  pin,  1,200  feet,  was  worked  10  years,  first  with  an  arrastra,  and 
afterwords  with  an  eight-stamp.  The  lode  is  here  25  feet  wide.  A  tunnel  strikes 
the  vein  400  feet  below  the  surface,  and  a  shaft  runs  clown  160  feet  from  the 
tunnel.  .Ale Al pin  sold  out  in  1864,  and  left  the  State,  taking  with  him,  if  rumor 
is  right,  $75,000  obtained,  net  from  the  mine.  Since  he  left  the  mine  has  not 
paid,  and  the  mill  is  now  standing  idle.  Ten  or  15  feet  eastward  from  the 
main  lode,  and  parallel  with  it,  is  a  companion  vein,  which  has  been  worked  to 
some  extent,  and  is  supposed  by  some  miners  to  be  richer  than  the  main  lode. 
The  mill  is  driven  by  water  supplied  by  the  Golden  Rock  Water  Company. 

CLAIMS  ix  TUOLUMXE. — The  following  claims  are  now  lying  idle  or  only 
partially  worked.  Those  marked  *  are  idle;  those  upon  which  work  is  being 
done  are  noticed : 

The  Kin-  Philip*;  thoXewhall,*  3,000  feet;  the  Rhodes,*  3,000  feet;  Wood- 
worth,*  3.000  feet;  Wheeler,*  7,500  feet;  Munn*;  Wotcott  and  Rocco*;  the  Cul- 
berison,*  extending  across  the  Tuolninne  river;  here  comes  a  tract*  of  1,200  feet 
in  dispute ;  t  he  Kelly,*  4,000  feet ;  the  Clio,  2,000  feet,  has  a  10-stamp  mill,  not  at 
work  now;  the  Scorpion*;  the  Northern  Light,*  3,000  feet;  the  Johnson,  the 
Yumu,*  3,150  feet,  and  the  Hector,  are  on  the  Talcose  companion  vein  in  this 
neighborhood.  The  Shawmut  is  on  the  main  lode  and  has  a  mill.  The  Eagle 
also  has  a  mill. 

The  (Jhickenhawk  has  two  shafts,  and  is  at  work  with  a  hoisting  engine,  but 
without  a  mill.  The  Dickson  &  Co.,*  1,500  feet;  the  Durgan  &  Co.,*  500  or 
600  feet;  the  Golden  Rule*;  the  Simmons  £  Co.,*  800  feet;  the  Miller,  Waller 
&  Co.,*  450  feet;  the  lleslep  &  Co.,*  900  feet;  the  Simon  Whitford  &  Co.,* 
450  feet;  the  Rowe  <fc  Co.,*  350  feet;  the  Golden  Rule,  1,600  feet,  has  a  15- 
starnp  mill  in  profitable  operation  on  the  eastern  vein;  the  Waller  &  App,*  780 
feet,  has  a  shaft  60  feet  deep;  the  Hitchcock,*  500  feet,  The  Nyman,  550  feet, 
has  a  tunnel  150  feet  long,  and  a  shaft  40  feet  deep;  .another  tunnel  is  now  being 
run  to  open  the  mine.  There  is  no  mill. 

The  Jim  Stuart,*  530  feet,  has  a  shaft  78  feet  deep;  the_App,  1,000  feet,  has 
been  worked  regularly  for  seven  years  with  a  10-stamp  mill.  Opposite  to  the 
App,  on  the  eastern  talcose  vein,  is  the  Heslep,  1,650  feet,  which  has  been  at 
work  for  15  years  with  a  10-stamp  mill.  This  claim  extends  beyond  the  App 
and  is  opposite  the  Jim  Stuart  also. 

The  Silver,  1,500  feet,  has  a  10-stamp  mill,  but  in  May  all  the  work  was 
given  to  opening  the  mine.  The  Sweeny,  1,500  feet,  has  a  five-stamp^mill,  but 
the  mine  has  caved  in,  the  flume  was  blown  down,  and  no  work  is  being  done. 
One  pocket  near  the  surface  paid  $30,000. 


18  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

The  Tazcwell,*  800  feet;  the  Donovan  &  Co.;*  the  McCann,*  600  feet;  the 
Mooncy  &  Co.,  GOO  feet,  lias  a  four-stamp  mill  in  profitable  operation  working 
the  talcose  vein;  the  Trio,*  2,316  feet,  has  a  10-stamp  mill;  the  Harris,  1,000 
feet,  has  no  mill,  but  is  being  opened ;  the  Williams  &  Brother,  1,000  feet,  has 
no  mill,  but  is  being  opened;  the  Heist,  1,000  feet,  has  a  four-stamp  mill,  and  is 
paying;  the  General  Hooker,*  1,200  feet;  the  Rawhide  Extension  is  doing 
nothing  now,  though  there  is  a  shaft  200  feet  deep,  which  always  contains  water, 
sometimes  to  within  20  feet  of  the  surface;  in  the  Rawhide  claim  adjoining 
there  is  a  working  shaft  280  feet  deep,  and  only  40  feet  distant.  The  Rawhide, 
1,650  feet,  is  owned  by  a  New  York  company,  and  has  a  20-stamp  mill. 

The  Hensley  &  Co.,*  1,300  feet;  the  Faxon,*  1,000  feet;  the  Quinby,  1,000 
feet,  on  the  eastern  talcose  companion  vein,  has  a  four-stamp  mill  which  has  been 
idle  for  years ;  the  Chaparral,  1,500  feet,  has  a  five-stamp  mill,  but  is  not  running ; 
the  Buckeye,  1,200  feet,  is  on  a  branch  vein  200  feet  west  of  the  main  mother 
lode,  opposite  to  the  Chaparral. 

The  Horsely,*  1,500  feet,  has  sunk  a  shaft  20  feet  deep ;  the  Meader  &  Car- 
rington,*  1,500  feet,  has  a  four-stamp  mill;  the  Ilawkeyc,*  1,000  feet;  the  Silver 
Hill,*  1,500  feet;  the  Gillis,*  1,200  feet;  the  Gillis  No.  2,*  1,200  feet;  the 
Seavers,*  1,000  feet;  the  Watt*;  the  Alsop  &  Co.,* reaches  to  the  Stanislaus 
river. 

The  following  claims  are  on  an  eastern  branch  or  companion  vein  of  the 
mother  lode,  commencing  at  the  Rawhide,  and  running  northward  to  the  Stan- 
islaus river. 

First  is  a  piece  of  unclaimed  ground  where  no  lode  has  been  found.  The 
White  Senior*  claim;  the  Torn  White,*  1,200  feet;  the  Patterson,  has  a  10- 
stamp  mill,  but  only  five  are  running ;  th  e  Gillis,  *  1,200  feet ;  the  Jackson;*  the 
Waters;*  the  Rector,*  1,200  feet,  has  sunk  a  shaft  52  feet  deep;,  the  Watts, 
1,000  feet,  is  now  at  work  prospecting,  about  $15,000  have  been  taken  from 
small  veins  at  the  surface ;  the  Mt.  Stanislaus,*  3,000  feet. 

This  brings  us  to  the  Stanislaus  river,  in  the  bed  of  which  no  large  vein  is 
discoverable.  Here,  as  at  Maxwell's  creek,  the  lode  is  split  up  into  a  multitude 
of  little  branches. 

CLAIMS  IN  CALAVERAS. — Immediately  north  of  the  Stanislaus  river,  on  the 
line  of  the  mother  lode,  Carson  hill  rises  to  an  elevation  of  1,600  feet  above  the 
river ;  and  the  lode  in  passing  through  the  hill  appears  to  split  into  three  branches. 
On  the  eastern  branch  are  the  following,  viz  :  the  Virginia,*  1,000  feet;  the 
Adjunction,*  800  feet ;  the  Carson  Hill,  has  done  some  work,  but  is  not  doing  any- 
thing now ;  the  South  Carolina,  2,550  feet,  has  yielded  $400,000,  and  is  now  closed ; 
the  Enterprise,*  800  feet ;  the  Reserve,  980  feet,  is  being  reopened,  but  has  no 
mill,  the  yield  has  been  $130,000. 

These  are  all  the  claims  on  the  eastern  branch.  On  the  middle  branch  are  the 
following,  commencing  at  the  river,  and  running  northward :  the  Stanislaus,* 
1,200  feet ;  the  Mineral  Mountain,*  3,000  feet ;  the  Melones,*  1,200  feet. 

On  the  western  or  Santa  Cruz  branch  is  the  Santa  Cruz*  mine,  3,000  feet ;  the 
Morgan,  500  feet,  has  no  mill,  but  is  at  work,  yielded  $2,800,000  in  1850 
and  1851 ;  the  Kentucky,*  220  feet ;  the  Iron  Rock,  1,300  feet,  is  doing  nothing, 
though  some  very  good  rock  was  found  in  short  tunnels  and  shafts ;  the  Chapar- 
ral,* 3,031  feet;  the  Chaparral  Hill,  3,200  feet,  is  now  at  work  taking  out  rock, 
but  has  no  mill. 

Here  comes  a  space  where  the  vein  has.  not  been  found. 

The  Hanford,  900  feet  ;*  the  Haniord  and  Shears.* 

Here  comes  an  interval  of  a  mile  and  three-quarters,  before  we  reach  the  town 
of  Angels. 

The  Stickles,  400  feet,  has  a  10-stamp  mill  at  work;  the  Calaveras,*  1,100 
feet,  had  a  nine-stamp  mill  which  was  moved  away ;  the  Lightner,  400  feet,*  had  a 
10-stamp  mill,  but  it  has  been  moved  away;  the  Angel,  900  feet,  has  a  30-stamp 


WEST  OF  THE  EOCKY  MOUNTAINS.  19 

mill,  now  at  work ;  the  Hill,  412  feet,  lists  produced  $250,000,  and  has  a  12- 
stampniill  at  work;  the  Bovee,  450  feet,  has  produced  $600,000,  and  has  a  10- 
starup  mill  at  work ;  the  Fritz,*  600  feet,  had  a  10-stamp  mill,  which  was  moved 
away. 

Here  comes  another  space  where  the  mother  lode  is  not  traceable  on  the  surface, 
and  has  not  been  traced.  The  general  opinion  is  that  it  crosses  the  Mokelunme 
river  about  three  miles  west  of  Mokelumne  Hill. 

CLAIMS  ix  AMADOR. — North  of  that  river,  in  Amador  county,  we  have 
the  following:  the  Tibbetts  &  Corliss;*  the  Hay  ward,  1,800  feet,  has  56 
stamps  at  work,  crushing  80  tons  per  day,  and  has  been  at  work  since  1852, 
the  reputed  yield  is  827  per  ton  gross,  and  822  net,  or  more  than  $600,000 
net  per  year ;  the  Loring  Hill,  700  feet,  has  been  worked  for  10  years.  Oppo- 
site to  the  Loring  Hill,  on  a  parallel  vein,  is  the  Railroad,  800  feet.  This 
mine  has  yielded  $70,000,  and  is  now  at  work,  but  has  no  mill.  The  Wild- 
man,  1,130  feet,  is  down  530  feet,  and  has  drifted  200  feet,  but  the  12-stamp 
mill  is  employed  in  doing  custom-work ;  the  Maliouey  has  been  working  five 
years,  with  a  15-stainp  mill ;  the  Lincoln,  2,378  feet,  has  worked  10  or  12 
years,  but  the  20-stamp  mill  is  now  engaged  in  custom-work;  the  Bamhart,* 
1,000  feet;  the  Comet,  750  feet,  has  commenced  prospecting;  the  Herbertville, 
1,200  feet,  had  a  30-stamp  mill,  which  never  paid,  and  was  burned  down. 
No  work  is  being  done  at  the  mine.  The  Keystone,  has  a  20-stamp  mill, 
has  worked  steadily  since  1851,  and  has  produced  about  $700,000.  Opposite  to 
the  Keystone,  on  a  companion  vein,  is  the  Spring  Hill,  1,200  feet,  which  has 
crushed  50,000  tons  of  quartz,  but  obtained  little  profit.  It  has  a  30-starnp 
mill,  which  is  idle,  with  the  exception  of  five  stamps  engaged  in  custom-work. 
The  Amador,  1,300  feet,  was  worked  to  a  depth  of  240  feet  some  years  ago,  but 
afterwards  caved  in,  and  has  stood  idle  now,  lor  some  time  ;  the  Bunker  Hill, 
1,200  feet,  is  at  work  with  an  eight-stamp  mill;  the  Mayflower,*  1,200  feet; 
the  Hazard,*  800  feet,  has  an  eight-stamp  mill ;  the  Pennsylvania,*  1,000  feet ; 
the  Loyal,*  600  feet,  has  a  20-stamp  steam  mill ;  the  Italian,  340  feet,  has 
a  six-stamp  mill,  which  has  crushed  about  2,000  tons ;  the  Seaton,  1,200  feet,  has 
a  40-stamp  mill,  and  has  worked  about  10,000  tons  of  quarts,  which  averaged 
eight  or  nine  dollars.  The  mill  is  not  running,  but  the  mine  is  being  opened. 
The  McDonald,*  800  feet ;  the  Potosi,  800  feet,  is  at  work  with  a  sixteen-stamp 


,  ,,.... 

has  a  shaft  100  feet  deep;  the  Hooper,*  1,200  feet;  the  Noe,*  800  feet;  the 
Richmond,  800  feet,  has  a  10-stamp  mill,  but  the  only  work  now  being  done 
is  prospecting. 

Jlrn;  we  reach  the  Cosumnes  river,  and  north  of  this  the  lode  has  not  been 
traced  distinctly,  although  the  Pacific  lode  at  Placerville  appears  to  have  its 
characteristics. 


SECTION     III.      - 

MARIPOSA    COUNTY. 


Mariposa*  county,  the  southernmost  of  the  rich  placer  mining  counties  of  the 
Sacramento  basin,  lies  between  parallels  37°  and  38°  of  north  latitude  and 
reaches  from  the  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  to  the  low  land  of  the  ban  Joa- 
quiii  valley.  The  northern  boundary  is  the  divide  between  the'  1  uolurnne  and 
Mercede  rivers,  and  the  southern  is  a  line  drawn  northeastward  from  the  point 

*  The  n^me  of  this  county  is  derived  from  the  Spanish  "  Las  Mariposas,"  The  Butterflies. 


20  RESOURCES     OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

where  the  Cliowcliilla  river  strikes  t*he  plain.  The  only  permanent  stream  in 
the  county  is  the  Merced ;  the  so-called  Mariposa  river  is  a  little  brook  which 
can  readily  be  stepped  across  in  the  summer  season. 

The  distance  of  the  town  of  Mariposa  from  Stockton  is  90  miles,  and  the 
ordinary  charge  for  freight  in  the  summer  is  $25  per  ton  of  2,000  pounds.  A 
stage  runs  to  Bear  Valley  in  a  day  from  Stockton,  and  the  fare  is  $10.  Another 
stage  line  runs  to  Coulterville,  and  the  fare  there  is  $10,  and  the  distance  is 
made  in  one  day.  The  county  tax  for  the  current  fiscal  year  is  $3  19  per  $100 
of  taxable  property.  Coultervillc  lies  north  and  Bear  Valley  south  of  the 
Mercede  river,  the  banks  of  which,  in  that  vicinity,  are  so  steep  and  high  that  no 
wagon  road  has  been  made  across  it ;  and  although  the  distance  from  one  town 
to  the  other  by  the  horse  trail  is  only  10  miles,  it  is  45  by  the  wagon  road. 

Sectional  area  of  Mariposa  county,  1,884  square  miles.  Population  in  1860, 
6,243;  estimated  in  1866,  4,170.  Assessed  valuation  of  property  in  1865, 
$1,237,370.  Mr.  Wm.  S.  Watson,  constructing  engineer  of  the  projected  Cop- 
peropolis  and  Stockton  railroad  says  :  "  From  the  nature  of  the  country  and  the 
pursuits  of  the  inhabitants,  Mariposa  imports  of  merchandise  4,240  tons  per 
annum,  which,  with  an  increase  of  population  to  the  standard  of  Nevada  county, 
and  the  consequent  development  of  her  vast  resources,  would  be  quadrupled  in 
n  very  short  time.  The  down  freights  from  this  county,  consisting  of  copper 
ores,  wool,  hides,  &c.,  amount  to  920  tons  annually.  The  principal  points  of 
shipping  are  Homitas,  Princetown,  Agua  Frie,  Mariposa,  Coultervillo  arid  Bear 
Valley.  Total  up  and  down  freights,  5,160  tons." 

The  shipment  of  gold  dust  from  Coulterville  was  $13,285  in  July,  1866 ; 
$13,500  in  August;  $17,000  in  September;  $24,900  in  October;  $14,790  in 
November ;  $7,280  in  December ,  $4,950  quartz  and  $9,484  placer  in  January, 
1867;  $11,050  placer  and  $14,800  in  March;  and  $8,080  quartz  and  $3,66rO 
placer  in  April. 

The  average  monthly  shipment  of  treasure  from  the  town  of  Mariposa  is 
$17,000  or  $18,000. 

There  are  two  small  ditches  south  of  the  Mercede  river,  and  a  branch  of  the 
Golden  Rock  ditch  extending  to  Peuon  Blanco,  arid  these  are  the  only  ditches 
in  the  county.  In  proportion  to  the  yield  of  gold,  Mariposa  has  fewer  ditches 
than  any  other  county  in  the  State. 

PLACER  MIXING. — Many  of  the  placer  districts  in  the  county  have  been  very 
rich,  but  the  diggings  have  in  no  place  been  deep,  and  they  would  long  ago  have 
been  exhausted  if  there  had  been  large  ditches  to  supply  water;  but  these  were 
lacking,  so  washing  has  been  conducted  on  a  small  scale,  and  for  only  a  brief 
period  each  year.  The  richness  of  the  ground  and  the  coarseness  of  the  gold 
has  enabled  the  miners  to  make  a  profit  sometimes  by  dry  dig'ging  or  scratching 
the  gravel  over  with  a  butcher-knife.  Maxwell's  Creek,  Blue  Gulch,  Bear  Creek, 
White's  Gulch,  Pen  on  Blanco,  the  north  fork  of  the  Mercede,  the  banks  of  the 
main  Mercede,  and  the  vicinities  of  the  towns  of  Mariposa  and  Hornitas  were 
especially  rich.  In  Maxwell's  Creek,  about  1852,  the  common  yield  was  $15  or 
S20  per  day  to  the  man,  and  in  1863  two  miners  in  two  months  washed  out 
816,000  at  Pcfion  Blanco.  In  1850  Horse  Shoe  Bend,  on  the  Mercede,  had  a 
population  of  400  miners.  There  are  now  a  dozen  small  and  shallow  hydraulic 
claims  there,  which  pay  about  $4  per  day  to  the  man.  The  population  of  the 
bend  numbers  100,  of  whom  half  are  Chinamen.  On  the  top  of  Buckhorn 
mountain,  cast  of  Coulterville,  at  an  elevation  1,500  feet  above  the  Mercede 
river,  there  is  a  placer  which  pays  well  while  it  rains,  but  cannot  be  worked  at 
any  other  time  for  want  of  water.  Flyaway,  in  a  gully  by  the  side  of  Buckhorn 
mountain,  is  also  rich,  but  there,  too,  no  water  can  be  got  save  during  rains. 

AGRICULTURE. — There  is  no  agriculture  in  Mariposa  county  worthy  of  note. 
There  is  not  one  large  orchard,  vineyard,  or  grain  farm.  Only  a  small  quantity 
of  rain  falls,  and  the  soil  appears  to  bo  of  a  very  dry  nature.  A  large  portion 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  21 

of  the  snrface  is  occupied  by  steep  hills,  which  prove  their  thirstv  character  by 
sustaining-  no  vegetation  save  the  chemisal.  There  are  no  ditches  to  sustain 
irrigation,  and  as  the  most  populous  part  of  the  county  was  the  Mariposa  "rant 
the  residents  there  having  no  title  had  no  sufficient  inducement  to  invest  money 
in  planting  trees  and  vines.  The  western  part  of  the  county  is  made  up  chiefly 
of  chcmisal  hills,  with  occasionally  small  dales  with  scattered  oak  trees.  In  the 
eastern  part  of  the  county  there  are  some  plains  about  3,000  feet  high,  and  these 
have  a  rich  and  moist  soil  and  may  some  day  become  far  more  valuable  than 
they  are  now.  Still  farther  east,  at  an  elevation  of  0,000  feet  or  more,  we  coine 
to  large  forests  of  good  pine  timber,  with  occasional  groves  of  the  big  tree. 

YOSEMITE. — One  of  the  resources  of  the  county  is  the  possession  of  the 
Yosemite  valley,  which  is  destined  to  be  a  favorite  place  of  resort  when  access 
is  cheaper  and  more  comfortable  than  at  present.  The  trip  can  now  be  made 
from  San  Francisco  to  the  valley  and  back  in  eight  days  for  $75,  staying  only 
a  day  in  the  valley,  but  the  average  amount  spent  on  the  trip  by  visitors  is  not 
less  than  $150.  On  the  Coulterville  trail  there  is  a  stretch  of  39  miles  to  be 
made  on  horseback,  with  no  house  on  the  way  ;  and  on  the  Mariposa  trail  the 
nearest  house  to  the  valley  is  25*  miles  off.  Thus  there  is  no  mode  of  reaching 
the  place  except  a  hard  ride  over  a  very  rugged  road,  and  it  is  a  severe  trial  to 
persons  unaccustomed  to  riding  horseback.  A  wagon  road  might  be  made,  but 
some  of  the  people  on  the  route  think  it  their  policy  to  prevent  the  construction 
of  a  road.  Near  the  Mariposa  trail  is  a  fine  grove  of  the  big  trees.  The  num- 
ber of  visitors  to  Yosemite  in  1804  was  240 ;  in  1865,  3(50 ;  and  in  1866;  620. 

THE  MAHIPOSA  ESTATE. — The  Mariposa  Estate,  or  Fremont  Grant,  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  contains  44,380  acres,  or  about  70  square  miles.  It  reaches 
12  miles  from  east  to  west,  and  124-  miles  from  north  to  south.  Its  greatest 
length,  from  uort  Invest  to  southeast,  is  about  17  miles,  and  its  average  width 
nearly  5  miles.  Its  northern  line  touches  the  Mercer  river,  the  southern  the 
town  of  Bridgeport.  It  includes  the  towns  of  Mariposa,  Bridgeport,  Guadalupe, 
Arkansas  Flat,  Lower  Agua  Fria,  Upper  Agua  Fria,  Princeton,  Mount  Ophir, 
and  Bear  Yallev.  The  grant  was  made  while  California  was  under  the  dominfon 
of  Mexico,  to  Juan  15.  Alvarado,  and  it  was  purchased  in  1847  by  J.  C.  Fremont, 
who  presented  his  claim  for  the  land  to  the  United  States  land  commission, 
and  it  was  linally  confirmed  to  him,  and  the  patent  was  issued  February,  185G. 
The  original  grant  was  of  land  suitable  for  grazing  purposes  in  the  basin  of  the 
Mariposa  river,  but  the  boundaries  were  not  fixed,  and  the  grantee  had  the  right 
of  locating  the  claim  on  any  land  within  a  large  area.  When  the  grant  was  to 
be  surveyed  Fremont  said  he  wanted  a  long  strip  of  land  in  the  low-land  on 
both  banks  of  the  Mariposa  river;  but  the  United  States  surveyor  told  him  the 
survey  must  be  in  a  coin  [tact  form.  Then,  instead  of  taking  a  compact  area  of 
grazing  land  and  worthless  mountain,  he  swung  his  grant  round  and  covered  the 
valuable  Pine  Tree  and  Josephine  mines,  near  the  Mercede  river,  besides  a  number 
of  others  which  had  been  in  the  undisputed  possession  of  miners,  who  had  long 
been  familiar  with  Fremont,  and  had  never  heard  the  least  intimation  from  him 
that  he  would  in  any  event  lay  claim  to  their  works.  Personal  indignation  thus 
came  in  to  embitter  a  quarrel  involving  large  pecuniary  interests j  but  the  patent 
did  not  necessarily  give  the  gold  of  the  grant  to  Fremont.  Under  the  Mexican 
law  the  grantee  had  no  right  to  the  minerals,  and  the  American  law  spoke  of  a 
confirmation,  not  an  enlargement,  of  the  Mexican  title.  Here  then  was  another 
subject  for  litigation,  and  "at  last,  in  1859,  that  matter  was  settled  by  a  decision 
that  an  American  patent  for  land  carries  the  minerals  with  it.  The  adverse 
claimants  defied  the  oiiVers  of  the  law;  the  mines  were  converted  into  fortifica- 
tions; the  mouths  of  the  tunnels  were  barricaded;  there  were  besiegers  and 
besieged;  several  men  were  killed;  but  at  last,  in  1859,  Fremont  triumphed,  and 
under  his  Mexican  grant  obtained  land  which  the  Mexican  government  did  not 
intend  to  grant,  and  minerals  which  it  systematically  reserved. 


22  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

In  a  short  time  after  the  title  was  satisfactorily  settled  the  yield  of  gold  from 
the  quartz  mines  of  the  estate  became  very  large.  The  monthly  production  in 
I860  averaged  839,500;  in  1861,  $53,500";  in  1862,  the  year  of  the  great  flood, 
which  injured  the  mills,  flooded  mines,  and  broke  up  roads,  $43,500;  and  in  the 
first  five  months  of  1863,  $77,000.  In  March,  1863,  the  yield  was  $94,000;  in 
April,  $92,000 ;  and  in  May,  $101,000.  The  production  seemed  to  have  reached 
the  figure  of  $100,000  per  month,  with  a  fair  prospect  of  still  further  increase. 
It  was  at  this  time  that  the  estate  was  sold  to  an  incorporated  company  in  New 
York  city,  and  the  stock  put  upon  the  market  in  the  midst  of  the  San  Francisco 
mining  stock  fever,  which  extended  its  influence  across  the  continent.  The 
prospectus  of  the  company  presented  a  very  attractive  picture  to  speculators. 
The  average  monthly  yield  for  three  years  and  a  half  had  been  $50,000,  and  for 
half  a  year  the  net  profits  had  equalled  that  sum.  The  reports  of  various  mining 
engineers  indicated  that  the  results  of  future  workings  wrould  be  still  better. 
Messrs.  Wakelee  and  Garnett,  who  spoke  with  great  caution,  and  expressed 
doubts  about  the  value  of  the  Mariposa,  the  Pino  Tree,  and  Josephine  mines, 
still  thought  that  the  monthly  productions  of  the  estate  could  soon  be  raised  to 
$220,000,  at  an  expense  of  not  more  than  $50,000,  leaving  $170,000  net  monthly 
income.  Dr.  J.  Adelberg,  speaking  of  the  Pine  Tree  and  Josephine  mines,  said  : 

In  regard  to  the  value  of  the  veins,.!  can  say  no  more  than  that  their  yield  in  precious 
metal  is  limited  only  by  the  amount  of  work  done  in  them;  but  I  recollect  Mr.  Fremont 
once  commissioning  me  to  make  an  estimate  as  to  their  endurance  in  the  limits  of  the  longi- 
tudinal extent  now  opened.  1  found  by  calculation  that  they  would  yiold  for  368  years  100 
tons  daily,  without  the  requisition  of  pumps.  I  mean  down  to  the  water  level. 

Mr.  Timothy  C.  Allyn  made  a  report  on  the  property  in  December,  1862,  and 
expressed  the  opinion  that  the  yield  could  be  increased  $100,000  per  month, 
gross,  and  $50,000  net.  A  report  equally  favorable  by  Mr.  Claudet  was  also 
published.  Professor  Whitney,  a  most  careful,  conscientious,  and  competent 
authority,  had  said : 

The  quantity  of  material  which  can  be  mined  may,  without  exaggeration,  be  termed 
inexhaustible.  I  can  hardly  see  a  limit  to  the  amount  of  gold  which  the  property  is  capable 
of  producing,  except  in  the  time,  space,  and  capital  required  to  erect  the  necessary  mills, 
build  roads  to  them,  and  open  mines,  so  as  to  keep  them  supplied  with  ore. 

With  these  opinions  and  facts,  large  quantities  of  the  stock  were  purchased, 
and  there  were  large  quantities  of  it  to  be  purchased,  for  the  paper  capital  of 
the  company  was  $lo,000,000. 

The  company  was  organized  by  Fremont's  creditors,  who  had  become  owners 
of  the  property;  but  instead  of  cancelling  the  debt  and  taking  stock  for  it, they 
took  a  mortgage  for  $15,000,000,  payable  in  gold,  and  issued  the  stock  subject 
to  that  debt,  which  was  supposed  to  be  the  only  incumbrance  on  the  property; 
at  least  that  was  the  supposition  of  many  who  bought  the  stock.  It  soon 
appeared,  however,  that  there  were  $480,000  in  gold  due,  besides  $300,000  on  the 
garrison  lien,  $50,000  on  the  Clark  mortgage,  and  $130,000  to  workmen  and 
others  in  California.  The  new  company  selected  Mr.  P.  L.  Olmstcd  for  their 
manager,  and  he  took  charge  of  the  estate  on  the  14th  November,  1864.  He 
found  everything  in  confusion.  The  production  had  fallen  off  very  suddenly 
after  the  sale.  It  seemed  as  if  every  nerve  had  been  strained  to  make  the  yield 
of  May  as  large  as  possible,  and  that  as  soon  as  the  sale  was  made  the  produc- 
tion decreased  more  than  50  per  cent.  The  yield  for  the  first  live  months  of 
1863  before  the  sale  was  $385,000,  and  during  the  last  six  after  the  sale  was 
$186,993.  In  the  former  period  there  was  a  not  profit  of  $50,000  per  month; 
in  the  latter  a  net  loss  of  880,000. 

In  May,  1864,  Professor  Sillimau  made  a  report  on  the  estate,  in  which  he 
said : 

A  person  accustomed  to  view  mines  must  be  deeply  impressed  OH  the  first  view  of  this 
estate,  not  more  with  the  great  extent  and  vigor  of  the  former  workings— evidence  of  which 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  23 

is  seen  equally  in  the  underground  extraction  and  in  the  surface  works,  railroads,  mills, 
trails,  wagon  roads,  waithocumL  and  workshops— than  with  the  equally  conspicuous  fact  that 
the  former  owners  had  no  regard  for  their  successors,  inasmuch  as  they  have  in  every  instance 
violated  in  tke  most  remarkable  manner  that  fundamental  maxim  of  all  successful  mining, 
namely,  to  keep  works  of  exploration  well  in  advance  of  works  of  extraction.  The  neglect 
of  this  maxim,  in  ordinary  cases,  is  never  of  doubtful  issue.  In  your  case  the  result  has  been 
peculiarly  unfortunate,  since  your  estate  is  not  a  mine,  but  a  vast  collection  of  mineral  veins, 
on  many  of  which  valuable  mines  may  be  developed,  and  on  some  of  which  such  develop- 
ments were  made  of  an  encouraging  character,  but  the  neglect  to  apply  the  principle  in  ques- 
tion has  resulted  in  the  complete  suspension  of  three  of  the  mills,  the  partial  suspension  of 
a  fourth,  and  the  supply  of  the  fifth  for  a  time  with  an  inferior  quality  of  ore,  all  because  the 
veins  on  which  these  mills  depended  for  ore  were  worked  on  the  improvident  plan  of  taking 
all  the  ore  in  sight  as  far  and  as  fast  as  it  could  be  found,  but  never  anticipating  the  evil 
day,  sinking  shafts  and  driving  levels  long  enough  in  advance  of  the  calls  of  the  present 
hour  to  foresee  disaster,  much  less  to  prevent  it. 

A  mine  is  a  storehouse  in  which  are  garnered  certain  treasures  of  large,  it  may  be,  but  not 
inexhaustible  supply.  Certain  it  is,  the  ore  which  has  been  mined  will  never  recur.  Hence, 
it  is  the  fate  of  all  mines  at  some  period  to  become  exhausted.  The  only  compensation  to 
this  circumstance  is  in  the  possession  by  one  company  of  a  considerable  number  of  mines 
which  may  be  brought,  in  succession,  into  activity,  so  as  to  supplement  each  other.  Your 
position  in  this  respect  is  one  of  immense  strength;  not  only  do  you  hold  on  the  Mariposa 
estate  a  vast  plexus  of  veins,  of  most  of  which  very  little  is  known  at  present,  but  you  also 
own  a  great  length  of  country  on  several  veins,  the  character  of  which  is  already  proved. 
It  follows  from  this  state  of  facts  that,  with  the  frugal  and  timely  application  of  capital,  you 
ought  never  to  be  in  a  position  where  the  partial  or  complete  exhaustion  of  a  particular  mine, 
or  of  several  mines,  should  be  severely  felt  on  your  general  production,  nor  would  it  be  so 
to-day  had  it  been  the  interest  of  those  who  preceded  you  to  apply  the  simple  maxim  already 
quoted.  But  the  reckless  disregard  of  this  sound  principle  has  resulted,  not  only  in  a  partial 
suspension  of  your  production  of  gold — amounting  to  a  serious  disappointment  of  well-founded 
hopes — but,  still  worse,  in  the  almost  destruction  of  certain  parts  of  the  mines,  where  the 
usual  piers  of  vein  have  been  removed  for  milling,  leaving  the  mines  to  crush  in,  endanger- 
ing not  human  life  only,  but  the  very  existence  of  the  mines  themselves.  The  simple  result 
of  all  this  has  been,  that  your  manager  found  himself,  at  the  outset  of  your  occupancy,  face 
to  face  with  a  most  embarrassing  and  painful  state  of  facts,  with  the  alternative  before  him 
of  throwing  off  the  duty  he  had  undertaken  or  of  grappling  with  the  difficulties  and,  by  a 
series  of  judicious  measures,  extricating  this  noble  estate  from  its  disastrous  position.  For- 
tunately for  all  concerned,  he  elected  the  latter  alternative;  and  it  will  give  me  pleasure  to 
point  out  in  what  manner  he  has,  with  great  good  judgment,  proposed  to  meet  the  difficulties 

he  lias  found. 

#######** 

It  is  quite  obvious,  from  the  facts  and  statements  already  detailed  in  this  report,  that  you 
hold  an  estate  of  very  great  value,  but  also  in  a  great  degree  undeveloped,  and  demanding  a 
large  amount  of  active  capital  for  its  proper  management.  That  the  judicious  use  of  money 
will  be  rewarded,  and  that  .speedily,  by  exploring  the  undeveloped  quartz  veins  of  the  estate, 
is  too  obvious,  I  trust,  after  the  arguments  and  facts  already  set  forth,  to  require  further  illus- 
tration. All  explorations  will  not  bo  fruitful  certainly,  but  those  which  are  so  will  become 
so  largely  remunerative  that  they  will  cancel  the  others.  By  no  other  plan  can  you  hope  to 
manage,  the  estate  \\  ith  honor  or  profit.  By  this  method  you  will  be  sure  to  develop  a  vast 
value,  which  will  ivnder  y«»ur  stock  desirable  as  a  permanent  and  safe  investment.  By  any 
other  svst.  in  you  may  attain  a  spasmodic  vitality— to  be  followed  soon  by  a  total  collapse. 

Your  manager  fully  appreciates  these  views,  and  his  plans  now  in  progress  of  development 
will  not  fail  to  secure  the  early  and  permanent  prosperity  of  the  Mariposa  estate. 

In  1864  the  yield  was  $405,000,  and  the  expenditure  of  the  mines  and  mills 
$760,000.  With  a  debt  of  $3,000,000,  (that  was  about  the  figure  on  the  1st 
.January,  186f),)  and  a  monthly  loss  of  $20,000,  the  company  was  evidently  not 
in  a  prosperous  condition.  On  the  2'M  January,  1865,  a  committee  of  stock- 
holders, appointed  to  investigate  the  condition  of  the  company,  made  a  report, 
and  recommended  that,  money  bo  raised  by  assessment  or  loan  to  pay  the  most 
pressing  debts,  so  that  the  work  might  be  continued.  They  gave  it  as  their 
opinion  that  the  property  was  <'  worth  preserving  to  the  stockholders/7  and  that 
tin-  embarrassments  were  ''owing  to  defective  organization  and  want  of  working 
capital."  The  company  did  not  succeed  in  raising  the  money  to  pay  their  most 
pressing  debts,  and  the  estate  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  Dodge  Brothers,  cred- 
itors, for  the  purpose  of  enabling  them  to  work  it  and  pay  their  own  and  others 
debts.  , 

The  trustees  found,  according  to  their  own  statement,  that  they  had  spent 


24  RESOURCES    OF   STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

more  at  the  end  of  a  year  than  they  had  received ;  and  the  company  being-  dis- 
satisfied, brought  suit  and  obtained  the  appointment  of  a  receiver,  who  is  now 
(May,  1867,)  in  possession.* 

*  Mr.  Mark  Brumagin,  president  of  the  company,  under  date  of  September  6,  1867,  gives 
the  following  statement  of  the  present  condition  of  the  Mariposa  estate  : 

After  a  period  of  legal  and  financial  difficulties  which  have  weighed  heavily  upon  the  Mari- 
posa estate,  the  company  have  succeeded  in  successfully  terminating  the  long  pending  law 
suit  with  the  lessees.  A  final  settlement  has  been  made  with  the  Messrs.  Dodge  Brothers, 
(the  lessees,)  by  which  they  relinquish  to  the  company  all  their  rights  under  the  Olmstead 
lease  for  the  possession  of  the  whole  property. 

The  floating  debt  has  been  reduced  from  about  $200,000  to  less  than  $60,000,  which  has 
been  concentrated  into  holders  who  are  interested  in  the  success  of  the  company,  and  the 
greater  portion  of  which  is  made  payable  in  instalments  running  through  the  next  twelve 
months. 

The  Mariposa  estate  consists  of  upwards  of  44,000  acres  of  gold-bearing  land,  in  the  heart 
of  the  mineral  region  of  California.  It  contains  more  than  1,000  auriferous  quartz  veins, 
of  which  some  30  have  been  partially  opened,  and  proved  to  be  paying  veins  when  provided 
with  proper  reduction  works.  Of  these  mines  only  five  have  been  supplied  with  machinery, 
and  that  of  ..a  primitive  kind,  and  very  inefficient  for  saving  gold.  Where  thousands  have 
been  taken  from  the  estate,  millions  of  dollars  have  been  lost  by  bad  management  and  worth- 
less machinery. 

The  working  of  the  Josephine  and  Pine  Tree  mines  for  the  year  1 860,  and  to  the  date  of  the 
incorporation  of  the  company,  shows  an  average  gross  yield  of  $8  53£  to  the  ton.  From 
that  time  the  yield  for  the  above  two  mines  has  been  respectively,  as  follows: 

The  Pine  Tree  mine,  under  the  succeeding  management,  yielded,  in  gross,  an  average  of 
$6  per  ton  ;  the  lower  run  having  been  $4  21,  and  the  highe-st,  $9  97  per  ton. 

The  books  kept  by  the  Olmsted  management  also  exhibit  the  following  in  regard  to  the 
Josephine  mine :  The  lowest  run  for  any  one  clean  up  was  $2  42  per  ton ;  the  highest,  $7  05 
per  ton,  making  an  average  gross  yield  for  this  period  of  §4  52  per  ton.  In  brief,  the  average 
yield  of  this  mine  was  at  that  time  so  low  that  it  was  partially  abandoned  as  worthless  by 
their  method  of  saving  gold. 

Under  the  next  management,  (that  of  the  lessees  of  the  company  who  succeeded  Olmsted,) 
the  books  show  that  the  quartz  from  those  two  mines  was  worked  together  with  an  average 
gross  yield  of  $9  01  per  ton,  the  ore  having  been  more  or  less  selected. 

The  Pine  Tree  vein  is  in  some  places  over  30  feet  wide,  and  runs  parallel  with  the  Jose- 
phine, which  has  a  width  of  some  12  feet,  both  mines  cropping  out  on  the  summit  of  Mount 
Bullion,  1,500  feet  above  the  Mercer  river,  at  which  the  Benton  mills  are  located. 

The  Josephine  contains  considerable  sulphurets,  while  the  Pine  Tree  has  rather  the  charac- 
ter of  a  "free  gold"  vein.  Both  have  more  or  less  of  oily  substances  in  the  seams  of  the 
veins.  The  ore  contains  largely  of  "  float  gold,"  so  fine  that  it  floats  for  hours  on  the  surface 
of  the  water. 

Quartz  from  these  mines  is  now  supplied  to  the  mills  from  the  tunnels  penetrating  the 
veins  near  the  top  of  the  hill,  but  it  is  designed  to  open  them  by  a  tunnel  at  the  base,  some 
thousand  feet  below  the  present  workings,  which  will  insure  an  unfailing  supply  of  ore. 

Under  the  company's,  or  present  management,  since  we  obtained  full  possession,  we  have 
changed  the  Bear  Valley  mill  into  the  "eureka  process"  for  saving  gold.  This  mode  of 
disintegration  produces  a  fine,  almost  impalpable  powder,  like  superfine  flour.  Half  a  ton 
of  this  is  enclosed  dry  in  an  iron  receiver.  Superheated  steam  or  gas  is  admitted,  which,  iu 
the  course  of  a  few  minutes  desulphurizes  and  drives  off  all  base  metals  and  oily  substances. 
Quicksilver  is  then  introduced,  and  a  portion  evaporized,  and  is  afterwards  condensed  by 
common  steam  and  cold  water.  An  ingeniously  constructed  shaking  table,  of  copper,  about 
20  feet  long,  on  a  wooden  frame,  with  riffles  of  a  peculiar  formation,  gives  to  the  water 
and  pulverized  substance,  with  the  amalgam,  the  same  action  as  that  of  the  ocean  surf,  an 
undertow.  As  the  mass  descends  on  the  table,  the  amalgam,  from  its  metallic  weight,  grad- 
ually clears  itself  from  the  quartz  substances,  and  the  gold  is  easily  and  quickly  collected  in 
the  troughs  of  the  riffles  ;  and  so  effectually  that  the  residue  contains  scarcely  a  trace  of  gold. 

With  this  mill  the  company  have  recently  worked  some  8UO  tons  of  quartz  from  the 
Josephine  mine.  The  lowest  yield  at  any  clean  up  was  $31  per  ton;  the  highest  was 
$173  per  ton  ;  giving  an  average  of  $40  53  per  ton.  In  the  greater  portion  of  this  quartz 
not  a  particle  of  gold  could  be  discerned  before  crushing,  From  these  facts  it  will  readily 
appear  why  the  property  has  hitherto  paid  no  dividends. 

Captain  Henry  J.  Hall,  a  practical  and  experienced  quartz  miner,  has  now  charge  of  the 
mines  and  mills  of  the  company,  and  is  adapting -the  eureka  gold-saving  process  to  all  the 
mills  of  the  estate.  The  aggregate  capacity  of  these  mills  under  former  management  was  292 
tons  daily,  or  about  7,500  tons  per  month,  a  capacity  which  still  exists.  The  mills  are  located 
near  the  Josephine,  Pine  Tree,  Mariposa,  Mount  Ophir,  and  Princeton  mines,  all  proved  to 
be  large,  well  defined,  and  inexhaustible  veins,  ffhere  may  be  easily  taken  out  from  these 
five  mines,  at  the  present  time,  200  tons  of  gold  ore  per  day,  and  increased  on  the  present 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  25 

Experienced  quartz  miners,  familiar  with  the  estate,  are  almost  unanimous  in 
the  opinion  that  the  Princeton,  the  Pino  Tree,  and  the  Josephine  mines  are 
far  from  exhausted,  but,  on  the  contrary,  that  they  are  all  very  valuable  and 
ought  to  be  made  to  pay  well,  and  that  the  failures  of  the  last  four  years  are  to 
be  ascribed  mainly  to  bad  management.  It  is  true  that  when  the  Mariposa 
company  took  possession  the  mines  were  not  opened  in  advance  as  they  should 
have  been  j  Imt  they  were  opened,  the  position  of  the  pay  chimneys  was  deter- 
mined, the  hoisting  works  and  pumps  and  mills  were  in  working  order,  with 
capacity  to  crush  and  amalgamate  150  tons  of  rock  per  day ;  there  were  experi- 
enced miners  present,  familiar  with  the  character  of  each  vein  ;  there  was  a  rail- 
road for  transporting  the  rock  of  two  of  the  principal  mines  to  the  mill ;  and 
there  were  improvements  that  were  indispensable,  and  that  could  not  have  been 
placed  there  for  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars.  The  property,  how- 
ever, was  not  managed  properly,  and  the  result  was  a  failure,  which  is  the  more 
remarkable  because  it  followed  immediately  upon  the  heels  of  the  most  brilliant 
success. 

PRINCETON. — The  Princeton  mine  has  been  one  of  the  most  productive  in 
California,  and  has  been  noted  for  both  the  abundance  and  the  richness  of  its 
quartz.  For  a  time  it  yielded  $90,000  per  month  from  milling  rock,  and  this  is 
more  than  any  other  mine  of  the  State  ever  did. 

The  mine  is  situated  about  half  way  between  the  Mariposa  and  the  Pine  Tree 
mines,  and  is  on  a  hill  easily  accessible.  The  course  of  the  vein  is  northwest 
and  southeast ;  the  dip,  55°  northeast ;  the  thickness  varies  from  a  few  inches 
to  10  feet.  The  vein  has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  560  feet  on  an  incline, 
and  200  feet  below  the  surface  j  drifts  have  been  run  1,200  feet  along  the  veiu, 
and  at  the  deepest  workings  the  drifts  extend  500  feet.  The  richest'  rock  was 
found  within  100  feet  of  the  surface,  where  the  pay  was  $70  per  ton  from  milling 
well,  besides  largo  numbers  of  specimens,  of  which  it  is  said  that  not  less  than 
$100,000  in  value  were  stolen  by  the  miners.  Below  this  rich  mass  of  rock  the 
quartz  gradually  became  poorer,  and  there  were  spots  which  did  not  pay  for 
working;  but.  it  is  said  that  there  is  still  an  abundant  supply  of  good  milling 
rock  in  sight. 

Professor  W.  P.  Blake  made  a  report  on  the  mine  in  November,  1861,  and 
said  : 

The  vein  is  composed  of  white  friable  quartz,  and  is  divided  into  parallel  layers  or  plates 
by  thin  slatry  films,  which  are  generally  charged  with  fine-grained  pyrites  and  free  gold. 
The  body  ot  the  quartz  bears  white  vein  pyrites  crystallized  and  spread  in  irregular  patches 
and  a  small  portion  of  galena,  together  with  free  gold  in  irregular  ragged  masses,  in  plates 
and  scales,  and  sometimes  crystals.  The  gold  appears  to  be  most  abundant  in  the  neighbor- 
hood ot  the  galena,  and  is  found  not  only  with  the  iron  pyrites  striking  its  sheets  through  its 
substance,  but  entirely  isolated  from  it  and  enveloped  in  the  pure  white  quartz.  Some  of 
the  specimens  preserved  are  exceedingly  rich  and  beautiful,  and  just  before  my  examination 
of  the  vein  some  superb  crystallizations  had  been  broken  out.  These  crystals  are  bunches 
of  octahedrons,  with  perfectly  flat  and  highly  polished  faces  from  one-eighth  to  three-six- 
teenths of  an  inch  across,  and  are  attached  to  masses  of  white  quartz. 

openings  by  enlarging  the  working  facilities,  to  4,000  tons  per  day.  The  cost  of  mining  and 
reducing  the  ore  will  bo  less  than  $10  per  ton,  and  may  yield  an  average  of  $40  per  ton.  The 
old  mills  have  produced  upwards  of  $3,500,000.  Under  an  intelligent  system  of  working 
they  ought  to  have  yielded  over  $10,000,000. 

The  amount  of  profits  from  the  estate  can  only  be  estimated  in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
mills  provided  tor  the  reduction  of  the  ores.  The  reader  may  draw  his  own  conclusions  from 
the  facts  and  figures  herewith  presented. 

It  will  bo  remembered  that  the  representations  heretofore  made  by  the  undersigned  were 
basi-d  on  the  low  estimate  of  a  sure  gross  average  yield  of  $20  per  ton,  by  the  new  reducing 
machinery.  The  present  working  shows  that  such  estimates  may  no  longer  be  regarded  as 
theoretical,  as  the  actual  results  fully  illustrate.  Theywill  be  amply  confirmed  by  the  future 
of  this  great  property. 


26  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

Professor  Blake  made  a  seeond  report  on  this  mine  in  December,  1864,  and 
said : 

i  evident  on  a  careful  examination  of  the  surface  that  there  is  a  want  »f  conformity  in 
direction  between  the  vein  and  the  slates.  The  slates  on  the  west  side  are  curved  towards 
the  vein  in  the  form  of  a  bow,  the  ends  of  the  curve  appearing:  to  abut  against  the  vein  at 
both  ends,  the  vein  forming  in  its  line  of  ontcrop.  with  respect' t?  the  slates,  the  chord  of  an 
arc.  There  is  also  a  want  of  conformity  in  direction  between  this  body  of  curved  slates  on 
the  west  sid^  of  the  vein  and  those  on  the  east  side  of  it,  showinp:  with  most  distinctness  at 
the  north  end,  near  the  month  of  the  upper  drift.  On  the  east  Fide  the  trend  of  the  slates  is 
seen  to  vary  at  different  places  from  north  45C  west  to  north  iKV  west.  They  are  nearly  east 
and  w  north  end  of  the  vein.  *  *  *  There  is  also  a  want  of  conformity  between 

the  body  of  curved  slates  on  the  west  side  of  the  vein  and  the  slates  still  further  to  th. 
as  if  the  curved  body  of  slate  had  been  broken  from  some  other  place  and  forced  into  its 
present  position.     The  line  of  contact  is  not  very  distinct,  but  jnst  in  the  position  we  would 
expect  to  find  it  we  see  a  quartz  vein  which  seems  to  mark  the  place.     It  is  approximately 
parallel  with  the  Princeton  vein,  and  is  also  pold -bearing. 

This  want  of  coi. fortuity  in  the  direction  of  the  slates  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  vein  and 
with  the  course  of  the  vein  itself,  and  the  fact  that  the  ends  of  the  layers  of  slate  abut  against 
the  vein,  or  in  other  words,  that  the  vein  does  not  coincide  with  the  plane  of  the  bedding  or 
::cation  of  the  slates,  justifies  the  conclusion  that  it  is  a  fissure  vein  rather  than  a  bedded 
mass,  as  has  heretofore  been  generally  supposed.  It  evidently  occupies  the  line  of  break 
between  the  two  distinct  bodies  of  ? 

The  mineralogical  character  of  the  slates  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  vein  is  also  diflerpnt. 
The  slates  on  the  west  side  are  much  more  sandy  than  those  on  the  east,  which  are  argilla- 
ceous and  in  very  thin  layers  of  uniform  composition,  presenting  the  well-known  appearance 
and  character  of  roofing  slates.  There  are  several  layers  in  the  series  on  the  west  side  which 
might  be  called  sandstones  rather  than  slates.  There  are  also  in  connection  with  these  sandy 
bars  of  a  hard  argillaceous  rock,  with  an  obscure  slaty  structure  which  resists  weathering 
more  than  the  surrounding  portions  and  stands  out  in  well-defined  outcrops.  These  two 
bars  of  rock  are  each  from  six  to  eighteen  inches  in  thickness,  aiid  are  about  170  feet  apart. 
******* 

-  a  curious  fact  that  the  gold-bearing  part  of  the  vein  appears  to  have  a  certain  relation 
to  these  peculiar  argillaceous  rocks  or  strata,  for  it  does  cot  extend  beyond  the  line  of  contact 
of  the-  ::h  the  plane  of  the  vein.  So  also  in  the  northern  extension  of  the  Princeton 

vein,  half  a  mile  to  the  northwest,  at  the  Green  Gulch  mine,  where  the  vein  was  productive, 
the  same  peculiar  rock  is  found  in  connection  with  the  vein  on  the  west  side. 

.r  the  mill  the  vein  splits  and  the  two  branches  run  off  southeastward 
nearly  parallel  with  one  another.  At  a  distanee  of  a  mile  they  are  about  300 
yards  apart.  These  branches  have  not  been  well  explored  or  prospected,  so  not 
much  is  known  of  their  character.  On  the  main  vein  there  are  seven  shafts  and 
a  great  number  of  workings  of  different  c!  ii  as  might  be  expected  of  a 

mine  that  has  yielded  $4,000,000  and  sustained  a  considerable  town.  From 
January,  1859,  till  June,  1860,  >  :id  Kidgway  had  charge  of  the  mine, 

and  extracted  2.000  tons,  which  averaged  SIS  per  ton.  From  June  1,  I860, 
till  November  of  the  same  year,  under  the  management  of  Park,  23,916  tons  of 
quartz  were  crushed,  yielding  $527,633,  an  avc:  .  ~>  per  ton.  In 

and  1863  the  production  was  121,000  tons  of  quartz  and  82.000,000  of  bullion, 
averaging  816  50.  In  1864  the  yield  of  bullion  w.-;  07.  In  1 

when  the  mill  was  working  rock  which  yielded  853,  the  tailings,  according  to 
assay,  contained  $13  56  per  ton.  The  pay  was  distributed  rather  in  an  irregu- 
lar mass  than  in  a  chimney :  but  Professor  Blake  expressed  the  opinion  in  his 
report  of  1864  that  there  was  a  chimney,  and  that  its  dip  was  18°  to  the  horizon. 
The  Princeton  mill  has  24  stamps,  and  is  the  smallest  ou  the  Mariposa  estate, 
at  least  of  those  owned,  erected,  and  worked  by  the  Mariposa  company.  The 
capacity  of  the  mine  far  exceeds  that  of  the  mills,  and  while  the  former  was  in 
a  productive  condition  much  of  the  ore  was  sent  to  other  mills.  The  gold  in 
the  quartz  is  coarse  and  is  easily  caught  in  the  battery,  or  at  least  most  of  it : 
but  the  assays  of  the  tailings  show  that  great  quantities  of  it  were  lost.  The 
heap  of  tailings  at  the  mill  is  immense,  and  it  will  no  doubt  be  worked  over  at 
some  day  with  a  profit,  if  not  all  blown  away.  The  sand  being1  fine  many 
pounds  of  it  are  carried,  off  every  hour  wh£n  the  wind  blows  in  summer.  The 


-T    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  27 

mill  was  driven  by  steam.     The  stamps  wei£rh  550  pounds  and  made  70  drops 
:.   ••  .     J    •;.  ::.::.<-  and  null  are  now  '. 

B  mine,  contiguous  to  the  Josephine,  and 

thin-  1'rora  the  town  of  Marip«»sa.  is  considered  to  be  on  the  main  mother 

orthwest  and  southeast,  dips  to  the  northeast,  and  is  here  in 

plac-.  hi<  k.     Th<-  on  is  Ottnfttoa  through  tunnels  and  carried  iown  to 

: '  and  1,000  feet  lon^  in 

.  .-in,     There  are  seven  pay  chimneys,  which  vary  in  length,  horizontally, 
from  40  T  .     The  rock  in  each  chimney  has  a  peculiar  color  or  at 

ance,  so  that  persons  familiar  with  the  mine  could  tell  at  a  glance  from  which  a 
of  quartz  came.     The  coarsest  gold  was  found  in  the  narrowest  chimney. 
In  three  years  previous  1863,  the  Pine  Tree  and  Josephine  mines  pro- 

duced 45.000  ti.ns  of  <  :  '-0.000  in  bullion,  an  average  of  S7  77  per  ton. 

In  1-  mines  produced  12.154  tons  and  $113,530,  or  S9  34  per  ton:  in 

.310,  or  S8  05  per  ton ;  in  1862,  when  the  jian. 

carried  away  by  the  flood,  L  :md  in  18  us  to  June,  6,000  tons 

and  $35. '  T*T  ton.  1  expense  was  $5  per  ton  for  a  portion 

of  the  tii  portation  by  car  being  72  cents.     In  1864 

40.     In  December,  1863,  when  the  ore  paid  029  to 
ings  ass:.  to  the  ton,  showing  a  great  waste. 

There  is  a  lanre  quantity  of  good  ore  now  in  sirrht  in  the  mine. 

Tb  .  in  the  Pine  Tree  quartz  are  extremely  fine,  usual 

small  as  to  IK-  invisible-  to  the  naked  eye.     A-  a  resequence  it  is  very  difficult 
to  c«r  in  the  process  of  amalgamation,  and  Proi«  >urner,  in 

a  report  made  in  May,  1864,  said  that  70  per  cent,  of  the  gold  in  the  quartz 
worked  in  the  Benton  mills  was  lost,  or,  in  other  words,  only  30  per  cent,  of  it 
-aved.     'I  ;iscertain»  r^ries  of  assays  upon  the  tailings 

which  have  been  allowed  to  run  to  w 

In  the  sani-  I  think  the  Josephine  vein,  as  it  is  call* 

noth!  .  and  the  two  systems  of  workings, 

u  carried  on  in  connection,  have  given  rise  to  two  mines.** 
Dr.  J.  A  'port  on  the  mining  property  of  the  Mariposa  grant 

in  AULTH  .ml  in  i:  he  said: 

These  tw  n  parallel  on  the  whote,  but  sometimes  a  little  diverging,  sometimes  a 

little  converging  •*•  running  together  and  forming  two  distinct  divisions  of  one 

ong  to  distinct  geological  periods,  the  Pine  Tree  being  earlier  and  the  Jose- 
of  more  r  L'he  ores  of  both  reins  are  very  distinct,  the  older  vein 

-id  open,  mostly  oxvds  and  carbonates,  (among  which  the 
blue  carbonate  of  copper  laracteristie,)  and  the  Josephine,  or  — ~ 


recently  formed  vein,  bearing  the  iron  and  copper  as  snlphurets  only.  The  eruption  of  gold- 
bearing  quartz  has  iurnieJ  which  are  equalled  in  extent  by  no  other  known  gold- 
beariug  quartz  •• 

M<  lett  and  Wakelec,  who  examined  the  Pine  Tree  and  Josephine 

min<  -pinion  that  they  did  not  contain  any  con- 

.t  to  pay  by  the  modes  of  amalgamation  in  use 
EOT  making  "these  mines  "  an  active  element  of 
<ead  of  a  consumii  }  in  improvements  in  the  system 

•  the  ores. 

.—The  .1  «C]  nine  mine  is  on  a  mountain  side,  1,600  feet  above  the 

1  river.     The  vein  runs  northwest  and  southeast,  and  dips  to 

u  a  contact  deposit  between  serpentine 

Keltic,  who  Las  b'rm  a  m{  intending  miner  in  the  Josephine 
for  ni..re  than  at  in  some  places  there  is  green  stone,  and  in 

richer  in  the  slate  than  the  green  stone.    I  here 
in    the    I  M,     The    lode  varies   in  width  from   o  to  oO 

•re  than   10.     Im  those  place*  where  the  vein  is  small 
quar  I  with  slate.     The  mine  has  been  worked  through  three  tunnels, 


28  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

the  upper  one  being  100  feet  above,  and  the  lower  180  feet  below  tlie  middle 
tunnel  or  Black  drift,  as  it  is  called.  The  drifts  have  been  run  500  feet  in  the 
lode,  and  the  depth  of  the  workings  perpendicularly  is  520  feet. 

The  pay-rock  has  been  found  in  seven  chimneys,  which  are  from  40  to  100 
feet  in  length  horizontally,  and  are  separated  by  barren  streaks  from  4  to  6  feet 
long  in  the  drifts.  The  pay  chutes  dip  45°  to  the  southeast;  but  the  dip  is  less 
regular  on  the  under  than  on  the  upper  side  of  the  chute.  The  richest  deposit 
is  found  along  the  foot  wall,  and  a  small  streak  of  pay  is  found  along. the  foot 
wall  in  the  barren  chutes.  The  Josephine  ore  has  usually  been  worked  with 
that  from  the  Pine  Tree  in  the  Benton  mill,  so  that  separate  accounts  have  not 
been  kept  of  most  of  the  workings.  The  Josephine  vein  is  considered  a  branch 
of  the  mother  quartz  lode,  from  which  it  separates  at  the  Josephine  mine,  running 
northwestward  nearly  parallel  with  the  main  vein.  At  a  distance  of  half  a  mile 
from  the  fork  they  are  about  300  feet  apart.  Although  the  mine  is  now  lying 
idle,  minjers  say  that  there  is  a^  large  quantity  of  $20  rock  in  sight. 

The  indigo  vein,  so  called  because  of  the  peculiar  blue  color  of  the  rock,  is  4 
feet  wide,  and  450  feet  west  of  the  Josephine  mine.  The  vein  stone  is  talcose, 
and  in  places  is  rich  in  gold.  It  is  called  India-rubber  rock  by  the  miners,  and 
is  difficult  to  break  with  the  hammer,  but  tears  out  well  when  blasted.  The 
vein  has  not  been  opened,  but  a  tunnel  has  been  run  through  it,  and  it  has  been 
prospected  a  little  in  spots  on  the  surface. 

MARIPOSA. — The  Mariposa  mine  is  situated  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  town 
of  Mariposa,  on  the  Mariposa  lode,  the  direction  of  which  is  nearly  cast  and  west, 
the  dip  51°  south,  and  the  width  of  the  main  vein  from  four  to  eight  feet.  Near 
the  mill  the  vein  forks,  one  prong  running  westward  in  the  line  of  the  maine  lode, 
and  the  other  running  north  of  west.  At  a  distance  of  300  yards  from  the  forks, 
the  two  prongs  are  not  more  than  60  yards  apart.  Each  fork  is  about  3  feet 
thick.  The  rock  is  a  white  ribbon  quartz  j  the  walls  are  a  black  talcose  slate. 
There  is  but  little  gouge,  and  the  quartz  is  so  hard  that  no  progress  can  be  made 
without  blasting.  East  of  the  fork  the  gold  is  in  fine  particles,  and  is  evenly 
distributed  through  the  pay  chute,  while  west  of  the  fork  the  gold  is  collected 
in  rich  pockets,  which  are  separated  from  one  another  by  large  masses  of  very 
poor  quartz.  These  pockets  contain  almost  invariably  arseniurets  of  iron,  accom- 
panied by  pyrites.  The  presence  of  these  minerals  is  considered  a  certain  sign 
that  a  good  deposit  of  gold  is  not  far  distant.  One  pocket  paid  $30,000,  another 
$15,000,  and  numerous  other  sums,  varying  from  $100  to  $1,000.  The  great 
richness  of  the  vein  is  proved  by  the  facts  that  the  decomposed  quartz  at  the 
surface  was  worked  or  washed  for  a  distance  of  half  a  mile,  the  ravines  imme- 
diately below  the  lode  were  famous  for  their  richness,  and  drifts  have  been  run 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  under  ground.  It  is  said  .before  Fremont  obtained  posses- 
sion, squatters  took  $200,000  from  the  mine.  The  quartz  taken  out  in  1864 
averaged  825  per  ton;  but  afterwards  the  average  yield  was  only  $11.  Persons 
familiar  with  the  mine  say  an  abundance  of  rock  might  be  obtained  to  yield 
$12  or  $15.  Before  the  sale  of  the  grant  to  the  Mariposa  company  the  mine 
was  leased  to  Mr.  Barnett,  who  paid  10  per  cent,  of  tlie  gross  yield,  a  very  good 
share,  and  afterwards  when  he  was  told  that  he  could  not  have  the  property  on 
those  terms  he  offered  to  pay  30  per  cent,  of  the  gross  yield,  and  to  give  good 
bonds.  His  offer  was  rejected,  and  the  mine  is  now  idle.  Mr.  Barnett  worked 
the  mine  on  a  very  economical  plan.  His  stamps  had  wooden  stems ;  he  amal- 

famated  in  arrastras,  and  his  mortar  was  fed  from  a  hopper  or  self-feeder.  Little 
and  labor  was  done  in  the  mill  in  the  daytime,  and  none  at  all  at  night.  Indeed, 
everybody  left  the  mill  at  supper  time,  and  it  was  allowed  to  run  without  super- 
vision till  morning.  The  quartz  was  taken  out  under  Barnett's  directions,  who 
having  spent  many  years  at  the  place  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  it;  and  before 
going  to  the  mill,  all  the  barren  pieces  were  rejected.  It  was  supposed  that  the 
mine  would  pay  better  if  it  were  worked  on  a  larger  scale,  so  the  mill  that  had 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  29 

stood  at  the  Green  Gulch  mill  of  40  stamps  was  moved  to  the  Mariposa  mine 
in  1864,  in  accordance  with  the  recommendations  of  Professor  Ashburner. 

Professor  Silliman,  in  a  report  made  in  May,  1864,  said : 

I  feel  convinced  that  tlie  Mariposa  vein  is,  on  the  whole,  the  most  remarkable  auriferous 
vein  yet  developed  on  the  Mariposa  estate,  and  if  the  halt'  which  is  believed  of  it  by  those 
who  know  it  best  should  prove  true,  it  will  alone  almost  sustain  the  estate.  The  mill  now 
erecting  in  Mariposa  creek  is  the  same  which  has  been  removed  from  Green  Gulch,  where, 
as  it  proved,  there  was  no  further  use  for  it.  Mr.  Ashburner  having  examined  and  reported 
approvingly  on  this  removal,  I  have  not  felt  it  needful  to  re-examine  the  evidence,  the  decision 
undoubtedly  being  a  wise  one.  The  fault  of  the  other  mills  (except  the  Princeton)  of  being 
set  too  low  has  been  remedied  here,  and  with  a  well-considered  system  of  amalgamation* 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  excellent  results  will  be  arrived  at  in  working  the  mill  in  its  new 
and  well-chosen  position,  nor  can  there  be  any  doubt  that  the  mill  will  receive  an  ample 
supply  of  quartz  to  engage  it  fully  in  crushing. 

The  gross  yield  of  the  mine  in  1864  was  $84,948  ;  "but  there  was  no  profit,  and 
among  the  intelligent  miners  in  the  neighborhood  there  is  much  doubt  whether 
enough  pay  quartz  could  be  obtained  to  keep  a  40-stamp  mill  going. 

Messrs.  Wakelee  and  Garnett  in  their  report  on  the  grant  say : 

The  Mariposa  vein  we  examined  more  particularly,  as  it  has  been  quite  celebrated  for  the 
extraordinary  richnes_s  of  its  pockets  of  massive  gold.     The  vein  consists  of  a  main  trunk 
the 


and  two  branches.  It  is  in  the  latter  that  these  deposits  have  been  found.  They  have  not 
been  worked  upon  any  regular  system,  but  have  been  much  burrowed  into  by  different  par- 
ties in  quest  of  these  rich  pockets.  The  quartz  itself  is  almost  entirely  destitute  of  any  trace 
of  metal,  and  its  value  seems  to  consist  entirely  of  these  massive  deposits.  It  is  needless  to 
add,  perhaps,  that  from  this  peculiarity  it  furnishes  a  very  uncertain  basis  for  any  extensive 
system  of  mining.  The  main  trunk  of  this  vein  differs  from  its  branches,  and  the  quartz 
found  in  it  is  uniformly  charged  with  the  metal.  The  ores  yield,  according  to  the  best  infor- 
mation we  could  obtain,  about  .$16  per  ton. 

GREEN  GULCH. — The  Green  Gulch  mine,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Princeton, 
has  been  explored  by  a  shaft  200  feet  deep,  and  by  drifts  running  400  feet 
horizontal,  and  the  conclusion  is  that  the  deposits  of  auriferous  quartz  are  not 
sufficiently  near  together  to  pay  for  working.  The  vein  is  about  three  feet  thick, 
,  but  the  quartz  is  mixed  in  places  with  slate,  which  reduces  the  yield  to  a  point 
so  low  tbat  there  is  no  margin  for  profit.  Some  rich  bunches  of  rock  have  been 
found,  and  under  tho  encouragement  given  by  them  a  40-stamp  mill  was 
erected,  and  new  explorations  were  undertaken;  but  the  rich  bunches  were  too 
far  apart,  and  the  mill  was  afterwards  removed  to  the  Mariposa  mine.  The  yield 
of  the  Green  Gulch  mine  in  .1S(51  was  $19,509.  In  December,  1863,  while  the 
rock  was  yielding  £;>s  per  ton,  an  assay  of  the  tailings  showed  that  they  con- 
tained $6  50  per  ton. 

OTIIKU  MINKS  ox  THE  MATIIPOSA  ESTATE. — The  Oso  mine,  half  a  mile  from 
Bear  valley,  is  in  a  very  narrow  vein  of  decomposed  talcose  matter,  running 
across  the  slates.  It  was  very  rich  near  the  purface,  and  according  to  rumor  the 
sum  ol'. $400,000  was  taken  from  a  shaft  50  feet  deep  and  7  feet  long  on  the  vein. 
No  work  has  been  done  at  the  place  for  years. 

The  New  Britain  or  Missouri  mine  is  two  miles  northwest  of  the  town  of  Mari- 
posa. The  vein  averages  about  two  feet  and  a  half  thick,  runs  east  and  west, 
dips  to  the  south,  and  can  be  traced  on  the  surface  by  croppings  for  four  or  five 
miles.  The  vein  stone  is  a  soft  white  and  yellow  quartz,  which  breaks  up  like 
slaked  lime  when  exposed  to  the  air.  The  walls  are  of  hard  black  slate.  The 
only  pay  chimney  which  has  been  worked  dips  to  the  east  with  an  angle  of  50°. 
The  quart/  in  this  chute  has  been  taken  out  to  a  depth  of  80  feet,  and  it  con- 
tained a  number  of  very  rich  pockets,  one  of  which  was  taken  out  by  Mr.  Barnett, 
and  yielded  852,000,  at  an  expense  of  85,000.  In  one  day  and  a  half  he  took 
out  $9,000.  Professor  Silliman  says  it  is  a  "very  promising  vein." 

The  Mt.  Ophir  mine  is  on  the  mother  or  Pine  Tree  lode  5  has  been  worked 
extensively,  and  never  rivalled  the  Princeton,  Pine  Tree,  Josephine  or  Mariposa 
mine  in  the  amount  of  production.  The  yield  in  1864  was  $12;540.  The  Mt. 
Ophir  mill  has  28  stamps,  now  idle. 


30  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

MAKIPOSA  MILLS. — The  Benton  mills,  built  to  work  the  quartz  from  the  Pino 
Tree  and  Josephine  mines,  stands  in  a  deep  canon  on  the  Mercer  river,  by  the 
water  of  which  they  were  driven ;  but  the  dam  which  supplied  the  water  was 
carried  off  by  a  Hood,  and  the  mills  have  been  standing  idle.  The  number  of 
stamps  is  64. 

The  Bear  Valley  mill  has  12  stamps.  At  this  mill  the  Lundgrcn  pulverizer 
and  the  Ryerson  amalgamator  are  now  being  used. 

The  Lundgren  pulverizer  is  a  barrel  five  feet  in  diameter  and  three  feet  in 
length,  made  of  boiler  iron  three-eighths  of  an  inch  thick,  heavily  riveted. 
Inside,  the  barrel  is  shod  with  iron  shoes  an  inch  thick.  A  door  a  foot  wide 
and  two  feet  long  is  placed  lengthwise  on  the  side  of  the  barrel.  There  are  two 
of  these  barrels  at  the  Bear  Valley  mill,  and  the  cost  of  the  two  with  their  gear- 
ing was  $2,300 ;  but  if  many  were  demanded  they  could  no  doubt  be  made  for 
81,000  each.  The  barrels  revolve  horizontally,  making  24  revolutions  per 
minute,  and  requiring  a  six-horse  power  engine  for  two  of  them.  A  charge 
is  800  pounds  of  quartz  and  2,400  pounds  of  ounce  musket  balls  made  of  chilled 
iron.  The  quartz,  previous  to  going  into  the  barrel,  is  crushed  to  about  the  size 
of  grains  of  wheat,  and  after  being  in  the  barrel  one  hour  comes  out  an  impal- 
pable powder,  as  fine  as  the  finest  flour.  The  powder  is  so  fine  that  if  it  were 
pounded  dry  in  the  open  air  much  of  it  would  float  away.  The  thoroughness  of 
the  pulverization  is  claimed  to  be  the  great  advantage  of  this  machine. 

The  quartz  powder  is  transferred  from  the  barrel  into  the  Ryerson  amalga- 
mator, an  upright  barrel,  made  of  strong  boiler  iron,  with  a  bottom  shaped  like 
an  inverted  cone,  round  which  winds  a  pipe  pierced  with  a  number  of  little  holes. 
The  barrel  being  charged  and  closed,  superheated  steam  is  thrown  in  and  then 
quicksilver,  which  is  converted  into  vapor  and  made  to  pervade  the  whole  mass. 
A  cold  bath  condenses  the  quicksilver,  and  the  charge  is  discharged  into  a  shak- 
ing table  or  settler. 

The  amount  worked  daily  by  these  processes  is  nine  tons  of  Josephine  ore,  and 
the  yield  varies  from  $39  to  $173  per  ton,  with  an  average  of  $45,  at  an  expense 
of  $6  50  per  ton.  The  rock  thus  worked  is  taken  without  selection  from  the  pay 
chimney,  and  the  body  of  ore  now  in  sight,  and  presumed  to  be  of  the  same  quality, 
is  280  feet  high,  45  feet  wide  longitudinally  on  the  same  vein,  and  3  feet  thick — 
t\n  amount  equivalent  to  940  tons.  It  is  presumed  that  the  body  of  the  quartz 
of  that  quality  is  much  more  extensive,  both  horizontally  and  vertically,  than 
the  present  shafts  have  gone. 

The  mills  of  the  Mariposa  estate  are  the  Benton,  G4  stamps;  the  Mariposa,  28 
stamps;  the  Mount  Ophir,  28  stamps;  the  Princeton,  24  stamps,  and  the  Bear 
valley,  12  stamps — making  156  stamps  in  all. 

.The  yield  of  the  estate  was  $474,000  in  1860;  $642,000  in  1861;  $522,000 
in  1862;  $385,000  (with  $50,000  net  per  month)  in  the  first  live  months  of  1863 ; 
$481,832  in  1864;  and  $230,000  in  1865.  During  the  first  half  of  1867  the 
mines  and  mills  all  stood  idle ;  but  of  late  a  little  work  has  been  done  with  the 
Ryerson  and  Lundgren  processes. 

The  Stockton  creek  mill,  used  by  Mr.  Barnett  for  working  the  quartz  of  the 
Mariposa  mine  while  he  was-  lessee,  contains  ten  stamps,  with  square  wooden 
stems  and  wooden  collars,  driven  by  water  and  a  wooden  wheel.  There  was  a 
self-feeder  or  hopper  to  supply  the  batteries  with  quartz,  and  the  pulp,  after  leav- 
ing the  mortar,  was  ground  in  an  arrastra.  The  mill  is  a  mile  east  of  Mariposa, 
and  has  been  idle  for  two  years. 

HUNTER'S  VALLEY,  Oaks  and  Eccsc. — The  Oaks  and  Reese  mine,  called  also 
the  Potts,  is  3,000  feet  long,  in  Hunters  valley,  16  miles  northwest  of  the 
county  seat.  The  claim  includes  two  veins,  1,200  feet  on  one  which  runs  north- 
east and  southwest  and  dips  to  the  southeast  at  an  angle  of  65°,  and  1,600  feet 
on  another  which  runs  northeast  and  southwest.  The  former  is  one  of  a  series 
of  parallel  veins;  the  latter  is  known  as  the  Blue  Lead,  and  it  is  remarkable, 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  31 

because  the  numerous  cross  leads  running  at  right  angles  are  found  only  south 
of  it,  and  appear  to  be  cut  off  by  it.  The  Blue  Lead  is  nearly  vertical,  from 
12  to  30  inches  wide,  yields  $45  to  the  ton,  and  has  been  opened  to  a  'depth 
of  1G5  feet  and  a  length  of  150  feet.  The  other  vein  is  six  feet  wide,  yields 
$20  to  the  ton,  has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  165  feet,  and  to  a  length  of  50 
feet.  The  mine  has  been  worked  with  a  four-stamp  mill,  but  a  new  twelve-stamp 
mill  has  been  erected,  and  it  began  to  run  on  the  7th  of  October.  The  copper 
aprons  below  the  battery  are  plated  with  silver,  with  which  mercury  forms  an 
amalgam  more  readily  than  with  copper,  and  the  apron  will  be  in  the  highest 
state  of  efficiency  immediately,  whereas  several  weeks'  time  would  be  required  if 
the  surface  were  of  copper.  The  plating  is  done  by  galvanism  and  cost  $5  per 
square  foot.  Baux  and  Guiod's  pans  are  used  for  grinding.  The  mill  is  driven 
by  steam,  and  also  the  hoisting  apparatus.  The  quartz  is  let  down  from  the 
mouth  of  the  mine  to  the-  mill  in  a  tramway,  and  the  loaded  cars  as  they  go  down 
pull  ti]>  the  empty  ones.  The  transportation  does  not  cost  more  than  $1  50  per 
day.  The  yield  of  the  mine  has  been  $30,000.  A  patent  has  been  applied  for. 

The  Floyd  mine  on  one  of  the  southern  spurs  of  the  Blue  Lead  has  paid  well, 
but  now  produces  nothing. 

The  same  remark  applies  to  the  Carson  mine,  which  has  a  five-stamp  mill 
standing  idle. 

EPPERSON. — The  Epperson  mine  on  Boar  creek,  six  miles  east  of  Coulterville, 
is  on  a  vein  which  runs  east  and  west  and  dips  to  the  north.  There  is  a  shaft 
60  feet  deej),  and  a  drift  20  feet  long  has  been  run  on  the  lode.  About  200  tons 
have  boon  worked,  and  the  yield  was  from  $9  to  $13  per  ton.  There  is  a  nine- 
stamp  mill  which,  with  the  mine,  is  standing  idle. 

BLACK. — The  Black  mine  is  sixteen  miles  eastward  from  Coulterville,  on  the 
Blue  Lead,  which  runs  east  and  west  and  dips  to  the  south.  The  hanging  wall 
is  mountain  limestone  and  the  foot  wall  yellow  slate,  and  the  vein  stone  contains 
marble.  The  average  yield  is  about  $40  per  ton,  or  was  for  all  the  work  done. 
The  mine  has  been  standing  idle  now  for  several  years  on  account  of  the  water, 
which  at  times  has  risen  nearly  to  the  surface.  A  shaft  was  sunk  to  a  depth  of 
170  feet.  There  is  no  mill ;  all  the  crushing  was  done  with  an  arrastra. 

FERGUSON. — The  Ferguson  mine,  25  miles  eastward  from  Coultervillo,  has 
been  worked  five  or  six  years.  The  ore  yields  from  $25  to  $100  per  ton,  and 
is  worked  in  a  ten-stamp  mill  driven  by  water. 

Lor  LSI  ANA. — The  Louisiana  mine,  tee  miles  eastward  from  Coulterville,  is 
3,600  feet  long,  on  a  vein  that  runs  northwest  and  southeast,  dips  to  the  north- 
east, and  has  a  width  varying  from  2  to  16  feet.  The  quartz  contains  sulphurets 
of  iron,  zinc  and  lead.  The  free  gold  amounts  to  $6  or  $8  per  ton.  The  vein 
has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  140  feet  and  a  length  of  130  feet  by  drifts  from 
the  bottom  of  the  main  shaft;  but  there  are  a  number  of  shafts  15  or  20  feet 
deep,  and  gold  has  been  found  in  all  of  them.  The  ore  is  easily  extracted,  but 
the  slate  walls  require  much  timber  to  support  them.  Along  the  foot  wall  there 
is  a  streak  of  soft  yellow  sandstone  six  or  eight  inches  thick.  The  mine  makes 
much  water,  and  at  the  first  of  June  the  pump  hoisted  37,000  gallons  daily. 
There  is  a  10-stamp  mill  which  has  lain  idle  for  several  years,  but  has  lately 
commenced' to  run  again. 

FLANNIGAN. — The  Flannigan  mine,  10  miles  eastward  from  Coulterville,  was 
discovered  in  Julv,  1861,  near  the  summit  of  a  ridge,  at  an  elevation  of  about 
3,000  feet  above  the  sea.  A  miner  working  a  placer  claim  in  a  gulley  found  a 
rich  spot,  where  he  picked  up,  among  other  pieces,  a  nugget  that  weighed  an 
ounce  and  a  boulder  as  largo  us  a  man's  head  containing  $87.  He  searched  for 
a  quartz  vein  and  found  this  ono.  It  runs  north  and  south,  cuts  across  the  slates, 
dips  to  the  west,  and  is  live  feet  wide.  There  are  smooth  slate  walls  on  both 
sides,  and  there  is  a  putty  «n>ugo  three  inches  thick.  All  the  rock  so  far  found 
is  rich  enough  to  pay,  and  the  average  yield  is  $35.  The  mine  has  been  worked 


32  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

with  an  arrastra  for  six  years,  but  there  are  now  500  tons  of  ore  stacked  up  at 
the  mouth  of  the  tunnel,  and  preparations  are  being  made  for  the  erection  of  a 
ten-stamp  mill.  The  quartz  is  taken  out  through  a  cross  tunnel  175  feet  long, 
and  from  that  drifts  have  been  run  225  feet  on  the  vein,  and  a  shaft  has  been 
sunk  50  feet.  A  horse  is  found  in  one  part  of  the  lode.  The  quartz  is  white, 
and  much  of  it  slakes  when  exposed  to  the  air.  The  crushing  has  been  done 
heretofore  by  two  arrastras,  and  the  total  expense  per  ton  has  been  less  than  $5. 
The  cost  of  crushing  and  amalgamating  in  the  arrastra  is  estimated  at  $3  50  per 
ton,  and  of  extraction  at  $1. 

COWARD. — The  Coward  mine,  12  miles  eastward  from  Coulterville,  was 
located  in  1858,  and  has  been  worked  constantly  since.  The  first  owner,  a  Mr. 
Funk,  fell  from  the  wheel  the  day  the  mill  started,  and  was  killed  by  the  fall. 
H.  G.  Coward  is  the  present  owner.  The  vein  runs  east  and  west,  dips  to  the 
north  at  an  angle  of  45°,  and  is  four  feet  wide  in  the  middle  of  the  pay  chimneys, 
which  become  narrower  gradually  in  each  direction  horizontally  as  they  pinch 
out.  These  chimneys  are  two  in  number,  each  about  100  feet  long,  and  they  dip 
to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  40°.  The  width  is  very  regular  in  going  down  with  the 
dip.  They  had  been  worked  to  a  depth  of  170  feet.  The  walls  are  of  smooth 
black  slate,  and  there  is  a  black  putty  gouge.  Most  of  the  gold  is  found  near 
one  wall  or  the  other,  and  sometimes  on  both,  but  in  places  where  a  horse  is 
found  in  the  vein  the  gold  is  all  confined  to  one  side.  The  average  yield  is,  and 
has  been  constantly,  about  840  per  ton.  The  quartz  contains  little  pyrites,  and 
the  tailings  have  never  been  assayed.  There  is,  or  was  in  May,  a  five-stamp 
mill,  which  was  to  be  abandoned,  and  a  new  ten-stamp  mill  was  to  be  erected 
on  the  north  fork  of  the  Mercede,  one  mile  from  the  mine.  The  dam  and  flume 
were  to  cost  $600,  and  the  wagon  road  $1,000.  Ten  or  12  men  were  employed. 

CALICO. — The  Calico  mine,  on  the  same  lode  as  the  Cherokee,  has  been 
opened  by  a  tunnel  160  feet  long,  and  a  drift  of  35  feet  in  pay  rock  estimated 
to  yield  $20  per  ton.  No  mill  has  been  erected,  nor  has  any  of  the  rock  been 
crushed. 

COMPROMISE. — The  Compromise  mine,  on  a  small  vein  near  the  Goodwin,  was 
worked  for  two  years  with  a  loss. 

MARBLE  SPRING. — The  Marble  Spring  mine,  16  miles  eastward  from 
Coulterville,  was  discovered  in  1851,  and  a  five-stamp  mill  was  erected  there. 
The  first  owner  found  it  unprofitable,  and  he  sold  to  a  gentleman  who  kept  it 
going  for  seven  or  eight  years,  part  of  the  time  at  a  profit,  and  he  sold  to  others 
who  spent  $15,000  in  experiments  and  lost  money,  though  the  rock  yielded  $25 
per  ton.  The  mine  is  now  the  property  of  H.  G.  Coward  and  others  who  have 
lately  reopened  it.  The  vein  is  three  feet  thick,  runs  northwest  and  southeast, 
and  dips  to  the  east.  The  pay  chimney  dips  to  the  southeast.  The  lode  con- 
tains pockets  in  which  the  gold  is  very  coarse,  and  is  distributed  in  beautiful 
threads  through  a  compact  bluish  quartz,  making  together  the  finest  material  for 
"  quartz  jewelry"  in  the  State.  The  main  tunnel  is  600  feet  long.  The  old  mill 
has  been  moved  away.  The  mine  is  at  a  high  elevation,  near  the  summit  of  a 
mountain. 

CHEROKEE. — The  Cherokee  mine,  near  the  Goodwin,  was  discovered  by  a 
Cherokee  named  Rogers,  in  1857,  and  was  very  rich  at  the  surface.  Some  of 
the  gold  was  coarse  enough  to  be  pounded  out  in  a  hand  mortar.  The  rock 
worked  in  arrastras  averaged  $100  per  ton.  In  1859  a  steam  mill  with  eight 
stamps  and  two  arrastras  was  erected,  and  the  rock  yielded  $35  per  ton  for  about 
a  year,  and  then  work  stopped.  The  mill  was  sold  at  sheriff's  sale  and  moved 
away,  and  nothing  has  been  done  at  the  place  since.  The  deepest  workings 
were  through  a  tunnel  400  feet  long,  and  another  lower  tunnel  was  commenced,  but 
the  mine  was  abandoned  before  it  reached  the  lode.  As  the  workmen  who  were 
employed  have  all  left  it  is  difficult  to  get  any  accurate  information;  but  some 
miners  in  the  neighborhood  say  that  the  mine  was  worked  in  a  careless  manner  j 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  33 

that  the  proprietors  squandered  their  money,  and  that  although  there  was  a  horse 
in  the  lowest  workings,  the  completion  of  the  lower  tunnel  would  in  all  proba- 
bility have  struck  the  lode  below  the  horse.  The  vein  averages  two  feet  wide, 
runs  east  and  west  and  dips  to  the  north.  The  pay  chimneys  dip  to  the  east. 

SniMER. — The  Shinier  mine,  10  miles  east  of  Coulterville,  was  discovered 
in  1858  by  a  miner  who,  while  digging  a  ditch  for  placer  mining,  found  some 
rich  boulders  of  quartz,  and  on  searching  he  found  the  lode.  In  a  few  days  he 
took  out  enough  gold  to  pay  for  several  arrastras,  with  which  the  mine  was 
worked  for  a  year  arid  a  half,  the  rock  yielding  from  $150  to  $500  per  ton. 
Rumor  says  that  the  total  yield  in  this  time  was  $200,000,  three-fourths  of  it  net 
profit.  He  then  erected  a  steam  mill,  with  two  stamps  and  two  arrastras  ;  but 
the  water  became  troublesome,  and  for  five  years  the  mine  has  been  idle,  and 
for  two  years  before  the  work  was  irregular.  The  mine  was  opened  by  a  cross 
tunnel,  which,  after  running  400  feet,  struck  the  lode  140  feet  from  the  surface, 
and  a  shaft  was  sunk  40  feet  below  the  tunnel.  The  failure  of  the  mine  is 
attributed  by  some  persons  in  the  neighborhood  exclusively  to  bad  management. 
It  is  said  that  the  last  rock  crushed  yielded  $60  per  ton,  and  there  was  more  of 
it  in  sight.  There  were  five  partners,  most  of  whom  were  spendthrifts,  and 
shortly  before  their  failure  they  took  a  trip  to  Sonora  and  spent  $4,000  in  one 
debauch.  Those  who  had  not  squandered  their  money  had  sent  it  away,  and 
when  the  water  came  in  they  could  not  afford  to  buy  a  pump  nor  to  cut  a  deeper 
tunnel.  It  is  said  that  there  is  a  large  deposit  of  good  pay  quartz,  40  feet  deep 
and  80  feet  long,  under  the  drift,  on  a  level  with  the  tunnel. 

The  vein  is  from  8  inches  to  2j  feet  in  width,  with  slate  walls.  There  are 
two  pay  chutes,  which  were  worked  to  a  depth  of  160  feet  and  for  a  horizontal 
distance  of  150  feet.  One  account  says  that  the  last  workings  were  in  a  place 
where  the  vein  split,  and  the  miners  were  in  the  poorer  branch.  It  is  reported 
that  a  rich  cross  vein  was  found,  but  that  the  hired  miner  who  found  it  concealed 
the  fact  in  the  hope  that  he  would  some  day  get  possession.  About  $2,000 
have  been  spent  on  roads  to  reach  the  mine  and  mill. 

GOODWIN. — The  Goodwin  mine,  11  miles  eastward  from  Coulterville,  was 
discovered  in  1856.  It  was  worked  with  arrastras  for  three  years,  and  then 
for  three  years  more  with  an  eight-stump  mill,  which  last  paid  $50,000  profit, 
some  of  the  rock  yielding  $100  per  ton.  The  mine  and  mill  lay  idle  for  four 
years,  and  under  foreclosure  of  a  mortgage  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  creditor, 
who  attempted  in  vain  for  several  years  to  sell  for  $1,500,  undertook  to  work  the 
mine  in  despair,  and  almost  immediately  found  a  good  supply  of  rock,  averaging 
$50  per  ton.  The  vein  runs  east  and  west,  and  dips  to  the  south.  The  aver- 
age thickness  is  three  feet,  but  in  places  the  lode  pinches  out.  The  quartz  is  a 
ribbon  rock,  and  all  of  it  pays  for  working.  It  is  found  in  chimneys,  which  dip 
to  the  eastward,  with  an  inclination  of  70°  to  the  horizon  on  the  upper  side,  but 
on  the  lower  side  the  dip  is  irregular,  the  chutes  growing  longer,  horizontally, 
as  they  go  down.  Three  pay  chimneys  have  been  worked  so  far,  and  one  of 
them  has  pinched  out  in  going  down.  Both  walls  are  of  slate,  and  there  is  a 
black  putty  gouge  a  foot  thick.  A  cross  tunnel  550  feet  long  strikes  the  vein 
400  feet  below  the  surface,  and  the  lode  might  be  struck  200  feet  lower  by  a 
tunnel  600  feet  long.  The  present  proprietor  is  about  to  put  in  a  pump  and 
hoisting  works.  The  mill  has  eight  wooden-stem  stamps,  and  is  driven  by 
water  from  the  north  fork  of  the  Mercede.  The  flume  is  half  a  mile  long,  and, 
with  the  dam,  cost  $1,000.  The  mouth  of  the  mine  is  two  miles  from  the  mill, 
to  which  the  ore  is  hauled  on  sleds. 

BELL  &  McGREAV.— The  Bell  &  McGrew  mine  is  a  mile  west  ol  Ooul- 
terville,  on  the  Malvina  lode.     Several  pockets,  yielding  from  $100  to  $1,000, 
have  been  found,  and  a  mill  with  five  stamps  was  built  on  it,  but  it  tailed 
pay,  and  is  now  idle. 
3 


34  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

McKENZiE. — The  McKenzie  mine,  adjoining,  has  produced  some  rock  tliat 
-yielded  $20  per  ton,  but  the  miners  were  driven  out  by  water,  and  the  owners, 
finding  they  could  do  nothing  without  a  steam  pump,  sold  their  five-stamp  mill 
to  Bell  &  McGrew  and  stopped  work.  Portion  of  the  mine  has  caved  in. 

HIDELT  &  CUNNINGHAM. — The  mine  of  Hidely  &  Cunningham,  on  the 
Malvina  vein,  two  miles  west  of  Coulterville,  contains  a  deposit  of  auriferous 
talcose  slate  15  feet  wide,  without  walls, 'and  some  of  it  prospects  very  well. 
There  is  a  four-stamp  mill,  which  was  running  in  May. 

MARY  HARRISON. — The  Mary  Harrison  mine,  about  two  miles  southeast- 
ward from  Coulterville,  is  situated  on  a  spur  from  the  mother  lode.  This  spur 
vein  is  from  3  to  20  feet  thick,  and  the  quartz  contains  talcose  slate  seams 
which  usually  are  parallel  with  the  walls,  and  the  seams,  or  sides  of  them,  con- 
tain the  most  pay.  The  mine  has  been  worked  by  an  incline  240  feet  deep, 
and  a  pay  chimney  200  feet  long,  horizontally,  has  been  worked  out  to  a  depth 
of  150  feet.  There  is  no  gouge,  and  the  galleries  are  driven  in  the  slate  on  the 
hanging  wall  side. 

The  Mary  Harrison  Company  have  a  claim  on  the  Malvina  vein,  a  mile  and 
a  half  distant,  and  they  have  worked  it  to  a  depth  of  440  feet  from  the  crop- 
pings,  and  have  run  330  feet  on  the  lode.  Access  is  obtained  through  a  cross 
tunnel.  There  is  black  talcose  slate  on  both  sides  of  the  vein,  which  is  parallel 
with  the  mother  lode,  and  has  been  traced  4  miles.  The  gold-bearing  portion 
,  of  the  rock  is  a  hard  ribbon  quartz,  near  the  wralls  j  while  in  the  middle  there 
is  soft,  shelly,  white,  barren  quartz.  The  pay  chute  is  150  feet  long,  horizon- 
tally, and  it'dips  60?  to  the  southeast  on  the  upper  side  j  the  lower  side  being 
less  regular.  There  are  two  mills ;  one  of  35  stamps,  the  other  15,  and  the 
former  was  about  to  start  at  the  end  of  May. 

CROWN  LEAD. — Immediately  north  of  the  Mercede  river,  in  the  line  of  the 
Mother  lode,  is  the  claim  of  the  Crown  Lead  Company,  which,  10,500  feet  in  all, 
is  on  the  Mother,  Adelaide,  and  Medas  veins.  The  Adelaide  vein  has  supplied 
1,800  tons,  yielding  $7  per  ton,  and  this  ought  to  have  yielded  a  profit;  but  it 
did  not,  and  the  work  stopped.  The  general  opinion  in  the  neighborhood  is 
that  the  mine  has  an  immense  quantity  of  good  pay  rock,  but  that  it  has  not  been 
properly  managed.  The  claim  extends  from  the  river  over  a  steep  hill  2,000  feet 
high,  so  that  by  means  of  tunnels  all  the  rock  could  be  run  out  to  that  depth 
without  hoisting. 

The  mill  on  the  bank  of  the  Mercede  has  20  stamps,  and  was  built  in  1864, 
at  an  expense  of  $35,000.  The  dam  cost  $30,000,  but  was  bought  by  the 
Crown  Lead  Company  for  $12,000.  It  is  now  in  excellent  condition.  The 
roads  on  the  claim  cost  $9,000.  Both  mine  and  mill  are  idle.  The  mill  is  pro- 
vided with  Hepburn  &  Peterson's  pans. 

Adjoining  the  claim  of  the  Crown  Lead,  or  on  the  same  ground,  is  a  claim 
taken  up  for  a  copper  mine  by  the  Tone  Company,  which  spent  $22,000  there 
and  got  no  return. 

HITES  COVE. — Hites  Cove  mine  is  30  miles  northeast  from  Mariposa,  on 
a  vein  which  runs  northwest  and  southeast,  and  is  very  irregular  in  thickness, 
the  thickest  part  being  eight  feet.  The  quartz  is  a  ribbon  rock,  with  seams  of 
black  matter,  which  sticks  in  the  skin,  so  that  the  workmen  in  the  mine  get  a 
very  sooty  look.  All  the  quartz  pays  very  evenly,  and  no  specimens  are  found. 
The  average  yield  is  about  $150  per  ton.  The  mine  has  been  worked  five  years 
steadily,  and  the  present  supply  of  quartz  is  obtained  from  a  depth  of  300  feet. 
Connected  with  the  mine  is  a  10-stamp  water  mill,  and  all  the  sands,  after  passing 
over  copper-plate,  are  run  through  arrastras. 

BRIDGEPORT. — The  Bridgeport  mine,  just  outside  of  the  line  of  the  Mariposa 
grant,  has  produced  some  good  ore;  but  the  thickness  of  the  vein  (from  six 
inches  to  four  feet)  is  very  irregular,  and  so  is  the  quality  of  the  rock.  The  walls 
are  granite ;  the  mill  has  eight  stamps.  Both  mine  and  mill  are  idle. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  35 

PENON  BLANCO.-— The  Pefion  Blanco  mine,  6,000  feet  long,  two  miles  north- 
ward from  Coulterville,  takes  in  nearly  the  whole  of  the  prominent  Pefion  Blanco 
hill.  It  is  being  explored  by  a  tunnel  which,  entering  the  hill  on  the  south  side 
strikes  the  lode  175  feet  from  the  mouth  and  100  feet  below  the  cropping! 
Another  tunnel  entering  the  hill  on  the  northwest  side  is  in  285  feet,  but  has  not 
reached  the  vein.  Two  shafts  are  also  being  sunk  2,000  feet  apart.  The  south 
shaft  is  25  feet  deep  in  a  pay  chimney,  which  yields  rock  four  feet  in  thickness 
averaging  $10  per  ton.  The  horizontal  length  of  this  chimney  is  not  ascertained' 
but  open  cuts  on  the  croppings  200  feet  distant  are  in  the  same  kind  of  rock,  and 
probably  in  the  same  chimney.  The  north  shaft  has  not  struck  the  vein,  but  the 
croppings  near  this  shaft  contain  about  two  feet  of  rock  that  yields  $12  per  ton. 
The  first  application  for  a  patent  under  the  act  of  1866  was  made  for  this  mine. 


SECTION    IV. 

TUOLUMNE    COUNTY. 

Tuolumne  county  extends  from  the  Stanislaus  river  on  the  north  to  the  divide 
between  the  Tuolumne  and  Mercede  on  the  south,  and  from  the  summit  of  the 
Sierra  to  the  low  foot  hills  near  the  plains.  Nearly  all  the  mines  and  population 
are  in  the  western  half  of  the  county,  below  the  level  of  2,000  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  placer  mines  have  nearly  all  been  quite  shallow,  and  they  are  now 
exhausted  in  many  places.  There  never  have  been  any  large  and  profitable 
hydraulic  claims  in  the  county,  although  there  are  some  gravel  ridges  above  Big 
Oak  Flat,  and  others  near  Cherokee  that  may  prove  valuable  for  hydraulic  mining. 
One  of  the  chief  mining  features  is  table  mountain,  which  follows  the  Stanislaus? 
river  from  Columbia  to  Knight's  Ferry,  and  covers  a  rich  auriferous  channel  thav 
is  worked  through  tunnels. 

This  mountain  has  yielded  about  $2,000,000,  but  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,000 
Another  remarkable  feature  of  the  county  is  the  limestone  belt,  which  crosses 
the  country,  through  Garrote  No.  2,  Kincaid  Flat,  Shaw's  Flat,  Springfield,  and 
Columbia.  This  limestone,  instead  of  having  a  smooth  solid  surface,  appears  to 
be  broken  into  water-worn  boulders,  and  rich  auriferous  gravel  is  found  down  to 
a  great  depth  in  the  narrow  crevices  between  them.  In  this  county,  too,  the 
mother  lode  is  more  strongly  marked ;  more  distinctly  traceable  for  a  considerable 
distance,  and  worked  in  more  mines  than  in  any  other  county.  Columbia  is  notable 
for  having  produced  more  large  nuggets  than  any  other  district  in  the  State,  and 
also  for  the  high  fineness  of  its  dust.  Bald  mountain,  near  Sonora,  has  had  an 
unsurpassed  cluster  of  rich  pocket  lodes,  and  the  Soulsby  district  has  some  of 
the  richest  granite  mines  of  the  State.  The  county  has  further  extensive  and 
valuable  beds  of  plumbago  and  some  fine  white  marble  suitable  for  statuary,  but 
its  extent  is  not  yet  proved. 

Much  work  is  being  done  in  prospecting  quartz  veins,  but  the  advance  in  lode 
mining  is  not  equivalent  to  the  decline  in  placers,  and  the  county  has  lost  about 
200  voters  annually  for  six  or  eight  years. 

The  State  and  county  taxes  together  are  $4  88  on  every  hundred  dollars,  or 
nearly  five  per  cent.,  and  in  addition  to  that  there  is  in  Sonora  a  city  tax  of  one 
per  cent. 

The  placer  mining  portion  of  the  county  is  in  a  district  of  hills,  neither  very 
high  nor  very  steep,  and  consequently  it  is  pretty  well  suited,  so  far  as  grade  is 
concerned,  for  roads  and  for  tillage;  but  the  soil  is  not  strong  and. water  is,  dear. 
Grain  does  not  yield  large  crops,  and  the  supply  of  fruit  far  exceeds  the  home 
demand,  but  transportation  is  so  dear  that  it  cannot  be  taken  away  fresh  witn  a 
profit.  Large  quantities  are  dried,  and  in  1866  300  tons  of  dried  peaches 


36 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


were  shipped  from  Tuolumne.  Casks  and  freight  are  so  dear  that  wine  making 
yields  no  profit,  and  the  brandy  tax  prevents  the  conversion  of  the  grapes  into 
brandy,  and  many  of  the  vineyards  and  orchards  are  not  cultivated,  and  no 
new  vineyards  are  being  planted.  The  general  appearance  of  the  ranches  does 
not  indicate  prosperity.* 

During  the  first  half  of  1867  not  less  than  a  thousand  Chinamen  left  the 
county,  more  than  300  having  gone  from  Columbia  and  vicinity,  and  as  many 
more  from  Chinese  Camp. 

According  to  observations  made  by  Doctor  Snell  in  the  rainy  season  of 
1S61-'G2,  121  inches  of  rain  fell  at  Sonora;  in  that  of  1864-'65,  20  inches;  in 
that  of  1865-'G6,  35  inches;  and  in  that  of  1S66-'G7,  50  inches. 

The  following  mean  thermometrical  observations  are  also  taken  from  his  books, 
the  degrees  being  Fahrenheit's: 


6  A.M. 

12  M. 

6P.M. 

1858.  —  October      

53° 

63° 

5fio 

November 

54 

61 

52 

December  

43 

50 

44 

1859.  —  January          .......... 

46 

55 

48 

February             . 

38 

50 

44 

March  

61 

81 

68 

COLUMBIA. — Columbia,  situated  where  the  Table  Mountain  channel  crossed 
the  limestone  belt,  and  where  the  volcanic  material  had  been  deroded,  having  the 
rich  auriferous  deposit  near  the  surface,  was  for  a  long  time  the  largest  and  the 
busiest  town  in  the  southern  mines.  The  site  was  in  a  beautiful  vale,  and  the 
town  was  built  up  in  very  neat  style,  but  the  placers  of  the  vicinity  are  approach- 
ing exhaustion,  business  has  declined,  and  many  of  the  lots  have  been  mined 
out,  leaving  the  large  limestone  boulders  lying  naked,  ban-en  and  cheerless.  As 
the  population  has  declined,  houses  have  lost  their  value,  and  dwellings  can  be 
purchased  for  one-tenth  their  cost.  In  many  cases  miners  have  purchased  houses, 
even  brick  stores,  for  the  purpose  of  tearing  them  down  and  washing  away  the  dirt 
of  the  lots ;  and  this  system  is  still  in  progress,  continually  reducing  the  number  of 
houses,  and  the  area  of  soil  and  level  ground  suitable  for  occupation.  Most  of 
the  rich  placer  claims  are  in  a  basin,  which  has  never  been  drained,  and  conse- 
quently there  is  a  large  mass  of  auriferous  dirt  that  may  be  worked  in  the  future 
if  drainage  is  supplied.  The  Stanislaus  river  is  two  miles  off,  and  by  starting 
from  a  ravine  that  puts  into  the  river  a  tunnel  could  be  run  400  feet  under  the 
town  with  the  length  of  a  mile  and  a  half.  The  expense,  however,  would  be 
very  great,  and  the  profit  uncertain,  so  nobody  speaks  seriously  of  the  project. 
At  the  deeper  claims  in  Columbia,  the  dirt  is  hoisted  from  the  bottom  to  a  dump 
box  placed  so  high  that  there  is  fall  enough  from  it  to  carry  away  the  refuse  dirt 

*  NOTE.— Referring  to  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  the  construction  of  the  proposed 
Stockton  and  Copperopolis  railroad,  and  the  impetus  that  would  be  given  to  the  industry  of 
the  interior  counties  by  this  enterprise,  Mr.  William  S.  Watson,  the  intelligent  engineer, 


' '  The  proposed  road  will  not  touch  Tuolumne  county,  but  for  all  practical  purposes  will 
command  its  trade  and  travel,  Copperopolis  being  15  miles  from  Sonora,  and  from  Knight's 
Ferry  it  is  about  two  miles  to  the  west  line  of  the  county.  The  sectional  area  of  Tuolumne 
is  1,430  square  miles.  The  character  of  the  country  is  of  course  mountainous,  forming  spurs 
of  the  main  ridges  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  descending  into  the  valley  to  the  west.  The  popu- 
lation in  1860  was  16,229;  assessed  valuation  in  Ifc65,  $1,536,258.  The  present  freights  are 
principally  up,  amountipg  to  6,000  tons  per  year,  chiefly  supplies ;  estimated  freights  to  Big 
Oak  Flat,  Chinese  Camp,  Don  Pedro's  Bar,  and  the  Garrotes,  950 ;  total  up  freights  through 
Tuolumne  county,  6,950  tons;  and  of  down  freights,  consisting  of  building  materials,  lum- 
ber, and  ores,  not  less  than  1,320;  total,  8,270  tons." 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  37 

through  sluices.  The  water  is  thrown  upon  the  dirt  in  these  dump  boxes  through 
hydraulic  pipes,  a  style  of  washing  used  in  very  few  places  in  the  State. 

From  1853  to  1857  Columbia  shipped  $100,000  weekly ;  now  the  shipment 
is  from  $40,000  to  $50,000  per  month,  and  there  is  a  steady  decrease. 

The  following  are  the  principal  claims  in  the  Columbia  basin : 

The  Columbia  Boys'  claim,  500  by  100  feet,  has  been  worked  regularly  sinco 
1850.  Previous  to  1853  it  paid  $20^  per  day ;  from  1853  to  1857  $7  50  per  day, 
and  since  1857  $3  per  day.  The  dirt  is  hoisted  by  a  wooden  wheel.  Five  men 
are  employed  in  the  claim  now. 

The  Tiger  claim,  400  by  130  feet,  was  opened  in  1849,  but  did  not  pay  much 
for  the  first  six  years.  Between  1855  and  1858,  however,  it  was  very  profitable, 
and  from  1863  to  1865  it  paid  still  better  than  before.  In  1863  the  yield  was 
from  $100  to  $600  per  week  to  the  man.  It  has  not  been  paying  expenses  for 
the  last  two  years.  An  iron  wheel  is  used  for  hoisting.  In  the  bottom  of  this 
claim  is  a  hole  leading  into  a  subterranean  channel  which  has  its  outlet  below 
Jamestown,  eight  miles  distant.  On  one  occasion  2,500  inches  of  water  ran 
down  the  hole  for  weeks ;  and  the  same  water  escaped  at  the  outlet,  where  the 
stream  was  governed  as  to  its  size  and  color  by  the  supply  at  Columbia.  A 
similar  hole  is  found  in  a  claim  at  Knapp's  ranch.  Men  have  climbed  down  150 
feet,  and  gone  100  feet  further  with  ropes  to  the  bottom,  where  there  is  a  stream 
4  feet  wide  and  12  feet  deep,  with  a  slow  current  and  clear  water,  no  matter 
how  muddy  the  streams  may  be  on  the  surface.  It  is  supposed  that  the  outlet 
is  at  Springfield  or  Gold  Springs. 

The  Cascade  claim,  300  by  150  feet,  has  paid  well  for  short  periods,  but  has 
not  yielded  more  on  an  average  than  $2  50  per  day  to  the  man.  Five  men  are 
employed,  and  a  hydraulic  wheel  is  used  for  hoisting. 

The  Hclnroe  claim,  300  by  100  feet,  paid  well  in  early  days,  but  does  not 
yield  more  than  $2  50  per  day  now  to  the  man.  Three  men  are  employed  in 
the  claim.  The  hoisting  is  done  by  a  whim. 

The  Burns  claim,  400  by  200  feet,  paid  $10  per  day  to  the  hand  from  1853 
to  1857,  and  averaged  $100  per  month  to  the  hand  since  1857.  Five  men  are 
employed,  and  an  overshot  wheel  is  used  for  hoisting. 

The  Main  claim,  300  by  200  feet,  has  paid  high  at  times,  but  does  not  yield 
more  than  $2  per  day  to  the  six  men  employed.  The  hoisting  is  done  by  an 
iron  hydraulic  wheel. 

The  Millington  claim,  300  by  100  feet,  washes  in  a  ground  sluico,  and  has 
paid  $20  per  week  over  expenses.  Four  men  are  employed. 

KNAPP'S  RANCH. — Adjoining  Columbia  on  the  east  is  Knapp's  ranch,  of  which 
about  five  acres  have  been  washed,  yielding  $40,000  per  acre  or  $200,000  in  all. 
The  bed  rock  here  is  limestone,  but  the  boulders  aro  large,  and  the  miners 
can  wash  between  them  much  more  conveniently  than  among  the  smaller  boulders 
of  Columbia. 

The  following  claims  are  on  Knapp's  ranch  : 

The  Sullivan  claim,  200  by  100  feet,  in  fifty  feet  deep,  and  is  worked  by  a 
hydraulic  stream  thrown  against  the  bank.  Two  men  work  the  claim,  and  they 
make  together  about  $5  per  day. 

The  Peabody  and  Arnold  claim,  200  by  100  feet,  is  also  worked  by  a  hydrau- 
lic stream  against  the  bank,  which  is  50  feet  high.  No  men  are  engaged  in 
it,  and  they  "have  at  times  got  very  good  pay. , 

The  German  claim,  200  by  100  feet,  has  paid  tolerably  well. 

The  Grant  claim,  200  by  100  feet,  commenced  working  only  a  short  time  since. 

The  Hunt  claim,  500  by  500  feet,  is  remarkably  rich.  It  paid  $25,000  in  one 
summer.  It  employs  six  men,  hoists  by  hydraulic  wheel,  and  washes  in  a  dump 
box. 

The  Dutch  Bill  claim,  200  by  100  feet,  was  opened  in  1860^  and  has  at  times 


38  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

paid  $1,000  per  month.  It  yields  $3  per  day  eacli  now  to  two  men.  The  dirt 
is  washed  on  the  ground. 

SAWMILL  FLAT. — The  following  claims  are  at  Sawmill  Flat : 

The  Foley  claim,  200  feet  square,  was  opened  in  1850,  and  has  never  paid 
more  than  moderate  wages.  Four  men  are  employed,  and  there  is  a  hydraulic 
wheel  for  hoisting. 

The  Dry  den  claim,  400  by  100  feet,  washes  in  a  ground  sluice  and  pays  well. 
It  has  lately  yielded  $2,500  to  the  man  in  a  season.  Five  men  are  employed. 

SHAW'S  FLAT. — Shaw's  Flat  and  Springfield  are  on  the  limestone  belt,  but 
the  deposit  of  gravel  was  shallow,  and  it  has  nearly  all  been  washed  away.  At 
Springfield  there  are  two  large  springs  from  which  the  town  took  its  name  ;  and 
to  these  miners  brought  the  dirt  in  carts  in  1850  and  1851,  and  washed  out  from 
$10  to  $20  per  day.  As  many  as  150  carts  were  running  at  one  time.  There 
were  single  cart-loads  that  paid  as  much  as  $1,000.  The  ground  was  covered 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  large  pine  timber,  which  has  now  all  disappeared,  and 
little  remains  save  the  rugged  limestone.  Springfield  at  one  time  had  600  voters, 
and  now  it  has  not  one-tenth  of  that  number. 

At  Sawmill  Flat,  near  Columbia,  the  dirt  is  hoisted  by  wheel  into  a  dump  box 
andcthere  washed.  The  diggings  here  will  last  for  a  long  time. 

At  Brown's  Flat  they  wash  in  the  same  manner. 

At  Yankee  Hill  there  are  some  rich  hydraulic  claims. 

SONORA. — Sonora  is  situated  on  the  slate,  just  below  the  limestone,  and 'was 
wonderfully  rich  in  early  days,  but  is  now  nearly  exhausted.  The  gold  shipped 
nearly  all  came  from  placers  previous  to  1858  j  now  it  is  about  equally  divided 
between  quartz  and  placers.  The  amount  shipped  in  May,  1865,  was  $80,000 ; 
in  June,  $84,000  ;  in  July,  $95,000  j  in  August,  $102,000  j  in  September,  $91,000. 

BIG  OAK  FLAT. — Big  Oak  Flat  is  on  a  granite  bed  rock,  and  the  gravel  on 
it  was  from  2  to  20  feet  deep.  Ditch  water  was  not  brought  in  until  1859,  and 
in  the  next  year  it  sawr  its  best  days.  It  is  now  pretty  well  worked  out. 

KINCALD  FLAT. — Kincaid  Flat,  four  miles  east-southeast  of  Sonora,  150  feet 
above  the  level  of  Sullivan's  creek,  on  the  limestone  belt,  was  formerly  a  basin 
of  200  acres  j  but  it  has  been  worked  continuously  since  1850.  The  deepest 
workings  are  75  feet  below  the  original  surface,  but  the  bottom  has  not  yet  been 
reached  on  account  of  the  abundance  of  water  and  lack  of  drainage.  The  richest 
pay  has  been  found  near  the  water-level.  One  claim  50  feet  square  paid  $100,000, 
and  it  is  estimated  that  the  total  yield  of  the  flat  has  not  been  less  than  $2,000,000. 
There  is  a  considerable  area  of  rich  ground  that  cannot  be  washed  until  some 
artificial  drainage  is  supplied,  and  it  has  been  estimated  that  by  making  an  open 
cut  500  feet  long  and  a  tunnel  1,000  feet,  at  a  total  cost  of  $12,000,  75  acres 
might  be  worked.  In  addition  to  the  cutting  of  the  tunnel,  the  flume  would  be 
expensive,  and  a  company  has  been  formed  with  a  capital  stock  of  $30,000  to 
undertake  the  work. 

JAMESTOWN. — Jamestown,  on  the  bank  of  Wood's  creek,  was  built  up  by 
rich  and  shallow  placers  in  its  neighborhood  j  but  these  are  now  nearly  exhausted, 
and  the  town  has  become  a  little  village.  It  is,  however,  situated  near  the 
northern  lode,  and  it  will,  probably,  with  the  development  of  quartz  mining, 
recover  its  prosperity. 

OTHER  Towxs. — Algerine,  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  the  Tuolumne  river, 
and  west  of  the  main  limestone  belt,  once  had  800  voters,  but  is  now  reduced  to 
a  few  score,  the  placers  on  which  it  depended  being  nearly  exhausted. 

Cherokee  and  Somerville,  about  eight  miles  east  of  Sonora,  are  on  the  granite, 
and  they  depend  mainly  on  quartz  mines  for  their  support. 

Chinese  Camp  arid  Montezuma  are  placer  mining  towns  near  the  western  border 
of  the  county. 

TABLE  MOUNTAIN. — One  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  Tuolumne 
county  is  Table  mountain,  which  attracts  attention  from  remote  distances  by  its 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  39 

black,  bare,  level  surface,  extending  across  the  landscape  like  a  gigantic  wall. 
Examined  closely,  it  appears  to  be  a  mountain  capped  with  basalt,  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  wide  and  40  miles  long.  It  poured  out  of  a  volcano  near  Silver  moun- 
tain, in  Alpine  county,  and  took  the  same  general  course  as  the  present  Stanis- 
laus river,  which  has  cut  across  it  in  various  places.  There  is  a  fork  in  the 
basaltic  stream,  14  miles  above  Columbia.  The  average  height  above  the 
adjacent  ground  in  Tuolumne  county  is  from  500  to  800  feet  on  the  northern  side, 
and  from  200  to  500  on  the  southern.  The  adjacent  earth  has  been  washed  away 
to  a  greater  depth  near  the  line  of  the  mountain  along  its  northern  base,  and  for 
that  reason  nearly  all  the  tunnels  run  in  on  the  northern  side. 

The  main  strata  of  the  mountain,  commencing  at  the  top,  are  :  basalt,  which 
is  in  most  places  140  feet  deep  ;  under  that  is  a  stratum  of  volcanic  sand  100 
feet ;  then  pipe  clay  and  sand,  50  feet ;  then  coarse  gravel,  20  feet ;  then  pay 
gravel,  5  feet ;  then  bed  rock.  These  strata  vary  greatly  in  thickness,  however, 
in  different  places;  there  are  spots  where  the  pipe  clay  is  100  feet  deep;  but  the 
above  figures  are  given  as  an  average. 

The  pay  gravel  is  found  in  two  places ;  there  are  really  two  channels,  and 
whether  they  were  the  beds  of  two  different  streams  or  two  beds  of  the  same 
stream,  occupied  at  different  times,  is  not  clearly  determined,  although  the  latter 
supposition  is  the  more  probable.  The  channels  are  not  found  under  the  mid- 
dle of  the  mountain  at  every  point ;  there  are  places  where  one  of  the  channels 
is  not  covered  by  the  basalt  at  all,  and  the  other  is  only  under  the  edge  of  it.* 

In  a  claim  near  Whimtown  a  tree  standing  erect  100  feet  high  was  found  in 
the  pipe  clay,  and  it  looked  as  if  it  had  never  been  moved  from  the  position  in 
which  it  grew }  but  it  was  all  charred,  though  the  basalt  was  a  hundred  yards 
distant. 

Table  mountain  has  been  an  unfortunate  locality  for  miners.  It  is  estimated 
that  at  least  $1,000,000  more  have  been  put  into  the  mountain,  counting  the 
regular  wages,  than  were  ever  taken  out.  Nine-tenths  of  the  miners  who  under- 
took to  work  claims  there  were  the  losers.  There  was  enough  gold  to  pay  well, 
but  the  miners  did  not  know  how  to  get  it.  They  worked  in  companies,  and 
many  of  the  members  were  shirks  and  idlers.  They  had  no  experience  in  this 
kind  of  mining,  and  did  not  know  how  to  manage  so  as  to  do  the  most  execution 
with  the  least  labor.  They  guessed  at  the  level  of  the  channel,  and  started  their 
tunnels  too  high,  so  that  they  could  not  drain  their  ground,  and  either  had  great 
expenses  for  pumping  or  had  to  cut  new  tunnels.  The  old  channel,  when  first 
discovered,  was  extremely  rich,  and  it  was  presumed  that  the  possession  of  a 
claim  anywhere  on  the  mountain  was  equivalent  to  a  fortune ;  so  no  economy 
was  used.  Two  companies  side  by  side  might  have  united  to  cut  one  tunnel, 
but,  instead  of  that,  each  made  its  run.  But  the  outsiders  who  did  not  get 
claims  when  the  mountain  was  first  taken  up,  in  claims  300  feet  in  length,  run- 
ning across  the  channel,  held  a  meeting  and  resolved  that  those  claims  were  too 

*  Mr.  J.  Arthur  Phillips  says,  in  his  recent  work  on  the  mining  and  metallurgy  of  gold 
and  silver:  "  The  summit  of  this  elevation  is  occupied  by  a  thick  bed  of  basalt,  of  a  very 
dark  color  and  great  density  of  texture,  which  is  occasionally  distinctly  columnar,  and  ap- 
pears to  have  been  poured  out  in  one  continuous  flow.  This,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Soiiora, 
is  from  140  to  150  feet  in  thickness,  and  its  width  near  the  entrance  of  the  Buckeye  tunnel 
is  about  1,700  feet.  Beneath  this  capping  of  basaltic  lava  is  a  heavy  deposit  of  detrital  mat- 
ter distinctly  stratified  in  almost  horizontal  beds,  but  with  a  slight  inclination  from  either  side 
side  towards  the  centre  of  the  mass.  These  sedimentary  beds  chiefly  consist  of  a  rathe 
grained 
with 
and  \ 

these  are  associated  beds  made  up  of  coarse  grain,  strongly  conenng  togemei,  luimmjj 
cement  of  the  mines ;  and  at  the  bottom  is  found  the  pay  gravel,  exactly  like  tfiat  seen  in  tne 
bed  of  an  ordinary  river.     The  entire  thickness  of  this  detrital  mass  at  its  greatest  depth  is  at 


bed  of  an  ordinary  river. 
least  two  hundred  feet.  ' 
deposit,  where  the  edges  of  the  basin  formed  by 


r      11VCA.  A  HO    Clinic     U111U/A.11X.OO    WA     *»«.*"     **'  !"» CT  .      .       ~  ,         . 

least  two  hundred  feet.     This  thickness,  however,  diminishes  towards  the  extremities  of  tire 
>  ede-es  of  the  basin  formed  by  the  rim-rock  gradually  rise.       (1  p.  4J,  44. ; 


40  EESOUECES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

large,  and  no  man  should  liold  more  than  100  feet  square.  These  jumpers,  as 
they  were  called,  far  outnumbered  the  original  locators,  and  they  took  up  a  large 
part  of  the  mountain^  held  their  own  for  a  long  time,  and  spent  lan*e  sums  in 
prospecting,  but  were  at  last  defeated  in  court  and  ejected.  Not  one  of  them 
made  anything  by  the  jumping  operation,  and  it  is  now  conceded  that  the  300 
feet,  instead  of  being  too  much,  was  too  little,  since  most  who  held  even  those 
large  claims  lost  money  by  them. 

The  old  channel  was  discovered  at  Springfield  in  1852,  in  the  Fox  claim,  in 
a  shaft  eight  feet  deep,  on  a  flat  from  which  the  basalt  had  been  washed  away. 
The  next  year  the  Berry  shaft,  55  feet  deep,  struck  the  channel ;  but  it  was  not 
till  the  first  of  May,  1854,  that  the  first  tunnel  was  started,  and  the  theory  of 
lead  running  under  the  basalt  was  generally  considered  absurd  until  October, 
1855,  when  the  first  tunnel  reached  the  channel  under  the  basalt. 

The  tunnels,  to  reach  the  channel,  average  about  1,000  feet  in  length,  and  the 
present  cost  of  cutting  tunnels  at  Table  mountain  is  $16  per  lineal  "foot.  The 
common  size  of  the  tunnel  is  six  feet  high  and  four  feet  wide.  The  grade  is  one 
foot  in  a  hundred.  At  the  bottom  of  the  tunnel  is  laid  a  tramway,  28  inches 
wide.  Sleepers,  three  by  four  inches,  rest  on  ties  of  the  same  size  four  feet  apart, 
and  are  covered  with  iron  straps  an  inch  and  a  half  wide  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
thick. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  claims  in  Table  mountain,  with  a  brief  statement 
of  their  success  and  present  condition,  commencing  near  Columbia  and  running 
down  stream : 

The  Buchanan  claim,  300  feet  long,  has  a  tunnel  which  never  paid  expenses 
nor  reached  the  gravel ;  it  is  not  working  now. 

The  Springfield  claim,  2,000  feet  long,  has  a  tunnel  1,500  feet  long,  and  paid 
well.  The  claim  is  working  now.  Three  channels  were  found  in  this  claim, 
and  all  were  rich. 

The  Joint  Stock  claim,  2,400  feet  long,  has  one  tunnel  of  1,000  feet  and 
another  of  1,200,  that  was  commenced  in  1855 ;  and  the  claim  is  not  abandoned, 
although  $150,000  have  been  spent  on  it  and  only  $50,000  taken  out.  Good 
gravel  has  lately  been  found,  and  the  claim  is  considered  valuable. 

The  Saratoga  claim,  1,200  feet  long,  has  a  tunnel  1,200  feet  long.  Tke  yield 
was  $300,000,  but  rumor  says  the  expenditures  were  still  greater.  The  first 
owners  sold  out  at  a  high  price,  making  a  profit  by  speculation,  but  causing  so 
much  more  loss  to  the  purchasers.  The  claim  is  not  working  now. 

Here  comes  a  gap  in  the  mountain,  and  below  are  the  following  claims : 

The  Crystal  Spring  claim,  800  feet  long,  reached  the  channel  and  produced 
much  gold,  but  the  sum  was  not  ascertainable ;  it  is  standing  idle  now. 

The  Know-Nothing,  a  jumper  claim,  never  reached  the  channel. 

The  Gold  Hunter,  a  jumper  claim,  never  reached  the  channel. 

The  Virginia  claim,  1,700  feet  long,  reached  the  channel  with  a  tunnel  800 
feet  long,  but  took  out  only  $5,000  and  spent  $100,000.  The  company  had 
very  long  and  costly  litigation  with  jumpers  on  both  sides. 

The  Blank  jumper  company  started  a  tunnel  on  the  Virginia  ground,  but 
never  reached  the  channel. 

The  Independence  jumper  company  reached  the  channel  by  a  tunnel  500  feet 
long,  but  found  no  gravel,  and  lost  $75,000  by  their  enterprise. 

The  Mary  Ann,  another  jumper  company,  ran  a  tunnel  in  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, but  found  nothing. 

The  Cape  Cod,  also  a  jumper,  had  similar  bad  luck. 

The  American  claim,  1,600  feet  long,  has  a  tunnel  900  feet  long,  and  cut 
across  the  channel  with  a  drift  five  feet  wide.  No  pay  gravel  was  found  here, 
and  the  confpany  were  so  poor  and  so  much  discouraged  that,  instead  of  exam- 
ining the  channel  further,  at  a  slight  expense,  as  they  could  have  done,  they 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  41' 

stopped  work,  and  nothing  has  been  done  now  for  three  years-     Their  loss  was 
$30,000. 

The  Buckeye  claim,  1,000  feet  long,  now  includes  several  old  claims,  and  has 
three  tunnels,  only  one  of  which,  2,000  feet  long,  is  now  ured.  One  of  the 
abandoned  tunnels  was  1,650  feet  long.  Work  was  commenced  in  1854,  and 
has  been  kept  up,  with  the  exception  of  one  year,  ever  since,  at  an  expense  of 
$100,000,  while  the  total  yield  has  been  only  $10,000.  An  artesian  auger  was 
used  in  prospecting  this  claim,  and  Mr.  Gould,  who  tried  the  experiment,  thinks 
it  should  be  used  frequently.  His  drill  was  four  and  a  half  inches  wide,  and  he 
bored  four  or  five  feet  in  basalt  and  eight  or  ten  feet  in  slate  in  12  hours. 
The  cost  in  slate  is  $6  or  $8  per  foot.  A  water  blast  is  used  for  ventilation. 

The  Boston  claim,  3,000  feet  long,  commenced  work  in  1855,  and  has  worked 
steadily  ever  since.  The  total  yield  has  been  not  less  than  $500,000,  and  the 
total  net  profit  nothing.  Much  of  the  work  was  done  at  first  by  a  joint  stock 
company,  the  shareholders  in  which  claimed  the  right  of  being  employed,  though 
some  of  them  were  of  little  value  as  laborers.  The  manager  did  not  know  how 
to  work  to  advantage,  and  did  not  pursue  any  steady  plan.  They  worked  first 
in  one  place  and  then  in  another,  without  exhausting  either,  and  then  the  timber 
rolled  and  the  roof -fell  in.  There  are  now  two  owners  in  the  claim,  and  they 
are  doing  better  than  any  of  their  predecessors,  though  the  gravel  is  not  so  rich 
as  it  was  some  years  ago.  There  is  still  a  large  amount  of  ground  untouched. 
Ten  men  are  employed,  and  there  is  pay  dirt  enough  in  sight  to  keep  them  busy 
for  half  a  year.  The  average  yield  per  day  is  $8  to  the  man,  or  $1  per  ton. 
The  dirt  is  soaked  over  night  in  a  dump-box  before. 

The  Maine  Boys'  claim  is  1,200  feet  long  on  the  north  side  of  the  mountain, 
but  the  lines  converge  so  that  they  are  only  550  feet  apart  on  the  south  side. 
The  expenses  have  been  $120,000,  and  the  yield  very  little.  The  original  share- 
holders, having  starved  themselves  out,  sold  conditionally  to  a  San  Francisco 
company. 

The  Scrapervillo  claim,  1,200  feet,  has  paid.  It  is  said  that  the  owners  of 
one-fourth  of  the  stock  saved  $5,000  in  a  few  years. 

The  Oliver  claim,  4,000  feet  long,  has  yielded  $200,000,  and  report  says 
$8,000  have  been  taken  from  a  single  dump-box,  which  holds  150  tons.  The 
profits  were  moderate  till  the  end  of  1866,  and  are  now  large.  This  company 
has  been  engaged  in  litigation  for  six  years,  has  spent  $30,000  on  the  suit,  and 
has  been  before  the  Supreme  Court,  in  one  form  or  another,  with  it  four  times. 
The  company  is  working  the  side  channel. 

The  New  York  Company  claims  2,400  feet,  and  their  ground  is  considered  the 
richest  in  the  county.  They  are  working  on  the  side  channel,  which  is  there 
about  60  feet  wide,  and  each  longitudinal  foot  on  it  pays  $1,000.  They  say 
they  have  taken  out  $250,000  ;  others  say  $300,000. 

The  Chinese  claim,  so  called  because  the  shareholders  came  from  a  Chinese 
camp  near  by,  is  2,000  feet  long,  and  never  paid  anything.  The  tunnel  was 
run  in  300  feet. 

The  App  claim,  2,000  feet  long,  has  a  tunnel  1,500  feet  long,  cut  at  a  cost  of 
$50,000.  It  never  paid  anything. 

The  Know  Nothing  claim,  1,500  feet,  has  yielded  nothing  and  swallowed  up 
$7,000. 

The  Chicken  Company  claimed  2,500  feet,  spent  $20,000,  cut  two  tunnels,  and 
got  nothing. 

The  Montezuma  Company  claimed  3,000  feet  and  sunk  $20,000  in  a  tunnel 
2,000  feet  long. 

The  Rough'  and  Ready  Company  claims  5,400  feet,  and  have  taken  out  not 
less  than  $200,000.  One  of  the  shareholders  observing  some  gravel  on  the 
mountain  side,  filled  his  pan  w4th  it,  and  on  washing  it  found  a  good  prospect. 
They  set  to  work  here  and  found  it  rich.  It  was  a  bar  of  the  old  river,  75  feet 


42  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

above  the  level  of  the  channel.  The  claim  has  been  worked  regularly  since 
1854j  and  still  pays  a  little. 

The  Union  claim, feet,  unopened. 

The  Palisade  claim,  5,400  feet,  is  unopened. 

Here  we  come  to  a  place  where  the  channel  is  lower  than  the  country  on  each 
side  of  the  mountain,  so  it  is  impossible  to  get  any  drainage  or  to  do  any  work. 

The  old  Stanislaus  Company  has  a  claim  12,000  feet  long  on  Table  mountain, 
just  above  the  point  where  the  Stanislaus  river  cuts  oft'.  The  channel  where  it 
opens  on  the  bluff  is  350  feet  above  the  level  of  the  present  river,  so  there  is 
abundant  drainage  down  the  channel,  though  the  country  on  both  sides  of  the 
mountain  is  higher  than  the  old  channel.  The  old  Stanislaus  Company  spent  a 
good  deal  of  money  trying  to  get  in  from  the  side  before  they  discovered  the 
outlet  on  the  bluff.  Some  of  the  gravel  paid  $18  per  ton.  A  mill  was  erected 
in  1859  to  crash  the  cement,  but  it  did  not  pay. 

At  Two  Mile  Bar  (two  miles  east  of  Knight's  ferry)  the  channel  is  80  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  present  Stanislaus  river. 

QUARTZ  MINING  IN  TUOLUMNE. — Tuolumne  county  is  very  favorably  situated 
for  quartz  mining,  and  so  far  as  external  indications  and  facilities  may  serve  as 
guides,  the  presumptions  are  that  it  will  be  second  to  no  other  county  in  Cali- 
fornia in  production  of  quartz  gold.  Wood  and  water  are  abundant ;  the  roads 
generally  are  good,  and  the  quartz  veins  large,  numerous  and  easily  traced.  The 
mother  lode  and  the  companion  talcose  vein  here  have  their  largest  and  most 
regular  development.  The  Golden  Rule,  the  Reist,  the  Mooney,  and  the  Heslep 
are  all  in  the  companion  talcose  vein,  and  have  paid  for  a  longer  time  than  any 
other  of  their  class  in  the  State.  The  quartz  veins  in  the  granite  about  Soulsby- 
ville  are  the  most  productive  of  their  class  in  the  State,  and  the  cluster  of  pocket 
mines  on  Bald  mountain  is  unsurpassed  .in  the  multitude  and  richness  of  pockets 
within  a  small  area. 

GOLDEN  PJJLE. — The  Golden  Rule,  1,600  feet  long,  is  on  the  mother  lode,  about 
three  miles  eastward  from  Jamestown.  The  claim  includes  both  veins,  the  main 
mother  lode,  and  the  talcose  slate  branch  or  companion  vein.  At  the  surface 
they  are  75  feet  apart,  and  87  feet  below  they  are  40  feet  apart.  The  main 
lode  is  1 2  feet  thick,  exclusive  of  a  horse,  and  the  slate  vein  is  eight  feet.  The 
latter  is  the  one  which  is  being  worked.  The  vein  is  a  black  slate,  bearing 
much  resemblance  to  ordinary  roofing  slate,  and  is  penetrated  in  every  direction 
by  seams  of  quartz,  seldom  more  than  two  inches  in  thickness.  The  gold  is 
found  in  the  slate,  seldom  in  the  quartz.  'All  the  vein-stone  is  worked,  though 
that  near  the  foot  wall  is  the  richest.  The  rock  is  soft,  and  is  easily  extracted 
and  crushed.  The  pulp  from  the  battery  is  black  like  the  slate.  The  walls  are 
a  hard  magnesian  rock.  There  is  a  slight  dip  to  the  east.  The  mill  has  15 
stamps,  and  is  driven  by  water.  The  weight  of  the  stamps  is  750  pounds,  their 
speed  50  blows  per  minute,  and  their  drop  from  five  to  eight  inches.  There  is 
sufficient  power  to  drive  15  stamps  more.  The  water  is  obtained  from  the  Colum- 
bia Ditch  Company.  About  85  per  cent,  of  the  gold  is  caught  in  the  mortar, 
and  nearly  five  per  cent,  on  the  copper  plates  immediately  below.  The  pulp 
runs  over  a  shaking  table,  which  has  120  jerks  per  minute,  and  is  cleaned  out  twice 
in  24  hours,  yielding  about  400  pounds  of  sulphurets  each  time.  The  pulp  also 
passes  over  blankets,  which  are  washed  once  in  an  hour.  There  are  10  pounds  of 
pure  sulphurets  to  a  ton,  but  the  concentrated  tailings  as  saved  are  about  40 
pounds  to  a  ton  of  ore,  and  there  are  $40  per  ton  in  these  tailings,  which  are 
worked  in  an  arrastra,  which  pays  six  ounces  a  month.  A  Stetson  amalgamator 
below  the  blankets  pays  only  $1  per  month. 

The  slate  vein  was  brown  and  decomposed  at  the  surface,  and  was  washed  in 
sluices  b/placer  miners  to  a  depth  of  30  feet.  In  1866  the  present  mill  was 
finished,  and  in  the  year  preceding  the  1st  of  July,  1867,  the  number  of  tons 
crushed  was  4,099;  the  average  yield  per  ton,  $8  94;  the  total  yield,  $36,653  ; 


WEST   OF    THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  43 


January,  $6  97  in  June,  $7  72  in  November,  $15  54  in  October,  and  $10  or  $11 
arid  odd  cents  in  the  other  months.  The  number  of  men  employed  was  16,  of 
whom  8  were  miners,  2  carmen,  4  millrnen,  a  blacksmith  and  a  superintendent. 

The  rock  is  extracted  through  a  tunnel  400  feet  long,  80  feet  below  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill,  and  500  feet  above  the  level  of  Sullivan's  creek,  below  which  the 
mine  cannot  be  drained  by  a  tunnel. 

APP. — The  App  mine  is  1,000  feet  long  on  the  mother  lode,  near  Jamestown. 
The  vein  there  is  nine  feet  wide  on  an  average.  The  vein-stone  is  quartz,  in 
places  white,  in  others  greenish,  arid  others  dark.  The  richest  spots  are  near 
the  walls.  The  vein  dips  about  two  feet  and  a  half  in  ten.  The  hanging  wall 
is  magnesian  rock,  and  the  foot  wall  slate.  At  the  surface  there  were  three  pay 
chimneys,  75,  100  and  125  feet  in  horizontal  length  respectively,  separated  by 
intervals  of  60  and  35  feet,  with  a  dip  to  the  northwestward  of  70°  on  the  upper 
side,  but  widening  out  on  the  under  side,  and  at  l&O  feet  the  three  had  united 
in  one  chimney  235  feet  long  horizontally.  Horizontal  sections  of  the  chimneys 
would  represent  not  rectangles  but  quadrangular  parallellograms,  with  two  very 
acute  angles.  The  chimneys  have  not  run  out  in  any  place,  but  in  several 
places  the  walls  have  pinched  close  together,  so  that  there  were  only  seven 
inches  of  quartz.  In  these  spots  the  chimneys  were  of  the  same  richness  to 
the  ton  as  elsewhere.  The  distribution  of  gold  in  each  chimney  is  very  even 
in  relation  to  the  depth ;  but  on  any  given  level  the  most  gold  is  found  at  the 
sharp  ends,  and  the  least  in  the  middle  of  the  chimney.  Each  chimney,  how- 
ever, has  its  peculiar  quartz.  One  chimney  has  white  quartz,  another  greenish, 
another  bluish,  and  the  last  is  the  richest.  The  gold  is  line,  and  seldom  visible 
in  the  quartz.  The  present  supply  of  rock  is  obtained  at  a  depth  of  300  feet, 
and  the  shaft  is  now  being  sunk  deeper.  The  working  level  is  300  feet  long, 
and  the  supply  of  pay  quartz  in  sight  will  last  two  years  for  the  present  mill, 
which  has  ten  stamps,  and  is  driven  by  water.  In  1866,  1,800  tons  were  worked, 
and  the  average  yield  was  $14  55  per  ton;  from  1863  to  1866,  inclusive,  four 
years,  7,200  tons  were  worked,  and  the  average  yield  was  $15.  The  pulp  as  it 
comes  from  the  battery  is  ground  in  charges  of  400  or  5QO  pounds  for  three  or 
four  hours  in  various  pans,  without  quicksilver,  and  two  pan  charges  are  amalga- 
mated in  a  separator  for  the  same  length  of  time.  The  yield  in  the  pan  is  about 
$6  per  ton.  The  total  expense  per  ton  in  this  mine  is  about  $8  per  ton,  and  in 
the  mine  alone  $4  50.  The  wall  is  in  places  as  smooth  as  glass,  and  the  gouge 
is  thickest  at  the  pay  chimneys. 

SILVER. — The  Silver  or  Anthrax  mine,  1,500  feet  on  the  mother  lode,  is  being 
opened  in  good  style.  There  is  a  10-stamp  mill,  which  was  idle  in  May  and 
waiting  for  the  complete  opening  of  the  mine.  The  companion  talcose  vein 
strikes  the  main  lode  400  feet  from  the  south  end  of  the  claim,  runs  with-it,  but 
us  a  distinct  vein  for  some  distance  towards  the  north,  then  diverges  again,  and 
at  the  northern  end  of  the  claim  the  two  are  six  feet  apart.  The  companion 
vein,  so  far  us  examined,  is  barren  here. 

HESLEP. — The  Heslep  mine,  1,650  feet  on  the  companion  talcose  vein,  has 
been  worked  1,200  feet  on  the  surface,  and  has  paid  all  the  way.  The  pay 
matter  is  decomposed  quartz  and  slate,  of  a  tan  color,  and  soft  enough  to  be 
picked  out,  and  in  some  places  to  be  shovelled  without  picking.  The  cost  of 
working  is  estimated  at  $2  50  per  ton.  The  vein  varies  in  width  from  8  to  20 
ieet.  The  deepest  workings  are  90  feet  down.  The  mill  has  ten  stamps,  which 


44  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

are  driven  by  an  overshot  wheel  30  feet  in  diameter  and  four  feet  wide.  The 
power  is  furnished  by  80  inches  of  water,  which  costs  $50  per  week,  and  is  used 
over  again  by  the  Golden  Rule  mill,  which  pays  half  the  water  bill.  The  yield 
of  the  Heslep  rock  is  $8  per  ton. 

TRIO. — The  Trio  mine,  2,316  feet  long  on  the  mother  lode,  on  Whisky  Hill, 
is  doing  nothing  now.  A  ten-stamp  mill  was  erected,  and  four  shafts  and  two 
tunnels  were  begun,  but  the  rock  taken  out  paid  only  $4  75  per  ton,  and  the 
mine  and  mill  are  now  standing  idle. 

REIST. — The  Reist  mine,  1,000  feet  in  the  talcose  companion  vein,  is  consid- 
ered generally  to  be  one  of  the  best  mines  in  Tuolumne  county,  though  it  has 
been  worked  on  a  very  small  scale  and  has  never  paid  much  profit.  The  pay 
rock  is  decomposed  matter  like  that  in  the  Mooney  mine,  but  it  pays  better. 

MOONEY. — The  Mooney  mine,  600  feet  on  the  mother  lode,  near  Jamestown, 
is  on  the  talcose  vein,  40  feet  east  of  the  main  lode.  The  material  is  a  tan-col- 
ored ochrous  earth,  mixed  with  slate  and  quartz.  It  pays  $4  75  per  ton,  and  a 
stamp  will  crush  about  three  tons  per  day.  Much  of  it  has  been  sluiced  away. 
There  are  occasional  rich  pockets  in  it.  A  four-stamp  mill  is  now  at  work,  and 
the  rock  for  it  is  obtained  from  an  open  cut  200  feet  long,  40  feet  wide,  and  60 
feet  deep.  There  are  no  walls,  apparently.  At  the  bottom  of  this  cut  some 
hard  quartz  has  been  found. 

RAW  HIDE. — Raw  Hide  mine,  1,650  feet  long  on  the  mother  lode,  where  it 
is  12  feet  wide.  A  depth  of  280  feet  from  the  surface  has  been  reached,  and  a 
level  has  been  run  80  feet  on  the  vein.  The  quartz  is  colored  green  with  car- 
bonate of  copper,  and  it  yields  from  $7  to  $44  per  ton.  The  mill,  containing  20 
stamps,  a  40-horse  power  engine,  and  fine  hoisting  works,  is  considered  one  of 
the  best  in  the  southern  mines.  The  rock  is  crushed  to  the  size  of  a  pigeon's 
egg  or  smaller  in  a  Brodie's  crusher  before  going  to  the  stamps.  There  are  10 
Wheeler's  pans,  and  five  8-foot  settlers.  Thirty  tons  of  quartz  are  crushed  in  24 
hours.  The  shaft  is  kept  clear  of  water  by  hoisting  it  in  tubs  holding  160 
gallons  each.  The  hanging  wall  is  slate,  and  the  foot  wall  serpentine,  with 
asbestos  in  it. 

EAGLE. — The  Eagle  mine,  on  the  mother  lode,  1,000  feet  long,  has  a  10- 
stamp  mill,  and  the  yield  is  $18  per  ton.  The  present  supply  of  quartz  is 
obtained  120  feet  below  the  surface,  through  a  tunnel.  The  mine  was  purchased 
several  years  ago  by  eastern  capitalists  for  $300,000. 

SHAROMUT. — The-  Sharomut,  on  the  mother  lode,  has  a  10-stamp  mill,  which 
is  idle. 

CLIO. — The  Clio,  2,000  feet,  on  the  mother  lode,  has  a  10-stamp  mill  and  has 
been  at  work  five  or  six  years,  but  is  now  idle  because  the  dam  which  supplied 
water  to  drive  the  mill  was  carried  away  by  the  flood  of  last  winter. 

MEADER  AND  CARRINGTON. — The  Meader  and  Carrington  mine,  1,500  feet, 
on  the  mother  lode,  has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  140  feet,  where  the  water 
became  troublesome  and  work  was  stopped.  Some  good  pay  quartz  was  found. 
There  is  a  four-stamp  mill  which  was  used  for  a  time  for  custom  work,  but  is  now 
idle. 

PATTERSON. — The  Patterson  mine,  1,950  feet,  on  a  branch  of  the  mother 
lode,  near  Tuttletown,  has  been  worked  for  ten  years.  The  vein  is  from  3  to  15 
feet  wide.  The  pay  was  very  good  for  75  feet  from  the  surface,  but  not  so  good 
below  the  water  level.  The  deepest  workings  are  100  feet  down.  The  quartz 
is  extracted  through  a  tunnel.  The  rock  contains  large  cubes  of  sulphuret  of 
iron,  some  of  them  an  inch  and  a  half  square,  with  free  gold  in  the  heart  of  the 
cubes.  There  is  an  old  10-stamp  mill,  driven  by  40  inches  of  water  on  an  over- 
shot wheel.  Only  five  of  the  stamps  are  now  running. 

About  half  a  mile  westward  from  the  mother  lode,  near  the  Patterson  mine,  a 
pocket  containing  $10,000  was  found  in  1866  by  an  old  man  who  had  a  convic- 
tion that  there  was  a  pocket  in  the  neighborhood,  and  had  spent  seven  years 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  45 

hunting  for  it.     When  he  found  it  he  paid  the  friends  upon  whom  he  had  been 
living,  and  went  to  the  eastern  States. 

TOLEDO. — The  Toledo  mine,  one  mile  west  of  Tuttletown,  and  half  a  mile 
west  of  the  mother  lode,  has  been  opened  by  a  shaft  160  feet  deep,  and  drifts 
running  300  feet  on  the  vein.  There  are  two  veins,  one  2  feet  thick  and  the 
other  15  feet,  and  the  two  150  feet  apart.  Some  of  the  quartz  has  assayed  $300 
per  ton,  but  there  is  much  arsenic  in  it.  A  15-stamp  mill  erected  on  the  mine 
did  not  pay,  and  it  was  sold  and  moved  to  the  Golden  Rule  mine. 

The  Morse  quartz,  near  Tuttletown,  is  running  and  has  six  stamps. 

SOULSBY. — The  Soulsby  mine,  2,400  feet  long,  eight  miles  east  of  Sonora,  is 
on  a  lode  which  runs  with  the  meridian,  and  dips  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  60° 
at  the  north  end,  and  90°  at  the  south.  The  thickness  is  from  4  to  9  inches  at 
the  surface  ;  8  inches  at  100  feet,  and  18  inches  in  the  deepest  workings,  400 
feet  below  the  surface.  The  walls  are  syenite,  and  there  is  a  white  gouge  of 
clay  or  slate,  seldom  more  than  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  thickness.  The  quartz 
is  bluish,  and  is  heavily  charged  with  blue  sulphurets,  lead,  antimony,  arsenic, 
and  zinc ;  so  that  the  ore  bears  little  resemblance  to  the  auriferous  quartz  found 
on  the  mother  lode,  and  in  other  gold  veins  generally.  The  lode  has  been 
worked  along  a  horizontal  length  of  1,800  feet,  and  in  that  distance  five  pay 
chimneys  have  been  found,  the  longest  horizontally  being  200,  and  the  shortest 
15  feet.  Most  of  them  dip  north  at  an  angle  of  60°  j  and  they  run  to  a  feather- 
edge  in  every  direction.  In  some  cases  there  is  a  connection  of  pay  between  the 
chutes,  and  in  others  there  is  none.  There  is  very  little  barren  quartz ;  between 
the  pay  chimneys  the  walls  come  together,  except  in  a  few  spots  where  white 
quartz  or  a  horse  porphyritic  rock  appears.  The  vein  is  marked  by  slides  and 
cross-courses,  which  run  east,  northeast,  and  southwest,  and  all,  save  one,  dip  to 
the  northwest.  These  throw  the  vein  to  the  left,  and  the  one  which  dips  to  the 
southeast  throws  it  to  the  right.  The  cross-courses,  and  the  breaks  which  they 
have  occasioned  in  the  lode,  have  been  among  the  chief  difficulties  in  working 
the  mine,  and  its  present  success  is  probably  owing  chiefly  to  the  careful  study 
given  by  Mr.  Inch  to  the  nature  of  the  formation.  In  a  mine  of  this  kind  the 
most  important  quality  in  a  superintendent  is  the  capacity  to  find  the  pay  chutes, 
and  as  tne  cross-courses  throw  them  from  five  to  ten  feet  out  of  the  line,  in  a 
very  hard  granitic  rock,  the  search  is  slow  and  expensive.  There  are  dikes  of 
trap  cutting  through  the  country,  and  the  miners  regard  them  as  good  indica- 
tions, and  expect  to  find  pay  near  where  they  cross  the  qjiartz.  Mr.  Inch 
remarked  that  perhaps  they  were  supporters  or  feeders  of  the  electro-magnetic 
or  other  influences  under  which  the  gold  was  deposited.  The  mill  has  20 
stamps,  and  is  driven  by  water  while  water  can  be  obtained,  and  has  a  steam 
engine  to  furnish  power  in  the  dry  season.  The  stamps  weigh  500  pounds,  make 
60  blows  per  minute,  and  drop  from  8  to  12  inches.  About  90  per  cent,  of 
the  gold  is  caught  in  the  mortar,  and  95  per  cent,  of  the  remainder  on  the  first 
copper  plate  below  the  screen.  The  blanket  tailings  are  worked  in  a  chill  mill 
and  a  Ball's  amalgamator;  and  below  these  there  are  other  blankets,  the  tail- 
ings of  which  must  go  through  the  same  process. 

About  50  men  are  employed  at  the  mine  and  mill,  but  nearly  all  the  work 
is  done  by  contract,  Sealed  proposals  are  invited  at  the  beginning  of  each  month 
to  sink  a  certain  shaft  a  certain  number  of  feet,  or  to  run  a  drift,  or  to  break  down 
the  quartz  in  a  certain  slope.  With  strangers,  written  contracts  are  made  ;  with 
old  hands,  oral  contracts  are  considered  sufficient.  There  is  never  any  trouble 
about  the  contracts.  The  miners  sometimes  make  bad  bargains,  but  they  must 
keep  them  or  leave  the  place.  The  best  hands  like  this  system,  because  it  ena- 
bles them  to  make  more  than  they  could  make  otherwise.  Sometimes  they  make 
$150  a  month  ;  sometimes  not  more  than  $30.  Under  this  system  there  is  no 
shirking  on  the  part  of  the  men,  and  no  favoritism  on  the  part  of  the  superin- 
tendent. Mr.  Inch  says  that,  if  he  had  undertaken  to  pay  his  men  by  the  day, 


46  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

the  mine  would  have  been  a  failure ;  that  is,  when  he  commenced  his  work  ;  but 
now  it  is  probably  in  a  condition  to  leave  a  profit,  even  if  the  expenses  were  50 
per  cent,  greater  than  they  are.* 

The  Soulsby  mine  was  discovered  in  1858,  and  between  May  of  that  year  and 
March  of  the  next,  yielded  $80,383  gross,  and  after  the  erection  of  a  twenty- 
stamp  mill,  $54,416  remained  net.  It  is  said  that  the  total  yield  was  $500,000 
in  the  first  three  years,  and  that  the  present  monthly  yield  is  from  $10,000  to 
$12,000. 

PLATT. — The  Platt  mine,  1,200  feet,  lies  1,500  feet  south  of  the  Soulsby,  and 
is  supposed  to  be  on  the  same  lode  ;  but  the  ground  is  intersected  by  more  slides 
and  cross-courses,  and  the  mine,  after  producing  $50,000,  was  abandoned  in  con- 
sequence of  the  inability  of  the  superintendent  to  find  the  vein  at  the  breaks. 
Lately,  Mr.  Inch,  superintendent  of  the  Soulsby,  has  gone  to  work,  hoping,  with 
his  experience  in  the  latter,  to  find  the  pay  in  the  Platt.  Five  pay  chimneys 
have  been  worked.  There  was  a  mill  on  the  claim,  but  it  was  moved  to  the  State 
of  Nevada  during  the  silver  excitement. 

STARR  Kma — The  Starr  King,  15  miles  east-southeast  of  Sonora,  is  on  a 
north-and-south  vein,  which  dips  40°  east,  and  has  a  thickness  of  six  inches 
at  the  surface,  and  18  inches  120  feet  down.  It  cuts  across  the  dip  and  the 
cleavage  of  the  slate,  and  the  walls  are  a  very  hard  slate.  The  walls  and 
the  quartz  resemble  those  of  the  Rocky  Bar  mine,  in  Nevada  county.  There 
are  two  chutes,  which  ran  down  almost  vertically.  The  rock  yields  from  $15  to 
$150  per  ton.  The  mill  has  five  stamps,  and  the  mode  of  amalgamation  is  the 
same  as  at  the  Soulsby  mill. 

OLD  GILSON. — The  Old  Gilson  mine,  1,200  feet  long,  adjoining  the  Platt  on 
the  south,  was  opened  to  a  depth  of  125i  feet,  and  to  a  length  on  the  vein  of  250 
feet.  The  rock  yields  $50,  and  there  was  a  pay  chimney  80  feet  long  horizon- 
tally, but  it  dipped  northwards  into  the  Platt.  The  mine  is  now  standing  idle, 
and  the  10-stamp  steam  mill  is  running  on  custom-work. 

GRIZZLY. — The  Grizzly  mine,  1,800  feet  long,  10  miles  eastward  from  Sonora, 
near  the  north  fork  of  the  Tuolumne  river,  is  on  a  vein  from  6  to  12  feet 
wide.  The  hanging  wall  is  granite ;  the  foot  wall  slate.  There  are  numerous 
horses  in  the  lode.  The  pay  is  disseminated  pretty  evenly  through  the  rock, 
which  yields  about  $20  per  ton. 

There  is  a  twenty-stamp  mill,  which  commenced  work  in  1859,  and  in  two 
years  took  out  $125,000,  if  rumor  be  true.  The  flood  of  1862  carried  off  part 
of  the  mill,  and  stopped  work  a  while,  but  the  mill  is  now  running.  In  this  mill 
the  crushing  is  dry,  and  a  blower  is  used  to  keep  the  dust  from  troubling  the 
laborers.  The  amalgamation  is  done  in  10  Hungarian  cast-iron  barrels,  each 
3  J  feet  long  by  2J  wide.  The  charge  for  each  is  500  or  600  pounds,  and  enough 
water  is  added  to  make  a  pulp  so  thick  that  in  ten  minutes  after  the  ban-el  has 
started  to  revolve,  small  particles  of  quicksilver  will  be  found  in  the  pulp,  which 
adheres  to  the  finger  thrust  into  the  mass.  About  50  pounds  of  quicksilver  are 
put  in  at  a  charge.  The  barrel  revolves  horizontally  with  a  speed  of  eight  or 
ten  revolutions  per  minute.  After  running  for  seven  hours,  water  is  added  to 
thin  the  pulp,  so  much  that  the  quicksilver  will  all  settle,  and  after  another  hour 
of  revolution  the  thin  pulp  is  drawn  off,  and  another  charge  is.  put  in.  All  the 
amalgamation  at  the  Grizzly  mill  is  done  in  these  barrels.  There  are  two  iron 

*The  London  Mining  Journal  refers  to  the  contract  system  as  an  essential  element  of  suc- 
cess in  the  mines  of  Cornwall.  It  has  also  worked  admirably  in  the  St.  John  del  Rey  mine, 
in  Brazil.  The  average  cost  of  raising  the  ore  from  this  mine  in  1865,  under  per  diem  wages, 
was  $7  87.  In  1866,  under  the  contract  system,  it  was  only  $6  29— an  immense  saving, 
considering  the  vast  amount  of  ore  raised.  The  contract  system  has  been  adopted  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  in  the  New  Almaden  quicksilver  mine.  It  cannot  of  course  be  made  of  uni- 
versal application,  so  much  depends  upon  local  circumstances  ;  but  experience  has  demon- 
strated that  whenever  it  can  be  applied,  the  result  has  been  a  great  saving  in  the  expense  of 
mining. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  47' 

cylindrical  rollers,  each  three  inches  in  diameter  and  as  long  as  the  barrel  inside^ 
and  these  turn  and  assist  in  the  amalgamation  during  the  revolutions  of  the  bar- 
rels. The  barrels  are  cleaned  up  once  in  two  weeks.  Amalgamation  proceeds 
more  readily  if  hot  water  is  used.  Mr.  Philip  S.  McDonald,  who  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  Grizzly  mill  for  a  time,  and  has  the  repute  of  being  a  very  com- 
petent man,  prefers  the  system  of  dry  crushing  and  amalgamating  in  close  bar- 
rels. By  the  ordinary  modes  of  crushing  and  amalgamation  much  of  the  fine 
gold  is  carried  off  by  the  water.  In  dry  crushing,  however,  it  is  necessary  to 
protect  the  laborers  from  the  dust,  which  has  been  known  to  cause  death  in  three 
months,  where  no  precaution  was  used. 

The  Bonita  mine,  adjoining  the  Grizzly  on  the  south,,  is  idle,  and  so  is  its 
10-stamp  mill,  which  was  built  before  the  mine  was  opened. 

The  Consuela  and  its  ten-stamp  mill  are  doing  nothing. 

The  Martin  mine,  two  miles  south  of  the  Grizzly,  is  being  worked  with 
arrastras. 

The  Invincible  mine,  2,000  feet  on  Sugar  Pine  creek,  22  miles  eastward 
from  Sonora,  has  produced  some  good  quartz,  but  the  mine  and  its  mill  are 
standing  idle  now. 

The  Excelsior  mine,  at  Sugar  Pine,  has  yielded  $300;000,  of  which  two-thirds 
was  profit. 

MOUNT  VERNON. — The  Mount  Vernon  mine,  2,100  feet  long,  18  miles  north- 
east of  Sonora,  is  on  a  vein  which  runs  northeast  and  southwest,  dips  45°  to  the 
southeast,  and  is  about  two  feet  wide  on  an  average  between  granite  walls.  Only 
one  pay  chimney  has  been  found,  and  that  dips  about  45°  to  the  southwest.  It 
was  60  feet  long  horizontally,  near  the  surface,  and  300  feet  down  it  is  more 
than  100  feet  long)  the  end  not  having  been  found  in  the  drift  now  being  run. 
The  rock  is  worked  in  the  Monitor  mill,  which  is  very  near  on  the  north  fork  of 
the  Tuolumne  river.  The  rock  pays  $96  per  ton/ and  in  1866  500  tons  were 
worked. 

SNELL. — The  Snell  mine,  1,800  fee,t  long,  15  miles  northeast  of  Columbia, 
is  on  a  vein  which,  runs  northeast  and  southwest,  is  nearly  vertical,  and  has  an 
average  width  of  one  foot.  A  pay  chimney  was  found,  and  it  paid  $50  per 
ton,  but  it  pinched  out.  A  mill  is  going  up  now. 

MONITOR. — The  Monitor,  2,100  feet  long,  18  miles  east  of  Columbia7  in  Sugar 
Pine  district,  is  15  inches  wide,  and  dips  at  an  angle  of  45°  to  the  east  between 
granite  walls.  There  is  an  incline  down  60  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run  90  feet 
on  the  vein.  Some  of  the  rock  has  paid  as  much  as  $300  to  the  ton,  but  the 
mine  and  mill  are  both  idle  now.  The  mill  has  five  stamps. 

HAZEL  DELL. — The  Hazel  Dell  mine,  1,550  feet  long,  at  Five-mile  creek, 
on  a  vein  that  averages  about  two  feet  in  thickness.  The  walls  are  rotten  granite. 
The  rock  averages:  $25  to  $30,  but  at  present  the  extraction  of  quartz  is  inter- 
rupted by  water.  The  lowest  workings  are  seventy  feet  below  the  surface.  A 
tunnel  is  now  being  cut  for  the  purpose  of  drainage.  There  is  a  five-stamp  mill 
which  has  been  leased. 

SUMMIT  PASS. — The  Summit  Pass  mine  No.  1,  one  mile  from  Columbia, 
3,600  feet  long,  runs  north  and  south,  dips  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  70°,  and  is 
four  feet  wide.  The  walls  are  of  slate,  with  an  overlying  stratum  of  limestone 
near  the  surface.  The  claim  has  been  worked  500  feet  along  the  surface,  and 
paid  well.  The  quartz  is  heavily  charged  with  arsenical  sulphurets.  No  work 
is  being  done  now. 

Summit  Pass  No.  2,  2,000  feet  long,  is  on  a  spur  from  the  preceding  lode. 
The  mine  has  been  opened  at  several  points. 

QUARTZ  NEAR  COLUMBIA. — The  Columbia  mine,  on  the  experimental  lode 
at  Summit  Pass  two  miles  northeast  of  Columbia,  has  limestone  walls,  runs 
northwest  and  southeast,  dips  to  the  northeast,  and  is  from  one  foot  to  four  feet  in 
width.  The  average  pay  is  $11  per  ton.  It  is  worked  with  a  15-stamp  mill. 


48  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

The  Kimball  mine,  three  miles  northeast  of  Columbia,  lies  between  limestone 
and  green-stone,  is  a  foot  wide,  and  is  accompanied  by  a  trap  dike  8  or  10  feet 
wide.  When  first  opened  $6,000  were  obtained  from  600  pounds  of  rock.  It 
is  not  worked  now. 

The  Kimball  extension,  adjoining  the  Kimball,  is  similar  in  character,  and  is 
being  worked  now,  the  quartz  being  crushed  in  a  custom  mill.  The  yield  is 
$10  per  ton. 

The  Shanghae  mine  at  Yankee  Hill,  two  miles  east  of  Columbia,  in  a  vein 
which  runs  north  and  south,  dips  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  65°,  and  is  three  feet 
wide.  It  is  east  of  the  limestone  belt  in  slates  highly  metamorphosed.  It  was 
worked  with  arrastras  in  1856,  and  yielded  then  $100  per  ton;  and  it  is  now 
worked  with  a  10-stamp  mill. 

HUNTER. — The  Hunter  mine,  in  Big  Canon,  14  miles  southeast  of  Sonora, 
is  on  the  side  of  a  mountain  that  is  at  an  angle  of  45°  from  the  north  fork 
of  the  Tuolumne,  The  rock  was  very  rich  at  the  surface,  and  a  tunnel  ran  in 
20  feet  ran  through  quartz  that  yielded  $300  to  the  ton.  The  owner  was  so 
delighted  that  he  built  a  mill  without  delay  and  at  great  cost.  The  only  way 
to  get  the  timbers  and  castings  to  the  site  was  to  let  them  down  with  ropes  from 
the  top  of  the  mountain.  After  $40,000  had  been  expended  in  the  mill  and  in 
exploration,  it  was  found  that  the  pay  chute  was  only  20  feet  long,  and  more 
money  would  be  required  to  work  it  than  the  owner  could  raise;  so  after  $10,000 
bad  been  taken  out  no  more  work  was  done. 

LEWIS. — The  Lewis  mine,  2,400  feet  long,  is  20  miles  east-northeast  of 
Sonora,  on  a  vein  of  talcose  slate  150  feet  wide.  The  course  is  north  and  south, 
with  a  slight  clip  to  the  east.  The  slate  is  barren,  but  it  encloses  a  number  of 
veins  of  quartz  which  run  in  every  direction,  and  all  are  rich.  There  are  several 
chutes  about  30  feet  long  horizontally,  in  which  the  quartz  averages  $25  to 
$30  per  ton,  while  elsewhere  the  quartz  yields  $10  or  $12.  Most  of  the  quartz 
is  found  near  the  hanging  wall.  The  vein  has  been  examined  for  a  distance  of 
2,000  feet,  and  pay  rock  has  been  found  at  intervals  along  the  whole  distance. 
The  quartz  in  places  contains  sulphurets  of  iron  and  lead,  and  crude  sulphur  is 
found  in  the  slate.  Heretofore  the  quartz  has  been  extracted  by  tunnels,  but 
hereafter  shafts  are  to  be  sunk.  The  eastern  wall  is  granite  and  the  western  a 
hard  black  slate.  The  mine  lies  in  the  Big  basin,  which  is  surrounded  by  high 
ridges,  on  the  north  side  of  which  the  snow  lies  till  May.  The  rock  is  crushed 
in  a  five-stamp  mill,  and  is  amalgamated  in  two  large  arrastras.  The  gold  varies 
in  fineness  from  600  to  785,  the  highest  fineness  being  obtained  from  those  quartz 
veins  which  contain  the  coarsest  particles  of  metal. 

SELL  AND  MARTIN. — The  Sell  and  Martin  mine,  1,200  feet  long,  is  situated 
one  mile  north  of  Sonora.  It  is  two  or  three  feet  wide,  and  runs  northwest  and 
southeast,  and  dips  60°  to  the  northeast.  It  is  a  remarkable  pocket  vein,  and 
has  produced  not  less  than  $150,000,  of  which  one-fourth  has  been  profit.  It 
was  first  opened  in  1 850,  and  has  been  leased  three  or  four  times.  For  one  year 
the  lessee  paid  one-third,  and  for  another  one-fourth  of  the  gross  yield.  About 
2,000  tons  of  rock  have  been  taken  out  in  all,  but  most  of  the  gold  has  been 
pounded  out  in  a  hand  mortar.  The  walls  are  of  slate,  and  the  country  is  inter- 
sected by  porphyritic  dikes  three  or  four  feet  thick,  which  occur  at  intervals  of 
100  or  150  feet  along  the  700  feet  in  which  the  pockets  have  been  found.  The 
vein  is  later  in  formation  than  the  dikes  and  cuts  across  them,  and  on  the  lines 
of  intersection  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  pockets  have  been  found.  The  quartz, 
except  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  pockets,  is  barren.  A  15-stamp 
mill  was  erected  at  the  mine  in  1863,  but  as  no  large  quantity  of  ore  could  be 
obtained  to  yield  more  than  50  cents  a  ton,  the  mill  has  been  standing  idle. 
There  are  several  men  now  at  work  in  the  mine  hunting  for  pockets  and  taking 
out  the  gold  in  a  hand  mortar  when  they  find  them.  The  largest  pocket  found 
yielded  $15,000, 


WEST  OF  THE  EOCKY  MOUNTAINS.  49 

SOPHIA. — The  Sophia  mine,  two  miles  east  of  Sonora,  is  2,150  feet  long,  on 
a  vein  which  runs  northeast  and  southwest  and  dips  80°  southwest.  The  vein  is 
crossed  by  dikes  which  the  miners  call  granite.  Their  width  is  usually  three  feet, 
though  one  is  forty.  The  gold  is  found  in  pockets  near  the  dikes.  Every  pay 
chimney  is  near  a  dike,  but.  some  of  the  dikes  have  no  pay  chutes  near  them. 
The  walls  are  of  slate,  and  there  is  on  one  side  or  the  other  a  talcoso  gou^e 
usually  on  the  hanging  wall;  and  when  in  the  foot  wall  it  indicates  the  proximity 
of  a  pocket.  There  are,  within  a  distance  of  300  feet,  horizontally,  three  pay 
chutes,  each  <>f  them  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  long.  The  mine  has  been  worke'd 
by  a  tunnel  400  feet  long,  and  a  shaft  SO  feet  deep  ;  and  another  tunnel  130  feet 
below  the  level  of  the  iirst  one  is  now  in  170  feet.  The  total  yield  from  the  mine 
lias  been  £4/3,000,  and  in  the  year  ending  May,  1867,  the  produce  was  about 
$o,000.  There  is  a  live-stamp  mill  on  the  claim,  but  it  has  not  rock  enough  to 
run  regularly. 

BALD  MOCXTAIX. — On  the  same  Bald  mountain,  and  it  is  supposed  on  the 
same  vein,  is  the  Patterson  and  Turner  claim,  which  yielded  $30,000  in  one 
pocket,  and  860,000  in  all. 

On  the  same  mountain  is  the  Ford  claim,  which  was  discovered  in  1851,  and 
was  wonderfully  rich  at  the  surface.  One  pocket  yielded  $40,000, and  the  owners 
rejected  oilers  to  purchase  shares  at  the  rate  of  8500,000  for  the  entire  mine. 

The  Austrian  claim,  on  the  same  mountain,  had  one  pocket  that  paid' $70,000, 
besides  several  others  smaller. 

The  three  claims  last  mentioned  are  all  idle  now,  and  were  worked  only  near 
the  surface.  There  is  no  regular  (as  distinguished  from  a  "pocket")  pay  chute 
in  Bah  I  mountain,  the  gold  being  nearly  all  in  pockets.  The  gold  is  of -very 
line  quality,  some  of  it  960  fine.  Some  pockets  are  surrounded  by  shattered 
arid  decomposed  rock,  and  about  these  some  mill  rock  is  obtained,  but  the  pockets 
in  hard  rock  have  all  their  gold  in  a  little  compact  cluster. 

Bald  mountain  is  only  a  mile  east  of  the  limestone  belt  which  runs  through 
Tuoluinne  count}-,  and  many  miners  say  that  all  the  gold  near  the  limestone  is 
in  pockets. 

1  )KAPI-:R. — The  Draper  mine.  4,000  feet  long,  six  miles  eastward  from  Sonora, 
is  on  a  vein  which  runs  north  and  south,  is  nearly  perpendicular,  and  is  15 
inches  wide  in  granite  walls.  The.  lowest  workings  are  325  feet  deep,  and  they 
extend  410  feet  on  the  vein.  There  are  three  pay  chimneys,  one  of  70,  one  of 
{)().  and  one  of  60  feet,  in  horizontal  length.  Between  the  pay  chimneys  the  walls 
pinch  together.  The  mine  has  been  worked  regularly  since  1858.  The  quartz 
yields  about  840  per  ton,  and  150  or  180  tons  are  extracted  monthly  and  worked 
in  steVun  custom  mills,  to  which  86  per  ton  is  paid  for  crushing  and  amalgama- 
tion. The  price  in  water  mills  is  8">  per  ton.  The  ore  is  heavily  charged  with 
sulphurets  of  iron,  copper,  lead  and  zinc. 

NONPAKKIL. — The  Nonpareil  mine,  one  mile  from  Big  Oak  Flat,  is  on  the 
Nonpareil  vein,  which  runs  east  and  west  and  dips  to  the  north  at  an  angle  of 
70°,  and  has  an  average  width  of  five  feet.  The  walls  are  slate,  and  the  quartz 
of  the  veinstone  is  mixed  with  slate,  and  in  places  the  hard  slate  is  seen  full  of 
particles  of  gold.  Several  shafts  have  been  sunk,  and  the  deepest  workings 
are  MO  feet  on  an  incline.  Drifts  have  been  run  160  feet  on  the  vein  in  pay  all 
the  way.  At  70  feet  from  the  surface  the  rock  yielded  $30  and  $40  to  the  ton,  but 
in  the  lowest  levels  the  pay  has  been  813.  The  rock  contains  five  per  cent,  of 
sulphurets  which  assay  $300  or  more  to  the  ton,  some  samples  yielding  double 
and  treble  as  much.  The  mine  is  now  troubled  with  water,  and  work  has  been' 
stopped,  but  a  tunnel  650  feet  long  would  drain  the  mine  to  a  depth  of  340  feet. 
There  is  a  five-stamp  mill  which  is  also  idle.  The  power  is  supplied  by  a  Fau- 
cherie  turbine  wheel  seven  inches  in  diameter  and  four  feet  long,  including  the 
driving  wheels.  There  is  345  feet  of  perpendicular  fall  for  the  water,  and  60 
4 


50  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

inches  are  used  at  a  cost  of  15  cents  per  inch,  or  $9  for  24  hours.  The  turbine 
was  bought  with  the  assurance  that  it  would  drive  24  stamps,  but  the  opinion 
among  those  who  have  seen  it  work  is  that  it  would  not  drive  more  than  10 
Farrand's  oscillating  pan  and  Hinkle's  pan  are  used  in  the  amalgamation. 

BURNS. — .The  Burns  mine,  on  the  Nonpareil  vein  and  adjoining  the  Nonpareil 
mine,  has  a  mass  of  decomposed  talcose  slate  which  is  in  places  25  feet  wide.  It  all 
pays  to  work,  and  12  tons  are  rushed  daily  through  the  five-stamp  mill. 
Five  additional  stamps  are  being  put  in.  The  pulp,'  after  being  amalgamated 
in  the  mortar  and  on  copper  plates  just  below  the  battery,  runs  into  tanks  and 
settlers,  and  from  the  tanks  the  sand  is  put  into  Varney's  pans  to  be  ground,  and 
it  is  afterwards  amalgamated  in  settlers. 

OTHER  QUARTZ  XKAR  BIG  OAK. — The  Rattlesnake  mill  containing  10  stamps, 
erected  in  1S6(>  at  Big  Oak  Flat,  is  not  running  now. 

The  Cosmopolite  mine,  near  the  head  of  Garrote  creek,  is  on  a  vein  which  runs 
northwest  and  southeast  and  dips  to  the  northeast,  and  is  ten  feet  wide.  The 
lowest  workings  are  150  feet  below  the  surface,  and  a  10-stamp  mill,  formerly 
known  as  the  Cross  or  Anita  mill,  belongs  to  the  mine. 

The  Mississippi  mine  at  Big  Oak  Flat  has  had  some  rich  pockets.  A  mill 
was  built  in  1SGG,  but  it  is  not  running  now,  crushing  being  done  at  present  in 
an  arrastra. 

The  Cross  mill  is  standing  idle.  It  belongs  to  the  Golden  Rock  Water  Com- 
pany and  offers  to  do  custom  work. 

The  Mack,  mill  is  also  idle.  The  Jackson  mill,  four  miles  east  of  Big  Oak 
Flat,  ditto. 


SECTION  T. 

CALAVBRAS    COUNTY. 

The  county  of  Calaveras  extends  from  the  Stanislaus  river  on  the  south,  to 
the  Mokelumne  on  the  north,  and  from  the  summit  of  the  Sierras  on  the  east,  to 
near  the  base  of  the  foot-hills  on  the  west.  The  rivers  which  serve  as  the  northern 
and  southern  boundaries  are  permanent,  but  all  within  the  limits  of  the  county, 
unless  streams  confined  to  the  snow  regions  near  the  summit,  go  dry  in  summer. 
The  Calaveras  river,  from  which  the  county  takes  its  name,  and  the  San  Antonio, 
are  considerable  streams  in  winter,  but  their  beds  are  bare  in  the  fall. 

With  the  exception  of  West  Point,  all  the  towns  of  any  note  in  this  county 
are  on  the  lime  belt,  or  west  of  it;  and  most  of  them  are' within  1,800  of  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  in  a  region  which,  except  near  the  lifrge  streams,  is  gentlv 
undulating,  so  that  there  is  little  difficulty  in  travelling  about.  All  the  streams 
are  auriferous,  but  most  of  the  diggings  have  been  shallow  and  are  now'cxhausted, 
and  as  a  consequence  the  business  of  the  county  has  very  much  declined.  There 
is  not  one  large  hydraulic  claim  in  the  county,  and  although  there  are  many  quartz 
claims  that  have  each  yielded  large  sums,  there  is  no  quartz  mine  that  has  paid 
high  and  constantly  for  five  years.  There  is  good  reason  to  believe,  however, 
that  Calaveras  will,  in  a  few  years,  occupy  a  much  higher  position  in  quartz 
mining  than  at  present.  The  county  is  well  supplied  with  water  by  ditches ; 
the  roads  are  comparatively  good;  and  timber  can  be  had  in  sufficient  quantity 
fur  mining  purposes. 

The  debt  of.  the  county  is  $240,000,  and  the  State  and  county  tax  is  four  per 
cent,  annually  of  the  assessed  value  of  property. 

There  are  fifteen  ditches  in  the  county,  with  a  total  length  of  300  miles,  con- 
structed at  a  total  cost  of  S2,000;000.  The  only  large  ditches  arc  those  owned 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  51 

by  the  Mokelumne  Hill  and  Campo  Scco  Company  and  by  tlic  Union  Water 
Company.* 

The  principal  quartz  mining  town?  are  Angels,  West  Point  and  Carson  Hill. 
Murphvs,  Douglas  Flat  and  Cave  City  are  placer  mining  towns  on  the  limestone 
belt.  Mbkelumne  Hill  and  San  Andres  are  near  old  channels,  and  both  have 
some  shallow  placers.  Jenny  Li  ml  and  Campo  Seco  had  rich  placers  in  earlv 
days,  but  both  are  exhausted  no\v,  at  least  so  far  as  the  present  wages  and  modes 
of  working  will  permit.  Cat  Camp,  near  the  western  line  of  the  county,  not 
worked  hitherto  because  of  the  lack  of  water,  is  to  have  a  ditch  finished  before 
the  end  of  the  year,  and  350  claims  have  been  located  there  in  anticipation. 

Deep  beds  of  gravel  have  been  found  in  several  high  ridges  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  county,  but  so  far  as  they  have  been  examined  they  have  not  proved  rich 
enough  to  pay  for  hydraulic  washing.  It  is  known  that  there  are  considerable 
deposits  of  gravel  near  the  Big  Tree  grove.  Some  explorations  have  been  under- 
tajen  in  the  hope  of  finding  in  that  neighborhood  the  Big  Blue  lead  of  Sierra. 
and  Placer  counties,  but  without  success. 

El  Dorado  Flat  is  a  portion  of  an' old  channel  near  the  Stanislaus  river,  300 
feet  above  its  level,  and  half  a  mile  above  Robinson's  ferry.  The  gravel  is  100 
J'eet  deep,  mid  the  bed  rock  pitches  as  if  the  stream  had  run  up  the  course  of  the 
present  Coyote  creek.  Ten  men,  in  four  months,  took  out  $7,000  at  El  Dorado 
in  the  early  part  of  1867. 

The  Mokclumne  river  paid  very  well  at  nearly  all  the  bars,  more  than  a  dozen 
in  number  between  Union  bar  and  Clay's  bar,  and  even  in  the  bottom  of  the 
channel.  At  Sandy  bar  107  pounds  of  gold  were  taken  in  two  days  by  seven 
Frenchmen.  The  river  was  limned  every  year  from  1850  to  1865,  and  for  the 
first  seven  or  eight  years  paid  high.  At  Union  bar  much  of  the  gold  was  in 
pieces  resembling  melon  seeds  in  size  and  shape.  The  Mokclumne  river  has 
been  worked  for  about  .'50  miles  along  its  course. 

The  Stanislaus  river  has  been  worked  every  year  since  1849.  In  that  year 
the  work  was  confined  chieily  to  the  bars;  in  1850,  1851  and  1852  the  stream 
was  dammed  at  many  places  and  turned,  but  paid  at  only  a  few.  The  bed, 
except  near  the  mouths  of  Carson's  creek,  Coyote  creek,  and  Jackass  gulch,  was 
comparatively  poor.  The  best  diggings  were  found  at  the  heads  of  bars  and 
near  high-water  line,  and  the  rich  spots  in  the  deeper  parts  of  the  bed  were  nearly 
all  in  crevices,  some  of  them  made  by  the  decomposition  of  quartz  veins.  After 
IN.~>:;  the  river  was  ilnmed  repeatedly,  but  in  nine  cases  out  often  these  fluming 
enterprises  were  unprofitable.  The  river  mining,  for  the  last  six  or  seven  years, 
has  been  mostly  in  the  hands  of  Chinamen. 

I>i<;  TKKK  (JiiuvK. — The  1 5ig  Tree  grove,  situated  15  miles  from  Murphys, 
81  miles  from  Stockton,  and  1,500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  is  a  favorite 
place  of  resort.  Five  days'  time  and  $50  are  required  to  make  the  trip  from 
San  Francisco  and  back  in  the  cheapest  and  most  expeditious  manner.  The 

*  Mr.  Watson,  referring  to  th<-  resources  of  Calaveras  county,  says:  "The  sectional  area  of 
tliis  county  is  1,140  square  miles,  with  but  1)3  square  miles  or  62,763  acres  of  cultivated  land. 
The  assessor's  valuation  of  the  Bounty  is  $'2,004,430.  The  population,  16,299  in  I860,*  is 
mostly  engaged  -11  mining  pursuits,  mid  are  large  buyers  of  imported  products  and  merchan- 
dise, 'all  of  which  must  pass  over  the  Stockton  and  Copperopolis  railroad.  Aside  from  the 
gold  and  copper  of  this  county,  there  are  extensive  quarries  of  marble  and  granite  of  very 

i*.  i   •     i  "".    \  i         i     .i   A!.  ^  ..~i««    rtf  fvn  nc»t-n-M*f  of  ion  TTr*r  nr\t*nr 


cent,  less  tlia.ii  an  equal  quality  of  timber  can  be  procured  from  any  other  source  on  this  coast. 
In  this  county  is  located  the  Big  Trees  or  "Mammoth  Grove,"  which,  as  a  curiosity,  attracts 
thousands  of  tourtsta  every  year,  and,  as  a  natural  production,  it  excites  the  wonder  and  admi- 
ration of  every  visitor.  The  up  freights  for  the  county  will  amount  to  15,640  tons  per  annum, 
and  down  freights,  including  copper  ores,  65,400  tons  per  annum— total,  71,040  tons. 

*  Estimated  population  iu  1866,  J  2,000.— Stoetfs  Report  on  Public  Schools. 


52  RESOURCES   OF   STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

elevation  is  so  great  that  snow  lies  four  or  five  months  in  the  year,  and  the  hotel, 
which  is  commodious  and  well-kept,  does  not  open  for  visitors  until  May  or  June, 
according  to  the  season.  The  grove  contains  90  trees  over  15  feet  in  diameter, 
and  of  these  ten  are  30  feet  through  just  at  the  ground,  though  10  or  15  feet 
above  the  diameter  is  considerably  less.  Five'  men  spent  22  days  in  1854, 
cutting  down  a  tree  which  was  93  feet  in  circumference  and  300  feet  high.  The 
stump  has  been  taken  as  the  foundation  and  floor  of  a  house  in  which  dancing 
parties  are  sometimes  held.  There  is  abundant  room  in  it  for  a  large  quadrille. 
The  bark  was  taken  from  another  tree  to  a  height  of  116  feet  from  the  ground — 
up  to  where  the  branches  began — at  the  same  time,  and  the  tree  did  not  begin 
to  show  signs  of  dying  until  two  years  afterwards,  and  some  of  its  boughs  were 
green  six  years  later.  It  is  estimated  that  one  of  the  trees  which  had  fallen  long 
before  the  grove  was  discovered  was  450  feet  long  and  40  feet  in  diameter.  Prof. 
Whitney  carefully  counted  the  rings  of  the  tree  which  was  cut  down  and  found 
that  they  numbered  about  1,300.  The  big  trees  are  scattered  about  in  a  forest 
of  very  large  trees,  many  of  which  are  as  high,  and  some  almost  as  large,  as  the 
smaller  specimens  of  the  sequoia  giyantea,  as  the  big  tree  is  technically  named. 
The  number  of  visitors  annually  is  about  2,000. 

AGRICULTURE. — Agriculture  in  Calaveras  county  is  not  in  a  very  flourishing 
condition.  Water  is  not  cheap  enough  to  be  used  for  irrigating  grain  or  pasture  land ; 
fruit  and  wine  will  not  pay  the  expense  of  transportation  to  Sacramento,  and  brandy 
will  not  pay  with  the  present  tax  upon  its  production.  There  are  a  multitude 
of  fine  orchards  and  vineyards,  but  as  many  of  them  are  unprofitable,  so  they 
are  neglected.  With  cheap  water  and  cheap  transportation  to  market  this  county 
should  be  prominent  in  the  production  of  wool,  wine,  and  fruit. 

At  Douglas  Flat,  in  the  orchard  of  Mr.  Hitchcock,  the  peacli  thrives  better 
than  any  other  tree  fruit.  The  yield  is  very  large  and  regular,  and  the  quality 
good.  Apricots  do  not  thrive.  The  white  winter  Pearmain  apple  bears  well 
and  keeps  well.  The  Porter  apple  bears  well,  and  though  rated  as  a  fall  fruit 
in  the  eastern  States,  keeps  here  till  February.  The  Wine  Sop  keeps  till  June. 
The  New  town  pippin  is  the  best  keeper,  bears  well,  and  has  a  fine  flavor.  The 
Belleflower,  Northern  Spy,  and  Peck's"  Pleasant  are  good  at  neither  bearing  nor 
keeping.  The  Vandevere  bears  tolerably,  but  does  not  keep.  The  Esopus 
Spitzenberg  keeps  well,  but  does  not  bear  heavily.  The  Roxbury  Russet  bears 
very  well,  but  does  not  keep.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Baldwin,  except 
that  if,  bears  well  only  in  alternate  years.  The  Golden  Russet  is  one  of  the  best 
and  most  regular  bearers  and  keeps  till  December. 

At  Murphys,  although  the  distance  is  only  two  miles  from  Douglas  flat,  the 
fruit  is  two  weeks  later  in  ripening,  and  the  more  delicate  kinds,  such  as  figs 
will  not  ripen.  The  difference  in  elevation  does  not  seem  to  be  more  than  a 
couple  of  hundred  feet.  In  the  western  part  of  the  county  figs  arc  very  pro- 
ductive. 

METEOROLOGY. — The  amount  of  rain  in  the  rainy  season  of  1865  and  1866, 
at  Murphys  was  31  inches,  and  in  1866  and  1867  44  inches. 

As  much  as  10  feet  of  snow  has  fallen  at  the  Big  Trees  in  one  storm,  but  the 
depth  is  seldom  more  than  five  feet  at  any  one  time.  As  the  ground  does  not 
freeze,  there  is  no  good  sleighing. 

SAX  ANDREAS. — San  Andreas  is  the  present  county  seat,  and  is  situated  at  a 
point  where  San  Andreas  ravine  intersects  an  ancient  river  channel.  The  county 
seat  was  formerly  at  Mokelumnc  Hill,  on  the  northern  limit  of  the  county,  and 
was  removed  after  the  people  had  voted  at  a  special  election  for  San  Andreas. 
Great  frauds  were  practiced  in  the  election,  especially  at  Mokelumnc  Hill,  which 
then  contested  the  election,  and  years  elapsed  before  the  courts  and  county  oiinv.s 
were  removed  to  San  Andreas,  which  hid  spent  $75,000  in  the  contest.  The 
people  of  the  new  county  town  were  much  chagrined  to  find  that  there  was  scarcely 
any  perceptible  increase  in  the  amount  of  business  or  in  the  value  of  property 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  53 

after  the  change,  and  many  of  those  who  spent  their  cash  would  be  glad  to  have 
it  back,  even  it'  Mokelumne  Hill  were  to  have  its  former  dignity.  The  monthly 
shipment  of  dust  from  San  Andreas  is  -S^OOO,  nearly  all  placer. 

Tin-;  SAN  AXDUKAS  OLD  CHANNEL.— An  ancient  channel  runs  past  San 
Andreas,  and  indeed  it  is  to  the  rich  deposits  of  the  old  river  that  the  town  owes 
iis  existence.  This  ancient  channel  has  been  traced  a  distance  of  eight  miles 
from  the  head  of  Old  Gulch,  past  San  Andreas,  and  Gold  Hill,  to  the  south  fork 
of  the  Calaveras.  The  general  course  is  nearly  west ;  the'  average  width  is  100 
fret,  and  the  depth  under  the  surface  is  150  feet,  of  which  about  100  feet  is 
volcanic  sand.  The  richest  pay  stratum  is  a  soft  blue  gravel,  four  feet  deep,  which 
yields  seven-eighths  of  its  gold  at  the  first  washing  ;  but  there  is  also  a  red  cement, 
which  sometimes  usurps  the  place  of  the  blue  gravel  on  the  bed  rock  ;  sometimes 
overlies  it,  and  sometimes  occupies  half  the  channel,  leaving  the  blue  on  the 
othr-r  side.  This  red  cement  is  not  so  rich  as  the  blue,  nor  is  the  gold  so  coarse, 
and  it  should  be  crushed  in  a  mill,  if  more  than  one-third  of  its  gold  is  to  be  got 
jit.  the  first  washing.  Some  of  the  gold  found  in  the  blue  gravel  is  quite  black. 

It  has  been  reported  that  a  petrified  turtle  thirty  inches  long  was  found  in  one 
of  the  claims  on  this  channel  j  but  the  report  is  mentioned  here  not  to  accredit 
it,  but  suggest  it  as  a  matter  for  investigation. 

Mr.  -Marshall  says  he  found  in  the  pay  dirt  in  the  claim  of  Marshall  and  ' 
Showalter  an  Indian  mortar,  and  this  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best  authenticated 
cases  of  human  handiwork  found  in  an  ancient  stream. 

In  that  claim,  starting  from  the  surface,  the  shaft  passed  through  5  feet  of 
coarse  gravel;  then  sand  and  gravel  100  feet;  then  a  thin  bed  of  fine  brownish 
gravel;  then  4  feet  of  cemented  sand;  then  15  feet  of  blueish  volcanic  sand; 
then  G  feet  of  pay  dirt,  and  finally  slate-bed  rock,  one  foot  of  which  is  rich. 

The  following  is  the  form  of  a  notice  used  in  locating  a  claim  on  this  channel: 

NOTICE. — The  undersigned  claims  this  ground  for  mining  purposes,  known  as  the  Robert 
McCall  &  Cu.'s  claim,  being  a  deep  or  shaft  claim,  and  being  bounded  on  the  northwest  by 
the  Gilchrist  and  Coruwell  claim,  and  on  the  southeast  by  the  Plug  Ugly  claim,  1,000  feet 
more  or  less,  and  he  intends  to  work  it  according  to  the 'laws  of  the  fcan  Andreas  mining 
district. 

WILLIAM  IRVINE. 

JOHN  SHOWALTER,  Recorder.  ' 

August  18,  JdW. 

The  first  notable  claim  on  the  channel  commencing  at  the  highest  point  that 
has  been  worked  is  that  of  Foster,  Frazier  &  Co.,  800  feet  long  on  the  channel, 
where  the  depth  is  100  feet.  It  has  been  worked  10  years,  and  paid  about  $7 
per  <(ay  to  the  hand.  The  pay  is  obtained  by  drifting,  and  is  taken  to  the  sur- 
Sace  through  a  shaft  and  tunnel. 

After  an  interval  in  which  the  channel  has  not  been  found,  we  come  to  the 
claim  of  McLaughlin  and  Dore,  who  have  been  at  work  10  years,  and  have 
averaged'about  #f>  per  day.  Three  or  four  men  are  now  employed  on  the  claim. 

After  another  space  in  which  the  channel  was  not  found,  is  the  claim  of  George 
Earnhardt  &  Co.,  situated  on  the  hill  between  Old  Gulch  and  French  Gulch.  It 
has  been  worked  six  or  seven  years,  and  four  or  five  men  are  now  employed  m 
it.  It  is  a  hydraulic  claim,  and  the  bank  is  75  feet  deep. 

The  next  claim,  that  of  Young  &  Co.,  is  on  the  hill,  south  of  upper  Caleventas, 
and  has  paid  well  for  10  years.  It  has  been  worked  both  by  hydraulic  and  by 
tunnel.  Three  or  four  men  are  employed. 

Knight,  Simpson '&  Co.,  work  their  claim  by  the  hydraulic  process,  with  four 
men.  It  has  paid  well  for  six  or  seven  years. 

The  railroad  claim  on  Railroad  Hill,  one  mile  below  the  previous  claim,  lias 
never  paid,  but,  lias  broken  several  parties  who  took  hold  of  it.     It  is  now  i< 
The  channel  was  never  found  in  it. 

\Vade,  Johnson  &  Co.7  between  Yaqui  Gulch  and  lower  Calaventas,  employ 


54  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

four  men  in  their  claim,  which  they  work  by  drifting,  and  have  obtained  moderate 

1W- 

Hedriekj  Wilcox  &  Co.,  are  working  with  three  men,  and  getting  very  mode- 
rate pay.  The}-  erected  a  cement  mill,  but  the  gravel  was  not  rich  enough,  and 
the  mill  was  moved  to  a  quartz  mine  at  Fairplay. 

The  Plug  Ugly  claim,  800  feet  long  has  yielded  81,100  in  one  day,  and  still 
contains  rich  ground.  Contention  among  the  shareholders  has  prevented  work 
for  two  years. 

Irvines  claim,  1,000  feet  long,  has  been  worked  for  two  years,  and  has  paid 
well.  The  gravel  is  so  tough  that  after  being  slaked  for  a  while  it  will  yield 
ten  times  as  much  in  the  sluice  as  it  will  if  washed  immediately  after  coming  out 
of  the  drift.  The  proprietor  is  now  erecting  a  water-mill  to  hoist  and  crush  the 
cement. 

The  claim  of  Patrick  Gilchrist,  180  feet  long,  paid  well  for  a  short  time,  but 
is  closed  now  as  if  worked  out,  though  some  good  miners  think  it  still  valuable. 

Marshall  and  Showalter  have  600  feet,  and  have  been  at  work  for  13 
years,  usually  employing  six  or  eight  men.  .Their  claim  has  been  very  rich,  and 
it  yielded  nine  pounds  in  one  forenoon.  The  dirt  is  hoisted  by  a  whim. 

The  Marlette  claim,  600  feet  long,  was  opened  about  1857,  and  work  was 
stopped  in  1861,  for  want  of  drainage. 

The  McFall  claim,  600  feet  long,  has  been  worked  for  10  years,  and  has  paid 
about  810  per  day  to  three  men.  The  proprietor  of  this  claim  cut  a  long  drain 
at  considerable  expense  and  solicited  some  contribution  from  the  claim  owners 
above,  but  they  refused,  so  he  left  20  feet  at  the  head  of  his  claim  standing,  and 
this  served  as  a  wall  to  back  the  water  on  the  Marlette,  Marshall,  Plug,  and 
Irvine  claims,  and  stopped  work  in  parts  of  them  for  five  years.  Lately  they  have 
paid  $1,000.  The  drain  has  been  opened  and  they  have  resumed  work. 

The  Dunning  claim,  400  feet  long,  was  opened  in  1854,  arid  was  worked  out 
in  five  years,  during  which  time  it  paid  about  8^0  per  day  to  six  men.  One  pan 
yielded  12  pounds,  and  in  one  week  810,000  was  taken  out. 

Here  the  channel  strikes  San  Andreas  gulch,  and  below  this  point  the  old 
channel  is  six  feet  or  more  below  the  level  of  the  present  stream,  in  some  places 
35  feet  deeper.  For  1,500  feet  the  channel  is  under  the  gulch,  and  there,  be- 
cause of  the  shallowness  of  the  ground,  the  diggings  were  very  profitable  when 
first  worked.  After  leaving  the  bed  of  the  gulch  the  old  channel  runs  1,000 
yards  to  Gold  Hill,  where  a  remarkable  fault  is  found,  the  channel  having  been 
here  broken  off  and  raised  up  100  feet  perpendicularly  by  some  convulsion  of 
nature.  The  bed  rock,  the  size,  course,  and  grade  of  the  channel,  and  the  char- 
acter of  the  gold  and  of  the  strata,  all  indicate  "that  the  Gold  Hill  diggings  belong 
to  the  ancient  river  of  San  Andreas.  The  Gold  Hill  claims  paid  well,  but  are 
now  all  worked  out. 

MOKELUMXE  HILL. — Mokelumne  Hill  was  for  a  long  time  the  largest  town 
in  the  southern  mines,  ambit  is  now  one  of  the  most  populous.  It  is  situated  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  Mokelumne  river,  but  about  800  feet  above  its  level,  at  a 
point  where  an  ancient  channel  has  been  cut  through,  leaving  a  convenient  pass 
for  travel  from  north  to  south  and  exposing  rich  deposits  of  gold  near  the  surface. 
The  town,  instead  of  being  on  the  summit  of  a  hill,  as  might  be  inferred  from  its 
name,  is  rather  in  a  flat  or  basin,  with  hills  several  hundred  feet  higher  both 
east  and  west.  There  are  a  number  of  very  pretty  gardens  in  the  suburbs. 
Many  of  the  business  houses  are  built  of  a  light  lava  or  tufa,  which  is  found 
abundantly  in  the  neighborhood.  Houses  in  the  town  are  sold  for  about  one- 
iifth  their  cost.  Mokelumne  Hill  is  a  stage  centre  from  which  lines  run  to  Stock- 
ton, (45  miles.)  to  Bonora,  (50  miles,)  through  San  Andreas,  Angels,  Vallecito, 
and  Columbia,  to  Latrobc,  (38  miles,)  through  Jackson,  Sutter,  and  Dry  Town, 
and  to  West  Point,  (16  miles.)  There  is  also  a  horse  mail  to  Campo  Seco,  12 
miles  distant. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  55 

In  the  spring  of  1851  throe  Frenchmen  found  an  extremely  rich  old  channel 
high  up  (.11  the  side  of  French  Hill,  northeast  of  the  town  of  Mokelumne  Hill, 
and  in  a  low  days  took  out  8180,000.  They  attempted  to  keep  their  wealth  a 
secret,  Imt  in  vain,  and  some  Americans  found  it  out  and  went  into  the  claim  at 
night  and  stole  from  it.  One  night  they  dug  out  a  piece  weighing  11  pounds, 
but  as  it  was  dirty  they  did  not  discover  its  character  in  the  darkr  and  threw  it 
aside.  The  Frenchmen  found  this  piece  the  next  morning,  and  a  piece  of  candle 
which  had  been  left  behind  ;  so  the  next  night  they  watched  their  claim  in  arms. 
The  robbers,  finding  themselves  foiled,  laid  claim  to  the  mine,  and  threatened  to 
take  it  by  force,  and  the  Fienchmen  of  the  neighborhood  assembled  to  defend 
their  countrymen,  since,  if  the  claim  of  one  Frenchman  could  be  taken,  there 
would  be  no  security  for  the  others.  There  was  much  animosity  at  the  time 
against  foreigners,  and  the  report  that  the  Frenchmen  were  arming  gave  great 
offence,  and  soon  there  were  two  armies  ready  for  the  fight.  The  French  Vice- 
consul  at  Mokeluinne  Hill  acted  as  mediator,  and  succeeded  in  making  avcom- 
promise,  by  the  terms  of  which  a  committee  of  American  miners  were  placed  in 
possession  of  the  claim  to  work  it  until  they  had  taken  out  enough  to  pay  the 
expense  of  the  military  organ i/at ion  of  the  Americans,  and  then  to  return  it  to 
the  French  owners.  The  committee  worked  at  the  claim  for  months  and  worked 
it  out,  and  the  entire  sum  that  they  paid  from  it  towards  the  expenses  of  the 
military  organization  was  -51,100,  a  sum  less  than  the  Frenchmen  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  getting  nearly  everv  day.  Thus  ended  the  French  war,  in  which  many 
French  cabins  were  burned  but  nobody  was  killed  j  though  attempts  were  made 
to  assassinal'1  several  Frenchmen,  and  one  American  who,  having  been,  appointed 
to  consult  with  the  French  consul,  took  sides  with  the  Frenchmen.  Before  the 
compromise  was  effected  the  Frenchmen  fortified  themselves  on  Corral  Hill,  but 
they  flc-d  when  they  saw  the  enemy  coming  to  storm  their  works.  This  discre- 
tion saved  much  bloodshed,  for  the  assailants  outnumbered  the  entrenched  party, 
and  they  had  laid  their  plans  so  that  the  French  would  be  exposed  at  the  time 
of  assault  to  the  fire  of  an  enemy  occupying  a  commanding  position  in  the  rear. 

MoivKM'MNi-:  11 1 i.i.  OLD  CHANNEL. — The  Mokelumnc  Hill  old  channel  begins 
or  is  found  at  its  highest  point  about  a  mile  east  of  the  town  of  that  name,  near 
the  residence  <>f  J.  Tynan,  and  runs  thence  under  Corral  Flat,  striking  Stockton 
Hill,  (at  a  point  between  the  Stockton  Hill  upper  diggings  and  the  Water  Com- 
pany's claim,)  thence  passing  in  a  southwardly  direction  under  the  Stockton  Hill 
ridge,  about  ;j:j(j  feet  below  the  surface,  until  it  strikes  Chile  gulch,  under  the 
limes  cV  Co.  claim,  which  gulch  it  then  follows  down  on  one  side  or  the  other  to 
its  intersection  with  the  old  San  Andreas  channel,  where  the  two  unite.  This 
channel  has  been  worked  TO  great  profit  in  some  of  its  parts,  and  others,  though 
opened  very  thoroughly  at  great  expense,  have  proved  entirely  barren.  The 
largest  yield  has  been  obtained  east  of  the  point  where  the  old  channel  first 
strikes  Chile  gulch,  but  further  down  there  is  a  place  called  Junction,  where  a 
number  of  claims  have  proved  verv  rich. 

The  \Vater  Company's  claim,  1,800 .feet  long,  in  Stockton  Hill,  southwest  of 
Mokclwnne  Hill,  has 'been  worked  by  several  long  tunnels,  and  has  yielded, 
according  to  rumor,  $110,000. 

The  Water  Company's  cement  mill,  on  Chile  gulch,  near  Mokelumno  Hill,  has 
10  stamps,  and  is  driven  by  40  inches  of  water  forced  under  100  feet  head  upon 
a  hurdvgurdv  wheel. 

The  Paul  claim,  2,000  feet  long,  has  been  worked  continuously  for  ten  years, 
and  has  paid  well,  the  net  yield,  as  stated  by  common  report,  being  $160,000. 

Tin.'  ( lalaveras  Tunnel  Company  worked  from  1857  till  18(5(5,  and  did  remark- 
ably well  at  first,  but  afterwards  spent  much  money  in  hunting  for  the  channel, 
and  made  but  little  gain  as  the  total  result  of  their  labors. 

The  Alien  claim',  1,000  feet  long,  was  worked  from  1859  to  1865,  and  was 
not  profitable. 


56  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

The  limes  claim,  1,100  feet  long,  was  worked  from  1856  to  1864  by  a  tunnel 
1,400  feet  long,  which  passed  over  the  deep  channel,  and  by  four  shafts  from  45 
to  110  feet  deep.  The  result  was  the  loss  of  nearly  all  the  money  invested. 

The  Cubberly  claim  has  yielded  some  very  rich  pay  gravel. 

The  Amherst  claim,  1,400  feet  long,  has  proved  extremely  rich.  The  chan- 
nel here  crosses  a  streak  of  soft  rock  called  "rotten  granite"  by  the  miners,  and 
this  has  caught  the  gold  which  has  slidden  over  the  harder  rock. '  The  claim 
has  been  worked  for  10  years,  paying  all  the  time.  For  5  years,  10  or  12  men 
were  employed ;  now  there  are  4.  It  is  reported  that  a  partner  who  had  owned 
1-alf  the  claim  went  to  the  east  in  1862  with  $28,000.  The  work  was  done  by 
drifting  for  some  years,  but  the  tunnels  have  caved  in  and  now  the  hydraulic 
process  is  used. 

The  Shaw  claim  has  bee.n  worked  10  years,  most  of  the  time  with  large  profit. 
An  attempt  was  made  lately  to  pipe  away  the  dirt  through  a  shaft  and  tunnel, 
but  the  shaft  caved  in,  and  it  is  no\v  necessary  to  pipe  away  the  dirt  from  the 
outside  of  the  hill. 

This  completes  the  list  of  the  claims  in  Stockton  Hill,  commencing  at  Moke- 
lumne  Hill  and  running  down  stream.  Mention  has  been  made  of  but  one  old 
channel  running  under  this  hill,  but  really  there  are  two,  the  smaller  one  being 
from  90  to  120  feet  above  the  level  of  the  main  old  channel.  About  a  mile  and 
a  quarter  below  Mokelunme  Hill  the  upper  channel  breaks  off  and  seems  to  fall 
90  feet  into  the  lower  channel,  and  it  does  not  appear  again  below  that  point. 

OPALS. — In  the  north  end  of  Stockton  Hill,  almost  within  the  limits  of  the 
town  of  Mokelurnne  Hill,  is  an  opal-bearing  stratum  about  60  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  hill.  This  stratum  is  a  rough  gravel  enclosed  in  a  tough  reddish 
clay,  from  six  to  eighteen  inches  deep,  lying  between  two  layers  of  volcanic  sand. 
In  1865  three  claims  were  worked  for  opals,  which  were  obtained  in  great  abun- 
dance, but  they  were  of  very  common  quality  and  did  not  pay.  None  of  the 
fire  opals  were  found.  The  dirt,  when  taken  out,  was  allowed  to  dry,  and  was 
then  broken  up  with  wooden  mallets,  and  the  opals,  which  were  from  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  to  two  inches  in  diameter  and  wdiite  in  color  on  the  outside,  were 
picked  out  by  hand.  The  longest  opal  tunnel  ran  190  feet  into  the  hill. 

On  one  occasion  there  was  much  excitement  at  Mokelumne  Hill  on  account 
of  the  rumored  discovery  of  a  mine  of  emeralds  and  sapphires,  and  men  went 
out  at  night  with  lanterns  and  staked  off  a  large  district  in  claims.  Afterwards 
they  investigated  the  nature  of  the  first  discovery,  and  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  supposed  precious  stones  were  only  pieces  of  colored  glass  which  had 
been  in  the  gizzard  of  a  turkey. 

CAMPS  NEAR  MOKELUMNE  HILL. — Tunnel  Ridge,  one  mile  southeast  of  Moke- 
lumne Hill,  is  three  miles  long,  has  a  cap  of  volcanic  rock,  beneath  wlu'ch  in 
places  is  found  a  stratum  or  lead  of  auriferous  gravel,  most  of  which  has  been 
worked  through  tunnels. 

Buckeye,  two  miles  east  of  Mokelumne  Hill,  has  several  hydraulic  claims, 
which  have  been  worked  for  six  years.  One  of  them  is  now  paying  well. 

Buena  Vista  Hill,  four  miles  northeast  of  Mokelumne  Hill,  has  four  hydraulic 
claims,  which  have  been  worked  for  ten  ycara  with  much  profit.  The  ground  is 
very  rich,  but  the  water  cannot  be  taken  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  therefore  the 
expenses  are  great. 

Rich  Gulch,  six  miles  east  of  Mokelumne  Hill,  had  very  rich  surface  claims 
in  early  days,  and  still  yields  well  in  a  few  spots. 

DOUGLAS  FLAT. — Douglas  Flat  is  situated  on  the  limestone  belt,  which  is 
here  a  mile  wide.  The  deepest  workings  are  at  a  depth  of  150  feet ;  and  in 
those  places  the  pay  oegan  125  feet  from  the  surface,  and  was  covered  with  three 
strata  of  volcanic  ash,  with  intervening  strata  of  coarse  gravel.  The  deep  claims 
were  worked  through  shafts,  with  pumps  and  hoisting  apparatus  driven  by  ditch 
water.  The  town  has  been  more  permanent  than  most  mining  camps  because 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  57 

of  the  deep  diggings,  ami  according  to  repute  it  has  produced  more  gold  in  pro- 
portion to  iis  population  than  any  other  in  the  county. 

Among  the  notable  claims  are  the  following: 

The  Texas,  500ieet  long  by  150  feet  wide.  The  pay  stratum  is  from  6  to 
25  feet  deep  and  125  feet  below  the  surface.  Work  wasx  commenced  in  1853 
and  lias  continued  since  with  an  interruption  from  1859  to  1862,  caused  by 
water.  The  claim  employs  8  or  10  men,  and  it  pays,  sometimes,  $500,  and 
never  less  than  $200,  per  week  above  expenses.  The  total  production  has 
been  about  -SCO, 000,  and  there  is  pay  ground  enough  to  last  for  5  or  10  years 
more.  A  stream  of  water  yielding  16  inches,  miners'  measure,  has  been  struck 
in  the  bottom,  and  a  pump  with  a  pipe  14  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  live-foot 
stroke,  is  used  for  keeping  the  claim  clear.  The  lowest  drain  is  60  feet  below  the 
•surface.  A  tunnel  to  drain  the  bottom  of  the  claim  would  have  to  be  two 
miles  long. 

The  Union  claim,  1,000  feet  long  by  100  wide,  was  opened  in  1860,  and  is 
150  feet  deep.  The  average  number  of  men  employed  was  ten,  and  the  average 
weekly  yield  has  been  about  the  same  as  in  the  preceding  claim.  On  one  occa- 
sion, they  took  out  90  ounces  or  $1,700  per  week  for  several  weeks.  The 
total  yield  has  been  about  $40,000.  The  claim  is  doing  nothing  now,  but  work 
will  be  resumed. 

The  Wild  Goose  claim,  800  feet  long  by  100  wide,  has  been  worked  to  a  depth 
of  200  feet  without  finding  bottom  or  pay.  A  drift  is  now  being  run  in  hope  of 
iinding  bottom.  Four  years'  work  and  $15,000  have  been  spent  without  any 
return  so  far.  In  two  drifts  of  this  company  the  dirt  swelled  so  fast  for  three 
days  that  the  drifters  made  no  headway. 

The  Terseverance  claim,  800  by  100  feet,  has  been  worked  to  a  depth  of  130 
feet  without  finding  anything,  and  the  shaft  is  still  going  down.  A  drift  run 
into  this  claim  from  the  adjoining  Union  claim  has  struck  rich  pay  gravel. 

The  Dashaway,  1,000  by  100  feet,  has  been  worked  by  an  incline  300  feet 
deep  perpendicularly  from  the  surface,  which  is  there  on  a  hillside.  The  claim 
has  been  worked  live  years,  and  has  produced  about  $25,000.  Five  men  are  at 
work  in  it. 

The  above  are  the  only  companies  now  working  or  likely  to  work  soon. 

The  Southwestern  claim,  1,200  by  100  feet,  yielded  $750,000,  and  is  worked 
out. 

The  Ohio,  800  by  100,  yielded  $50,000 ;  worked  out. 

The  Harper,  200*  by  100  feet,  yielded  $100,000 ;  worked  out. 

The  Lone  Star,  300  by  100  feet,  yielded  $100,000 ;  worked  out. 

The  Holmes  and  Toll',  100  feet,  square,  yielded  $100,000  ;  worked  out. 

The  Hitchcock  and  Burgess,  100  by  50  feet,  yielded  $100,000 ;  worked  out. 

The  Skunk  Tunnel,  400  by  100  feet,  yielded  $50,000 ;  worked  out, 

MURIMIY'S. — Murphy's,  16  miles  from  San  Andreas,  formerly  known  as  Mur- 
phy's Camp,  is  situated'  on  the  limestone- belt  in  a  pleasant  valley  surrounded  by 
low  hills.  The  diggings  ar<»  found  here  in  a  basin  half  a  mile  in  diameter,  with 
dirt  and  gravel  to  a  depth  of  200  feet.  The  pay  stratum  was  found  in  some 
places  within  Uyenty  and  in  others  within  100  feet  of  the  surface ;  ^ but  little  of 
it  was  high  enough'to  be  washed  in  the  natural  channels,  so  the  miners  hoisted 
the  dirt  by  derricks,  or  with  a, horse,  rope,  and  pulley,  to  their  sluices.  After- 
wards, however,  an  open  cut  900  feet  long  and  for  a  considerable  distance  40 
feet  deep  was  made.  This  facilitated  the\vashing  of  the  flat  greatly.  There 
wen:  a  do/en  claims  which  paid  high,  averaging  $100,000  or  more  each  it  is  said, 
but  there  is  no  record  of  the  details.  The  Rhodes  claim,  one  of  the  richest, 
produced  $250,000  from  an  area  100  feet  long  and  40  wide.  The  deepest 
workings  were  100  feet.  In  one  afternoon  it  paid  37  pounds,  and  the  next 
forenoon  (53  pounds  of  gold.  In  this  claim  a  tunnel  was  cut  through  a  large 
mass  of  limestone  far  below  the  surface,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  mass  was 


58  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AJSTD    TERRITORIES 

found  a  cavity  containing  a  rich  auriferous  quartz  boulder  weighing  not  less  than 
half  a  ton ;  and  there  was  no  orifice  leading  to  the  cavity  large  enough  to  let 
in  a  stone  weighing  20  pounds.  There  was,  besides,  some  rich  gravel  in  the 
cavity.  This  statement  about  the  quartz  boulder,  if  it  came  from  some  unknown 
source,  would  deserve  no  consideration,  but  it  is  vouched  for  by  Alonzo  Rhodes, 
agent  for  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  who  is  an  intelligent  gentleman,  and  is  reputed 
to  be  most  trustworthy. 

Murphy's  derives  some  importance  from  the  fact  that  it  is  a  stopping  point  for 
travellers  going  to  and  from  the  Big  Trees. 

Some  of  the  gold  at  Murphy's  was  quite  black  on  the  surface. 

Between  Murphy's  and  Douglas  Flat  an  old  channel  has  been  traced  for  600  feet. 

VALLECITO. — Yallecito,  14  miles  from  San  Andreas,  is  a  level  valley,  with 
deep  diggings,  which  are  covered  with  three  strata  of  lava  or  volcanic  sand. 
The  valley  was  in  its  most  flourishing  condition  from  1852  to  1855,  and  is  still 
far  from  being  worked  out,  but  there  was  a  lack  of  drainage,  and  the  claims 
which  would  pay  for  drifting  have  been  exhausted.  In  1855  a  mammoth  tunnel, 
to  be  2,700  feet  long  and  100  feet  deep,  was  commenced,  to  drain  the  flat,  which 
is  about  86  feet  deep  in  the  deepest  workings.  After  400  feet  of  the  mammoth 
tunnel  had  been  cuty  a  considerable  part  of  the  way  in  very  hard  greenstone,  and 
after  $15,000  had  been  spent,  the  work  was  abandoned.  In  1862  a  new  tunnel, 
to  be  1,500  feet  long  and  36  feet  below  the  surface,  was  commenced,  and  last 
spring  it  was  completed,  though  the  flume  is  not  yet  ready  for  washing.  The 
flume  in  and  out  of  the  tunnel  is  to  be  2,000  feet  long,  and  the  total  cost  of  the 
work  is  $30,000,  exclusive  of  interest.  An  ancient  channel  100  feet  wide  has 
been  traced  for  half  a  mile  up  and  down  the  valley,  and  it  is  considered  still  rich. 
The  ground  is  held  by  old  miners,  who  will  now  wash  off  their  claims  through 
the  tunnel.  No  public  notice  has  yet  been  given  of.  the  conditions  on  which 
miners. can  tail  into  the  tunnel. 

The  shipment  of  gold  from  Vallecito  is  $20,000  per  month  ;  formerly  it  was 
$60,000. 

The  Day  and  Hunter  claim  in  Vallecito  Flat  was  100  feet  square,  and  paid 
825,000. 

The  Isabel  and  Mitchell,  of  the  same  size,  paid  the  same  amount. 

In  the  Durham  &  Co.  claim  a  piece  weighing  25  pounds  was  found. 

There  were  50  claims  in  the  flat  that  paid  well,  but  there  is  no  record  of  their 
production  severally. 

Near  Vallecito  is  a  gravel  ridge  60  feet  deep,  and  a  portion  of  it  paid  well  in 
hydraulic  claims. 

MINOR  PLACER  CAMPS. — At  San  Domingo,  on  the  limestone  belt,  four  men 
took  out  $100,000  in  three  years,  commencing  in  1863. 

Near  Murphy's  is  Owlburrow  Flat,  which  is  rich  and  might  be  drained. 

Indian  greek,  San  Antone,  and  Cave  City,  on  the  limestone  belt,  have  had  some 
rich  claims,  but  the  diggings  are  now  nearly  exhausted. 

QUARTZ  REGULATIONS  OF  ANGELS. — The  quartz  reglations  of  the  Angels  dis- 
trict provide  that  a  lode  claim  for  one  person  shall  be  100  feet  on  the  vein,  with 
150  feet  on  each  side  ;  and  a  discoverer  is  entitled  to  50  feet  more  on  the  vein 
than  an  ordinary  claimant.  The  regulations  say  : 

He  or  she  [the  claimant]  shall  have  the  right  to  all  the  dips,  strikes,  or  angles  of  every 
vein  originating  on  the  claim.  We  understand  that  a  vein  originates  on  or  below  the  sur- 
face running  downwards,  and  not  from  below  running  upwards;  so  that  no  person  or  per- 
sons locating  a  claim  on  either  side  of  the  boundaries  of  another  shall  have  a  right  to  a  vein 
running  through  his  or  their  claim  that  originates,  as  above  understood,  on  the  claim  first 
located ;  but  no  man  shall  have  the  right  to  follow  a  vein  on  the  length  of  it  beyond  the 
perpendicular  of  his  boundary. 

Miners  shall  be  compelled  to  perform  at  least  10  boaa  fide  days'  work  on  their  claim  or 
claims  during  the  year  commencing  from  the  first  day  of  April,  J8HO.  Miners  failing  to  do 
so,  their  claim  or  claims  will  be  considered  forfeited  and  open  to  other  parties. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  59 

It  will  be  observed  that  there  is  no  express  requirement  of  any  -work  after  the 
1st  of  April,  1861,  as  a  condition  of  title  ;  but  the  intention  was  undoubtedly  to 
require  10  days'  work  on  each  claim  within  each  year,  ending  with  March." 

The  records  of  this  district  were  burned  in  1855,  and  no  copies  or  written 
evidences  of  title  before  the  lire  are  preserved. 

There  are  ~>7  quartz  claims  on  record  in  the  district,  and  55  of  them  bear  date 
previous  to  1864.  In  that  year  no  claim  was  made  ;  in  1865,  one  ;  one  in  1866  ; 
and  none  in  1867  up  to  June  1. 

QUARTZ  REGULATIONS  OF  SAX  ANDREAS. — The  following- are  extracts  from 
the  miners'  regulations  of  the  San  Andreas  district  for  ledge  mining : 

Claims  in  said  district  shall  be  200  feet  in  length  on  the  lead,  with  all  its  dips,  spurs,  and 
angles,  with  300  feet  in  width  on  the  surface. 

Shareholders  shall  be  compelled  to  perform  one  day's  labor  for  each  200  feet  held  or  claimed 
by  them,  or  its  value  in  improvements  thereon,  in  each  month,  from  the  first  day  of  May  to 
the  first  day  of  November  in  each  year ;  if  they  fail  so  to  do  their  claim  shall  be  considered 
forfeited  and  open  to  entry  by  other  parties,  unless  the  first  parties  shall  have  been  prevented 
by  sickness  of  themselves  or  families  from  complying  with  this  law.  When  a  company 
shall  have  put  $500  worth  of  work  on  a  claim  the  same  may  be  held  over  for  one  year,  and 
no  longer,  by  a  renewal  of  the  record  of  said  claim,  made  at  any  dato  previous  to  the  first 
day  of  May  of  each  year,  during  which  year  the  parties  owning  such  claim  shall  not  be  com- 
pelled to  perform  any  work  On  the  same. 

These  regulations  were  adopted  in  March,  1866  ;  and  there  are  57  lode  claims 
recorded,  the  latest  dated  in  1865.  There  is  no  quartz  mine  in  operation  in 
the  district,  save  at  Wilson's  creek,  where,  there  are  two  arrastras  at  work. 

(,)I;AJIT/  MIXING  IN  CALAVERAS. — The  most  noted  quartz  mines  of  Cala- 
veras  county  arc  the  Morgan,  the  lleserve,  the  Enterprise,  the  South  Carolina, 
the  Stanislaus,  the  Union,  and  the  Carson  Creek,  at  Carson  Hill;  the  Bovee, 
the  Angels,  the  Hill,  and  the  Sickles,  at  Angels ;  all  on  the  mother  lode ;  and 
the  Woo.'lhouse,  near  AVest  Point.  A  number  of  rich  veins  have  been  found 
near  the  limestone  belt,  but  their  wealth  has  been  confined  to  pockets. 

MOKCAN. — The  Morgan  mine,  500  feet  long,  on  the  mother  lode,  was  dis- 
covered in  1850  bra  man  named  llance,  who  took  in  six  partners,  Morgan 
being  the  president.  The  discovery  was  made  on  the  summit  of  Carson  Hill, 
and  the  rock  was  extremely  rich;  indeed,  if  the  statements,  of  those  who  lived 
at  the  place  are  to  be  taken,  the  gold  was  abundant  beyoncl  any  parallel.  Much 
of  it  was  taken  out  in  mortars,  and  not  unfrequently  there  were  so  many  strings 
of  gold  in  the  rock  that  cold  chisels  had  to  be  used  to  cut  them.  On  one  occa- 
sion gold  To  tlie  amount  of  si  10,000  was  thrown  down  at  one  blast.  The  news 
151  led  the  .State  with  excitement,  The  town  of  Melones,  on  the  southern  side  of 
the  hill,  became  the  largest  mining  camp  in  the  State,  with  a  population  vari- 
ously estimated  from  :.5,000  to  5,000.  People  came  in  crowds  to  see  the  mine. 
Robinson's  ferry,  on  the  Stanislaus  river,  two  milus  south  of  the  place,  took 
in  $10,000  for  ferriage  in  six  weeks.  From  February,  1850,  till  December, 
1851,  the  production  continued  uninterrupted  and  with  very  little  decline.  In 
that  time,  according  to  Thomas  Ueare,  who  has  lived  at  the  mine  longer  than 
any  other  person,  8:2,800,000  were  extracted  and  immense  sums  were  stolen.  It 
is  reported  of  one  Mexican  miner  that  he  stole  $1,500  in  one  day  from  the  arras- 
tra  which  he  had  in  charge,  and  paid  it  the  next  day  for  a  horse.  All  the  rock 
too  poor  for  the  hand  mortar  was  ground  in  arrastras,  and  it  is  said  that  50  of 
them  were  running  at  one  time.  The  facilities  for  stealing  were  great  and  the 
temptation  strong.  Gambling  was  carried  to  a  great  extent  and  gold  seemed 
to  have  lost  its  value.  The  miners  were  mostly  Mexicans,  who,  as  a  class,  were 
not  looked  upon  with  much  favor  by  American  minors;  but  they  had  had  some 
experience  in  this  kind  of  mining  a'nd  their  services  were  indispensable.  They 
could  pick  up  the  lumps  of  gold  in  the  mine,  or  they  could  take  handrails  of 
amalgam  from  the  arrastra  with  little  fear  of  detection,  As  for  the  amount 
taken  in  this  way,  it  could  never  be  ascertained,  but  that  it  was  great  was 
assumed  in  the  common  conversation  of  the  miners  themselves. 


fiO  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

The  vast  production  was  too  great  to  be  witnessed  in  peace.  Several  hundred 
ruffians  banded  themselves  together  under  the  lead  of  Billy  Mulligan  and 
others  of  his  kind  and  drove  away  the  owners  of  the  mine  by  force  and  worked 
it  themselves.  A  suit  to  eject  them  was  commenced,  and  alter  nino  months 
their  work  was  stopped  by  injunction,  and  in  the  spring  of  1853  final  judgment- 
was  rendered  in  favor  of  Morgan  and  his  associates.  Morgan  then  went  to  Eng- 
land to  sell  the  mine,  but  more  litigation  sprang  up  about  the  title,  and  there 
was  no  final  decision  and  very  little  work  till  the  spring  of  1867,  the  mine  hav- 
ing lain  idle  for  nearly  15  years.  The  work  has  lately  been  recommenced, 
and  report  says  some  marvellously  rich  rock  has  been  taken  out,  but  the  super- 
intendent did  not  consider  himself  authorized  to  give  the  precise  facts  for  publi- 
cation. 

The  mine  is  near  the  summit  of  the  hill  and  includes  two  veins,  which  unite 
100  feet  below  the  surface.  One  is  about,  six  feet  wide  and  called  the  stratified 
vein,  because  of  numerous  seams  parallel  with  the  walls ;  the  other  is  40  feet 
wide  and  is  called  the  boulder  vein,  because  the -quartz  in  it  is  solid  and  boulder- 
like.  A  tunnel  160  feet  long  strikes  the  vein  100  feet  below  the  outcroppings, 
and  from  this  drifts  have  been  run  200  feet  on  the  vein,  finding  pay  rock  all  the 
way.  The  richest  rock  is  a  talcose  slate  on  the  foot-wall.  The  mine  can  be 
worked  conveniently  by  tunnels  to  a  depth  of  500  or  600  feet.  There  is  no 
mill  now,  but  the  proprietors  propose  to  erect  one,  and  they  are  now  taking  out 
rock.  In  the  middle  of  June  they  had  5,000  tons  already  out. 

RESERVE. — Immediately  south  of  the  Morgan  is  the  reserve  mine,  980  feet 
long.  This  mine  was  opened  in  I860  by  a  tunnel  300  feet  long  and  a  shaft  135 
feet  deep,  and  common  report  says  that  3,000  tons  of  talcose  slate  were  crushed 
and  $200?000  obtained.  A  report  made  by  a  French  mining  engineer  to  the 
Melon es  and  Stanislaus  Mining  Company,  which  is  better  authority  than  common 
report,  says  the  yield  has  been  $130,000.  Mr.  Coignet,  the  author  of  the  report, 
says : 

The  lead  worked  at  the  Reserve  belongs  to  that  order  of  vein  which  runs  west  15°  north, 
east  15°  south,  and  is  rich  in  ore  throughout  its  whole  extent.  At  the  walling,  [foot-wail,] 
and  for  many  feet  in  width,  the  slate  formations  are  impregnated  with  auriferous  pyrites,  partly 
decomposed  near  the  surface.  *  *  *  I  was  told  on  the  spot  that  the  slate  formations  of 
the  casings  throughout  the  length  of  the  claim  did  not  pay  less  than  $18  per  ton  at  the  mill, 
and  that  the  ore  formerly  extracted  contained  from  $90  to  $300  per  ton. 

ENTERPRISE. — The  Enterprise,  900  feet,  adjoining  the  Reserve  on  the  south, 
has  been  opened  by  a  tunnel  which  runs  450  feet  on  the  lode.  There  is  no  mill 
connected  with  the  mine,  nor  is  any  work  being  done. 

SOUTH  CAROLIXA. — The  South  Carolina,  2,550  feet  long,  adjoins  the  Enter- 
prise. The  vein  is  seven  feet  wide,  and  has  boon  opened  by  drifts  running  580 
feet  on  the  lode,  280  feet  below  the  surface,  in  pay  chimney  all  the  wriy.  The 
mine  was  first  worked,  from  1850  to  1853,  by  some  Mexicans  under  a  lease,  who 
accounted  at  the  rate  of  $85  per  ton ;  but  rumor  says  that  the  actual  yield  was 
much  larger,  and  that  the  total  amount  which  they  took  out  was  $400,000,  and 
that  they  got  840,000  in  one  week  from  their  arrastras.  In  one  period  of  seven 
months  they  accounted  for  $119,000,  and  paid  over,  according  to  contract,  one- 
half,  or  $59,500;  but  the  owners  were  dissatisfied,  and  terminated  the  lease  in 
1853,  and  the  mine,  notwithstanding  the  general  belief  in  its  great  wealth,  stood 
still  five  years.  In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1858  a  ten-stamp  mill  ran  for  three 
months  and  took  $19,000,  and  then  the  work  was  stopped  by  litigation.  The 
last  rock  taken  out  paid  $40  per  ton.  The  mill  is  now  in  ruins,  and  no  work  is 
being  done.  Mr.  Coignet  says  of  the  South  Carolina  : 

The  quartz  is  generally  white-bladed,  foliated  with  green,  slaty  streaks,  and  assuming  a 
striped  appearance.  It  is  in  these  slate  formations  that  the  flattened  or  laminated  leaves  of 
gold  are  found.  Sometimes  the  quartz  is  compact  and  yellowish,  but  then  it  is  nearly  always 
near  an  intersection.  Against  the  walling  [foot-wallj  of  these  leads  the  slates  are  of  a  yel- 
low brown,  very  talcose,  and  perforated  by  cubical  holes,  indicative  of  deposits  of  rotten  iron 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  61 

pyrites.  These  are  ductible,  and  can  be  cut  with  a  knife.  Between  their  strata  is  found 
some  bluish  quartz  surrounded  by  pure  gold.  On  the  whole  line  of  the  leads,  beginning 
tit  the  South  Carolina  claim  and  up  to  the  Hope,  where  they  still  exhibit  the  same  character^ 
it  may  be  said  that  these  slaty  formations,  in  a  breadth  of  several  feet  from  the  walling  of  the 
lead,  contain  atleast  $13  per  ton. 

STANISLAUS. — The  Stanislaus  mine,  1,200  feet  long,  is  on  the  middle  branch 
of  tin1  mother  lode,  immediately  north  of  the  Stanislaus  river.  At  this  claim  the 
vein  runs  nearly  north  and  south,  and  dips  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  75  de^reCvS. 
The  mine  has  been -opened  by  three  tunnels,  one  400  feet  long  and  two  of 
100  feet  each,  and  l»y  several  shafts  running  down  from  the  tunnels.  The 
(mart/  is  remarkable  for  containing  much  gold  in  the  form  of  a  tellnride,  which, 
though  very  rich,  lias  never  been  worked  so  as  to  yield  much.  Mr.  Coignet, 
who  examined  the  mine,  says : 

The  quartz  croppings  are  white,  with  reddish  tints  in  the  cracks,  and  containing  crystals 
of  feldspar,  of  carbonate  of  lime,  and  of  iron.  The  free  gold  which  had  been  found  on  the 
surface  changed  readily  into  tellurets  of  gold  and  silver,  and  into  auriferous  iron  pyrites, 
which,  by  their  decomposition  when  in  contact  with  the  atmosphere,  have  spread  a  reddish 
line  over  the  rock.  In  these  ledges,  among  which  the  Stanislaus  offers  an  example,  the  thick- 
ness of  the  quartz  varies  considerably,  both  in  its  course  and  incline,  whereas  the  roofing 
[hanging  wall]  remains  perfectly  regular.  Thus,  from  the  middle  of  the  tunnel  to  within  a 
few  teet  of  the  shaft,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  French  and  Wood's  claim,  the  croppings 
have  a  thickness  of  more  than  six  feet,  whilst  beyond  that  space  the  quartz  disappears  in  the 
slate,  without,  however,  causing  a  break  in  the  lead.  At  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  just  men- 
tioned the  lead  has  a  depth  of  six  inches  and  contains  numerous  crystals  of  tellurets.  At 
120  feet  south  of  the  entrance  to  the  middle  tunnel  a  shaft  was  formerly  sunk  by  Mexicans, 
by  means  of  which  a  large  sum  was  taken.  There  also  the  quartz  has  disappeared,  and  the 
ore  is  found  in  the  slate. 

The  rich  deposits  of  the  lead  are  found  in  chimneys  with  a  horizontal  incline  of  about  31 
degrees  to  the  south  in  the  walling,  [foot-wall,]  and  in  the  small  quartz  feeders  which  follow 
the  line  of  the  slate  formations,  and  at  their  junction  with  the  principal  leads.  It  is  of  im- 
portance to  observe,  with  regard  to  this  mineral  system,  that  tellurets  are  found  exclusively 
in  the  quartz  which  contains  crystals  of  feldspar  and  carbonates  of  lime  and  of  iron;  and 
hence,  whenever  these  minerals  are  met  with,  the  speedy  appearance  of  ore  may  be  relied 
upon. 

The  compact  quartz  of  the  lead  is  often  found  to  contain,  and,  in  fact,  generally  does  con- 
tain, auriferous  iron  pyrites,  which  are  sometimes  of  great  richness.  The  slate  formations  in 
which  the  lead  is  imbedded  are  also  full  of  iron  pyrites,  but  contain  no  gold,  or  perhaps  a 
very  small  amount*  The  difference  between  these  two  kinds  of  pyrites  is  such  that  they  can 
bo  readily  distinguished  from  each  other.  The  richest  pyrites,  in  fact,  seldom  crystalize  very 
distinctly,  being  in  compact  masses,  which  clearly  exhibit  the  numerous  lines  of  cleavage  ; 
they  are  very  bright,  anil  have  a  very  distinct  yellowish  appearance.  The  indifferent  pyrites, 
on  the  contrary,  an;  found  in  well-defined  cubical  crystalizations,  isolated,  and  with  a  sharp 
edge,  and  usually  disseminated  through  the  slate  formations. 

Throughout  the  length  of  the  zone  [the  main  pay  chimney]  the  roofing  [the  hanging 
wall]  is  well  defined,  but  the  walling  [the  foot  wall]  is  irregular,  and  composed  of  quartz 
feeders  which  follow  the  stratification  of  the  slate  formations  and  finally  unite  with  small 
quartz  veins  containing  feldspar,  carbonates  of  lime,  and,  as  is  the  case  always,  some  tellu- 
rets. The  association  of  these  minerals  is  so  perfectly  verified  that  when  one  is  met  there  is 
a  certainty  of  the"  presence  of  the  others  at  a  short  distance. 

These  ores  are  sometimes  of  an  extraordinary  value;  thus,  during  my  visit  to  Melones,  an 
assav  which  I  made  mysi-lf  on  four  ounces  of  sulphurets  and  tellurets,  taken  from  a  concen- 
tration of  second-class  ores,  yielded  §150  of  gold  and  §1  of  silver,  or  about  $17,500  to  the 
ton  of  concentrated  sulphurets.  *  *  *  No  process  of  economical  manipulation  of  this 
class  of  ores  has,  as  yet,  been  found  without  inflicting  serious  losses.  The  concentration 
which  has  to  be  resorted  to,  costly  in  itself,  still  permits  the  escape  of  a  large  portion  of  the 
precious  metals. 

Charles,  A.  Stetefeldt,  a  mining  engineer  and  metallurgist,  to  whom  speci- 
mens of  the  ore  from  the  Stanislaus  mine  were  submitted,  wrote  a  report,  in  which 
he  said: 

These  ores  are  of  extraordinary  interest  for  the  mineralogist  and  metallurgist,  since  besides 
their  great  richness  in  native  gold,  they  contain  also  telluric  gold  and  silver  in  such  quan- 
tities as  have  never  before  been  known.  Telluric  ores  of  all  kinds  are  extremely  rare,  and 
found  only  in  small  quantities  at  the  following  places  :  at  Offenbanya,  Salatlma,  and  Nag- 
yng,  in  Transylvania;  ut  Schemnitz,  in  Hungary;  at  the  Sawodinsky  mines,  in  the  Altai 
mountains;  n"nd  at  Spottsvlvania,  in  Virginia.  But  at  none  of  these  places  are  the  telluric 


62  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

ores  as  important  as  in  the  Stanislaus  mine;  on  the  contrary,  the  quantity  found  in  them  is 
so  small  that  no  regular  process  for  their  reduction  can  be  said  to  be  in  practice. 

The  samples  of  ore  from  the  Stanislaus  mine,  shown  to  me  by  you,  contain  large  quantities 
of  sylvanite  or  graphic  tellurium,  of  steel-gray  color  and  metallic  lustre,  by  far  the  richest 
tellurium  ore,  and  smaller  quantities  of  the  tellurium  of  lead,  recognizable  by  its  tin-whUn 
color  and  great  lustre.  It  is  probable  that  other  combinations  of  tellurium  will  also  be  found 
on  a  closer  examination  of  the  ores. 

Science  indicates  and  your  own  experience  fully  proves  that  the  ores  are  not  suitable  for 
amalgamation.  Quicksilver  not  only  fails  to  absorb  any  portion  of  the  gold  contained  in  the 
telluric  combinations,  but  the  presence  of  the  latter  prevents  the  quicksilver  from  producing 
its  natural  effect  even  upon  the  native  gold,  so  that  even  of  the  latter  a  comparatively  small 
percentage  only  can  be  obtained  by  amalgamation.  Nor  would  the  matter  be  much  helped 
by  separating  the  tellurium,  were  that  practicable,  by  roasting,  for  the  Stanislaus  ores  contain 
a'considerable  amount  of  tellurid  of  lead,  and  the  lead,  as  is  well  known,  is  most  injurious 
to  amalgamation.  The  distribution  of  the  ores  in  the  vein  renders  a 

separation  of  them  by  hand  into  three  or  more  different  qualities,  according  to  richness,  com- 
paratively easy  and  inexpensive.  These  different  qualities  I  would  submit  separately  to  a 
process  of  wet  concentration,  which  for  the  richer  ores  would  have  to  be  carried  on  with 
extreme  care. 

For  the  first  qualities,  which  contain  only  a  small  amount  of  gangue,  I  should  recommend 
cupellation  with  lead.  This  process  consists  in  melting  a  quantity  of  lead  in  a  cupelling 
furnace  and  gradually  adding  the  finely-crushed  ore  as  soon  as  the  lead  begins  to  oxydize, 
and  a  coating  of  litharge  is  thereby  formed  on  the  surface.  The  ore  floats  about  on  the  molten  % 
lead,  and  the  base  metals  become  oxydized  through  contact  with 'the  atmospheric  air  and 
with  the  litharge  or  oxyd  of  lead,  which  has  a  tendency  to  give  up  its  oxygen.  Theoxyda- 
tion  of  the  base  metals  immediately  liberates  the  gold  and  silver,  which  combine  with  the 
molten  lead  and  are  retained  by  it  while  the  oxydized  base  metals  form  with  the  litharge  a 
thoroughly  fluid  slag,  which  can  be  raked  off;  as  much,  further  ore  can  then  be  added  as  the 
lead  is  capable  of  absorbing. 

If  experience  should  show  that  a  part  of  the  tellurium  also  passes  into  the  molten  lead  in  a 
metallic  state,  instead  of  at  once  oxydizing  and  combining  with  the  litharge,  it  will  then  be 
necessary  to  carry  on  all  the  earlier  stages  of  the  cupelling  process  in  furnaces  especially 
constructed  for  that  purpose.  The  lead  which  has  absorbed  all  the  gold  and  silver  out  of  the 
ore  can  be  worked  in  these  furnaces  as  long  as  necessary  to  oxydize  all  the  tellurium,  which 
will  then  gradually  form  tellurite  of  lead,  and  be  raked  off  like  the  first  slag  formed  in  the 
beginning  of  the  process.  The  purified  lead  can  then  be  removed  to  the  cupelling  furnace 
and  the  cupellation  be  proceeded  with  in  the  ordinary  manner. 

SANTA  Curz. — The  Santa  Cruz  mine  is  1,500  feet  long  on  the  western  branch 
of  the  mother  lode,  north  of  the  Stanislaus  river.  This  vein  is  barren  so  far  as 
examined,  except  in  the  walls,  where  it  is  crossed  by  two  smaller  veins,  which 
ran  west  15°  north.  Some  of  the  rock  has  yielded  $300  per  ton.  A  tunnel  240 
feet  long  has  been  .cut,  reaching  the  vein.  No  work  is  being  done  now. 

Uxiox. — The  Union  mine,  400  feet,  is  on  Carson  Hill,  and  the  vein  is  sup- 
posed to  be  a  branch  of  the  mother  lode.  The  vein  is  30  feet  wide  in  places, 
but  the  best  pay  (from  820  to  £70  per  ton)  has  been  found  in  a  seam  of  talcose 
slate  from  two  to  four  feet  thick,  on  the  hanging  wall.  A  20-stamp  steam  mill 
is  being  built  now. 

CARSON  CREEK. — -The  Carson  Creek  quartz  mine,  situated  on  a  branch  of 
the  mother  lode,  near  the  mouth  of  Carson  creek,  is  1,000  feet  long.  The  vein 
is  12  feet  wide  for  600  feet,,  but  then  pinches  out  till  it  is  only  an  inch  or 
two  thick.  The  thick  part  of  the  claim  has  been  prospected  to  an  average  depth 
of  40  feet,  and  rock  has  been  found  nearly  all  along  to  pay  $7  or  $8  per  ton, 
exclusive  of  a  few  rich  pockets.  The  wall  is  in  places  as  smooth  as  glass.  There 
are  parts  of  the  vein  where  the  quartz  contains  enough  argentiferous  galena  to 
yield  GO  ounces  of  silver  to.  the  ton.  There  is  on  the  claim  a  10-stamp  mill, 
which  has  heretofore  been  used  for  dry  crushing,  but  is  now  being  remodelled  for 
wet  crushing.  The  pulp,  after  passing  from  the  battery  and  over  copper-plate, 
is  to  be  settled  in  tanks,  from  which  the  sand  will  be  taken  to  be  ground  in  Hep- 
burn pans  and  amalgamated  afterwards  in  arrastras  with  iron  floors  and  stone  drags. 

BOVEE. — The  Bovee  mine,  465  feet  long,  at  Angelo,  includes  four  veins  which 
here  represent  the  mother  lode.  The  main  vein  seems  to  be  talcose  slate  near  the 
surface,  and  is  from  20  to  30  feet  wide.  The  first  vein  to  the  west  of  this  is  two 
and  a  half  feet  wide,  and  barren,  and  underlies  a  heavy  bed  of  talc,  three  and  a 


WKST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  63 

half  feet  wide.  The  next  vein  is  three  feet  wide,  and  contains  $8  or  $10  rock. 
Then  come  two  feet  of  slate,  beyond  which  is  a  vein  15  feet  wide,  with  hard 
white  barren  quartz  on  the  hanging  wal]t  At  a  depth  of  120  feet  it  is  only  three 
feet  thick,  and  carries  rich  sulphnrets  in  spots.  The  character  at  that  depth 
changes  from  a  brittle,  white  to  a  blueish,  spermaceti-like  quartz,  which  promises 
well.  The  main  vein  is  a  hard,  white,  barren  quartz,  with  occasional  spots  of 
snlphurets.  It  is  supposed  from  the  dip  of  these  veins  that  they  will  meet  and 
unite  about  400  feet  below  the  surface.  At  the  surface  they  are  about  200  feet 
apart  between  the  outer  lines. 

The  deepest  workings  arc  130  feet  down,  and  at  60  feet  drifts  have  been  run 
350  feet  on  the  vein.  All  the  rock  pays  not  less  than  $6  per  ton  j  but  there  are 
two  pay  chimneys,  which  appear  to  be  nearly  vertical,  and  which  paid  $16  near 
the  surface,  and  yield  *2(J  per  ton  at  a  depth  of  120  feet.  Seams  of  slate  appear 
on  the  surface,  but  are  not  found  below.  Talc  is  found  mixed  with  the  quartz, 
and  is  rich  in  sulphurets. 

As  soon  as  a  blast  is  let  oiF  in  the  mine  there  are  men  who  set  to  work  to  break 
and  select  the  rock,  throwing  aside  all  the  barren  stuff,  of  which  there  is  consid- 
erable. This  breaking  and  selection  needs  to  be  done  without  delay,  because 
after  the  rock  has  been  shovelled  about  it  becomes  so  dirty  that  its  quality  does 
not  show  without  washing.  , 

This  mine  was  long  known  by  the  name  of  its  first  owner,  Mr.  Winters,  and 
according  to  rumor  its  gross  yiehl  under  his  management  was  $500,000.  He 
worked  the  claim  along-  its  whole  length  by  open  cut ;  and  in  his  early  workings 
by  picking  the  rock,  he  obtained  $2,000  or  $3,000  per  ton  in  an  arrastra.  No 
such  vein  stone  can  be  found  in  it  now,  though  it  is  still  considered  a  rich  and 
very  valuable  mine. 

The  Hover  mill  has  10  stamps  of  500  pounds  each,  driven  at  the  speed  of 
75  blows  per  minute,  with  eight  inches  drop.  The  screen  is  of  wire  No. 
20.  The  gold  is  amalgamated  in  the  mortar  with  loose  quicksilver,  and 
below  the  screen  there  is  a  copper  plate,  after  passing  which  the  pulp  goes 
into  :i  tank  where  the  current  is  arrested,  and  through  another  where  the  current 
at  the  surface  is  not  arrested — that  is,  there  is  a  steady  discharge.  For  a  time 
Mr.  Bovee.  ran  the  pulp  through  three  tanks,  one  below  the  other,  with  a  con- 
stant discharge  from  each;  but  the  experiment  satisfied  him  that  the  two  last  did 
not  pay.  The  lirst  tank  below  the  nibrtar  catches  coarse  sand;  the  second 
catches  line  sand;  and  the  third  and  fourth  fill  up  with  slum  that  does  not  pay 
to  work.  The  sands  from  the  iirst  two  tanks  are  shovelled  upon  a  platform, 
from  which  they  are  taken  to  charge  the  "Wheeler  &  Randall  pans,  four  feet  in 
diameter,  in  which  they  are  ground  in  charges  of  800  pounds  each  for  three  hours. 
Half  an  hour  before  the  grinding  is  done  the  mullers  are  raised  a  little,  and  four 
pounds  of  quicksilver  are  put  in.  The  pulp  while  in  the  pan  is  as  thick  as  it 
can  be  worked  conveniently.  To  each  charge  a  large  peck  of  hot  coal  and  wood 
ashes  from  under  the  grate  are  added,  and  steam  is  thrown  into  the  pulp. 
Wheeler,  the  inventor  oi'  the  pan,  recommends  the  introduction  of  500  pounds  of 
quicksilver  at  the  commencement  of  the  grinding.  Bovee  uses  only  four,  intro- 
duced near  the  close  of  the  grinding.  In  Mr.  Bovee's  opinion,  the  grinding  is 
facilitated  and  hastened  by  keeping  the  pulp  nearly  to  the  boiling  point  as  long 
as  it  is  in  the  pans.  Three  of  Knox's  pans  are  used  as  settlers  for  each  grinding 
pan.  The  runs  last  for  two  weeks.  1  f  the  run  lasts  four  weeks  a  larger  pro- 
portion of  the  quicksilver  is  lost,  and  that  which  is  saved  is  corrupt  or  dirty. 

Besides  the  stamp  and  pan  mill,  there  is  an  arrastra  mill  with  15  arrastras, 
driven  by  (il  inches  of  water  on  an  overshot  wheel  30  feet  in  diameter  and  three 
leet  ui.le.     The  rock  is  crushed  in  the  stamp  mill  as  fine  as  peas  for  the  arras- 
tras, in  which  it.  is  ground  for  six  hours  in  charges  of  280  pounds  each, 
yield  in  the  pans  is  25  per  cent,  greater  than  in  the  arrastras. 

AN<.;KLS.— The  mine  of  the  Angels  Quartz  Mining  Company  is  900  feet  long,  ' 


64  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

find  the  working  vein  has  an  average  width  of  15  feet  of  talcose  slate  mixed 
with  quartz.  The  quartz-lode  is  150  feet  west  at  the  surface,  and  it  is  supposed 
that  the  two  will  meet  about  300  feet  from  the  surface.  There  is  a  good  gouge 
on  both  sides  and  clay  slate  walls  to  the  vein.  The  mine  has  been  worked  for 
10  years,  and  is  now  yielding  $8  per  ton,  though  assays  show  that  the  rock  con- 
tains from  $15  to  $20.  The  gold  is  very  line.  The  mine  has  a  30-stamp  steam 
mill,  with  a  Blake  crusher  to  prepare  the  rock  for  the  stamps,  two  Wheeler  pans 
for  grinding,  a  Belden  settler,  and  lately  an  experiment  has  been  tried  with  one 
of  Hesse's  pans.  The  pulp  is  discharged  from  the  mortar  through  a  slot  screen, 
the  orifices  being  as  wide  as  those  in  a  NQ.  40  wire  screen.  The  advantage  of 
the  slot  screen  is  that  it  discharges  more  freely,  as  the  holes  are  not  plugged  up 
by  the  sulphurets.  The  deepest  workings  are  186  feet  deep,  and  the  drifts  ex- 
tend along  the  vein  350  feet,  in  pay  all  the  way.  Most  of  the  early  workings 
were  in  open  cut,  and  the  rock  was  richer  at  the  surface  than  in  the  lower  levels. 

HILL. — Dr.  Hill's  mine,  412  feet  long,  is  also  working  on  the  talcose  slate 
vein,  which  averages  15  feet  wide,  and  contains  much  silicate  of  lime,  besides 
quartz,  the  slate  occupying  a  very  subordinate  portion  here.  The  proprieter  of 
the  mine  says  that  most  of  the  gold  is  found  in  threads  of  sulphate  of  barytes, 
and  in  bunches  of  silicate  of  lime.  Work  was  commenced  on  the  mine  in 
1857  with  arrastras,  and  has  been  continued  silice  with  the  exception  of  three 
years.  The  total  production  is  estimated  at  $250,000,  and  the  amount  spent 
in  the  mine,  $300,000.  There  is  now  a  12-stamp  mill  at  work  on  it.  The 
depth  from  the  dies  in  the  mortar  to  the  discharge  is  14  inches,  and  the 
stamps  when  raised  to  their  highest  point  are  two  inches  deep  in  the  water.  For 
a  time  no  screen  was  used,  but  the  result  of  the  experiment  was  not  satisfactory. 
The  present  screen  is  of  No.  60  wire.  Hunter's  amalgamator  and  Hill's  pan  are 
used.  The  latter,  named  after  its  inventor,  the  owner  of  this  mine,  is  a  circular 
copper  dish  six  feet  in  diameter,  six  inches  deep.  A  section  through  the  centre 
represents  a  segment  of  an  oval.  This  bowl  revolves  horizontally  on  a  cen- 
tral axis,  and  in  the  centre  is  a  cup  to  hold  quicksilver.  The  pan  makes  18 
revolutions  per  minute.  The  whole  surface  of  the  pan  is  covered  with  amalgam. 
One  of  these  pans  at  the  mill  of  the  Angels  Quartz  Mining  Company  saves  §200 
per  month,  it  is  said.  In  Hill's  mine  there  are  numerous  horses  of  barren  slate, 
and  in  one  place  a  trachytic  dike  15  feet  thick  crosses  the  lode  running  west- 
northwest  and  east-southeast.  About  five  per  cent,  of  the  pay  rock  consists  of 
sulphurets.  The  silicate  of  lime  gives  a  milky  look  to  the  pulp  as  it  comes  from 
the  mortar. 

STICKLES. — The  Stickles  mine,  400  feet  long,  near  the  town  of  Angels,  on 
the  mother  lode,  which  is  there  20  feet  thick,  is  quartz  and  pay  all  the  way 
through,  with  numerous  seams  of  slate.  The  deepest  workings  are  80  feet  below 
the  surface,  and  drifts  have  been  run  120  feet  on  the  vein,  in  pay  rock  all  the 
way.  There  is  a  10-stamp  mill  in  operation  on  the  mine. 

UTICA. — The  Utica,  600  feet  long,  is  owned  in  San  Francisco.  There  was  a 
nine-stamp  mill  which  did  not  pay,  and  has  been  moved  away.  The  deepest 
workings  are  60  feet  from  the  surface. 

LIGHTNEII. — The  Lightner  mine,  400  feet  long,  owned  in  San  Francisco,  was 
worked  in  open  cut  for  three  or  four  years  to  a  depth  of  70  feet  with  a  10-stamp 
mill,  but  the  expenses  were  a  trifle  more  than  the  receipts,  and  so  the  mill  was 
moved  away  and  the  mine  left  idle.  If  wages  were  a  little  lower  this  mine 
would  pay,  for,  according  to  the  general  opinion  in  the  neighborhood,  there  is  a 
large  body  of  rock  that  will  yield  at  least  $4  or  $5  per  ton,  and  probably  $6  or  >•  s. 

ELLA. — The  Ella  mine  (known  also  by  the  names  of  the  Calaveras,  the 
Terrific,  and  the  Dcmorest)  is  seven  miles  northwest  of  Angels,  on  a  vein  which 
is  eight  feet  wide  and  crops  out  along  the  surface  for  800  or  1,000  feet.  The 
vein-stone  is  a  hard  ribbon  rock,  rich  in  sulphurets,  with  a  seam  of  barren 
•"  bastard  quartz"  in  the  middle.  The  ribbon  rock  yields  88  per  ton.  The  foot 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS  65 

wall  is  black  slate  and  the  hanging  wall  green-stone.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk 
110  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run  35  feet  on  the  vein.  The  mine  is  in 
a  deep  ravine  at  the  foot  of  Bear  mountain,  with  steep  hills  on  both  sides. 
There  is  a  10-stamp  mill,  but  both  mine  and  mill  are  now  standing  idle. 

At  this  mine  an  experiment  was  tried  of  roasting  the  rock  with  superheated 
steam.  A  furnace  was  built  20  feet  high  and  16  feet  in  diameter  externally, 
with  an  ore  chamber  seven  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  nine  feet  at  the  top, 
and  16  feet  high.  The  fire  boxes  were  on  the  sides  of  the  ore  chamber  near 
the  bottom,  and  over  the  grating  ran  a  steam  pipe  full  of  orifices,  through  which 
steam  could  escape.  The  rock  as  it  came  from  the  mine  was  thrown  into  this 
furnace,  and  was  roasted  from  40  to  70  hours  at  a  red  heat  with  a  steady  dis- 
charge of  superheated  steam  from  the  pipes.  The  heat  was  reduced  by 'shut- 
ting off  the  steam,  or  increased  by  letting  on  more.  The  expense  of  roasting  in 
this  method  was  $2  per  ton,  the  price  of  wood — the  only  fuel  used — being  $3  50 
per  cord.  The  sulphurets  were  completely  desulphurized  by  this  method,  and 
the  battery  crushed  twice  as  much  in  a  day  as  of  the  run  rock.  The  gold  in 
the  roasted  ore  amalgamated  readily,  but  the  quicksilver  was  lost.  The  experi- 
ment cost  $25,000,  and  was  regarded  as  a  failure. 

WEST  POINT. — West  Point  is  a  quartz  mining  town  between  the  middle 
and  the  north  fork  of  the  Mokelumne  river,  eastward  from  Mokelumne  Hill, 
from  which  it  is  12  miles  distant  in  a  direct  line,  and  16  miles  by  the  road. 
Its  elevation  is  about  2,800  feet  above  the  sea.  The  bed  rock  is  granite,  and 
the  limestone  belt  lies  three  miles  to  the  west.  Quartz  mining  is  conducted  here 
on  a  peculiar  system.  The  lodes  are  narrow  and  rich  in  sulphurets,  and  their 
wealth  is  confined  chiefly  to  pockets.  Mining  and  milling  are  separate  occupa- 
tions. One  set  of  men  get  quartz,  and  another  set  own  mills  and  do  custom- 
work.  The  "  pockety"  character  of  the  veins  renders  mining,  with  the  majority, 
a  very  irregular,  if  not  a  very  uncertain  business  ;  and  there  is  not  one  vein  in 
ten,  even  among  those  which  have  yielded  large  sums,  that  will  furnish  steady 
employment  to  a  mill.  The  custom  among  the  "  pocket"  miners  is  to  hunt  for 
pockets  near  the  surface,  and  when  they  have  found  one  they  clean  it  out  care- 
fully, going-  down  seldom  more  than  50  feet;  and  having  pounded  out  the  coarsest 
gold  in  a  hand  mortar,  and  sent  the  quartz  containing  the  finer  particles  to  a 
custom  mill,  they  leave  that  spot  and  hunt  for  another  pocket  near  the  surface. 
The  experience  of  those  who  have  gone  down  in  search  of  other  pockets  has  not 
been  encourging.  The  prospecter  lays  bare  as  much  of  the  surface  of  the  vein 
as  he  can,  and  goes  picking  along  in  search  of  a  visible  speck  of  gold,  and  having 
found  that,  he  makes  a  careful  search  for  a  pocket  in  the  neighborhood.  When 
these  pocket  miners  are  successful  they  get  a  good  lot  of  money  at  once,  and  many 
of  them  live  high  till  it  is  gone,  and  then  they  may  have  very  plain  meals  for  three, 
six,  or  nine  months,  before  they  come  on  another  treasure.  It  is  said,  however, 
that  they  have  more  money  to  spend  than  any  other  class  of  miners  in  Calaveras 
county.  There  are  some  mines  here  which  give  regular  employment  to  mills 
owned  by  the  same  proprietors,  but  pocket  mining  and  custom  milling  are  fol- 
lowed more  extensive  here  relatively  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  State.  There 
are  about  100  men  who  make  pocket  mining  their  only  business.  If  the  quartz 
does  not  yield  $15  per  ton  it  will  not  pay  them ;  and  they  can  tell  by  a  brief 
examination  within  a  dollar  or  two  of  the  "yield  per  ton.  When^they  have  found 
something  worthy  of  examination,  they  pound  up  a  fair  sample  in  a  hand  mortar 
and  boil  it  in  nitric  acid,  as  a  rude  mode  of  assay. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  West  Point  there  are  several  hundred  veins  that  have 
had  rich  pockets,  and  one  hill  400  feet  across  has  three  dozen  such  veins.  In 
many  of  them  the  gold  is  so  fine  that  none  of  it  can  be  obtained  in  a  hand  mortar. 
The  mining  laws  of  West  Point  give  200  feet  on  a  vein  to  a  claim,  and  require 
one  day's  work  every  month  to  hold  a  claim. 
5 


66  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

FISHER'S  MILL. — Fisher's  custom  mill,  one  mile  southeast  from  West  Point, 
has  been  running  11  years.  It  is  driven  by  water-power,  has  two  stamps  and 
two  arrastras,  charges  $7  per  ton  for  working  rock,  and  works  two  tons  per 
day,  with  the  services  of  one  man.  The  whole  establishment  cost  about  $2,000. 

HARRIS'S  MILL. — Harris's  custom  mill,  on  Sandy  gulch,  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
west  of  West  Point,  has  five  stamps,  four  Brevoort  pans,  and  three  patent  con- 
centrators, and  charges  $5  per  ton  for  working  rock.  This  mill  was  built  four 
or  five  years  ago,  and  has  been  running  almost  constantly. 

BELCHER'S  MILL. — The  Belcher  custom  mill,  a  mile  and  three-quarters  south- 
east of  West  Point,  has  eight  stamps,  but  does  not  run  regularly  because  of  the 
difficulty  of  getting  a  steady  supply  of  water. 

LACEY'S  MILL. — Lacey's  mill  has  five  stamps,  and  does  custom  work  only. 

SKULL  FLAT  MILL. — The  Skull  Flat  mill  is  two  miles  east  of  West  Point*  has 
ten  stamps,  goes  by  water,  amalgamates  in  the  mortar  and  in  copper-plates,  and 
uses  two  Hungerford's  concentrators,  but  does  nothing  as  yet  with  the  concen- 
trated tailings.  The  Skull  Flat  Company  owns  claims  on  six  or  seven  veins,  the 
widest  not  over  two  feet,  and  a  depth  of  100  feet  has  been  reached  in  several 
of  them.  The  veins  run  north  and  south,  and  the  rock  pays  $30  or  $35. 

CARLETON. — The  Carleton  mine,  a  mile  and  a  half  northwest  of  West  Point, 
is  on  a  vein  a  foot  wide.  There  are  two  arrastras  which  were  built  in  1866,  and 
crush  and  amalgamate  each  a  ton  per  day. 

VANCE  AND  MINA  RICA. — Vance's  mill,  five  miles  west  of  West  Point,  has 
eight  stamps,  and  is  standing  idle.  The  Mina  Rica  has  two  veins  two  feet  thick, 
with  very  hard  quartz,  and  much  water  in  the  lower  levels.  The  mill  has  10 
stamps  and  10  Baux's  pans.  The  power  is  steam.  Both  mine  and  mill  are 
standing  idle. 

MORRIS'S  MILL. — Morris's  mill,  near  West  Point,  has  two  arrastras  and  a 
roasting  furnace.  All  the  ore  is  roasted,  and  according  to  report  the  yield  is  $50 
per  ton,  whereas  without  roasting  it  yields  only  $3. 

MOSQUITO. — The  Mosquito  mine,  1,500  feet  long,  is  five  miles  west  of  West 
Point,  on  a  vein  five  feet  wide  in  slate.  A  large  quantity  of  rock,  yielding  $7 
per  ton,  was  obtained  near  the  surface  ;  and  now  a  tunnel  is  being  cut  to  open 
the  mine  to  a  considerable  depth.  The  mill  was  built  in  1857,  and  was  rebuilt 
in  1863.  It  has  15  stamps,  and  is  standing  idle. 

RAILROAD  FLAT  MILL. — The  Railroad  Flat  custom  mill,  13  miles  east  of 
Mokelumne  Hill,  has  10  stamps,  was  built  in  1866,  and  does  not  get  enough 
business  to  keep  it  running  constantly.  The  veins  in  the  vicinity  have  not 
been  well  opened. 

WOODHOUSE. — The  Woodhouse  mine,  5,000  feet  long,  is  between  the  forks  of 
the  Mokelumne  river,  1 4  J  miles  by  the  road,  eastward  from  Mokelumne  Hill.  The 
vein  is  four  feet  wide,  runs  north  and  south,  and  dips  to  the  west  at  an  angle  of  45°. 
The  walls  on  both  sides  are  granite,  and  there  is  a  white  clay  gouge,  which  is 
generally  found  on  the  foot  wall.  The  croppings  of  the  vein  show  for  two  or 
three  miles.  The  pay  quartz  is  white  near  the  surface,  and  at  greater  depth  is 
bluish  and  rich  in  sulphurets.  The  barren  quartz  is  white,  glassy,  and  coarse- 
grained. The  first  pay  chimney  is  found  1,800  feet  from  the  south  fork  of  the 
Mokelumne  river,  (which  is  the  boundary  of  the  claim,)  and  900  feet  above  its 
level  on  the  mountain  side.  This  chimney  is  150  feet  long  horizontally.  After 
an  interval  of  600  feet  another  chimney  is  found,  and  this  one  is  400  feet  long, 
beyond  which  the  lode  is  barren  for  200  feet,  and  then  it  splits  up  for  1,000  feet 
into  small  branches  less  than  a  foot  wide.  These  contain  good  pay,  and  one 
shaft  has  been  sunk  100  feet  to  work  them.  Beyond  this  place  the  vein  has  not 
been  prospected.  The  rock  from  the  different  chimneys  can  be  distinguished  by 
persons  familiar  with  the  mine.  All  the  rock  in  the  pay  chimneys  is  worked. 
The  vein  is  crossed  by  several  trap  dikes  which  are  nearly  vertical,  dipping 
slightly  to  the  south.  They  appear  to  bear  no  relation  to  the  position  of  the  pay 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  67 

chimneys ;  that  is,  the  appearance  of  a  dike  is  riot  considered  an  indication  of  the 
proximity  of  a  chimney.  Most  of  the  work  has  been  done  through  cross-tunnels 
which  strike  the  vein  200  or  300  feet  from  the  surface.  The  mine  has  a  15- 
stamp  mill,  which  has  crushed  14,000  tons  of  rock  arid  taken  out  $140,000.  After 
the  pulp  has  been  amalgamated  in  the  mortar  and  on  copper-plates,  it  is  concen- 
trated on  blankets,  and  the  blanket  washings  are  ground  and  amalgamated  in 
five  Brevoort  pans.  The  mill  is  driven  by  two  30-foot  overshot  water  wheels. 
There  is  a  considerable  quantity  of  loose  or  "  float"  rock  along  the  surface  of  the 
vein,  and  3,000  feet  of  11-inch  iron  pipe  are  to  be  obtained  for  the  purpose  of 
washing  this  float  rock  by  hydraulic  process.  Much  of  the  gold  in  the  rock  from 
the  lower  levels  is  lost  in  the  sulphurets,  and  an  agreement  has  been  made  for 
the  erection  of  a  revolving  furnace  to  roast  15  tons  in  24  hours,  at  a  cost  of  $3 
per  ton. 

HOLMES. — The  Holmes  mine,  1,600  feet  long,  south  of  the  Woodhouse  and 
adjoining  it,  was  opened  in  1866.  The  vein  is  eight  feet  wide,  and  has  been 
opened  by  tunnel  along  a  length  of  500  feet.  The  mine  has  a  10-stamp  mill. 
The  sulphurets  contain  from  $300  to  $1,300  per  ton. 

BOSTON. — The  Boston  mine  adjoins  the  Woodhouse  on  the  north,  and  was 
worked  by  an  eight-stamp  mill  in  1853,  but  did  not  pay.  The  mill  was  washed 
away  afterwards.  Some  Mexicans  are  now  at  work  on  the  mine,  with  two 
arrastras  driven  by  water.  They  obtain  their  rock  from  small  rich  chimneys. 

QUAIL  HILL. — Quail  Hill,  near  the  western  line  of  the  county,  has  a  large 
deposit  of  auriferous  talcose  slate,  containing  seams  of  quartz  and  copper  ore.  It 
is  not  a  well-defined  vein,  but  the  general  course  appears  to  be  northwest  and 
southeast,  and  the  dip  60°  to  the  northeast.  The  width  is  about  60  feet.  Much 
of  the  surface  has  been  washed  in  sluices,  which  paid  at  times  very  well.  The 
total  yield  in  sluices  was  not  less  than  $25,000,  and  besides  the  gold  150  tons 
of  good  copper  ore  were  obtained.  This  mine  is  the  property  of  a  San  Francisco 
company,  which  is  now  building  a  20-stamp  mill  and  constructing  a  ditch  11 
miles  long  from  Salt  Spring  reservoir.* 

*  Professor  Silliman,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  California  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences, 
said: 

In  the  search  for  ores  of  copper  which  occurred  in  California  in  what  is  now  known  as  the 
copper  belt  of  the  Lower  Sierras,  deposits  of  iron  rust,  as  they  were  called  by  the  miners, 
were  observed  at  numerous  points  far  below  the  range  of  the  main  gold  belt  of  the  Sierras. 
Several  of  these  ochraceous  deposits  had  been  previously  located  by  prospecting  miners  for 
gold  before  there  was  any  knowledge  or  suspicion  even  of  the  existence  of  ores  of  copper  in 
connection  with  them.  It  was  a  matter  of  common  observation  that  certain  gulches  or  water- 
courses in  the  neighborhood  of  these  rusty  deposits  were  rich  in  placer  gold,  having  been 
worked  for  gold  from  an  early  date.  The  search  for  copper  in  this  kind  of  deposit  was  not 
commercially  successful,  although  there  were  shipments  of  green  and  blue  carbonates  of 
copper,  rod  oxyd,and  metallic  copper,  to  a  limited  extent  from  both  the  localities  here  referred 
to,  (the  Harpending  mine  in  Placer  county,  and  the  Quail  Hill  in  Calaveras, )  the  metal  from 
which  was  known  to  contain  a  notable  value  of  gold  and  silver,  stated  to  be  about  $50  to  the 
ton  of  ore.  This  search  for  copper  has  however  opened  up  these  deposits' so  as  to  display 
their  character  in  a  conspicuous  manner. 

The  rocks  appear  to  have  been  originally  talcose  and  chloritic  schists,  sometimes  mica- 
ceous, enclosing  masses  of  argillite,  and  of  quartz,  which  appears  to  have  been  massive 
enough  at  certain  points  to  assume  the  character  of  a  vein,  and  parallel  to  the  stratification, 
which  has  the  usual  northwestern  strike  and  easterly  dip  of  the  region.  All  this  mass  of 
material,  which,  at  Quail  Hill  is  certainly  300  feet  wide,  and  possibly  twice  that,  and 
with  a  linear  extent  exceeding  1,000.  feet,  appears  to  have  been  very  highly  impregnated 
or  mineralized  by  sulphurets,  chiefly  of  iron,  with  a  portion  of  copper,  zinc,  and  lead. 
The  sulphurets  have  undergone  almost  total  decomposition  throughout  the  entire  mass, 
leaving  soft  ochraceous  deposits  of  a  rusty  red  and  yellow  color,  and  staining  the  rocks  with 
brilliant  color,  a  peculiarity  which  the  miners  have  characterized  by  the  name  of  "calico 
rocks."  This  decomposition  or  oxydation  of  the  sulphurets  has  extended  to  a  point  as  low 
as  atmospheric  influences  extend,  or  probably  to  a  point  where  water  is  permanently  found, 
which  at  Quail  Hill  is  assumed  to  be  about  170  feet  below  the  outcrop  of  the  mass.  Dikes 
of  porphyry  and  of  other  rocks  commonly  called  intrusive  are  seen  dividing  these  great  ore 
channels  in  a  direction  conformable  to  the  line  of  strike.  But  the  decomposition  whieh  has 


68  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

COLLIER. — The  Collier  claim,  one  mile  southeast  of  Quail  Hill,  is  similar  in 
character  to  the  preceding  mine,  and  has  been  worked  in  the  same  manner. 
The  total  yield  is  estimated  at  $10,000.  It  is  said  that  if  the  mill  at  Quail 
Hill  succeeds  one  will  be  built  here. 

affected  other  portions  of  the  ore  channel  appears  also  to  have  changed  them,  for  they  are 
found  to  be  reduced  completely  to  the  condition  of  kaolin  andlithromarge,  or  kindred  altera- 
tions of  feldspathic  rocks.  Tlie  outlines  of  the  feldspar  crystals  are  still  easily  distinguished, 
although  the  mass  of  the  dikes  is  completely  friable. 

In  another  paper  on  the  mine  Professor  Silliman  says  the  explorations  made  for  copper 
have  laid  open  the  deposit  sufficiently  to  disclose  clearly  its  true  nature,  extent,  and  almost 
incalculable  value  in  gold  and  silver.  It  is  an  ore  channel,  conformable  like  all  the  copper 
mines  of  the  region  to  the  line  of  strike  of  the  rocks,  not  less,  probably,  than  SCO  feet  in 
width,  and  perhaps  more  than  twice  that  width.  Its  eastern  wall  is  distinctly  seen  in  the 
open  cut,  as  shown  in  the  section,  dipping  easterly  about  70°.  The  western  wall  has 
never  been  seen,  but  is  certainly  pretty  far  down  the  slope,  on  the  western  side.  The 
contents  of  this  enormous  channel  of  ore-bearing  ground,  so  far  as  exposed,  are  entirely 
decomposed  by  chemical  agency,  so  that  they  offer  to  the  miner  and  geologist  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  cases  known. of  the  total  destruction  of  metallic  sulphurets  which  plainly 
once  filled  the  whole  chasm,  now  converted  into  gossans  or  oxides  of  iron  of  various  colors, 
and  carbonates  of  copper,  mingled  with  masses  of  spongy  and  white  quartz,  of  talcose  and 
chloritic  rocks,  rotten  porphyry,  heavy  spar,  &c.,  &c.,  all  so  completely  changed  and 
decayed  by  the  causes  alluded  to  that  the  entire  mass  yields  to  the  pick  and  shovel  in  any 
direction.  This  extreme  decay  of  the  original  contents  renders  the  study  of  the  mass  at  first 
a  little  difficult ;  no  sulphurets  of  any  kind  remain  visible  to  guide  the  eye,  but  in  their 
place  everywhere  the  results  of  their  decomposition. 

The  mass  is  evidently  a  gigantic  vein,  the  main  constituent  of  which  was  a  highly  sulnhu- 
retted  quartz,  holding  originally  iron  and  copper  pyrites  throughout  its  entire  mass  ;  these 
sulphurets,  and  the  quartz  itself,  being  very  uniformly  impregnated  at  all  parts  with  gold 
and  silver.  Examined  by  the  battea,  the  "pan,  or  the  horn  spoon,  no  part  of  the  contents  of 
this  great  ore  channel  fails  to  give  abundant  "prospects"  of  gold.  Even  the  dry  chcrty 
croppings  broken  from  all  parts  of  the  hill,  without  selection,  gave  an  ample  show  of  goJ!d. 
The  gulch  at  the  base  of  the  hill  has  always  yielded  good  washings,  and  does  so  still,  the 
source  of  which  is  from  the  ores  of  Quail  Hill.  I  found  the  gold  in  nearly  all  the  varieties 
of  mineral  contents  contained  in  the  hill,  showing  that  any  attempt  at  selection  would  be 
useless,  and  that  the  whole  of  the  mass  must  be  worked  as  it  runs,  except  certain  layers  of 
soft  Avhite  rock,  resembling  kaolin,  which  are  probably  too  poor  in  gold  to  pay  for  working. 

EXTENT  OF  EXPLORATIONS. — This  mass  has  been  opened  by  a  cut  driven  82  feet  into 
it,  beyond  the  line  of  the  east  wall,  by  an  incline  57  feet  long,  at  an  angle  of  38°,  and  by  a 
shaft  42  feet  below  the  cut,  sunk  in  pursuit  of  copper  ore.  The  shaft  in  the  open  cut 
explores  the  mass  over  80  feet  below  the  walls  of  the  cut  and  nearly  150  feet  below  the  crown 
of  the  hill.  Another  shaft,  sunk  100  feet  south  of  the  open  cut,  opens  the  deposit  to  a  total 
depth  of  90  feet  under  the  crown  of  the  hill.  Near  Gopher  Gulch  is  another  shaft  62  feet 
deep,  which  passes  into  the  unchanged  sulphurets  '25  feet,  it  i.s  said,  from  its  mouth,  (this 
shaft  has  water  in  it  now,)  or  about  170  feet  under  the  hill. 

The  position  of  all  these  openings  is  seen  on  the  map  ;  but  there  is  a  tunnel,  not  shown 
on  tho  map,  run  some  70  feet  into  the  hill,  on  the  west  side,  and  several  hundred  feet  (about 
950  feet)  beyond  the  western  limits  of  the  location,  in  which  the  entire  mass  of  the  hill  is 
still  seen  to  be  completely  decomposed  at  that  part  also,  the  tunnel  having  been  run  by  the 
pick  alone.  From  this  tunnel  I  obtained  spongy  quartz,  which  prospected  well  for  gold  ; 
but  this  point  is  very  far  west  of  the  supposed  productive  limits  of  the  deposit.  Numerous 
surface-pits  have  also  been  sunk  over  the  hill  in  various  places  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
averages,  from  all  of  which  gold  prospects  may  be  obtained  in  the  pan. 

VALUE  OF  THE  ORES. — I  collected  for  assay  and  practical  workings  careful  samples 
from — 

1.  The  whole  face  of  the  open  cut  on  both  sides  and  end. 

2.  The  incline  shatt. 

3.  The  south  shaft. 

#*##*#***#* 

I  give  here  only  the  general  results  and  averages,  viz : 

(1.)  The  average  from  the  three  places  named  above  was  by  working  tests : 

Gold $29  18 

Silver 5  91 

Total  value  per  ton  of  2,000  pounds 35  09 

By  assay,  value  per  ton  of  '2,000  pounds 50  17 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS  69 

BRTJS'HVILLE. — The  Austin  and  Hathaway  mine  at  Brushville,  half  a  mile 
south  of  the  Calaveras  river,  is  on  a  similar  deposit,  and  has  been  worked  down 
to  a  depth  of  30  feet.  The  owners  of  the  mine,  who  reside  in  San  Francisco 
are  erecting  a  20-stamp  steam  mill. 

PLYMOUTH. — The  Plymouth  mine,  2,000  feet  long,  at  Brushville,  is  on  a 
deposit  similar  to  that  at  Quail  Hill.  Mr.  Heusch,  a  mining  engineer  who 
examined  the  mine  in  18G5,  said : 

This  mineral  deposit  may  be  described  as  a  vein  or  belt  of  gold-bearing  quartz  imbedded 
in  a  soft  decomposed  talcose  rock,  the  whole  being  enclosed  between  two  nearly  perpendicu- 
lar walls  of  greenstone.  The  quartz,  of  which  there  is  a  lode  of  about  eight  feet  in  width, 

(2.)  Ten  (10)  small  samples  collected  at  various  points  in  the  open  cut,  with  a  view  to 

determine  where  the  ore  was  richer  or  poorer,  (the  details  of  which  are  appended,)  gave 

Gold $17  08 

Silver 5  82 

Total 22~9Q 

Assay  value  of  same 04  79 


(3.)  A  large  lot  of  2,843  pounds  of  ores  collected  some  time  since,  under  direction  of 
Messrs.  Attwood  and  Peachy,  were  carefully  worked  by  Mr.  Lewis  Bltmdiug,  giving  by 
working  tests  an  average  of — 

Gold.... $35  08 

Silver 14  38 


Total 49  46 

Assay  value 82  65 


(4.)  Averaging  these  three  independent  sets  of  returns,  as  we  have  for  the  general  aver- 
age— 

Gold $30  11 

Silver 8  68 

Averaging  total  working  tests 38  79 

Average  assay  value 52  51 


An  inspection  of  the  tabulated  results  given  in  detail  with  this  report  will  show  that  the 
silver  is  very  unequally  disposed,  being  found  in  greatest  quantity  in  the  incline  shaft  or 
near  its  mouth.  If  we  view  the  results  from  the  least  favorable  side,  even  accepting  the 
lowest  single  averages  as  those  most  likely  to  be  obtained  in  working  in  the  large  way,  it  is 
impossible  to  avoid  the  conclusion  that  the  whole  mass  of  the  ores  at  Quail  Hill,  so  far  as 
explored,  exceeds  the  average  gold  tenor  of  most  of  the  best  quartz  mines  of  the  State  of 
California. 

*######•¥#•** 

COST  AND  MODE  OF  TREATMENT.— At  Quail  Hill  the  water-power  is  sufficient  to  move 
100  stamps,  as  the  water  is  delivered  under  an  estimated  pressure  of  about  200  feet  hend. 
The  only  water  in  all  the  region  is  at  the  command  of  the  owners  of  Quail  Hill.  The  reser- 
voir has  a  present  area  of  over  650  acres,  and  the  right  of  fiowage,  by  the  terms  of  its  loca- 
tion, of  an  elevation  of  15  feet  more  than  its  present  height.  A  line  of  survey  is  now  being 
ran  for  a  ditch,  estimated  to  be  of  about  ten  (10)  miles  in  length,  to  convey  the  water  to 
Quail  Hill,  and  also  of  the  line  marking  the  area  of  flowage  at  an  elevation  15  feet  higher 
than  the  present.  This  reservoir  fills  the  valley  known  as  Salt  Spring  Valley. 

With  these  facilities  it  is  estimated  that  the  cost  of  treatment  of  the  Quail  Hill  ores  will 
not  exceed  70  to  80  cents  per  ton,  including  the  cost  of  extraction  and  delivery  at  mill. 
The  mode  of  treatment  is  based  on  the  condition  of  the  gold,  which  is  all  free,  viz : 
amalgamation  in  battery,  double  discharge ;  moderately  coarse  screens,  No.  2  or  No.  3 ; 
amalgamated  copper  aprons  and  riffles ;  large  settlers  to  collect  amalgam  and  mercury ;  an 
ample  flow  of  pure  water  to  aid  in  settling  the  residuum,  and  large  slime  pits  to  retain  the 
failings,  are  the  main  features.  As  experience  in  the  management  of  the  ores  teaches  us  better 
methods,  such  improvements  as  are  thus  warranted  may  gradually  be  introduced.  Blankets 
may  form  a  part  -of  the  system,  following  the  copper  inclines. 

I  would  not  advise  an  estimate  of  value  exceeding  $10  per  ton,  net  saving,  or  say  40 
and  50  per  cent,  of  the  demonstrated  value.  The  residue  is  not  lost,  and  the  ample  head 
and  flow  of  water  will  permit  the  company  at  any  future  time  to  set  up  A  pan  mill,  or  any 
other  approved  mode  of  working  over  the-  tailings,  provided  the  tailings  are  retaiaed  as 
herein  advised,  and  should  be  found  valuable. 


70  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

v 

occupies  the  western  part  of  the  vein,  while  the  remaining  space  is  filled  with  the  auriferous 
talcose  rock,  the  whole  forming  a  regular  channel  of  gold-bearing  matter  of  about  40  feet 
in  width,  many  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  doubtless  many  hundred  feet  in  depth.  It  is  in 
fact  n  wide  chasm,  running  through  a  hill  several  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  filled  with 
auriferous  quartz  and  other  gold-bearing  matter. 

Mr.  Henscli  estimated  that  there  were,  witliin  300  feet  of  the  surface,  in  a 
length  of  600  feet,  214,185  tons  of  auriferous  matter  that  would  yield  $10  gross 
and  $4  net  per  ton.  There  is  a  10-stamp  mill  on  the  mine,  and  it  began  to  run 
on  the  1st  of  September.  The  estimated  yield  is  $8  per  ton,  and  the  expense  $2. 

LAMPHEAR. — The  Lamphear  mine,  1,800  feet  long,  is  two  miles  southeast  @f 
Mokelnmne  Hill,  is  on  a  vein  which  is  four  feet  wide,  and  has  been  worked  to  a 
depth  of  45  feet  and  to  a  length  of  100  feet.  Six  hundred  tons  of  rock  have 
been  worked,  and  some  of  it  was  quite  rich.  There  is  an  eight-stamp  mill  on 
the  mine. 

CAD  WALL  ADER  MILL. — The  Cadwallader  mill  has  three  stamps,  was  built 
for  prospecting,  and  is  not  at  work. 

FRENCH  MILL. — The  French  mill,  at  Rich  gulch,  six  miles  east  of  Mokclumne 
Hill,  was  built  two  years  ago,  has  15  stamps,  and  is  standing  idle. 

McGrLYXJsrs  MILL. — McGlyim's  six-stamp  mill,  erected  at  San  Andreas  to  crush 
quartz,  is  being  moved  to  Irvine's  claim,  on  the  old  channel,  to  crush  cement. 

CHEROKEE. — The  Cherokee  mine,  1,700  feet  long,  west  of  Altaville  and  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  the  line  of  the  mother  lode,  was  discovered  by  some 
placer  miners,  who  washed  the  gravel  and  clay  from  the  surface  of  a  vein  of 
decomposed  quartz,  and  dug  up  the  carious  quartz  filled  with  auriferous  clay  and 
washed  that  too.  The  discoverers,  having  taken  out  $27,000,  sold  to  others, 
who  got  $9,000  and  then  leased  it  to  a  gentleman  who  obtained  $30,000 ;  and 
after  him  came  a  party  who  got  out  $25,000.  The  mine  is  now  owned  by  a 
citizen  of  San  Francisco,  who  has  a  16-stamp  mill  now  idle  on  it.  The  gold  is 
coarse  and  is  in  pockets,  and  most  of  the  rock  does  not  yield  more  than  $2  or  $3 
per  ton. 

SAN  DOMINGO. — At  San  Domingo  a  rich  auriferous  pocket  was  found  in  lime- 
stone, the  rock  yielding  $1,500  per  ton.  After  most  of  the  gold-bearing  quartz 
was  extracted  the  mine  was  sold  to  a  San  Francisco  company  for  $10,000.  They 
never  obtained  any  return  for  it. 

MURPHY'S. — At  Murphy's  a  similar  pocket  was  found  and  a  mill  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  $40,000.  Although  water  could  have  been  obtained  in  constant 
supply,  it  was  driven  by  steam.  The  rich  rock  was  soon  exhausted,  and  the 
mill  was  sold  and  removed. 

At  Murphy's  there  is  a  three-stamp  mill  now  running,  called  the  Valparaiso  mill. 

At  Cave  City  some  rich  rock  was  found,  and  a  mill  was  built,  but  it  has  since 
been  moved. 

At  El  Dorado  there  is  a  mill. 

CRISPIN. — The  Crispin  mine,  2,400  feet  in  length,  two  miles  west  of  Murphy's, 
is  on  a  vein  which  runs  east  and  west  and  dips  to  the  south  at  an  angle  of  80°. 
A  shaft  has  been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  100  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run  150  feet 
on  the  vein.  The  width  of  the  lode  is  six  feet,  but  the  pay  is  confined  near  the 
surface  to  a  very  narrow  seam  next  the  hanging  wall,  though  it  widens  as  it  goes 
down.  The  pay  chimney  is  only  30  feet  long  on  the  surface,  but  r.t  the  100-foot 
level  the  drifts  have  not  reached  the  end  in  either  direction.  The  walls  are  of 
slate,  with  a  gouge  of  auriferous  talcose  slate.  There  is  a  water-wheel  for 
pumping  and  hoisting,  but  no  mill.  A  custom  mill  crashed  225  tons  and  obtained 
an  average  of  $20  per  ton. 

A  quartz  lode  running  northwest  and  southeast  passes  through  Murphy's  aud 
Douglas  Flat,  and  has  been  struck  at  many  places  by  placer  miners.  At  the 
surface  it  consists  of  decomposed  quartz,  and  all  along  its  line  quartz  boulders 
are  found,  and  some  of  them  have  been  rich. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  71 

ISABEL. — The  Isabel  mine,  about  half  a  mile  westward  from  Vallecito,  yielded 
$50,000  in  a  single  pocket.  A  mill  was  erected,  but  as  it  did  not  pay  it  was 
moved  away,  and  the  mine  is  not  worked. 

CALAVERITAS. — The  Calaveritas  mill,  erected  about  10  years  ago  by  a 
French  company  at  a  cost  of  $110,000,  has  been  moved  away.  It  never  crushed 
a  pound  of  quartz  from  the  mine  which  it  was  built  to  work.  Before  it  was 
completed  the  pocket  supposed  to  represent  the  average  richness  of  the  vein  was 
exhausted,  and  as  no  auriferous  rock  could  be  found  afterwards,  the  mill  had 
nothing  to  do. 

ALBION. — The  Albion  mine,  in  Salt  Spring  valley,  three  miles  west  of  Copper- 
opolis,  has  been  worked  for  three  years  with  a  10-stamp  mill.  The  average  yield 
is  about  $6  per  ton,  leaving  very  little  profit.  The  gold  coins  $11  per  ounce. 

THORPE'S. — Thorpe's  mine,  600  feet  long,  six  miles  west  of  Angels,  is  on  a 
vein  which  runs  northwest  and  southeast,  and  is  similar  in  its  gangue  to  the 
Bovee  mine.  The  thickness  of  the  lode  is  three  feet,  and  the  yield  is  $10  per  ton. 
The  rock  is  crushed  and  amalgamated  by  two  arrastras,  driven  by  a  water-wheel 
24  feet  in  diameter. 

The  Ratcliffe  mine,  400  feet  long,  is  two  miles  southwest  of  Angels,  on  the 
Copperopolis  road.  The  vein  is  from  four  to  six  feet  wide,  and  the  rock  is  quartz 
mixed  with  talcose  slate.  This  mine  has  been  worked  at  intervals  for  three  or 
four  years,  but  steadily  for  18  months,  by  one  man,  who  throws  the  quartz  upon 
the  road,  where  it  is  ground  fine  by  the  heavy  wagons  passing  over  it,  and  then 
he  shovels  the  dust  into  his  sluice,  which  runs  along  the  road,  and  catches  the 
gold.  Thi3  is  the  only  lode  mine  worked  on  this  plan  in  the  State. 

CARPENTER. — Adjoining  the  Ratcliffe  mine  and  on  the  same  vein  is  the  Car- 
penter mine,  on  which  a  five-stamp  mill  was  erected  in  1855.  The  mill  was  moved 
to  Angels,  and  the  mine  is  now  lying  idle. 

PURNELL. — The  Purnell  mine,  600  feet,  adjoining  the  Carpenter,  has  been 
worked  for  five  or  six  years,  and  a  10-stamp  mill  is  now  going  up  on  it. 


SECTION    VI. 

AMADOR    COUNTY. 

Amador,  one  of  the  smallest  mining  counties  of  the  State,  and  also  one  of 
the  most  prosperous,  lies  between  the  Mokelumne  and  Cosumnes  rivers,  extending 
from  the  summit  of  the  Sierra  to  near  the  plain,  with  a  length  of  50  miles  and 
an  average  width  of  14.  It  owes  its  prosperity  chiefly  to  the  mother  lode,  which 
crosses  the  county  about  12  miles  from  the  western  boundary,  and  has  within 
three  miles  three  mines,  which  have  all  been  worked  continuously  for  15  years, 
have  probably  produced  not  less  than  $8,000,000,  and  form  the  most  remarkable 
cluster  of  quartz  mines  on  one  vein  in  the  State.  Twelve  miles  further  east, 
near  Volcano,  there  is  another  rich  quartz  mining  district,  which  has  some  pecu- 
liar features.  Otherwise,  the  county  has  not  much  wealth.  It  has  no  great 
thoroughfare  leading  across  the  mountains,  no  place  of  fashionable  summer 
resort,  no  productive  mines  of  copper,  no  extensive  hydraulic  claims,  few  rich 
surface  placers,  and  no  quarries  of  marble  or  deposits  of  plumbago. 

The  agriculture  of  the  county  is  prosperous  but  not  extensive.  The  farmers 
do  not  aim  to  do  more  than  supply  the  home  demand,  except  in  wine,  and  for 
that  there  is  no  regular  market  as  yet.  The  county  has  a  large  number  ol  vine- 
yards, and  they  are  cultivated  with  care.  Timber  is  abundant  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  county,  but  scanty  in  the  western. 

Near  the  eastern  boundary,  at  an  elevation  of  10,000  feet  above  the  sea,  is 
Silver  lake,  a  mile  long  and  a  half  mile  wide,  surrounded  by  beautiiul  scenery. 


72  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

It  will  probably  become  a  favorite  summer  resort  at  some  future  time,  when 
better  means  of  access  are  provided. 

A  road  following  up  the  main  divide  between  the  Cosumnes  and  Mokelumne 
rivers,  in  this  county,  leads  across  the  Sierra  Nevada  through  the  Carson  pass. 
It  was  made  at  considerable  expense,  but  there  is  not  much  travel  on  it. 

The  most  remarkable  topographical  feature  of  the  county  is  the  Jackson 
bntte,  which  rises  1,200  feet  above  the  adjacent  country,  five  miles  from  the  county 
seat.  In  form  it  is  a  regular  cone,  with  a  sharp  peak,  and  there  are  no  signs  that 
it  ever  had  a  crater,  although  it  has  often  been  spoken  of  as  an  extinct  volcano, 

Jackson  creek,  Sutter  creek,  Dry  creek,  and  Indian  creek,  which  drain  the 
county  between  the  rivers  that  serve  as  boundaries,  all  go  dry  in  the  spring. 
Water  is  supplied  by  28  ditches,  with  an  aggregate  length  of  433  miles  and  an 
aggregate  cost  of  $1,154,500.  The  only  large  ditches  are  the  Butte*  Amador, 
and  Volcano  ditches. 

The  county  debt  is  $100,000,  and  the  State  and  county  taxes  together  are 
$3  20  on  the  $100  of  assessed  value. 

Jackson,  the  county  seat,  formerly  had  rich  placers  in  its  neighborhood,  but 
now  depends  chiefly  upon  quartz.  Sutter  Creek  is  the  chief  town  and  business 
centre  of  the  county.  It  ranks  next  to  Grass  Valley  for  the  production  of  quartz 
gold.  Amador  and  Dry  town  are  other  towns  situated  on  or  near  the  mother 
lode.  Volcano,  the  only  placer  mining  town  in  the  county  now  producing  much 
gold,  is  on  the  lime  belt,  and  has  diggings  very  similar  to  those  of  Columbia  and 
Murphy's.  Butte  City,  which  depended  on  shallow  placers  and  was  once  popu- 
lous and  prosperous,  is  now  exhausted  and  abandoned.  Buena  Vista,  Forest 
Home,  Willow  Springs,  Slabtown,  Clinton,  and  Aqueduct  City  are  also  worked 
out.  Tiddletown  has  a  few  good  hydraulic  claims,  and  Lancha  Plana  several 
that  pay  a  little  more  than  expenses.  lone  City  is  surrounded  by  a  fertile 
farming  land,  and  there  are  more  than  1,000,000  vines  in  the  vicinity. 

The  quartz  mines  of  the  county,  as  a  class,  were  unprofitable  previous  to 
1858,  but  since  that  year  they  have  been  steadily  improving,  and  the  white  pop- 
ulation has  been  increasing.  It  is  estimated  by  county  officers  who  have  occa- 
sion to  make  close  observation,  that  1,000  Chinamen  have  left  the  county  this 
year. 

Several  high  ridges  or  divides  that  come  clown  from  the  Sierra  are  supposed 
to  consist  chiefly  of  gravel  with  rich  auriferous  strata  in  them,  but  there  is  no 
proof  of  the  correctness  of  this  theory  save  the  general  resemblance  of  these 
ridges  to  others  known  to  be  auriferous. 

VOLCANO. — The  town  of  Volcano,  situated  on  the  lime  belt,  12  miles  east- 
ward from  Jackson,  was  so  named  because  it  is  in  a  deep  basin,  and  the  first 
miners  at  the  place  supposed  they  were  in  an  extinct  crater.  This  supposition 
.has  not  been  accepted  as  correct  by  scientific  men  generally  who  have  visited 
the  place,  although  there  are  many  marks  of  volcanic  outflows  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  diggings  here  are  very  similar  to  those  of  Murphy's  and  Columbia 
on  the  lime  belt  further  south,  and  the  same  difficulties  of  drainage  have  been 
experienced. 

On  China  Hill,  south  of  Volcano,  are  the  following  hydraulic  claims  : 

Ross  &  Co.,  300  by  100  feet,  have  been  at  work  since  1855,  and  have  made 
$5  or  $6  per  clay.  During  the  last  three  years  three  men  have  been  employed. 
Their  claim  is  80  feet  deep. 

Goodrich  &  Co.  have  200  by  100  feet,  have  worked  for  12  years,  and  have 
not  found  very  good  pay.  The  claim  is  80  feet  deep,  and  will  last  four  or  five 
years.  There  are  two  men  at  work. 

Farrin  &  Co.  have  300  by  100  feet,  and  are  working  to  a  depth  of  20  feet, 
below  which  they  have  no  drainage,  and  must  hoist  their  dirt.  The  claim  has 
been  worked  at  intervals  for  13  years,  and  now  employs  three  men. 

The  Murphy  &  Co.  claim  is  300  by  100  feet  on  the  surface,  and  100  feet  deep, 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  73 

has  paid  from  $8  to  $12  per  day  to  the  hand  until  within  the  last  year,  and  lately 
has  not  paid  expenses.  t 

There  have  been  a  number  of  other  claims  on  China  Hill,  but  they  are  either 
abandoned  or  of  little  note. 

At  the  mouth  of  China  gulch  are  the  following  dump-box  claims : 

Foster  &  Co.  have  400  by  150  feet,  employ  six  or  seven  men,  and  have  been 
at  work  since  1853,  excepting  from  1858  till  1862,  when  they  were  idle,  waiting 
for  the  completion  of  the  open  cut  to  give  them  drainage.  In  1866  they  took 
out  $8,500  clear  of  expenses.  The  claim  will  last  three  years,  and  is  worked 
only  in  the  summer. 

Sullivan  &  Co.  have  200  by  150  feet,  commenced  work  in  1865,  and  have 
made  $3  or  $4  per  day  to  the  hand.  They  employ  four  men,  and  their  claim 
will  last  two  years. 

Armstrong  &  Co.  have  800  by  150  feet,  and  employ  five  men.  They  com- 
menced work  in  1852,  and  made  good  pay  till  1857,  when  work  was  stopped  for 
want  of  drainage.  In  1861  they  began  again,  and  did  well  till  1866,  in  which 
they  only  paid  expenses.  This  year  they  are  again  getting  good  pay.  The 
claim  will  last  seven  or  eight  years.  It  is  worked  only  in  the  summer. 

Ilayt  &  Co.  have  a  very  small  claim. 

On  Mahala  Flat,  Goodrich  and  Co.  have  a  hydraulic  claim,  200  by  100  feet. 
They  have  worked  since  1856,  and  have  made  wages  until  lately.  Two  men 
are  employed. 

On  Volcano  Flat  are  the  following  dump-box  claims,  which  are  worked  only 
in  summer : 

Terrill  &  Co.  have  400  by  100  feet,  and  employ  six  men.  The  claim  has 
been  worked  since  1861,  and  has  paid  very  well. 

Green  &  Co.  have  300  by  100  feet,  employ  five  men,  have  been  at  work  since 
1861,  and  have  made  good  pay. 

The  Italian  claim  has  been  worked  since  1865,  and  pays  well. 

Cerrelli  &  Co.  have  been  at  work  since  1865,  and  have  obtained  good  pay. 

Much  ground  now  occupied  for  gardening  purposes  in  Volcano  will  be  mined 
out  within  three  or  four  years. 

QUARTZ  REGULATIONS  OF  AMADOU. — In  Amador  county,  each  district  has 
its  own  mining  regulations  for  quartz,  as  well  as  for  placer  mining.  If  a  claim 
is  not  within  toe  limits  of  any  district,  it  may,  according  to  custom,  be  recorded 
in  the  nearest  district,  and  held  under  its  laws. 

In  the  Volcano  district  a  lode  claim  for  one  person  is  200  feet  on  the  vein,  and 
75  feet  on  each  side. 

In  the  Pinegrove  district  a  claim  for  one  person  is  300  feet,  and  100  feet  on 
each  side,  and  in  this,  as  in  the  Volcano  district,  one  day's  work  is  necessary  each 
month  to  hold  each  share. 

In  the  Volcano,  Pinogrove,  Clinton,  and  Jackson  districts  a  company's  claim, 
no  matter  how  large,  may  be  held  for  a  year  by  doing  work  to  the  amount  of  $500, 
posting  a  notice  on  the  claim,  and  filing  notice  with  the  recorder  that  such  work 
has  been  done. 

In  the  Jackson  district,  if  the  company  is  a  small  one,  it  may  do  work  to  the 
amount  of  $20  for  each  share,  and  this  will  hold  the  claim  for  a  year. 

There  are  no  pocket  veins  in  Amador  county  similar  to  those  at  West  Point, 
in  Calaveras  county,  or  at  Bald  mountain,  in  Tuolumne.  The  limestone  at 
Volcano  is  full  of  bunches  of  quartz,  but  they  are  not  large  enough  to  work,  and 
there  are  no  regular  veins. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Volcano,  most  of  the  quartz  veins  cut  across  the  slates  at 
an  angle  of  45°,  and  run  between  15  and  30°  east  of  north. 

Klvan  courses  are  abundant  in  the  limestone. 

QUARTZ  VEINS  ABOUT  VOLCANO. — The  quartz  lodes  in  the  vicinity  of  Volcano 
generally  run  northeast  and  southwest,  cut  across  the  slates,  contain  considerable 


74  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

portions  of  antimony,  arsenic,  lead,  and  zinc,  with  traces  of  tellurium,  and  are 
intersected  by  elvan  courses,  which  run  north  and  south,  and  dip  to  the  west  at  an 
angle  of  70°.  The  elvan  courses  are  usually  from  one  foot  to  four  feet  in  thickness, 
and  the  intervals  between  them  are  very  irregular.  Quartz  veins  crossed  by  elvan 
courses  are  usually  poor  near  the  intersections.  Those  lodes  which  run  with 
the  courses  are  very  spotted,  rich  in  some  places,  and  poor  in  others.  Where 
the  quartz  is  thick  in  these  veins,  it  is  richer  than  in  the  narrow  places.  Pockets 
and  coarse  gold  are  rare. 

MARLETTE. — The  following  mines  are  on  the  mother  lode  or  its  branches.  The 
Marlette,  800  feet  long  on  the  mother  lode,  near  the  Mokelumne  river,  is  reputed 
to  be  rich,  but  unprofitable  on  account  of  the  high  cost  of  working.  There  is  a 
10-stamp  mill  which  has  been  idle  a  year  and  a  half. 

CONEY. — The  Coney  mine,  800  feet  long,  is  half  a  mile  south  of  Jackson,  on 
a  vein  which  is  30  feet  west  of  the  main  mother  lode,  and  can  be  traced  for  10 
miles  by  its  croppings.  The  dip  in  this  mine  is  72°  to  the  northeast.  The  lode 
is  nine  feet  wide.  The  deepest  workings  are  200  feet  from  the  surface,  and  drifts 
have  been  run  300  feet  on  the  vein,  all  of  which,  s»  far  as  examined,  is  pay  rock. 
For  150  feet  from  the  surface  there  is  much  slate,  and  lower  down  the  vein-stone 
is  all  quartz.  Near  the  hanging  wall  is  found  ribbon  rock,  containing  some  free 
gold,  which  is  rare  elsewhere.  Five  per  cent,  of  the  vein  matter,  and  in  spots 
20  per  cent.,  is  sulphurets,  which  yields  $7  50  per  ton  of  unconcentrated 
rock,  and  $200  per  ton  of  clean  sulphurets.  The  free  gold  yields  $6  per  ton, 
so  the  total  yield  may  be  put  down  as  $13  50  per  ton.  The  mill  has  16 
stamps  in  four  batteries.  Hendy's  concentrator  and  sluices  are  used  in  concen- 
tration. It  was  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  working  this  mine  with  a  profit  to 
have  a  chlorination  establishment,  which  has  been  erected.  The  furnace  is  17 
feet  long,  12  feet  wide,  and  8  j  feet  high  outside,  with  a  smoke-stack  25  feet  high. 
There  are  two  reverberatory  hearths  one  over  the  other,  and  each  10  feet  square, 
with  a  capacity  to  hold  a  ton  and  a  half.  There  are  12,000  brick,  fifty  perch 
of  stone,  and  five  cubic  yards  of  soapstone  in  the  furnace,  which  it  is  supposed 
will  last  three  years.  A  charge  is  roasted  12  hours  in  each  hearth,  so  that  the 
furnace  has  a  capacity  to  roast  three  tons  in  24  hours.  The  total  cost  of  the 
establishment  was  $2,100,  and  the  cost  of  the  chlorination  is  estimated  at  $25  per 
ton  of  sulphurets.  A  cord  of  wood  costing  $4  is  consumed  in  roasting  three  tons. 

BLUE  JACKET. — Adjoining  the  Coney  on  the  north  is  the  Blue  Jacket  mine, 
1,000  feet  long.  The  shaft  is  down  100  feet  deep.  Only  $1  25  per  ton  of  free 
gold  has  been  obtained,  and  $100  per  ton  from  the  concentrated  sulphurets.  No 
work  is  being  done  now. 

TROWBRIDGE. — The  Trowbridge  adjoining  has  1,200  feet,  and  is  at  work, 
but  is  not  crushing.  The  Adams  mine  on  the  same  vein  is  not  crushing. 

OKEIDA. — The  Oneida  mine,  3,000  feet  long,  is  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of 
Jackson,  on  the  mother  lode.  The  course  there  is  nearly  north  and  south,  and 
the  dip  to  the  eastward  from  65°  to  80°.  The  main  shaft  is  500  feet  deep,  and 
drifts  have  been  run  about  600  feet  on  the  vein;  the  width  is  from  10  to  40  feet; 
the  foot-wall  is  slate,  and  the  hanging  wall  greenstone.  The  quartz  is  white 
and  blue,  with  some  ribbon  rock  which  contains  more  free  gold  than  is  found  in 
other  parts  of  the  vein.  There  is  a  black  putty  gouge  on  the  foot- wall.  There 
are  two  pay  chimneys,  which  dip  to  the  north,  and  all  the  rock  in  them  is  pay. 
The  quartz  within  six  or  eight  feet  of  the  hanging  wall  yields  $30  or  $40  per 
ton,  but  the  average  of  all  worked  is  $17  50  per  ton.  All  the  ore  heretofore 
worked  has  been  taken  from  one  pay  chimney,  which  is  300  feet  long,  horizon- 
tally, at  the  surface,  and  400  feet  long  at  a  depth  of  400  feet.  The  vein  pinches 
out  at  the  ends  of  the  pay  chimneys,  so  that  there  is  very  little  barren  rock.  The 
walls  are,  in  places,  as  smooth  as  glass.  The  mine  is  opened  so  that  there  is 
ore  enough  in  sight  to  supply  60  tons  per  day  for  five  years. 

The  mine  was  discovered  in  1851  by  a  hunter  who  chased  a  rabbit  to  some 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  75 

large  quartz  croppings,  in  which,  after  a  brief  examination,  he  found  rich  speci- 
mens of  gold.  Since  then  work  has  been  prosecuted  continuously  and  with 
almest  constant  profit.  Three  or  four  mills  were  built  successively  and  the 
mine  has  changed  hands  a  dozen  times.  Many  thousand  tons  of  quartz  have 
been  crushed  from  it,  but  there  is  no  record  of  its  early  yield.  In  ei^ht  months 
preceding  June  1,  1867,  $135,000  were  taken  from  7,710  tons,  at  an  "expense  of 
$5  per  ton,  leaving  $12  50  net  per  ton.  The  present  owners  have  not  had  pos- 
session long,  and  they  have  expended  much  in  opening  the  mine  and  puttino-  the 
mill  into  good  condition.  The  superintendent  says  that  if  the  proprietors&had 
not  had  a  considerable  sum  of  money  at  their  control  after  purchasing  the  mine, 
they  would  have  been  ruined,  since  without  the  repairs  and  the  new  shafts  and 
levels  they  could  have  got  nothing. 

The  mill  has  60  stamps,  and  is  driven  by  steam.  Amalgamation  begins  in 
the  battery,  and  continues  on  copper  aprons  below;  then  there  are  shaking- 
tables,  blankets,  copper  sluices  60  feet  long,  blankets  again,  and  sluices.  The 
screen  is  No.  4,  punched  in  slots.  One  per  cent,  of  the  ore  is  sulphurets,  which, 
when  concentrated,  yield  $200  to  the  ton. 

HAYWARD. — The  Hay  ward  mine,  one  of  the  most  valuable  gold  mines  of  Cali- 
fornia, is  1,800  feet  long,  and  includes  two  old  claims  known  as  the  Eureka  and 
the  Badger.  The  average  width  of  the  vein  is  12  feet,  and  the  dip  75°  to  the 
east.  All  the  rock  is  taken  out.  The  hanging  wall  is  of  hard  serpentine  j  the 
foot- wall  is  of  slate,  polished  smooth.  The  foot- wall  swells  so  that  the  mine 
closes  entirely  up  behind  the  workmen,  and  saves  the  trouble  of  leaving  pillars, 
and  prevents  any  apprehension  of  caving  in.  There  is  a  continuous  black  putty 
gouge.  There  is  only  one  pay  chimney,  and  that  is  500  feet  long,  horizontally, 
on  the  surface,  and  at  1,200  feet  below  the  surface  the  supposed  length  is  600 
feet.  The  walls  come  together  at  the  ends  of  the  pay  chimney,  which  dips  to 
the  north  at  an  angle  of  about  80°.  The  deepest  incline  is  1,230  feet  deep,  the 
greatest  depth  reached  in  the  mines  in  California.  The  surface  of  the  earth  at  Bai- 
ter creek  is  900  feet  above  the  sea ;  so  the  lowest  drifts  in  the  Hayward  claim  are 
300  feet  below  the  sea  level.  Work  was  commenced  in  1852,  and  has  been  con- 
tinued uninterruptedly  since.  A  10-stamp  mill  was  erected  on  the  Eureka  claim 
in  1852.  A  new  mill,  with  20  stamps,  was  erected  in  1856,  and  20  more  were 
added  the  next  year.  A  10-stamp  mill  was  built  on  the  Badger  or  southern 
claim  in  1854,  and  six  more  stamps  were  added  in  1857.  Mr.  Hayward,  the 
present  owner,  obtained  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Badger  in  1854,  purchased 
the  Eureka  in  1858,  and  became  sole  owner  of  the  Badger  in  1859,  thus  con- 
solidating the  two  claims.  There  are  three  shafts — the  southern  760  feet  deep, 
the  middle  960,  and  the  northern  1,230. 

At  the  level  of  760  feet  a  pillar  has  been  and  is  to  be  left  to  catch  the  water 
which  comes  from  the  surface.  About  45,000  gallons  were  hoisted  daily  in  buck- 
ets in  the  early  part  of  June — 25,000  from  the  southern  and  20,000  from  the 
northern  part  of  the  mine.  In  February  and  March  the  quantity  was  twice  as 
groat. 

There  are  two  mills  now,  with  56  stamps,  and  with  capacity  to  crush  80  tons 
per  day,  but  at  times  much  quartz  is  sent  to  custom  mills.  The  gold  is  nearly 
all  free,  and  the  amalgamation  is  effected  chiefly  in  the  mortar  and  on  copper 
aprons.  The  sulphurets  are  saved  in  sluices.  For  the  first  200  feet  the 
Badger  mine  did  not  pay,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  the  mill 
was  kept  going,  but  the  vein  appeared  to  be  getting  wider  and  the  quartz  richer, 
and  work  was  continued,  with  some  trust  from  the  laborers,  until  the  receipts 
exceeded  the  expends;  and  soon  after  the  two  claims  were  consolidated  the 
Hayward  took  a  leading  position  among  the  mines  of  the  State.  Within  500 
feet  of  the  surface  the  average  yield  did  not  exceed  $10  or  $11  per  ton,  and  now 
it  is,  according  to  report,  $27,  with  a  wide  vein  and  125,000  tons  of  ore  in  sight — 
enough  to  keep  the  two  mills  going  for  five  years.  The  proprietor  of  the  mine 


76  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

has  a  great  fear  of  being  suspected  of  seeking  publicity,  and  he  refuses  to  give 
information  about  the  details  of  his  receipts  or  expenses,  or  even  to  communi- 
cate his  experience  in  or  his  opinions  about  quartz  mining.  It  is,  therefore, 
necessary  to  rely  upon  the  statements  of  persons  not  connected  with  the  mine 
for  the  yield ;  and  they  say  the  total  yield  has  been  $6,000,000 ;  the  gross  yield 
last  year  per  ton  $27 ;  the  net  yield,  $22  per  ton ;  the  amount  of  rock  worked 
in  1866,  30,000  tons;  and  the  profit  of  that  year,  $660,000.  Much  rock  is  at 
times  sent  to  custom  mills  to  be  reduced.  The  quartz  in  sight,  it  is  estimated, 
will  yield  $3,375,000  gross,  and  $2,750,000  net. 

Sixty  miners  are  employed,  12  blacksmiths  and  engineers,  and  25  others  as 
feeders,  amalgamators,  teamsters,  &c.  The  miners  and  laborers  in  the  mill 
work  by  two  shifts,  a  day  shift  and  a  night  shift  of  10  hours  each ;  and  at  the 
end  of  each  week  the  shifts  change,  so  that  each  man  works  in  the  night-time 
one  week  and  in  the  day-time  the  next;.  The  rock  is  carried  from  the  mine  to 
the  mill  on  a  tramway. 

RAILROAD. — The  Railroad  mine,  800  feet  long,  has  been  worked  four  years, 
has  produced  $70,000,  and  has  had  much  rock  which  yielded  $15  per  ton.  A 
depth  of  340  feet  has  been  reached,  and  drifts  have  been  run  300  feet  on  the 
vein.  There  is  no  mill  connected  with  the  mine. 

LORING  HILL. — The  Loring  Hill,  700  feet  abreast  of  the  Railroad  mine,  on 
another  branch  of  the  mother  lode,  was  worked  for  ten  years,  paid  from  $5  to 
$12  per  ton,  and  has  been  idle  for  five  years.  Work  is  soon  to  be  resumed.  A 
depth  of  150  feet  was  reached. 

WILDMAN. — The  Wildman,  1,130  feet  long,  has  reached  a  depth  of  530  feet 
and  has  run  200  feet  on  the  vein.  There  is  a  12-stamp  mill,  which  is  busy  at 
custom  work. 

LINCOLN. — The  Lincoln  mine,  2,078  feet  long  on  the  mother  lode,  is  half  a 
mile  north  of  Sutter  creek.  The  course  of  the  vein  there  is  north  17°  west,  the 
dip  about  75°  to  the  eastward,  and  the  width  six  feet.  A  depth  of  669  feet  has 
been  reached  in  one  shaft  and  270  in  another ;  and  drifts  have  been  run  400  feet 
on  the  vein.  There  are  two  pay  chimneys,  one  150  and  the  other  250  feet  long. 
They  dip  slightly  to  the  north,  although  their  lines  are  irregular.  The  mine  has 
been  worked  since  1851,  with  the  exception  of  a  couple  of  years.  About  3,500 
tons  have  been  extracted  annually  while  the  mine  was  worked.  Work  was 
stopped  in  November,  1866,  and  is  to  be  resumed  next  year.  There  is  a  20- 
stamp  water-mill,  which  is  now  doing  custom  work  for  Hayward.  The  mill 
catches  90  per  cent,  of  its  gold  in  the  rnortar,  3  per  cent,  on  the  apron,  5  per 
cent,  on  the  shaking  table,  and  2  per  cent,  on  blankets. 

COMET. — The  Comet  mine,  on  the  mother  lode,  north  of  Sutter  creek,  is  750 
feet  long,  and  a  depth  of  145  feet  has  been  reached.  The  mine  is  now  being 
opened  to  a  greater  depth. 

HERBERTVILLE. — The  Herbertville  mine,  1,200  feet  long  on  the  mother  lode, 
a  mile  north  of  Sutter  creek,  was  worked  from  1851  till  1859,  but  never  was 
profitable,  though  some  good  quartz  was  found.  A  depth  of  600  feet  was 
reached.  There  was  a  30-stamp  mill,  which  was  burned  down. 

KEYSTONE. — The  Keystone  mine  includes  claims  on  two  distinct  lodes — 3,000 
feet  on  the  Keystone,  which  runs  north  48°  west,  and  dips  eastward  at  an  angle 
of  52° ;  and  840  feet  on  the  Geneva,  which  is  280  feet  east  of  the  Keystone, 
has  a  dip  of  64°,  and  a  width  varying  from  3  to  7  feet.  The  foot  wall  of  the 
Geneva  vein  is  slate,  and  the  hanging  wall  is  a  hard  greenstone.  The  average 
width  of  the  Keystone  is  10  feet.  Professor  Ashburner,  in  a  report  on  the  mine, 
says  uthe  wall  of  this  (Keystone)  vein  on  the  west  is  generally  hard,  well-de- 
fined, and  regular ;  on  the  east  it  is  softer,  and  frequently  incorporated  with  the 
quartz.  The  ground  in  many  places  is  loose,  and  the  vein  seems  to  have  been 
subjected  to  great  pressure,  crushing  the  quartz  to  powder."  There  are  many 
horses  of  hornblendic  slate  in  the  Keystone  vein,  on  which  vein  most  of  the  work 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  77 

is  now  being  done.  The  quartz  is  mixed  with  black  and  green  talcose  slate 
and  the  green  contains  good  pay.  The  Geneva  vein  contains  good  pay  rock', 
but  it  is  harder  than  the  Keystone.  It  is  calculated  that  the  two  veins  if  they 
maintain  their  present  dip,  will  unite  at  a  depth  of  1,800  feet.  The  deepest 
shaft  is  down  376  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run  450  feet,  in  pay  all  the  way. 
The  mine  was  opened  in  1851,  and  has  been  worked  continuously  since.  The 
total  quantity  of  rock  worked  has  been  44,000  tons ;  the  average  yield  per  ton 
$16 ;  the  total  yield,  $700,000.  The  croppings  were  rich.  The  present  mill 
has  twenty  stamps,  and  is  driven  by  steam.  Most  of  the  gold  is  caught  by 
amalgamation  in  the  mortar,  and  on  the  copper  apron  below  the  screen ;  next  to 
which  are  blankets,  and  the  tailings  from  them  are  ground  in  Hepburn  and 
Peterson  pans,  and  amalgamated  in  settlers  ;  and  the  pulp  is  concentrated  again 
for  sulphurets  in  Prater's  concentrater.  The  rock  contains  one  and  a  quarter 
per  cent,  of  sulphurets  which  are  gold.  The  present  average  yield  is  $16  per 
ton,  and  17,000  tons  have  been  worked  in  the  last  two  years.  The  yield  from 
December  8,  1865,  till  December  21,  1866,  was  $135,333  30;  the  dividends, 
$51,300 ;  the  amount  spent  in  building,  $34,000 ;  the  current  expenses, 
$50,033  30  ;  and  the  total  profits,  $85,300. 

SPRIXG  HILL. — On  another  branch  of  the  mother  lode,  abreast  of  the  Key- 
stone, is  the  Spring  Hill  mine,  1,200  feet  long,  which  has  been  worked  to  a 
depth  of  350  feet,  has  turned  out  50,000  tons  of  nock,  but  has  paid  little,  if  any- 
thing, beyond  expenses.  There  is  a  30-stamp  mill,  which  is  now  idle,  with 
the  exception  of  five  stamps  employed  on  custom  rock. 

AMADOU. — Adjoining  the  Spring  Hill  on  the  north  is  the  Amador,  which  is 
1,300  feet  long  and  was  worked  in  early  days  to  a  depth  of  240  feet. 

BUXKER  HILL. — The  Bunker  Hill,  1,200  feet  long,  has  been  at  work  since 
1854,  and  has  reached  a  depth  of  350  feet.  The  vein  is  six  feet  wide,  and  the 
rock  yields  $10  per  ton,  leaving  $3  profit.  There  are  several  faults  in  the  lode 
within  the  limits  of  this  claim.  The  mine  and  an  eight-stamp  mill  belonging  to 
it  are  the  property  of  gentlemen  residing  in  San  Francisco  and  in  Boston. 

HAZARD. — The  lla/ard  mine,  800  feet  long,  is  not  worked  now,  but  has  pro- 
duced 5,000  tons  of  rock,  some  of  which  yielded  $15  per  ton.  The  vein  is  throe 
feet  wide,  and  there  is  an  eight-stamp  mill. 

LOYAL. — The  Loyal,  600  feet,  has  a  20-stamp  mill,  and  both  mine  and  mill 
are  idle. 

ITALIAN. — The  Italian  mine,  340  feet  long,  has  a  six-stamp  mill,  and  has 
crushed  r2,000  tons  of  quartz,  but  is  now  idle,  and  has  been  for  two  years.  It 
paid  very  well  near  the  surface, 

SEA  TON. — The  Seaton  mine,  a  mile  and  a  quarter  east  of  Dry  Town,  is  1,200 
feet  long  on  the  mother  lode,  which  there  averages  30  feet  wide.  About  10,000 
tons  <»f  quart/  have  been  worked,  yielding  $9  per  ton,  and  leaving  a  small  profit. 
Then?  is  a  40-stamp  mill  which  has  a  40-foot  wheel  to  drive  it  when  water 
is  abundant,  and  a  60-horsc  power  steam-engine  for  other  times.  The  mill  is 
now  idle  waiting  for  the  further  opening  of  the  mine.  The  deepest  works  are 
500  feet  from  tile  surface.  The  mine  was  purchased  a  couple  of  years  since  by 
a  San  Francisco  company,  which  has  expended  $150,000  in  improvements. 

POTOSI. — The  Potosi  mine  is  800  feet  long,  has  been  worked  since  1852,  and 
has  a  good  pay  chimney  four  feet  wide.  There  is  a  16-stamp  mill  on  the  mine. 

\VI-:I;STKII.—  The  Webster  mine,  600  feet  long,  was  worked  for  a  long  time, 
but  the  rock  paid  only  $7  per  ton  leaving  no  profit,  so  the  mill  which  once 
belonged  to  the  mine  was  moved  away  and  work  was  stopped.  The  average 
width  of  the  vein  was  six  feet. 

PLYMOUTH. — The  Plymouth  mine  is  1,200  feet  long  on  the  main  mother  lode 
and  has  other  claims  on  branch  veins.  The  lode  is  twelve  feet  wide  there  on  an 
average,  and  the  rock  now  worked  yields  $8  per  ton,  at  a  depth  of  400  feet. 


78  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

The  quartz  obtained  within  300  feet  of  the  surface  paid  $15  per  ton.  There  is 
a  15-stamp  water-mill  driven  by  a  water-wheel  38  feet  in  diameter. 

ENTERPRISE. — The  Enterprise  mine  has  a  10-stamp  mill,  which  commenced 
to  run  in  the  spring  of  this  year. 

RICHMOND. — The  Richmond  mine,  1,200  feet  long,  is  being  prospected,  and 
its  10-stamp  mill  is  standing  idle. 

HEADER'S  SULPHURET  WORKS. — Header's  sulphuret  works,  a  mile  and  a  half 
east  of  Sutter  creek,  was  fitted  up  with  machinery  invented  by  Hr.  Ambler,  con- 
sisting of  a  sizer,  grinder,  concentrator  and  pan,  but  the  establishment  has  not 
been  successful.  The  grinder  is  constructed  somewhat  like  a  coffee-mill,  of  cast 
iron,  with  ridges  running  downward  on  a  cone  working  against  other  ridges 
running  in  a  contrary  direction  in  a  hollow  cone. 

ROSE. — Rose's  mill  has  eight  stamps,  and  was  formerly  occupied  as  the  sul- 
phuret  establishment  of  Hr.  Thoss.  It  was  standing  idle  in  June  for  repairs. 
The  mine  which  is  to  supply  it  with  quartz  had  been  opened  at  that  time  to  a 
deptli  of  150  feet  and  to  a  length  of  60  feet. 

WOLVERINE. — East  of  Jackson,  on  another  vein,  is  the  Wolverine  mine, 
1,000  feet.  It  was  opened  by  a  tunnel  100  feet  long,  and  500  tons  yielded 
$4  40  per  ton  of  free  gold.  No  work  is  being  done  now. 

KEARSING. — The  Kearsingmill  was  first  erected  at  Big  Bar  on  the  Hokelumne 
river  in  1855,  and  was  moved  in  1863  to  the  vicinity  of  Jackson  to  be  used  as 
a  custom  mill.  It  has  four  stamps  and  Ambler's  pan. 

HINCKLEY. — The  Hinckley  mine,  near  the  town  of  Jackson,  is  on  a  vein  not 
traced  elsewhere.  The  claim  is  600  feet  long,  and  it  has  been  opened  to  a  depth 
of  50  feet.  There  are  two  veins — one  from  three  to  seven  feet  in  width,  and  the 
other  pinches  out.  About  $15,000  have  been  taken  out  in  a  hand  mortar;  and 
some  rock  crushed  in  a  mill  yielded  $12  per  ton.  Huch  of  the  gold  is  black  or 
purplish,  offering  a  singular  contrast  to  the  white  quartz  in  which  it  is  found. 
The  vein  was  first  struck  in  digging  a  cellar,  and  the  gold-bearing  quartz  was 
in  June  still  visible  in  the  cellar  wall.  Some  of  the  gold  is  found  in  little  sheets 
or  leaves  rolled  up  or  tied  up  in  a  very  singular  and  unaccountable  manner. 

ATCHISON. — Atchison's  mill,  one  mile  north  of  Jackson,  built  in  1867,  has 
20  stamps,  and  is  employed  on  custom  work.  It  was  built  to  work  an  unopened 
mine,  but  after  opening  no  pay  was  found. 

TUBES. — Near  the  Atchison  mill  is  Tubbs'  mill,  which  was  moved,  in  1866, 
from  the  vicinity  of  San  Andreas.  It  is  idle  now,  waiting  for  the  opening  of  the 
mine  which  it  is  to  work. 

PAUGH. — Paugh's  mine,  1,000  feet  long,  is  seven  miles  east  of  Jackson.  The 
vein  has  not  been  found  beyond  the  limits  of  this  claim.  The  course  is  east- 
northeast  by  west-southwest,  with  a  dip  to  the  southeastward.  The  average 
thickness  is  seven  feet,  and  the  walls  are  slate  on  both  sides.  There  is  no  con- 
tinuous gouge,  but  such  as  there  is  is  yellow  in  color.  The  mine  has  been  worked 
for  two  years  and  a  half  and  a  depth  of  175  feet  has  been  reached.  Drifts  have 
been  run  on  the  vein  300  feet.  The  quartz  has  paid  from  the  beginning,  and 
the  average  yield  without  selection  is  $10  per  ton,  and  after  selection  $12  or  $15. 
The  richest  quartz  is  found  near  the  foot  wall.  The  gold  is  fine  and  there  is  no 
"  specimen  rock."  There  is  but  little  pyrites.  The  mill  has  10  stamps  driven 
by  steam,  and  was  built  in  1865.  The  pulp  is  amalgamated  in  the  battery  and 
in  copper  plates. 

UNION. — The  Union  or  Steen  mine,  a  mile  and  a  quarter  south  of  Pine  Grove, 
is  3,000  feet  long  on  a*  vein  which  is  eight  feet  thick  on  an  average,  and  runs 
northeast  and  southwest  with  a  dip  of  60°  to  the  southeast.  The  rock  is  a  blue 
ribbon  quartz,  richest  near  the  sides.  One  and  a  half  per  cent,  of  the  vein  matter 
is  sulphuret  of  iron,  lead,  zinc  and  antimony,  and  these  sulphurets  when  con- 
centrated assay  from  $200  to-  $6,000  per  ton.  About  600  tons  of  rock  have 
beon  worked,  giving  a  yield  of  $11  50  of  free  gold  per  ton  j  and  the  rock  heavily 


WEST    OF    THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  79 

charged  with  sulphurets  yielded  $4  50  in  the  battery  and  from  $22  to  $150  in 
the  pan.  The  vein  has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  197  feet  and  to  a  length  of 
130  feet.  There  is  a  nine-stamp*  steam  mill  built  in  1857.  The  proprietor  of 
this  mill  has  used  a  saturated  solution  of  cyanide  of  potassium,  bulk  for  bulk 
with  the  quicksilver,  and  found  a  gain  of  23  per  cent,  in  the  yield  of  the  gold. 
The  potassium  seems  to  loosen  the  sulphurets,  set  the  gold  free,  and  keep  the 
quicksilver  clean. 

TELLXIRUJM. — The  Tellurium  mine,  near  Pine  Grove,  owned  by  a  San  Fran- 
cisco company,  is  3,000  feet  long  on  a  vein  which  runs  north  40°  east,  dips  to 
the  east  at  an  angle  of  75°,  and  is  seven  feet  wide.  The  walls  are  of  slate,  hard 
on  the  east  and  soft  on  the  west.  The  quartz  is  bluish  in  color,  and  the  pay, 
which  is  one-third  of  the  vein,  near  one  wall  or  the  other,  skipping  from  side  to 
side,  is  charged  with  seven  per  cent,  of  blue  sulphurets  of  iron,  lead,  antimony 
and  arsenic.  The  superintendent  of  the  mine  says  it  contains  tellurium  in  con- 
siderable quantities,  but  others  say  the  proportion  of  that  metal  is  very  slight. 
There  are  two  pay  chimneys,  each  130  feet  long  horizontally.  A  cross  tunnel 
1,200  feet  long  strikes  the  vein  250  feet  from  the  surface,  and  drifts  have  been 
run  700  feet  on  the  vein,  or  on  its  supposed  course,  for  its  place  appears  to  be 
usurped  by  a  porphyritic  dike.  The  pay  rock  above  the  level  of  the  tunnel  has 
been  worked  out  and  the  drift  is  being  extended  in  the  hope  of  striking  another 
pay  chimney.  The  rock  yields  $25  per  ton  in  free  gold,  and  the  concentrated 
sulphurets  have  been  sold  at  $200  per  ton.  The  mill  was  built  two  years  ago> 
has  10  stamps,  and  amalgamates  in  a  mortar  and  on  copper  plates.  It  is  standing 
idle,  waiting  for  the  opening  of  a  new  body  of  pay  quartz.  The  superintendent 
of  this  mine  has  been  in  the  habit  of  making  large  assays  by  mixing  pulverized 
ore  with  10  per  cent,  of  sawdust  or  charcoal,  and  moulding  with  a  little  clay 
and  water  into  bricks  which,  after  drying,  arc  burned  with  the  assistance  of  very 
little  fuel  save  that  in  the  bricks.  He  considers  this  a  very  satisfactory  method 
of  burning  out  the  sulphurets,  and  thinks  there  are  some  ores  which  would  pay 
for  working  altogether  by  this  method. 

ANACONDA. — The  Anaconda  mine,  near  Pine  Grove,  is  900  feet  long  on  a 
vein  four  feet  wide.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  90  feet  and  drifts  have  been  run 
100  feet.  Some  of  the  rock  has  been  crushed  at  a  custom  mill  and  has  paid 
well.  The  mine  is  now  being  opened  to  a  greater  depth. 

THOSS. — The  sulphuret  mill  of  W.  H.  Thoss,  near  Pine  Grove,  is  the  only 
establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  State,  and  he  is  the  only  man  who  has  any 
repute  for  possessing  exclusively  any  valuable  metallurgical  secrets.  He  pays 
high  prices  for  sulphurets,  and  works  them  without  wasting,  and  in  a  few  instances 
he  has  worked  sulphurets  at  a  fixed  price  per  ton  or  on  shares.  Those  for  whom 
he  has  worked  speak  well  of  the  result  obtained,  and  the  general  impression  in 
the  neighborhood  is  favorable  to  his  claims.  He  says  that  his  process  is  valuable 
only  where  there  are  sulphurets;  that  he  can  extract  90  per  cent,  of  both  gold 
and  silver  at  a  total  expense  of  $6  per  ton ;  and  that  he  would  rather  have  new 
than  old  sulphurets.  In  the  chlorination  works  roasting  is  necessary  and  the 
silver  is  lost.  Among  those  who  speak  well  of  Mr.  Thoss  are  the  proprietors 
of  the  Sirocco  mine,  who  paid  him  $80  per  ton  for  working  sulphurets,  and 
returned  them  $220  per  ton.  The  mill  consists  of  a  crocodile  crusher  which 
reduces  the  rock  to  the  size  of  peas,  and  of  two  cast-iron  pans  10  feet  in  diameter, 
cast  in  sections  and  enclosed  in  wood.  These  pans  have  each  four  heavy  green- 
stone mullers  which  make  25  revolutions  per  minute.  The  pans  take  charges 
of  750  pounds  of  crushed  quartz  or  sulphurets  and  reduce  them  to  impalpable 
powder  in  five  or  six  hours.  From  the  pans  the  pulp  runs  into  a  lower  chamber 
into  which  nobody  but  the  proprietor  enters,  and  there  his  secret  process  of 
amalgamation  is  accomplished.  He  says  that  he  makes,  from  $10  to  $600  per 
ton  from  the  material  which  he  purchases,  and  that  the  supply  of  sulphurets 
offered  to  him  for  sale  is  five-fold  more  than  he  can  work.  He  does  not  enlarge 


80  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

his  establishment  because  it  would  be  necessary  to  communicate  his  secret  to. 
others,  and  he  is  unwilling  to  do  that. 

CRAFTS. — The  Crafts  mine,  1,800  feet  long,  is  supposed  to  be  on  the  same 
vein  with  the  Anaconda.  The  course  is  east-northeast  and  west-southwest,  and 
the  dip  60°  to  the  southeast.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  200  feet,  and  drifts  have 
been  run  125  feet  on  the  vein.  The  pay  chimney  dips  60°  to  the  northwestward. 
About  20  per  cent,  of  the  vein  matter  is  represented  to  be  sulphurets  of  iron, 
copper,  zinc,  and  tellurium.  There  is  no  mill,  and  little  work  has  been  done. 

GOLDEN  EAGLE. — The  Golden  Eagle  or  Vaughn  mine,  two  miles  and  a  half 
southwest  of  Volcano,  is  900  feet  long  on  a  vein  which  runs  north  and  south, 
crossing  the  slates,  and  is  three  feet  wide.  A  tunnel  has  been  run  375  feet  on 
the  vein,  arid  a  depth  of  170  feet  has  been  attained.  The  rock  yields  815  per 
ton,  and  the  total  production  has  been  $50,000.  The  mill  was  built  in  1858  and 
rebuilt  in  1865.  It  has  10  stamps,  and  is  driven  by  water.  The  mine  and  mill 
have  been  worked  together,  although  there  are  some  owners  on  the  mine  not 
interested  in  the  mill. 

BELDEN. — The  Belden  mine,  owned  by  the  California  Furnace  Company, 
near  Pine  Grove,  is  on  a  vein  which  averages  18  inches  in  thickness,  and  runs 
north-northwest.  The  shaft  is  down  250  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run  200  feet 
on  the  vein.  The  rock  is  rich,  but  it  pinches  out  in  places.  The  mine  has  been 
worked  for  10  years,  sometimes  at  a  profit,  and  sometimes  at  a  loss.  There  is 
a  five-stamp  mill  and  a  roasting  furnace  in  which  the  rock  was  roasted  as  it  came 
from  the  slopes. 

PIONEER. — The  Pioneer  mine,  three  miles  from  Volcano,  is  on  a  vein  18 
inches  wide  between  hard  granite  walls.  The  rock  is  rich  in  sulphurets  of  cop- 
per, arsenic,  and  antimony.  The  shaft  is  down  80  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run 
250  feet  on  the  vein.  The  rock  yielded  840  of  free  gold  near  the  surface,  but 
that  from  the  deeper  levels  did  not  pay,  the  precious  metal  escaping.  There  is 
a  five-stamp  mill,  which  is  standing  idle  with  the  mine  in  consequence  of  litiga- 
tion. 

MITCHELL. — The  Mitchell  mine,  1,200  feet  long,  is  on  a  vein  which  runs  north- 
east and  southwest,  and  is  12  feet  wide.  The  shaft  is  down  200  feet,  and 
drifts  have  been  run  100  feet  on  the  vein.  Some  of  the  rock  paid  860  to  the 
ton,  and  thousands  of  tons  have  been  worked.  The  mine  is  troubled  by  water, 
and  common  rumor  in  the  neighborhood  says  the  late  explorations  have  not  been 
in  the  pay  chimney.  There  is  a  20-stamp  mill,  which,  as  well  as  the  mine,  is 
standing  idle. 

GOLD  EX  GATE. — The  Golden  Gate,  two  miles  from  Volcano,  is  1,800  feet  long 
on  a  vein  three  feet  wide.  A  depth  of  220  feet  has  been  reached,  and  drifts  have 
been  run  350  feet  on  the  vein,  in  pay  chimneys  all  the  way.  About  2,800  tons 
have  been  worked,  and  rumof  in  the  neighborhood  says  the  yield  has  been 
$45,000,  or  $16  per  ton.  The  mine  is  being  opened  further,  but  a  10-stamp  mill 
belonging  to  the  mine  is  standing  idle. 

Smocco. — The  Sirocco  mine,  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Volcano,  is  2,500  feet 
long,  on  a  vein  which  is  four  feet  wide,  and  rums  north  and  south.  A  depth  of 
350  feet  has  been  reached,  and  drifts  have  run  700  feet  on  the  vein.  The  total 
number  of  tons  worked  has  been  9,000,  and  the  average  yield  of  free  gold  in 
1866  was  815.  Near  the  surface  some  of  the  rock  paid  880  per  ton.  The  vein 
grows  wider  and  the  pay  less  per  ton  in  proportion  to  the  distance  from  the  sur- 
face. Ten  per  cent,  of 'the  vein  matter  is  sulphurets,  which  yield  on  an  average 
$80  per  ton.  There  is  enough  ore  in  sight  to  keep  the  10-stamp  mill  busy  for 
two  years.  Before  1867,  the  sulphurets  were  sold  to  Mr.  Thoss ;  now  they  arc 
saved. 

KELLY. — The  Kelly  mine  has  one  claim  1,200  feet  long  and  another  1,500 
feet  long  on  two  veins*  which  intersect  each  other  5  one  running  north  30°  east, 

Both  are  intersected  by  a  little  vein  which  runs 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  81 

east  and  west,  and  though  small  is  full  of  metal.  A  depth  of  80  feet  Las 
been  reached,  and  drifts  have  been  run  150  feet.  The  rock  averaged  $14.  A 
mill  containing  two  stamps  and  two  arrastras  was  erected  in  1857,  lind  ran  four 
years,  but  has  since  been  idle,  and  so  has  the  mine. 


SECTION    VII. 

EL    DORADO    COUNTY. 

El  Dorado  county  lies  between  the  Cosumnes  and  the  Middle  fork  of  the 
American  river,  and  extends  from  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  State  to  near  the 
Sacramento  plain.  It  was  in  this  county  that  Marshall  made  his  discovery  of 
the  gold  on  the  19th  January,  1848;  and  El  Dorado  was  previous  to  1853  called 
the  Empire  county,  because  it  was  for  a  time  the  most  populous  in  the  State,  but 
it  is  now  surpassed  by  many  others. 

In  this  county  we  observe  various  features  not  found  in  Mariposa,  Tuolumne, 
Calaveras,  or  Amador. 

Granite  appears  as  the  bed  rock  on  the  western  border  of  the  mining  region. 

No  rich  quartz  veins  are  found  in  the  granite  at  an  elevation  of  2,500  feet  or 
more  above  the  sea. 

The  lime  belt,  which  is  distinctly  traceable  across  Tuolumne,  Calaveras,  and 
'Amador,  appears  at  Indian  Diggings  in  El  Dorado,  and  then  seems  to  be  lost. 

A  new  lime  belt  appears  very  distinctly  twelve  miles  west  of  the  main  belt. 
In  this  new  belt  is  the  beautiful  Alabaster  cave,  near  Centreville. 

El  Dorado  has  25  ditches,  with  a  total  length  of  821  miles,  constructed  at  a 
cost  of  $1,500,000.  Of  these  the  principal  are  the  South  Fork,  the  Pilot  Hill, 
and  the  Michigan  Flat  ditches. 

TOWNS. — Placerville,  the  county  seat,  50  miles  from  Sacramento,  on  the  bank 
of  Hangtown  creek,  has  some  hill  diggings  and  quartz,  and  is  the  most  pros- 
perous town  in  the  county.  The  principal  mining  towns  are  Georgetown,  14 
miles  north;  Coloma,  10  miles  northwest;  Diamond  Springs,  three  miles  west; 
El  Dorado,  or  Mud  Springs,  five  miles  west;  Grizzly  Flat,  20  miles  southeast; 
Indian  Diggings,  25  miles  southeast;  andKelsey,  seven  miles  north. 

SHINGLE  SPRINGS  RAILROAD. — El  Dorado  county  has  a  railroad  26  miles 
long,  extending  from  Folsum  to  Shingle  Springs.  It  was  commenced  with  the 
intention  of  extending  it  across  the  Sierra,  but  the  work  was  stopped  when 
the  road  reached  Shingle  Springs  in  1865,  and  there  is  no  probability  of  its 
resumption  soon.  The  terminus  of  the  road  is  1 1  miles  from  Placerville. 

PLACERVILLE  WAGON  HOAD. — The  Placerville  road  is  the  best  wagon  road 
across  the  Sierra  Nevada.  It  cost  $585,000,  and  as  now  travelled  from  Shingle 
Springs  to  Van  Syckles,  in  Carson  valley,  is  82  miles  long.  The  steepest  grade 
is  six 'degrees.  The  total  length  of  the  stretches  that  exceed  five  degrees  is  a 
mile  and  a  half;  there  are  live  miles  of  five  degrees,  10  miles  of  four  degrees, 
and  most  of  the  road  is  under  two  degrees,  with  a  very  regular  and  easy  ascent. 
In  1858  Sacramento  and  El  Dorado  counties  each  subscribed  $25,000  to  construct 
a  wagon  road  across  the  mountains ;  but  the  road  was  not  good  enough  for  the  pur- 
pose," and  in  1860  the  present  road  was  commenced  by  private  enterprise,  and  was 
finished  in  1863.  It  was  of  vast  service  to  the  State  and  to  Washoe  during  the 
silver  excitement,  and  was  for  a  time  very  profitable  to  the  owners.  Although 
other  routes  have  lower  passes  and  easier  grades,  no  other  can  compete  with  this 
for  the  ordinary  purposes  of  wagon  travel,  because  this  is  on  the  shortest  route 
between  Sacramento  and  Virginia  City,  is  an  excellent  road,  and  is  kept  in  fine 
condition.  In  1863  the  total  amount* of  tolls  taken  on  the  road  was  8190,000, 


82  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

and  the  expenses  were  $70,000 ;  in  1866  the  receipts  were  $65,000,  and  the 
expenses  $50,000.  The  road  is  watered  every  evening  along  its  whole  length 
by  water  carts,  which  are  stationed  at  intervals  of  three  miles.  This  is  found  to 
be  the  cheapest  method  of  keeping  the  road  in  good  condition,  for  if  it  were  left 
dry  it  would  have  deep  dust,  which  would  obstruct  the  wheels  and  blow  away, 
leaving  deep  ruts.  About  one-fourth  of  the  expense  in  keeping  the  road  in  order 
is  required  to  keep  the  snow  down.  Last  winter  snow  lay  for  nine  miles  on  the 
road,  and  10  span  of  horses  were  kept  for  the  special  purpose  of  breaking  it 
down.  There  was  a  station  in  the  middle  of  the  snow  belt,  and  whenever  it  began 
to  snow  a-  man  started  with  a  team  and  a  sled  in  each  direction  to  the  end  of  the 
snow  belt  and  then  drove  back;  then  took  another  team,  and  the 'horses  were 
kept  going  as  fast  as  they  could.  In  this  way  the  snow  was  packed  down  and 
the  road  was  made  hard  and  fit  for  travel.  It  would  be  useless  to  shovel  the 
snow  from  the  road,  which  would  immediately  drift  full.  The  toll  for  a  four- 
horse  wagon  from  Shingle  Springs  to  Van  Syckles  and  back  is  $17  50,  three- 
fourths  being  for  the  eastern  trip.  Most  of  the  freight,  however,  has  been  carried 
in  wagons  drawn  by  more  than  four  horses.  The  best  teams  have  10  mules  and 
two  wagons,  the  second  wagon  being  smaller  and  fastened  immediately  to  the 
first.  An  ordinary  load  for  such  a  team  is  20,000  pounds.  The  advantages  of 
having  two  wagons  instead  of  one  are  that  one  wagon,  unless  made  in  a  most 
unwieldy  manner,  would  not  be  strong  enough  to  support  the  weight  ;  that  the  two 
wagons  do  not  cut  up  the  road ;  that  if  there  is  a  mud-hole,  only  a  small  part  of 
the  weight  is  in  it  at  a  time ;  that  at  any  steep  pitch  in  the  road  the  wagons  can 
be  separated,  and  each  hauled  up  separately;  and  that  one  teamster  can  as 
easily  take  care  of  two  wagons  as  of  one.  The  cost  of  the  first  wagon  is  about 
$600*;  of  the  second,  $300;  and  of  good  mules,  $300;  making  $3,900  as  total 
cost,  exclusive  of  harness.  The  tolls  on  a  round  trip  from  Shingle  Springs  to 
Van  Syckles  are  $26  25 ;  and  the  total  necessary  outlay  on  a  trip  $240.  This 
is  the  most  extensive  toll  road  in  the  United  States. 

MISCELLANEOUS  RESOURCES. — A  considerable  part  of  the  marble  used  for 
tombstones  in  California  is  obtained  from  a  marble  quarry  at  Indian  Diggings. 
Stealite,  or  soapstone,  of  very  good  quality  is  obtained  from  a  quarry  near  Pla- 
cerville,  and  numerous  places  in  the  county  supply  a  chalk-like  silicate  of  lime 
that  is  used  in  San  Francisco  for  polishing  metals,  especially  silver-ware.  The 
county  has  85,000  acres  of  enclosed  land,  22,000  acres  under  cultivation,  1,164,000 
grape-vines,  91,000  apple  trees,  52,000  peach  trees,  saws  10,000,000  feet  of 
lumber  annually,  has  taxable  property  assessed  at  $3,500,000,  and  casts  5,000 
votes.  Agriculture  has  made  more  progress  in  this  than  in  any  other  mountain 
county,  perhaps  because  of  its  proximity  to  Nevada,  which  it  supplies  with  fresh 
and  canned  fruit,  with  wine,  and  with  many  kinds  of  vegetables.  *The  posses- 
sion of  the  Placerville  road  across  the  mountains  has  done  much  to  bring  business 
to  the  county.  The  Alabaster  cave  in  the  northwestern  comer,  and  Lake 'Taboo 
at  the  northeastern,  are  both  places  of  fashionable  resort. 

THE  BLUE  CHANNEL. — There  are  several  old  channels  in  El  Dorado  county, 
and  they  appear  to  belong  to  two  different  systems  of  drainage  and  periods  of 
existence.  They  may  be  distinguished  as  the  blue  and  the  gray,  according  to 
tho  color  of  the  cement  or  gravel  found  in  their  beds.  The  blue  is  prior  in  time, 
and  only  one  blue  channel  has  been  distinctly  traced  in  the  county.  It  runs 
from  the  northwest  to  the  southeast,  nearly  with  the  course  of  the  slates,  and  has 
been  found  at  White  Rock,  Smith's  Flat,  and  Tryagain  tunnel.  The  channel 
is  220  feet  wide,  and  250  feet  above  the  level  of  Weaver  creek.  The  rim  jock 
is  never  less  than  eight  feet  higher  than  tho  bottom  of  the  channel.  The  cement 
is  harder  and  more  brittle,  and  contains  more  quartz,  and  quartz  of  a  bluer  color, 
and  pebbles  smaller  and  more  uniform  in  size  than  the  gray  cement.  This 
channel,  with  its  well-defined  banks  and  a  deep  covering  of  lava,  formed  a  bed 
in  which  ran  a  subterranean  stream  of  water  that  broke  out  in  springs  on  the  hill- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  83 

side,  where  the  channel  was  cut  through  by  Weber  creek,  and  the  quantity 
of  water  was  sufficient  to  supply  Placervillc  when  it  had  4,000  inhabitants.  A 
tunnel  company  working  in  the  basin  of  Hangtown  creek  cut  a  tunnel  across 
this  old  channel,  and  the  stream  of  water  which  had  previously  run  down  to 
Weber  creek  then  ran  out  through  this  tunnel  into  Hangtown  creek.  The  tunnel 
company  sold  the  water  to  the  Placerville  Water  Company,  but  the  South  Fork 
Canal  Company,  which  had  previously  appropriated  the  water  of  Hangtown 
creek,  brought  suit  for  the  water  on  the  ground  that  Hangtown  creek  was  the 
natural  outlet  for  this  water,  and  that  they  owned  it  by  prior  right.  Professor 
Silliman  was  called  as  a  witness  by  the  defendants,  and  after  examination  he 
testified  that  the  waters  never  had  run  into  Hangtown  creek,  but  that  until  the 
tunnel  was  cut  their  only  escape  was  at  the  springs  on  the  bank  of  Weber  creek. 
The  plaintiffs,  after  seeing  the  testimony,  discontinued  the  suit.  This  is  the  only 
case  known  to  us  of  a  legal  investigation  into  the  character  of  an  ancient  aurifer- 
ous channel  in  California. 

GRAY  CHANNELS. — The  gray  cement  is  in  several  channels,  which  rise  20 
miles  or  further  east  of  Brockliss's  bridge,  and  runs  westward  across  the  blue 
channel  and  at  a  higher  level  in  the  divides  between  the  present  streams.  The  gray 
cement  is  from  20  to  50  feet  deep,  and  is  found  on  both  sides,  of  Hangtown  ereek, 
in  high  hills,  which  have  been  prospected  along  a  length  of  10  miles,  and  worked 
with  profit  in  many  places.  The  old  channels  were  cut  through  by  numerous 
ravines,  which  carried  the  gold  down  to  the  creek,  and  thus  made  the  bed  of 
that  stream  rich  as  it  was  in  early  days.  The  following  are  the  principal  claims 
on  the  Weber  divide,  south  of  Hangtown  creek,  commencing  at  Coon  Hollow,  on 
the  north  side,  and  going  eastward. 

CLAIMS  ON  WEBER  DIVIDE. — Aldersen  Brothers  Hydraulic  claim  has  been 
worked  12  years,  has  paid  largely,  and  employs  six  men.  The  claim  is  150  feet 
deep,  and  uses  200  inches  of  water. 

The  Phillips  and  Parker  claim  is  800  feet  long  by  300  wide,  and  80  deep.  It 
employs  three  men,  and  has  paid  well  at  times. 

The  Italian  claim,  1,000  feet  long,  was  worked  for  years  by  hydraulic  process, 
but  now  the  pay  dirt  is  brought  out  through  a  tunnel. 

The  Weber  claim  is  worked  as  a  drift  claim  in  the  summer,  when  water  is 
scarce,  and  as  a  hydraulic  claim  in  the  winter.  It  yields  large  pay. 

The  claim  of  the  San  Francisco  Cement  Gravel  Company  is  1,200  feet  long, 
running,  as  do  the  other  claims  along  here,  to  the  middle  of  the  Hill  Learsago. 
A  tunnel  was  run  800  feet  into  this  claim,  and  was  abandoned  because  the  gravel 
was  too  hard  to  wash  in  a  sluice.  The  company  are  now  about  to  pipe  away 
the  face  of  the  hill  preparatory  to  opening  and  retimbering  the  old  tunnel.  It 
is  the  expectation  of  the  company  to  erect  a  mill  to  crush  the  cement. 

In  the  Buckeye  claim  the  face  of  the  hill  is  being  piped  away  to  make  room 
for  a  cement  mill. 

On  the  Cox  claim,. Cox's  pan  is  being  tried  for  the  reduction  of  cement.  It 
is  a  cast-iron  pan,  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  18  inches  deep,  with  four  iron  arms 
projecting  on  a  level  with  the  top  of  the  pan  from  a  central  vertical  axis, 
and  from  eacli  arm  project  three  strong  wrought-iron  fingers,  reaching  down  to 
within  an  inch  of  the  bottom  of  the  pan.  In  the  bottom  are  a  number  of  holes, 
an  eighth  of  an  inch  wide,  and  half  an  inch  long,  through  which  holes  the  pulver- 
ized matter  escapes.  The  bottom  is  of  white  chilled  iron.  A  charge  of  1,200 
pounds  of  cement  is  thrown  in,  a  stream  of  five  inches  of  water  is  turned  on,  and 
the  arms  are  started,  making  20  or  30  revolutions  per  minute.  In  seven 
minutes  and  a  half  all  the  pebbles  and  boulders  are  washed  clean,  and  they 
are  discharged  through  a  gate  into  a  sluice  prepared  for  the  special  pirpose  of 
carrying  them  off.  There"  is  another  sluice  for  washing  the  fine  matter.  Charg- 
ing and  discharging  occupy  two  minutes  and  a  half,  but  the  discharging  gate  is 
to  be  enlarged,  so  that  the  discharge  will  not  occupy  more  than  a  quarter  of 


84  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

a  minute,  instead  of  two  minutes,  as  at  present.  By  this  pan  40  tons  can  be 
worked  in  12  hours,  more  than  would  be  done  by  a  15-stamp  mill,  and  the 
work  is  done  in  better  style,  because  the  pebbles  and  boulders  which  form 
from  50  to  75  per  cent,  of  the  cement  are  excluded  from  the  sluice  in  which 
the  gold  is  caught.  The  greater  the  quantity  of  base  matter  earned  through 
the  sluice,  the  greater  the  danger  of  the  loss  of  gold.  The  power  is  sup- 
plied by  a  hurdy-gurdy  wheel,  which  is  eight  feet  in  diameter,  four  inches  in 
thickness,  with  buckets  four  inches  deep,  and  nine  inches  apart.  The  power 
is  nominally  by  19  inches  of  water,  but  much  is  lost  through  leakage,  and  the 
proprietor  of  the  pan  asserts  that  he  does  not  use  more  than  12  inches  under 
a  head  of  260  feet.  The  wheel  is  made  by  bolting  together  two  layers  of  two- 
inch  plank,  laid  crosswise.  The  cost  of  the  wheel  was  $100,  and  of  the 
machinery,  including  pan,  gearing,  and  all,  less  than  $1,500.  The  cement  in 
this  claim  appears  to  be  nearly  as  hard  as  any  found  elsewhere. 

In  the  Italian  claim  a  tunnel  is  being  run  to  be  800  feet  long. 

The  Van  Dusen  claim  has  a  tunnel  800  feet  long,  and  is  standing  idle  because 
of  the  hardness  of  the  cement. 

The  Hardy  Brothers  have  a  hydraulic  claim,  which  has  been  worked  three 
years. 

McConnell  &  Co.  have  the'1  next  claim,  and  work  it  by  the  hydraulic  process. 

Stewart  and  Hall  have  crushed  their  cement  in  an  eight-stamp  mill,  which  is 
now  standing  idle. 

The  Scott  Brothers'  claim  is  1,000  feet  long,  was  opened  by  a  tunnel  in  1854, 
and  was  abandoned  because  of  the  hardness  of  the  cement.  Work  has  now  been 
resumed  in  the  expectation  of  erecting  a  mill. 

CLAIMS  ON  RESERVOIR  HILL. — North  of  Placerville,  on  the  north  side  of 
Reservoir  Hill,  commencing  at  the  west,  are  the  following  claims,  viz  : 

Hancock  and  Salter's  hydraulic  claim,  drained  by  a  tunnel,  and  open  cut  1,500 
feet  long,  has  been  worked  by  two  men  five  years,  employs  100  inches  of  water, 
and  pays  well. 

The  Friar  claim  has  yielded  $50,000,  but  after  leaving  the  surface  the  miners 
found  the  cement  so  hard  they  could  not  wash  it,  and  nothing  was  done  on  it 
for  years.  A  San  Francisco  company  is  now  at  work,  opening  it  by  a  tunnel,  to 
be  1,000  feet  long,  and  to  be  finished  in  two  years. 

The  Slide  claim  is  being  opened  by  a  tunnel,  to  be  several  hundred  feet  long. 
This  claim  never  yielded  much. 

The  Pioneer  claim  is  worked  by  drifting,  and  has  paid  very  high.  It  has  been 
worked  for  12  years. 

The  George  Barlow  claim  is  also  worked  by  drifting,  and  has  paid  well  at 
times. 

The  Live-oak  claim  is  worked  through  a  tunnel,  and  has  yielded  $50,000  or 
$60,000.  Under  this  claim  runs  the  blue  channel. 

The  Roanoko  claim  has  the  repute  of  having  been  one  of  the  richest  claims  on 
the  channel,  but  nothing  could  bo  ascertained  of  its  yield. 

On  the  south  side  of  Reservoir  Hill  are  the  following  claims,  viz : 

The  Trask  claim  is  worked  by  the  hydraulic  process  by  a  company  of  China- 
men with  very  little  profit. 

The  Oldfield  is  a  hydraulic  claim. 

The  Wolverine  was  worked  with  much  profit  in  early  days,  and  then  lay  idle 
for  a  long  time.  Work  has  lately  been  resumed  on  it.  It  seems  that  there  was 
a  slide  which  threw  the  pay  stratum  out  of  its  regular  position  in  this  claim. 

The  Ohio  has  a  tunnel  800  feet  long,  employs  five  men,  is  paying  well,  and 
has  been  worked  for  12  years. 

Crusen  &  Co.  have  a  claim  on  Wisconsin  flat,  and  are  trying  to  reach  the  Blue 
channel  through  a  tunnel  1,200  feet  long,  from  the  end  of  which  they  are  sinking 
a  shaft  to  be  80  feet  deep. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  85 

The  Granite  Company  are  running  a  tunnel  to  strike  the  Blue  channel,  and 
are  in  several  hundred  feet. 

The  Deep  Channel  Company  has  been  at  work  seven  or  eight  years.  The 
dirt  is  hoisted  through  an  incline  by  horse  power,  and  pays  $4  to  the  car  load. 
Most  of  their  cement  is  crushed  in  the  10-stamp  custom  mill  of  P.  M.  Taft. 

The  Blue  Lead  Company  employ  10  or  15  men  in  their  claim,  and  crush 
their  cement,  which  yields  about  $8  per  ton,  in  a  10-stamp  mill,  driven  by  30 
inches  of  water  over  a  wheel  45  feet  in  diameter. 

The  Buchanan,  Fremont,  Henry  Clay,  and  Hook  .and  Ladder  Companies, 
facing  Smith's  Flat  on  the  east,  have  had  some  very  rich  claims. 

Redd  &  Co.  have  a  five-stamp  custom  mill,  and  crush  cement  for  the  Hook  and 
Ladder  Company. 

SPANISH  HILL  CLAIMS.— On  Spanish  Hill,  east  of  Placerville,  are  the  follow- 
ing claims,  viz  : 

Hoxie's  claim,  which  is  now  exhausted.  It  paid  from  $10  to  $16  per  day  to 
the  hand  for  several  years. 

The  Stogy  Tunnel  claim  was  equally  rich,  and  is  worked  out. 

The  Bay  State  was  also  rich,  and  is  not  exhausted,  but  has  been  consolidated 
with  the  next  claim,  and  is  worked  by  hydraulic. 

The  Hook  and  Ladder  claim  has  a  crevice  175  feet,  and  a  tunnel  600  feet  long, 
running  to  the  bottom  of  the  crevice.  The  hill  is  to  be  washed  down  through 
the  tunnel. 

The  Golden  Gate  and  Duroc  claims  come  next,  and  have  been  consolidated. 
Two  auriferous  quartz  veins  are  found  in  the  slate  bed  rock  in  these  claims,  and 
it  is  supposed  that  some  of  the  gold  came  from  the  decomposition  of  the  slate. 

The  Hoxie,  Stogy,  Bay  State,  Hook  and  Ladder,  Golden  Gate,  and  Duroc 
claims  have  yielded  together  not  less  than  $20.0,000. 

INDIAN  DIGGINGS. — Indian  Diggings,. 25  miles  southeastward  from  Placer- 
ville, is  on  the  limestone  belt,  and  is  the  furthest  north  of  all  the  large  mining 
camps  on  that  belt.  No  solid  bed  rock  is  found  here.  It  is  supposed  that 
pay  gravel  is  found  200  feet  from  the  surface,  and  to  drain  the  diggings  to  that 
depth  would  require  a  tunnel  a  mile  long.  At  Slug  gulch  a  shaft  was  sunk 
down  through  what  appeared  to  be  solid  limestone  bed  rock  into  a  stratum  of 
limestone  boulders.  A  ditch  of  water  was  accidentally  turned  into  this  shaft, 
and  the  water  ran  there  for  several  days  without  any  accumulation  of  water  in 
the  shaft.  No  outlet  was  ever  discovered.  Brownsville,  at  the  side  of  the  Indian 
Diggings,  may  be  considered  part  of  the  same  place,  and  the  two  together  have 
about  20  acres  of  deep  diggings,  which  will  not  be  exhausted  for  many  years. 
Indian  Diggings  and  Brownsville,  unlike  Columbia  and  Volcano,  do  not  wash 
with  a  pipe  in  a  dump  box. 

The  Douglas  hydraulic  claim,  the  most  notable  claim  at  Brownsville,  is  180 
feet  square,  and  was  worked  for  10  years  previous  to  1866.  In  1856  and  1857 
it  yielded  $55,000,  and  since  the  latter  year  has  paid  little  over  expenses.  There 
has  been  no  work  of  late  for  lack  of  drainage.  An  open  cut  has  been  started 
to  drain  the  claim,  so  that  it  can  be  washed  20  feet  deeper;  700  feet  of  the  cut 
have  been  completed ;  there  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  still  to  be  done,  and  several 
years  may  elapse  before  it  is  finished. 

PLACERVILLE  MINING  REGULATIONS. — Each  district  in  this  county  has  its 
own  mining  regulations. 

The  mining  regulations  of  the  Placerville  district,  adopted  March  21,  1863, 
provide  that — 

Each  claimant  may  hold  200  feet  in  length  upon  a  ledge  or  lode  with  all  its  dips,  spurs 
and  angles,  and  250  feet  upon  each  side  thereof. 

Each  chiim  must  be  filed  for  record  within  five  days  of  posting  notice  thereof,  and  the 
notice  must  distinctly  specify  the  general  direction  of  the  claim,  ledge,  or  lode,  and  the  record 
made  accordingly. 


86  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Each  company  shall  be  required  to  expend  at  least  seven  days'  work  upon  the 
ledge  or  lode  held  by  them  for  and  in  every  month  of  the  time  said  claim  is  held ; 
otherwise  the  same  may  be  considered  as  abandoned. 

The  number  of  quartz  claims  on  record  is  186. 

Tho  following  are  copies  of  notices  entered  in  the  record  book  : 

Notice  is  hereby  given  that  we  the  undersigned  claim  1,000  feet  on  this  ledge,  commencing 
at  this  notice  and  running  in  a  northerly  direction  to  a  stake  and  pile  of  stones,  and  that  we 
intend  to  hold  and  work  the  same  according  to  the  laws  of  the  Placerville  mining  district. 
Said  claim  is  situated  in  H.  S.  Hulburd's  ranch,  in  Placerville.  May  23,  1867. 

[Signatures.] 

Notice  is  hereby  given  that  we  the  undersigned  claim  1,500  feet  each  way  from  this  notice, 
on  any  and  all  quartz  lodes  discovered  in  sinking  this  shaft.  July  18,  1866. 

[Signatures.] 

MUD  SPRINGS  MINING  REGULATIONS. — The  following  are  the  principal 
provisions  of  the  mining  regulations  of  the  El  Dorado  or  Mud  Springs  district, 
adopted  April  7,  1863  : 

No  person  shall  be  allowed  to  hold  more  than  300  feet  by  location  on  the  same  ledge,  but 
can  hold  600  feet  in  width  for  the  purpose  of  prospecting  and  defining  his  lead  or  ledge.  The 
discoverer  of  a  ledge  is  entitled  to  an  extra  claim. 

A  notice  upon  a  claim  to  be  valid  must  be  written  with  ink,  and  placed  upon 
a  board,  stake,  or  tree  in  as  conspicuous  a  place  as  possible,  and  upon,  or  as  near 
the  ledge  as  can  be.  Such  notice  must  state  the  number  of  feet  claimed,  describing 
as  accurately  as  possible  the  boundaries  thereof,  containing  all  the  names  of  the 
claimants  with  the  date  truly  affixed  ;  a  true  copy  of  which  must  be  recorded  by 
the  district  recorder  within  20  days  from  the  date  of  such  notice,  or  such  claim 
Bhall  be  considered  forfeited. 

Notice  upon  a  claim  holds  the  same  for  20  days  only.  Recording  the  notice 
of  a  claim  holds  the  same  for  90  days  only,  before  the  expiration  of  which  time 
labor  to  the  amount  of  $2  50  for  each  30*0  feet  in  the  claim  must  be  expended 
upon  the  claim  by  the  company,  which  will  hold  the  same  for  15  months  from 
the  date  of  record.  Non-compliance  with  the  provisions  of  this  article  by  any 
company  will  be  construed  as  an  abandonment  by  them  of  their  claim. 

In  case  of  dispute  between  parties  claiming  the  same  ledge  or  lead,  each  of 
tike  contending  parties  may  choose  an  arbitrator,  and  the  two  may  choose  a  third 
person,  who  shall  be  disinterested.  The  three  shall  constitute  a  board  of  arbi- 
trators, whose  decision  shall  be  final,  unless  notice  of  an  appeal  be  given  within 
ten  days  of  the  rendition  of  the  decision. 

There  is  no  provision  requiring  a  description  of  boundavies. 

TSie  number  of  elaims  on  record  is  40.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  one  of 
the  notices  recorded : 

DRY  CREEK,  April  1,  1863. 

Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  we  the  undersigned  claim  45  claims  on  this  lode, 
300  feet  each,  making  in  all  13,500  feet,  and  intend  prospecting  the  said  claims  for  coal,  cop- 
per, silver,  gold,  or  any  other  minerals  it  may  contain,  running  in  a  northerly  direction 
18,000  feet  and  southerly  500  feet,  with  all  its  dips,  angles,  and  spurs. 

[Forty-five  signatures.] 

GEORGETOWN  MINING  REGULATIONS. — The  following  are  a  portion  of  the 
quartz  regulations  of  the  Georgetown  mining  district,  adopted  December  10, 
1866: 

The  size  of  claims  to  each  person  locating  shall  be  200  feet  of  or  on  any  quartz  lode  or 
ledge,  including  all  dips,  spurs,  angles,  and  all  surface  ground  and  minerals  which  may  be 
contained  within  the  space  of  150  feet  on  each  side  of  said  ledge  or  vein  located;  but  no 
company's  claim  shall  exceed  3,000  feet  in  length  on  any  one  vein  or  ledge. 

The  discoverer  of  a  vein  or  lode  of  minerals  shall  be  entitled  to  one  claim  forhis  discovery. 

All  notices  of  claims  located,  whether  individual  or  company,  shall  describe  the  locality 
of  said  mine,  the  number  of  feet  claimed,  the  point  where  measurement  commences,  and 
name  the  lode  or  company  locating. 

Said  notice  shall  be  posted  on  the  lode,  and  shall  hold  the  claim  for  10  days  from  the  date 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  87 

thereof  w  ithout  record,  but  no  claim  shall  be  held  valid  without  record  after  the  expiration 
of  said  time  unless  labor  is  being  done  on  said  claim. 

All  notices  of  quartz  mining  claims  are  required  to  be  recorded  unless  labor  is  being  done 
on  the  claim,  by  a  recorder  elected  by  the  miners  of  Georgetown  quartz  mining  district. 

Said  district  recorder  shall  keep  a  book,  record  all  claims,  copy  the  notice,  and  give  the 
names  of  the  members  of  each  company. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  recorder  to  go  upon  the  ground  and  define  the  claim,  measuring 
and  staking  the  same,  and  he  shall  receive  for  such  service  the  sum  of  50  cents  for  each  name, 
and  if  not  required  to  perform  such  service,  to  receive  25  cents  only. 

Any  person  or  corporated  company  locating  a  mining  claim  within  this  district  shall  be 
required  to  have  expended  in  actual  labor  upon  each  and  every  claim  not  exceeding  1,200 
feet,  and  a  proportionate  amount  for  larger  or  smaller  claims,  the  sum  of  $50,  within  60  days 
from  the  date  of  the  record,  and  $150  within  six  months  from  the  date  of  record,  and  a  like 
amount  for  every  additional  six  months  until  the  sum  of  $500  shall  have  been  expended*. 

Whenever  the  sum  of  $500  shall  have  been  expended  in  prospecting  or  development  of  the 
mine,  whether  by  sinking  shafts,  running  tunnels,  cuts,  or  drifts,  whether  on  the  ledge  or  in 
the  direction  thereof,  designed  practically  to  develop  the  claim,  then  and  thereafter  for  the 
term  of  two  years  said  claim  shall  be  held  by  the  parties  peforming  the  labor  or  expending  the 
said  amount;  but  no  labor  being  performed  for  the  period  of  two  years,  the  said  claim  shall 
be  considered  abandoned  and  subject  to  relocation. 

REED. — The  Reed  mine,  2,000  feet  long,  is  three  miles  south  of  Placerville,  has 
a  greenstone  hanging  wall,  a  slate  foot  wall,  and  a  vein  18  feet  wide.  The 
quartz,  as  found  by  a  shaft  running  down  80  feet  prospects  well,  and  a  10-stamp 
mill  is  going  up. 

PACIFIC. — The  Pacific  mine,  1,800  feet  long,  is  on  the  same  lode,  and  is! 
within  the  limits  of  Placerville.  The  mine  was  opened  in  1852,  and  was  worked 
till  1862,  when  it  caved  in,  and  then  it  lay  idle  four  years.  Lately  a  Boston 
company  has  purchased  it  and  opened  the  main  shaft  to  a  depth  of  320  feet,  and 
found  some  good  quartz,  but  not  enough  to  commence  work  upon.  The  quartz 
is  a  ribbon  rock,  tinged  in  places  with  a  green  color.  The  total  yield  of  the 
mine  is  reported  to  have  been  $500,000,  and  the  annual  average  profit  for  seven 
or  tjiglit  years  $30,000.  The  new  shaft  was  started  120  feet  northeastward  of 
the  working  vein,  and  in  going  down  300  feet  four  veins  were  intersected,  each 
about  six  feet  thick,  all  containing  similar  quartz  and  all  widening  out  as  they 
go  down.  The  two  middle  veins  thus  far  reached  are  mixed  with  a  large  pro- 
portion of  talcose  slate,  and  appear  to  be  barren.  The  westernmost  of  the  four 
veins  has  produced  all  the  gold  of  the  Pacific  mine  in  a  depth  of  200  feet,  in  a 
pay  chimney  200  feet  long.  The  chimney  was  nearly  vertical,  but  dipped  slightly 
to  the  north.  A  20-stamp  mill,  erected  in  1853,  is  standing  idle. 

HARMON. — The  Harmon  mine,  1,400  feet  long,  just  north  of  Placerville,  is 
on  a  vein  which  is  100  yards  west  of  the  Pacific  lode,  and  is  30  feet  wide  m 
places,  though  the  average  is  not  over  four  or  five.  The  vein  stone  is  a  white 
quartz  with  seams  of  black  slate,  and  a  considerable  proportion  of  sulphurets  of 
iron  and  lead.  It  was  worked  with  arrastras  and  paid  high  j  and  then  a  15- 
stamp  mill  was  erected,  but  that  has  not  been  profitable  and  is  now  idle.  The 
reputed  cause  of  the  trouble  is  the  difficulty  of  reducing  the  undecomposed  sul- 
phurets found  below  the  water-line. 

SHEPARD. — The  Shepard  mine  is  1,200  feet  long,  on  a  vein  two  feet  wide, 
near  Placerville.  The  claim  was  opened  at  the  end  of  1866,  and  yielded  some 
rich  pockets  of  beautiful  foliated  gold.  The  specimens  extracted  were  worth 
$5,000.  The  mill  rock  from  its  appearance  must  have  contained  at  least  830 
per  ton.  The  vein  matter  was  much  of  it  an  ochrous  earth,  intersected  with 
seams  of  quartz.  The  rock  was  worked  through  a  crusher  and  two  arrastras 
driven  by  steam.  Much  of  the  vein  has  been  opened  by  open  cut  to  a  depth  of 
fifteen  feet. 

CLEOPATRA.— The  Cleopatra,  1,200  feet  long,  on  the  same  vein,  is  to  .be 
opened  to  a  depth  of  100  feet,  and  then  if  the  rock  prospects  well  a  mill  is  to  be 
erected  with  a  capacity  to  crush  20  tons  per  day  ;  the  contractor  to  receive  hall 
half  the  mine  for  opening  it  and  erecting  the  mill. 


88  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

WHITE  AND  BTJRDICK. — White  and  Burdick  own  two  claims,  one  of  2,000, 
the  other  of  1,800  feet,  on  the  same  vein.  The  claim  of  1,800  feet  has  been 
opened  to  a  depth  of  75  feet,  but  the  mine  caved  in  several  years  since  and  is  not 
well  reopened  yet.  Miners  have  been  working  at  it  since  last  year.  There  is 
a  10-stamp  mill,  which  was  built  in  1861. 

PERSEVERE. — The  Persevere  mine,  4,200  feet,  at  Poverty  Point,  near  Placer- 
ville,  is  on  a  vein  five  feet  wide.  A  depth  of  155  feet  has  been  reached  and  a 
drift  has  been  run  45  feet  on  the  vein.  No  mill  has  been  erected  yet. 

WHITE. — The  White  mine,  2,000  feet  long,  near  Placerville,  has  a  15-stamp 
mill,  which  is  idle.  A  new  shaft  is  now  being  sunk.  The  rock  is  rich  in  sul- 
phurets. 

MANNING. — The  Manning  mine,  five  miles  eastward  from  Placerville,  has  a 
vein  two  feet  wide,  a  shaft  180  feet  deep,  and  a  six-stamp  mill.  No  work  is 
being  done. 

ELLE  ELLEN. — The  Elle  Ellen,  2,000  feet  long,  is  half  a  mile  from  the  Man- 
ning, on  a  vein  which  runs  northwest  and  southeast,  is  nine  feet  wide,  and  dips 
to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  80°.  The  hanging  wall  is  hard  blue  slate,  and  the 
foot  wall  brown  slate.  There  is  a  tunnel  100  feet  long  run  on  the  vein.  There 
is  no  mill. 

EPPLET. — The  Eppley  mine,  1,200  feet  long,  two  miles  and  a  half  south  of 
Placerville,  has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  85  feet,  and  30  tons  of  rock  sent  to 
mill  have  yielded  $1,500,  or  $50  per  ton.  The  mine  is  to  be  opened  further,  and 
so  soon  as  enough  good  quartz  to  pay  for  a  mill  is  in  sight,  one  will  be  built. 

DAVIDSON. — The  Davidson  mine,  a  mile  and  a  quarter  northwest  of  Placer- 
ville, has  a  tunnel  350  feet  long  and  a  shaft  160  feet  deep.  The  quartz  pros- 
pects well,  but  none  has  been  worked  as  yet.  The  New  York  and  El  Dorade 
mill,  of  20  stamps,  has  been  purchased  to  be  erected  on  this  mine. 

MONTEZUMA. — The  Montezuma  Quartz  Mining  Company,  an  English  asso- 
ciation, own  claims  on  four  veins  seven  miles  south  of  El  Dorado,  and  are  working 
two  of  the  claims.  That  on  the  Montezuma  vein  is  1,900  feet  long;  has  been 
worked  since  1851,  and  has  yielded  $150,000.  The  lode  runs  north  and  south, 
is  three  feet  wide,  has  slate  walls  and  ribbon  quartz,  which  averages  $10  per  ton. 
There  is  a  black  clay  slate  gouge  on  the  hanging  wall.  A  depth  of  180  feet 
has  been  reached  and  drifts  have  been  run  180  feet  on  the  vein.  The  McDowell 
vein  is  seven  feet  wide,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  east  of  the  Montezuma  and 
parallel  with  it.  A  depth  of  25  feet  has  been  reached.  There  is  a  20-stamp 
mill,  made  to  run  either  by  steam  or  water.  The  Montezuma  Company  have 
invested  $100,000  in  the  property,  and  it  is  said  they  are  the  only  English  com- 
pany mining  for  gold  now  in  California. 

NEW  YORK  AND  EL  DORADO  MILL. — The  New  York  and  El  Dorado  mill  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,  five  miles  south  of  El  Dorado,  by  a  New  York  com- 
pany under  representations  that  they  possessed  a  splendid  mine  j  but  they  found 
nothing,  and  the  mill  has  been  sold  for  $2,500  to  be  moved  to  Davidson's  mine, 
a  mile  and  a  quarter  northwest  of  Placerville. 

HERMITAGE. — The  Hermitage  mine,  six  miles  south  of  El  Dorado,  at  Sugar 
Loaf,  is  on  a  pocket  vein  and  has  paid  irregularly,  yielding  $100,000  in  all. 
A  mill  was  erected  in  1852  and  taken  down,  and  a  second  mill  of  20  stamps 
was  erected  in  1866,  at  a  cost  of  $17,500,  by  a  Boston  company,  wkich  paid 
$38,000  for  the  mine.  The  vein  is  10  feet  wide,  and  a  depth  of  175  feet  has 
been  reached.  A  tunnel  is  being  run  to  intersect  the  shaft  at  a  distance  of  170 
feet.  It  is  said  that  there  is  a  large  quantity  of  pay  rock  in  sight  suitable  for 
milling,  but  most  of  the  gold  heretofore  obtained  has  been  taken  out  in  a  hand 
mortar.  The  mine  was  discovered  by  placer  miners,  who  followed  up  a  rich 
streak  of  gold  in  gravel  till  it  stopped  at  this  quartz  vein. 

UNION. — The  Union  lode  runs  north  10°  east,  dips  east  at  an  angle  of  80°, 
and  is  fr^m  3  to  12  feet  thick  in  slate  walls,  which,  according  to  Professor  Sil- 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS,  89 

liman,  who  made  a  report  on  the  mine,  is  striated  in  lines  dipping  to  the  south- 
east. The  quartz  is  soft,  fissile,  and  ferruginous.  The  stope  north  of  the  shaft 
yielded  15,000  tons,  from  which,  according  to  the  books  kept  at  the  mill,  $450,000 
were  obtained.  A  large  part  of  the  claim  is  unexplored,  and  its  value  is  merely 
conjectural  beyond  the  pay  chimney  at  the  shaft.  The  Cosumnes  lode  is  120 
feet  west  of  the  Union,  and  has  the  same  dip  and  general  course,  although  there 
are  some  bends  in  it.  It  is  three  or  four  feet  thick,  and  the  quartz  bears  a  stron^ 
resemblance  to  that  of  the  Princeton  mine.  The  walls  are  of  coal  black  shale, 
and  there  is  a  black  putty  gouge  on  the  eastern  wall.  This  vein  has  a  shaft 
120  feet  deep.  Some  of  the  croppings  were  very  rich  and  yielded  most  of 
$150,000  taken  out  by  the  mill  from  rock  that  did  not  come  from  the  Union  mine. 

WILDER. — The  Wilder  quartz  mine,  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  El  Dorado,  is  on 
a  vein  three  feet  wide,  containing  quartz  that  yields  $9  per  ton.  An  eight-stamp 
water-mill  has  been  running  two  years. 

POCAHONTAS. — The  Pocahontas  mine,  two  miles  south  of  El  Dorado,  has  a  vein 
four  feet  wide  and  a  pay  chimney  a  100  feet  long,  averaging  $15  per  ton.  There 
is  a  10-stamp  mill  which  has  been  at  work  one  year,  and  has  paid  for  itself 
and  for  all  the  work  done  in  opening  the  mine. 

UNION  CHURCH. — The  Union  Church  Gold  Mining  Company  have  claims  on 
three  veins,  three  miles  southeast  of  El  Dorado.  The  Union  claim  has  been 
worked  since  1852,  has  been  stoped  to  a  depth  of  160  feet,  and  has  yielded  a 
large  amount  of  gold.  There  is  water  in  this  claim  now,  and  it  is  being  taken 
out  preparatory  to  sinking.  The  Cosumnes  claim  is  now  being  worked,  and  the. 
rock  yields  $10  or  $12  per  ton. 

GRAY. — The  Gray  mine,  three  miles  east  of  Shingle  Springs,  is  a  rich  deposit 
of  decomposed  quartz  in  a  vein  five  feet  wide.  On  one  occasion  specimens  worth 
$10,000  were  taken  out  in  one  day.  A  depth  of  60  feet  has  been  reached. 
There  is  a  10-stamp  mill,  built  in  1865. 

BRYANT. — The  Bryant  mine,  two  miles  south  of  El  Dorado,  yielded  $20,000 
in  one  pocket,  which  was  emptied  in  three  days  in  1857.  Considerable  quantities 
of  quartz,  sent  to  a  mill  four  miles  off,  paid  well.  The  mill  ran  several  years, 
then  was  abandoned,  and  now  a  20-stamp  steam  mill  is  to  be  built.  A  depth 
of  150  feet  has  been  reached,  and  drifts  have  been  run  600  feet  on  the  vein. 

BEARD. — The  Beard  mine,  two  miles  south  of  El  Dorado,  has  yielded  $250,000, 
proving  very  profitable  at  times.  The  gold  was  deposited  chiefly  in  numerous 
little  chimneys  or  streaks,  which  the  miners  followed.  There  was  a  10-stamp 
mill  in  1860,  but  it  was  moved  away  to  the  State  of  Nevada. 

The  Jamison  mine,  at  Aumm  City,  has  been  worked  about  a  year  with  an 
arrastra. 

INDEPENDENCE. — The  Independence  mine,  1,200  feet  long,  at  Brownsville, 
is  on  a  vein  which  runs  cast  and  west,  is  three  and  a  half  feet  thick,  and  has 
granite  for  a  hanging  wall  and  "blue  trap,"  as  the  miners  call  it,  for  a  foot  wall. 
A  tunnel  has  been  run  400  feet  on  the  vein,  in  pay  all  the  way;  250  tons  have 
been  worked,  and  the  yield  has  been  $30  per  ton,  in  the  Tullock  eight-stamp 
mill,  rented  for  the  purpose.  The  Independence  mill  is  now  being  built  and 
is  to  have  10  stamps.  The  quartz  contains  a  large  proportion  of  rich  sulphurets. 

STILLWAGON. — The  Stillwagon  mine,  also  at  Brownsville,  is  on  a  vein  simi- 
lar to  that  of  the  Independence.  There  is  a  five-stamp  mill,  which,  with  the 
labor  of  six  men,  took  out  $4,600  in  May,  1867.  The  average  yield  is  $25 
per  ton. 

There  are  no  other  quartz  mines  regularly  at  work  at  Brownsville. 

SLIGER.— The  Sliger  mine,  400  feet  long,  is  four  miles  southwest  of  George- 
town, on  a  vein  four  feet  wide,  between  granite  on  the  west  and  slate  on ^ the 
east.     Five  thousand  dollars  were  taken  out  of  a  pocket  near  the  surface, 
mine  is  now  being  opened. 

GREENWOOD.— The  Greenwood  mine,£ve  miles  southwest  of  Georgetown, 


90  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

has  been  opened  by  a  cross-tunnel  400  feet  long.  A  15-stamp  mill  has  just  been 
erected,  but  work  is  not  yet  commenced  at  crushing. 

TAYLOR. — The  Taylor  mine,  3,000  feet  long,  is  two  and  a  half  miles  south  of 
Georgetown,  on  a  lode  that  runs  north-northwest  and  south-southeast,  and  is  two 
feet  wide  at  the  surface,  and  six  feet  at  a  depth  of  100  feet.  A  depth  of  107  feet 
has  been  reached  by  an  incline,  and  drifts  have  been  run  41  feet.  The  vein  is 
filled  with  seams  of  slate,  but  the  quartz  shows  free  gold  in  all  parts  of  the  mine. 
There  is  a  black  putty  gouge  two  feet  thick  in  places.  The  west  wall  is  bastard 
granite,  the  east  slate.  There  is  no  mill. 

ROSECRANS. — The  Rosecrans  mine,  900  feet  long,  adjoins  the  Taylor  on  the 
south.  The  shaft  is  down  40  feet ;  and  60  tons  crushed  at  a  custom  mill  yielded 
$12  on  an  average.  The  vein  has  been  uncovered  for  280  feet  along  the  surface, 
and  it  shows  gold  all  the  way. 

BLUE  LEAD. — The  Blue  Lead,  three  miles  south  of  Georgetown,  has  been 
opened  by  a  San  Francisco  company  to  a  depth  of  250  feet  and  to  considerable 
length.  The  quartz  is  mixed  with  blue  slate  and  shows  some  tine  specimens, 
but  has  not  paid.  A  very  fine  20-stamp  mill  has  been  erected,  and  about 
$250,000  have  been  invested  permanently  in  the  mine.  Work  has  ceased. 

COLLINS. — In  the  Collins  mine,  one  mile  south  of  Georgetown,  the  vein  has 
been  reached  170  feet  below  the  surface  by  a  tunnel  250  feet  long.  The  vein 
is  eight  feet  wide,  and  the  rock  in  sight  will  yield  $15  per  ton. 

ALPINE. — The  Alpine,  on  the  same  vein,  is  four  feet  wide,  is  working  with  an 
arrastra,  and  obtains  $12  per  ton.  The  quartz  is  extracted  through  a  tunnel  150 
feet  long.  The  Mount  Hope  Company,  of  San  Francisco,  own  a  claim  of  3,000 
feet  adjoining  the  Alpine.  The  vein  is  six  feet  wide,  but  is  split  up  considerably. 
The  shaft  is  61  feet  deep. 

The  Philadelphia  Slide  Company,  of  San  Francisco,  have  3,000  feet  on  a 
vein  half  a  mile  south  of  Georgetown,  and  have  levied  an  assessment  for  the  pur- 
pose of  erecting  hoisting  works. 

The  Clipper  mine,  two  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Georgetown,  is  5,000  feet 
long,  on  a  vein  two  and  a  half  feet  wide,  running  north  and  south  between  a 
granite  foot  wall  and  a  slate  hanging  wall.  The  deepest  workings  are  80  feet 
from  the  surface.  About  700  tons  of  quartz  have  been  crushed,  and  the  yield 
was  $15  per  ton.  There  is  a  stamp  mill  which  is  not  running. 

WOODSIDE. — The  Woodside  mine  in  Georgetown  is  1,200  feet  long,  on  a 
vertical  vein,  which  is  two  feet  wide  and  runs  northeast  and  southwest  between 
slate  walls.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  110  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run  40  feet 
on  the  vein.  The  average  yield  has  been  $30  per  ton  for  mill  rock,  exclusive 
of  specimens  worth  $12,000.  On  one  occasion  a  mass  of  rock  was  found  so 
tied  together  with  seams  of  gold  running  through  it  that  a  cold  chisel  had  to  be 
used  to  cut  it.  The  pay  chimney  dips  to  the  northeast.  There  is  a  five-stamp 
mill  driven  by  water  power,  but  it  has  had  little  to  do  lately,  the  mine  having 
been  filled  with  water  last  winter.  The  lode  is  rich  in  sulphurets,  and  has  pecu- 
liar sheets  of  sulphurets  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  with  transverse  crys- 
tals running  from  side  to  side.  Mr.  Woodside  is  the  inventor  of  a  concentrator 
which  he  uses  in  his  mill.  It  consists  of  a  sheet  of  India-rubber  cloth,  22 
inches  wide  and  about  eight  feet  long,  sewed  together  at  the  ends  and  stretched 
over  two  wooden  rollers  four  inches  in  diameter  and  three  feet  apart.  The 
rollers  are  placed  on  a  frame  horizontally,  one  three  inches  higher  than  the 
other.  The  rollers  turn  so  that  the  cloth  makes  three  complete  revolutions  in  a 
minute.  A  water  pipe  perf orated  with  little  holes  passes  above  the  cloth  near 
the  upper  roller  and  discharges  a  number  of  little  streams,  wyhich  wash  away  the 
light  sands  and  leave  the  heavy  sulphurets  to  be  carried  up  over  the  upper  roller, 
and  after  passing  that  they  drop  down  into  a  box  beneath.  The  concentrator 
has  been  used  in  this  mill  for  a  year  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  inventor,  but  nobody 
else  Las  adopted  it.  The  mine  was  discovered  by  the  gentleman  whose  name  it 


WEST    OP    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  91 

bears.  He  picked  up  a  piece  of  auriferous  quartz  in  a  little  ravine,  and  then 
sought,  for  croppings,  and  when  he  prized  up  a  piece  of  rusty  rock  that  peeped 
out  of  the  ground,  lie  found  the  under  side  of  it  speckled  with  gold.  He  imme- 
diately commenced  work,  and  the  mine  paid  its  way  from  the  surface  to  its 
present  depth. 

JAMES'S  MILL. — James's  custom  mill,  with  five  stamps,  eight  miles  south  of 
Georgetown,  is  standing  idle. 

EUREKA. — The  Eureka  mine,  on  the  same  vein,  north  of  the  Woodside,  is 
900  feet  long,  and  has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  130  feet.  There  is  a  steam 
hoisting  establishment,  but  no  mill,  on  the  mine. 

GEORGIA  SLIDE. — Georgia  Slide,  one  mile  north  of  Georgetown,  is  a  mining 
camp  on  a  hillside,  whore,  under  rich  placers,  are  found  a  multitude  of  small 
seams  of  decomposed  auriferous  quartz.  Three  companies  are  sluicing;  one  is 
working  with  a  seven-stamp  mill  and  another  is  putting  up  an  arrastra.  The 
hillside  has  yielded  an  immense  quantity  of  gold. 

MOSQUITO. — The  Mosquito  mine,  eight  miles  east  of  Kelsey's,  is  in  granite. 
A  mill  built  in  1866  had  its  roof  broken  in  by  the  weight  of  snow  last  winter. 

PLYMOUTH. — The  Plymouth  mine,  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Kelsey's,  is  on 
a  vein  very  irregular  in  width,  but  averaging  seven  feet.  The  rock  averages 
$18  per  ton;  but  15  tons,  selected  carefully  from  700  tons,  yielded  $8,000.  I'he 
quartz  contains  eight  per  cent,  of  sulphurets. 

GOPHER. — The  Gopher  mine,  a  mile  west  of  Kelsey's,  has  three  veins,  with 
an  aggregate  thickness  of  eighteen  fe,et.  Most  of  the  pay  is  in  the  western  vein. 
The  rock  is  a  ribbon  quartz,  rich  in  sulphurets,  and  there  are  slate  walls  on  both 
sides.  A  depth  of  100  feet  was  reached,  but  the  old  works  have  caved  in,  and 
the  mine  has  not  been  reopened.  In  1858  the  mine  yielded  $15,600.  There 
was  a  mill,  which  has  been  moved  to  Washoe. 

LAST  CHANCE. — The  Last  Chance  mine,  800  feet  long,  is  opposite  Coloma, 
on  the  north  side  of  the  south  fork  of  the  American  river.  The  vein  runs  north 
and  south,  dips  to  the  west  at  an  angle  of  50°,  and  varies  in  width  from  2  to 
12  feet.  The  eastern  wall  is  greenstone,  and  the  western  granite;  but  on  the 
western  side,  for  a  depth  of  400  feet  on  the  hillside,  there  was  no  wall — only 
a  bed  of  gravel,  which  has  been  sluiced  away,  leaving  the  quartz  exposed,  so 
that  an  immense  quantity  of  rock  can  be  obtained  without  using  either  shaft  or 
tunnel.  Two  men  can  take  out  20  tons  in  a  day  ready  for  the  mill.  Both 
free  gold  and  sulphurets  are  abundant,  but  some  selection  is  necessary.  The 
total  yield,  as  reported  by  one  of  the  owners,  has  been  $60,000,  though  rumor 
among  outsiders  says  it  has  been  $200,000.  One  lot  of  500  tons  of  quartz  paid 
only  $2  per  ton;  then  30  tons  yielded  $250  per  ton;  and  five  tons  of  the  best 
yielded  $40,000.  There  is  a  10-stamp  mill,  with  a  Joinville  turbine,  driven  by 
60  inches  of  water  under  70  feet  of  head.  Amalgamation  is  effected  in  the  mor- 
tar and  on  copper  plates ;  the  tailings  are  concentrated  on  blankets,  and  the 
blanket  washings  are  worked  in  an  arrastra.  A  railway  track,  2,100  feet  long, 
is  being  laid  from  the  mine  to  the  mill,  and  when  it  is  finished  the  proprietors 
expect  that  their  entire  expenses  will  not  exceed  $3  per  ton.  The  owners  of  this 
mine  are  Danes,  and  it  is  generally  known  as  the  Danes' mine,  though  that  name 
belongs  to  the  next  claim. 

The  I  Janes'  mine,  2,200  feet,  is  on  the  same  vein  as  the  last,  but  has  produced 
nothing  and  is  unopened. 

REWARD. — The  Reward  is  1,400  feet  long,  one  mile  southwest  from  Union- 
town.  The  rock  prospects  well,  and  the  walls  are  slate  on  the  west  and  granite 
on  the  east,  A  tunnel  is  being  run  in  to  strike  the  vein  135  feet  from  the  sur- 
face. 


92  .         RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

SECTION   YIII. 

* 

PLACER   COUNTY. 

Placer  is  a  large  county,  and  the  only  one  that  reaches  from  the  Sacramento 
river  to  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  State.  It  extends  with  the  meridian  from 
the  middle  fork  of  the  American  to  Bear  river. 

Its  chief  mineral  wealth  is  in  the  Blue  lead,  which  crosses  the  county  at  an 
elevation  of  3,000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  is  worked  at  Dutch  Flat,  Gold  Hun, 
Indiana  Hill,  Iowa  Hill,  Picayune  Divide,  Yankee  Jim,  and  Forest  Hill.  An- 
cient gravel  deposits  appear  also  at  Todd's  Valley,  Paradise,  Bath,  Michigan 
Bluff,  Damascus,  and  Monona  Flat. 

The  surface  placers  of  the  county  produce  very  little  now.  The  county,  in 
proportion  to  the  richness  of  placers,  has,  so  far  as  known,  the  poorest  quartz 
mines  in  the  State.  The  Green  Emigrant  mine,  lately  opened,  has  produced 
some  rich  specimens,  but  the  owners  keep  the  amount  secret,  and  they  have  no 
mill  j  and  no  other  quartz  mine  in  Placer  has  paid  any  considerable  profit. 

MISCELLANEOUS  KESOURCES. — Nearly  all  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad  in 
California  is  in  this  county,  and  the  people  have  derived  considerable  profit  from 
it  in  one  way  or  another.  The  county  is  also  crossed  by  the  unfinished  road 
from  Lincoln  to  Marysville. 

The  county  is  supplied  with  water  for  mining  and  irrigation  by  the  Bear  river, 
South  Yuba,  Dutch  Flat,  Michigan  Bluff,  and  numerous  smaller  ditches.  Their 
total  number  is  29  j  their  length,  699  miles  j  their  cost,  $2,000,000. 

The  western  and  lower  part  of  the  county  has  much  good  farming  land. 
There  are  60,000  acres  of  land  enclosed,  20,000  cultivated,  including  3,000  in 
wheat,  310,000  grape  vines,  30,000  apple  trees,  as  many  peach  trees,  5,000  head 
of  neat  cattle,  20,000  sheep,  20  saw-mills,  which  turn  out  10,000,000  feet  of 
lumber  annually,  14  toll-roads  131  miles  long,  made  at  a  cost  of  $350,000,  and 
$3,000,000  of  taxable  property. 

THE  FOREST  HILL  DIVIDE. — The  Forest  Hill  ridge,  on  the  southern  line  of 
the  county,  at  an  elevation  varying  from  3,000  to  3,500  feet  above  the  sea,  has 
the  rich  mining  camps  of  Todd's  Valley,  Forest  Hill,  Bath,  and  Michigan  Bluff, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  ridge,  and  Yankee  Jim  and  Damascus  on  the  north. 
Todd's  Valley,  Michigan  Bluff,  and  Yankee  Jim  had  chiefly  hydraulic  claims, 
and  are  now  nearly  worked  out.  Bath  has  cement  claims,  and  is  more  prosperous 
than  ever,  besides  being  a  pretty  town  prettily  situated.  Forest  Hill  has  decline^ 
much,  but  it  has  a  large  body  of  rich  ground,  and  will  probably  see  a  return  of 
prosperity. 

Yankee  Jim  was  a  long  time  the  chief  trading  point  for  this  divide,  but  now 
it  has  lost  its  trade,  as  well  as  exhausted  its  placers. 

The  gold  at  Damascus  has  the  peculiarity  that  a  tin-cup-full  of  it  will  weigh 
20  per  cent,  more  than  an  equal  measure  of  the  common  dust. 

FOREST  HILL. — Forest  Hill,  which  has  been  the  most  productive  cement 
tunnel-mining  district  in  the  State,  is  situated  22  miles  eastward  from  Auburn, 
at  an  elevation  of  3,400  feet  high,  on  the  summit  of  the  divide  between  the 
middle  fork  of  the  American  and  Shirt  Tail  canon.  The  town  is  2,500  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  middle  fork,  and  about  a  mile  distant.  The  scenery 
along  the  canon  is  grand.  Five  miles  further  up  the  divide  is  Michigan  Bluff, 
and  the  Auburn  stage  runs  through  to  that  point  j  but  there  is  no  other  stage 
running  to  Forest  Hill.  The  canons  north  and  south  are  too  deep  and  steep  for 
much  wagon  travel.  The  Forest  Hill  ridge  appears  to  be  composed  of  aurifer- 
ous gravel  covered  by  volcanic  sand,  but  the  Forest  Hill  diggings  are  in  the  Blue 
lead  which  crosses  the  ridge  from  north  to  south.  These  diggings  are  500  feet 
below  the  summit  and  2,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river. 

THE  BLUE  LEAD  AT  FOREST  HILL. — In  the  Blue  lead  the  lowest  stratum 


WEST    OP    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  93 

resting  on  the  slate-bed  rock  is  the  blue  cement  proper,  from  5  to  20  feet  in 
thickness;  above  that  is  a  red  gravel,  100  feet  thick;  and  over  that  is  vol- 
canic sand,  which  is  covered  in  places  by  a  stratum  of  trachytic  boulders  and 
soil.  The  blue  cement  is  harder  than  the  red  gravel.  The  boulders  and  pebbles 
in  the  red  gravel  are  all  of  quartz  ;  those  in  the  blue  are  quartz,  slate,  and, green- 
stone. The  red  gravel  has  smooth  gold  in  coarse  pieces,  most  of  them  weighing 
two  pennyweights  or  more,  and  some  as  much  as  seven  ounces,  and  900  fine. 
The  gold  in  the  blue  cement  is  fine,  flaky,  860  fine,  the  largest  piece  not  worth 
more  than  75  cents.  The  slate-bed  rock  is  soft,  and  the  gold  is  found  in  its 
seams  to  a  depth  of  four  feet.  This  gold  is  coarse,  and  is  black  externally,  so 
that  a  person  not  familiar  with  it  would  not  suspect  its  value  on  looking  at  it. 
The  Blue  lead  contains  large  quantities  of  sulphurets,  which  are  rich  in  gold. 

The  claims  at  Forest  Hill  are  50  feet  along  the  side  of  the  hill  to  the  person, 
and  extend  in  to  the  middle  of  the  hill,  a  distance  varying  from  2,000  to  5,000 
feet. 

CARELESS  WORKING. — Instead  of  working  the  claim  regularly  from  end  to 
end,  the  companies  generally  sought  to  get  out  the  richest  and  the  softest  dirt; 
and  they  changed  about  from  place  to  place  nearly  every  week,  so  they  had  not 
much  room  to  work.  They  could  not  afford  to  lay  tracks  down  to  haul  out  their 
gravel ;  many  of  their  drifts  could  be  used  for  only  a  brief  period,  and  the  top 
caved  down  in  the  spots  which  they  had  worked,  enclosing  good  ground,  the 
position  of  which  cannot  now  be  ascertained  without  much  expense.  The  New 
Jersey  claim  was  the  most  notable  exception  to  this  mode  of  procedure  in  the 
district. 

FUTURE  OF  FOREST  HILL. — J.  W.  Reamer,  superintendent  of  that  company, 
is  of  the  opinion  that  Forest  Hill  might  be  made  more  productive  than  ever  by 
consolidating  the  claims  and  working  them  systematically  on  a  large  scale. 
There  ought  to  be  a  large  tunnel  for  each,  half  a  mile,  60  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  present  tunnels,  so  as  to  be  certain  of  having  drainage  for  the  deepest 
gravel  that  could  be  found.  These  tunnels  should  be  made  for  the  purpose  of 
using  mules  to  haul  out  the  gravel  and  haul  in  the  cars.  There  should  be  large 
mills  to  crush  the  cement ;  the  sulphurets  should  be  saved  carefully,  and  all  the 
pay  dirt  should  be  removed  so  that  a  place  should  not  be  left  until  everything 
of  value  had  been  extracted. 

In  1859  Forest  Hill  shipped  $100,000  of  dustmonthly;  now $25,000  or  $30,000. 
Forest  Hill  is  one  of  very  few  places  where  the  pay  dirt  swells ;  but  a  tunnel 
cut  in  the  blue  cement,  as  well  as  one  cut  in  the  slate,  will  soon  close  np  here 
by  the  swelling  of  the  earth  if  it  is  not  trimmed  frequently. 

THE  PRINCIPAL  CLAIMS. — The  principal  claims  at  Forest  Hill  and  in  the 
vicinity  have  been  the  following : 

The  Dardanelles  has  yielded  $2,000,000;  the  Jenny  Lindhasyielded$l,100,000; 
the  Now  Jersey  has  yielded  $850,000;  the  Independence  has  yielded  $450,000; 
the  Deidesheimer  has  yielded  $650,000 ;  the  Fast  and  Nortwood,  the  Hough  and 
Ready,  and  the  Gore,  have  each  yielded  $250,000;  the  Alabama  has  yielded 
$150,000. 

It  is  said  that  the  claims  within  rifle-shot  of  the  express  office  have  produced 
not  less  than  $10,000,000.  No  other  placer  district  in  the  State  can  show  a  yield 
equal  to  this,  and  yet  it  is  certain  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  gold  has  been 
lost.  The  gravel  or  cement  extracted  was  hard,  and  a  considerable  proportion 
of  it  was  carried  away  by  the  water  in  lumps  rich  in  gold.  Mr.  Reamer  says 
that  if  he  could  have  another  claim  like  the  New  Jersey  to  work,  with  a  cement 
mill,  and  with  sufficient  means  to  cut  his  tunnels  and  drifts  in  the  most  economical 
manner,  he  could  obtain  $2,000,000  instead  of  $850,000  from  the  same  quantity 
of  dirt,  .. 

CLAIMS  AT  TODD'S  VALLEY. — The  Golden  Calf  claim,  near  Todd7s  valley, 


94  RESOURCES    OF   STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

below  Forest  Hill,  lias  1,000  feet  front  on  the  hillside  and  a  tunnel  1,800  feet 
loni?.     It  has  never  been  worked  systematically,  and  has  not  paid. 

The  Big  Springs  claim,  with  975  feet  of  frontage,  is  being  opened,  and  mean- 
time a  10-stamp  cement  mill  built  to  work  it  is  standing  idle. 

DARDANELLS. — The  Dardanells  Company  have  1,000  feet  front,  commenced 
,  work  in  1853,  and  have  been  at  work  ever  since — at  first  drifting  and  now 
piping.  They  have  taken  out  82,000,000  from  the  blue  gravel,  which  is  soft 
there.  They  have  worked  out  400  feet  along  the  front,  have  run  tunnels  1,600 
or  1,800  feet,  and  have  drifted  out  much  ground.  They  can  hydraulic  away 
about  300  feet  along  the  face  of  their  claim,  but  beyond  that  the  hill  is  too 
deep  to  pay  for  piping.  At  one  time  the  company  employed  GO  or  70  men,  now 
they  have  only  four  or  five,  but  these  with  pipes  do  more  than  twelve  times  the 
number  did  drifting.  The  company  own  a  ditch  which  is  10  miles  long,  cost 
$15,000,  and  supplies  300  inches  of  water  from  the  1st  December  till  the  1st  of 
June. 

OHO,  GREEN  SPRING  AND  UNCLE  SAM. — The  Oro,  1,000  feet,  has  yielded 
$35,000,  but  is  now  in  litigation,  is  not  doing  anything  of  note,  and  never  was 
worked  with  much  system.  There  is  a  20-stamp  cement  mill  on  it,  now  idle. 
The  Green  Spring,  750  feet  long,  has  a  bed-rock  tunnel  reaching  to  the  pay 
dirt,  none  of  which  has  yet  been  worked.  The  tunnel  was  Commenced  in  1854,  by 
poor  men,  who  worked  a  portion  of  their  time  in  surface  placers  or  as  hired  laborers 
to  get  the  means  for  continuing  work  on  this  claim.  It  is  probable  that  the  front 
of  the  hill  will  be  piped  away  so  as  to  expose  the  cement,  which  can  then  be 
obtained,  at  little  eost,  for  crushing. 

The  Uncle  Sam  Company  have  100  feet  and  have  done  very  little.  Three 
men  are  engaged  in  tunnelling  and  washing. 

HOPE  AND^KOCKLAND. — The  Hope  claim  is  500  feet  long  on  the  hillside,  has 
a  tunnel  2,000  feet  long  in  bed  rock,  has  a  20-stamp  mill,  has  yielded  $20,000, 
and  has  cost  $100,000.  The  mine  is  now  being  opened  with  the  expectation  of 
crushing.  The  mill  was  kept  running  six  weeks  and  paid  well. 

The  Rockland,  Baltimore  and  Boston  claim  is  2,600  feet  long;  has  a  tunnel 
2,300  feet  long;  has  cost  $100,000,  and  has  yielded  no  return  as  yet.  The 
tunnel  was  commenced  in  1854,  and  it  has  not  yet  reached  the  channel. 

FAST  AND  NORTWOOD. — The  Fast  and  Nortwood  claim,  400  feet  long,  has 
been  worked  through  the  Baltimore  tunnel,  and  has  yielded  $250,000.  The 
company  run  their  dirt  in  drifts  on  four  different  levels,  and  must  load  it  four 
different  times  before  they  get  it  to  the  surface.  The  claim,  in  consequence  of 
this  mode  of  working,  has  not  been  profitable  for  several  years,  but  the  cement 
is  rich,  paying  $5  to  the  carload,  or  about  $7  50  per  ton,  and  there  is  a  large 
quantity  of  it.  There  is  a  10-stamp  mill  to  crush  the  cement. 

SNYDER. — The  Snyder  claim,  200  feet  long,  has  yielded  $250,000.  This  was 
the  pioneer  claim  of  the  district,  the  blue  lead  having  been  discovered  here  in 
December,  1852,  by  Mr.  Snyder,  on  a  hillside  where  a  slide  occurred,  exposing 
the  rich  gravel  to  view.  A  little  basin  40  feet  in  diameter  at  the  slide  yielded 
$40,000.  When  work  was  stopped,  three  years  ago,  there  was  a  tunnel  1,800 
feet  long,  but  as  the  rock  swells  very  rapidly  it  is  now  entirely  closed  up.  There 
was  a  stretch  of  400  feet  in  the  tunnel  where  the  rock  swelled  so  rapidly  that 
as  much  rock  as  would  fill  the  tunnel  had  to  be  taken  out  in  each  period  of 
eight  months.  The  entire  yield  was  obtained  from  the  red  gravel,  and  that  was 
worked  without  system. 

INDEPENDENCE. — The  Independence,  now  united  with  the  adjoining  New 
Jersey  claim,  had  a  tunnel  3,500  feet  long,  and  produced  $450,000  before  the 
consolidation.  It  was  worked  without  system.  One  spot  about  20  feet  square 
yielded  $10,000. 

NEW  JERSEY. — The  New  Jersey  claim  is  650  feet  front  by  4,000  feet  deep, 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  95 

under  the  lower  part  of  the  town  of  Forest  Hill.  Work  was  commenced  in 
August,  1853,  on  the  tunnel,  and  six  years  and  a  half  of  hard  work  passed  with 
an  expenditure  of  $60,000  before  any  return  was  obtained.  When  the  tunnel 
was  in  1,800  feet,  an  incline  was  run  upwards  to  the  red  gravel,  which  was  found 
to  be  rich,  and  the  $850,000  were  taken  from  an  area  500  feet  long  by  400 
feet  wide.  The  extraction  of  gravel  was  continued  till  April,  1867,  when  drifts 
were  commenced  to  open  new  ground.  The  tunnel  was  started  in  1853,  with  the 
confident  expectation  of  reaching  pay  in  a  year  j  but  as  the  work  advanced  more 
slowly  and  cost  far  more,  the  company  had  to  run  in  debt,  and  when  they  reached 
the  pay  their  debts  amounted  to  $30,000  or  more,  and  some  of  them  had  been 
outstanding  for  more  than  four  years.  The  creditors  numbered  8  or  10,  mostly 
merchants,  who  knew  nothing  of  the  New  Jersey  Company  save  that  they 
appeared  to  be  hard-working,  sober,  honest  men,  and  were  trying  to  develop  a 
claim  supposed  to  bo  valuable.  There  was  no  long  personal  acquaintance  and 
no  security.  The  debts  bore  three  per  cent,  interest  per  month.  The  most 
dangerous  period  for  the  company  was  after  they  began  to  wash.  A  dishonest 
creditor  might  then,  perhaps,  have  taken  the  claim,  or  at  least  have  caused  much 
expense  by  an  attachment  suit ;  so  the  fact  of  the  finding  of  good  pay  was  kept 
as  secret  as  possible  until  the  $30,000  had  been  taken  out,  and  then  all  were  paid 
off  at  once.  This  system  of  giving  credits  was  general  in  the  mines  15  years 
ago,  when  the  profits  charged  were  very  high,  when  large  interest  was  allowed, 
when  many  extensive  enterprises  were  undertaken,  and  when  a  large  number  of 
these  enterprises  met  with  magnificent  success,  of  which  the  New  Jersey  claim 
is  a  bright  example. 

Seven  channels  have  been  found  in  this  claim  running  with  the  slates  about 
northwest  and  southeast,  all  parallel  to  one  another,  about  25  feet  apart,  60 
feet  wide,  with  ridges  of  rock  seven  feet  high  between  them.  The  dip  from 
each  side  of  the  divide  seems  to  be  towards  the  middle  of  the  hill.  There 
is  no  water  for  washing  from  the  middle  of  July  till  the  middle  of  November, 
and  meantime  the  dirt  extracted  is  thrown  into  a  pit  large  enough  to  hold  8,000 
tons,  where  water  is  thrown  on  it  occasionally  so  as  to  soften  the  cement  and 
also  to  attach  the  mass  together  and  prevent  it  from  sliding  down  hill  when  the 
rains  come.  In  busy  times  the  New  Jersey  Company  employs  60  or  70  men, 
the  annual  expenses  are  $60,000  or  $70,000,  and  the  profit  one-half  of  the  yield. 

The  dirt  is  hauled  out  in  cars  four  feet  and  nine  inches  long,  28  inches 
wide,  and  15  inches  deep.  The  weight  of  an  ordinary  car-load  is  1,600  pounds. 
A  steady  stream  of  water  runs  out  from  the  tunnel  and  is  caught  in  wooden  reser- 
voirs, 20  feet  square  and  eight  feet  deep,  to  be  used  for  washing.  The  sluice  is 
half  a  mile  long,  and  the  grade  is  in  one  part  18  inches  and  in  another  23  inches 
to  12  feet.  The  steepness  of  the  canon  renders  it  necessary  to  have  a  steep 
sluice.  Slat  riffles  made  of  five  strips  of  board  an  inch  thick,  two  inches  wide 
and  six  feet  long,  with  strips  of  the  same  thickness  set  between  at  the  ends  and 
the  middle  and'bolted  through,  are  used.  The  top  of  each  strip  is  shod  with 
a  strip  of  iron  an  inch  and  a  half  wide  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  screwed 
on  and  countersunk. 

JENNY  LIND.— The  Jenny  Lind,  450  feet  on  the  hillside,  had  a  tunnel  2,800 
feet  long,  which  is  now  probably  closed  up,  at  least  in  places,  since  no  work  has 
been  done  for  three  years.  The  yield,  almost  exclusively  from  the  red  gravel, 
was  $1,100,000,  and  there  is  a  large  amount  of  ground  still  unworked.  In  this 
claim  were  found  many  rich  quartz  boulders.  The  yield  of  $1,100,000  was 
obtained  by  the  company  from  the  first  washing,  leaving  to  others  who  rewashed 
the  dirt  a  very  large  sum  in  addition. 

GORE,  MAINE,  AND  HOUGH. — The  Gore  claim,  100  feet  wide  in  front  on  the 
hillside  and  twice  as  wide  further  back,  took  out  $250,000  from  a  tunnel  1,200 
feet  long.  No  work  has  been  done  for  four  or  five  years.  Rich  quartz  boulders 
were  lound  in  this  claim  also. 


96  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

The  Maine  claim,  200  feet  front,  had  a  tunnel  1,200  feet  long,  and  took  out 
$250,000.  No  work  has  been  done  for  four  years. 

The  Rough  and  Ready  has  1,200  feet  front,  had  a  tunnel  1,200  feet  long, 
took  out  $250,000,  and  has  done  no  work  for  three  years. 

DEIDESHEIMER  AND  OTHERS. — The  Deidesheimer  has  400  feet  front,  had  a 
tunnel  1,800  feet  long,  took  out  $'650,000,  obtained  much  from  quartz  boulders, 
and  has  done  nothing  for  three  years. 

The  India  Rubber  has  250  feet  front,  had  a  tunnel  1,200  feet  long,  produced 
••$50,000,  and  has  done  no  work  for  three  years. 

The  Alabama  has  a  frontage  of  300  feet,  had  a  tunnel  1,200  feet  long,  took 
$150,000,  and  has  done  nothing  in  the  last  three  years. 

The  Eagle  has  200  feet  front,  had  a  tunnel  800  feet  long,  expended  $40,000 
or  $50,000,  and  took  out  $15,000. 

The  Moss  has  900  feet  front  and  a  tunnel  1,000  feet  long,  but  found  no 
gravel,  though  it  is  generally  supposed  that  there  is  rich  gravel  in  the  claim. 
Quartz  was  found  in  the  tunnel,  and  a  10-stamp  mill  was  erected  to  work  it ; 
but  it  did  not  pay.  This  is  the  last  claim  to  the  eastward  in  the  Forest  Hill 
district. 

An  unrepealed  provision  in  the  miners'  regulations  of  the  district  requires  one 
day's  work  every  month  from  December  till  June  to  hold  the  claims,  but  so 
much  work  has  been  done  that  nobody  seems  to  think  of  forfeiture  under  the 
letter  of  the  regulations. 

MICHIGAN  BLUFF. — Michigan  Bluff,  seven  miles  from  Forest  Hill,  on  the 
same  divide,  and  29  miles  from  Auburn,  saw  its  best  days  between  1853  and 
1858,  when  it  shipped  $100,000  per  month  j  and  now  it  does  not  ship  more  than 
$25,000.  The  claims  were  worked  first  by  drifting  and  then  by  the  hydraulic 
process,  and  for  a  time  this  was  one  of  the  principal  hydraulic  camps  in  the  State. 

The  pay  stratum  is  remarkable  on  account  of  containing  ninety-five  per  cent, 
of  quartz  boulders,  pebbles,  and  sand,  and  not  more  than  five  per  cent,  of  clay. 
Some  of  the  boulders  weigh  twenty  tons,  and  half  the  weight  of  the  boulders  is 
in  those  that  weigh  over  a  quarter  of  a  ton  each.  This  quartz  is  very  white, 
and  immense  piles  of  the  boulders — probably  hundreds  of  thousands  of  tons — 
are  piled  over  the  many  acres  that  have  been  washed  off.  The  deepest  claim  is 
80  feet  deep,  and  probably  all  the  ground  washed  off  averaged  40  feet,  of  which 
at  least  five  feet  were  in  boulders  that  are  larger  than  a  man's  head,  and  that 
now  lie  on  the  ground. 

The  only  claim  now  at  work  on  a  large  scale  at  Michigan  Bluff  is  the  North 
American,  and  there  is  little  expectation  of  extensive  work  in  any  other  claim 
for  some  years.  There  are  places  that  would  pay  if  water  could  be  obtained 
conveniently,  and  there  is  much  ground  known  to  be  rich,  but  it  would  not  pay 
at  present. 

The  price  of  water  in  1859  was  37j  cents  per  inch,  and  it  was  reduced  suc- 
cessively to  30,  25,  and  20  cents ;  in  1865,  to  17J,  and  in  1866,  to  15  cents  per 
inch. 

The  original  size  of  the  claims  was  100  feet  square  to  the  man. 

TAIL  SLUICES. — There  are  four  tail  sluices,  making  a  quarter  of  a  mile  alto- 
gether, in  Stickness's  Gulch,  below  Michigan  Bluff.  The  sluice  is  four  feet 
wide,  three  deep,  with  vertical  sides,  and  a  grade  of  14  inches  to  the  sluice- 
box.  Part  is  paved  with  wooden  blocks  and  part  with  boulders.  From  1860 
to  1863  the  tail  sluice  paid  very  well,  as  four  or  five  companies  tailed  into  it, 
but  now  there  is  only  one. 

NORTH  AMERICAN. — The  North  American  claim,  as  originally  located,  was 
600  feet  long  and  400  feet  wide  j  but  much  additional  ground  has  been  pur- 
chased, and  half  of  the  original  area  is  worked  out.  Sluicing  and  drifting  were 
commenced  in  1854  in  front,  where  the  claim  was  shallow  j  and  in  1858,  when 
deeper  gravel  had  been  reached,  piping  began.  In  1860  a  bed-rock  tunnel 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  97 

MOO  feet  long — in  one  place  150  feet  under  the  surface  of  the  rim  r&ik con- 
structed at  a  cost  of.  $10, 000,  was  first  used  for  washing.  The  grade  is  13 
inches  to  12  feet,  but  eight  inches  is  considered  preferable.  The  sluice  in  the  tun- 
nel is  two  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  32  inches  wide  at  the  top,  and  two  feet  deep. 
The  flaring  are  better  than  vertical  sides  for  the  passage  of  large  boulders  two 
or  three  teet  through,  though  anything  over  150  pounds  injures  the  sluice. 
Nearly  all  the  gold  is  caught  within  200  feet  at  the  head  of  the  sluice,  wli3re 
the  bottom  is  covered  with  slat  frames  six  feet  long  and  one  foot  wide,  with 
four  frames  to  one  sluice-box.  The  slats  are  boards  an  inch  thick,  "shod" 
with  iron  straps  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick  and  an  inch  and  a  half  wide. 
All  the  sluice-boxes  below  the  first  200  feet  are  paved  with  fir  blocks  eight  inches 
thick.  The  first  hundred  feet  of  the  sluice  are  cleaned  up  every  evening,  and 
the  second  hundred  twice  a  week.  This  cleaning  up  keeps  the  riffles  in  good 
order,  and  requires  half  or  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  There  are  2,300  feet  of 
11-inch  pipe  and  150  of  7-inch  pipe  in  use  in  the  claim.  The  total  yield  has 
been  $300,000. 

NITRO-GLYCERIXE. — The  number  of  men  now  employed  is  15  ;  last  year  it 
it  was  28.  One  of  the  chief  difficulties  in  this  claim  is  the  removal  of  the 
of  the  stratum  of  pipe-clay  which  rests  on  the  pay  gravel  and  must  be  carried! 
off  in  the  sluice.  It  is  too  hard  to  be  piped  away,  so  it  must  be  blasted  info 
small  pieces.  Previous  to  this  year  powder  was  used,  but  now  Mr.  Swenson, 
one  of  the  partners  of  this  claim,  and  the  pioneer  manufacturer  of  nitre-glycerine 
in  California,  supplies  that  fluid,  which  is  so  much  better  than  gunpowder  that 
15  men  do  more  in  1867  than  28  did  in  1866.  The  nitro-glycerine  shatters 
the  pipe-clay  into  a  multitude  of  little  pieces,  whereas  powder  broke  it  into  a 
1'b\v  large  ones ;  so,  after  a  powder  blast,  the  miners  had  to  reduce  the  large 
lumps  with  gads,  for  which  there  is  now  little  use.  It  costs  about  $2  per  pound, 
and  is  preferred  by  the  miners  after  they  once  become  accustomed  to  it.  No 
accident  has  happened  with  it  on  this  claim,  although  sometimes  two  or  three 
dozen  1  >lasts  .ire  set  oil'  in  a  day.  The  smoke  from  it  disappears  sooner  than 
that  from  powder,  but  it  is  more  injurious. 

About  400  inches  of  water  are  used  in  the  North  American  claim  for  four  or 
five  days  in  the  week. 

BATH  DISTRICT. — The  following  claims  are  in  the  Bath  district,  adjoining  the 
Forest  Hill  district : 

In  the  San  Francisco  claim  no  work  has  been  done  for  a  long  time. 

The  Oro  claim  never  yielded  much,  and  is  doing  nothing  now. 

The  Kip  claim,  450  feet  front,  has  a  tunnel  450  feet  long  in  the  bed  rock. 
From  this  tunnel  a  shaft  has  been  raised  to  the  Paragon  sheet,  which  was  worked 
from  1852  to  1858.  The  company  are  preparing  to  pipe  away  the  front  of  the 
claim,  and  they  intend  to  erect  a  mill  next  year.  Work  is  continued  meantime 
on  the  tunnel. 

The  ( ;  olden  Gate  Company  have  180  feet  front,  and  own  half  of  a  joint  tunnel, 
400  feet  hniir,  on  the  boundary  line  of  the  Rough  Gold  Company.  They  are 
are  no\v  working  the  blue  gravel,  and  getting  $5  per  ton  from  it,  but  they  inteni 
to  work  the  Paragon  sheet.  They  have  a  five-stamp  mill,  driven  by  a  hurdy- 
irurdy  wheel. 

The  Kouirh  Gold  Company  have  a  frontage  of  only  a  few  feet,  but 'the  claim 
<vro\vs  wider  as  it  goes  back  into  the  hill,  and  400  feet  back  it  is  200  feet  wido. 
There  is  a  tunnel  1,800  feet  long,  150  feet  under  the  Paragon  sheet,  which  is 
now  beinu-  worked;  but  the  tunnel  was  located  for  the  purpose  of  working  tie 
blue  gravel.  Then-  is  a  10-stamp  mill,  which  was  erected  in  1866,  and  is  no v 
runiiin^  steadilv. 

PABAGON.— The  Paragon  claim  has  a  front  of  250  feet,  extends  a  mile  and  n 
half  through  the  hill,  and  is  400  feet  wide  at  the  back.     The  pay  stratum  now 
7 


98  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

worked  is  a  deposit  of  rusty  gray  gravel,  four  feet  deep,  resting  on  the  blue  gravel 
100  feet  deep,  and  covered  by  volcanic  sand.  The  blue  gravel  immediately  on 
the  bed  rock,  as  well  as  for  100  feet  above,  contains  some  gold,  but  not  enough 
to  offer  much  profit.  The  gray  gravel  contains  $10  per  ton,  the  gold  being 
coarse,  some  of  the  pieces  weighing  two  or  three  ounces,  and  others  containing 
quartz  attached. 

Work  was  commenced  on  the  claim  in  1852,  and  the  gravel  was  sluiced  for 
10  years.  It  was  so  tough,  however,  that  it  had  to  be  washed  repeatedly,  and 
after  all  much  of  the  clay  escaped  undissolved.  At  the  first  washing  the  yield 
was  about  $1  per  ton,  and  the  second,  third,  and  fourth  washings,  made  at 
intervals  of  a  year,  yielded  each  $2  per  ton,  and  $1  per  ton  for  the  fifth,  sixth, 
and  seventh  washings.  Freezing  and  thawing  slaked  the  cement  more  rapidly 
than  did  sun  or  rain.  In  1864  a  20-stamp  mill  was  built,  and  then  the  claim  first 
began  to  prove  its  high  value.  The  yield  of  the  claim  was  $100,000  in  1866, 
half  of  it  profit.  The  yield  per  ton  in  the  mill  is  no  more  than  it  was  in  the 
sluice,  but  the  dirt  is  now  not  so  rich  as  it  was  before. 

The  gray  gravel,  or  "sheet,"  as  it  is  called,  has  all  been  taken  out  for  1,600 
feet  front.  The  tunnel  is  in  the  middle  of  the  claim  in  the  blue  gravel,  20 
feet  below  the  sheet.  The  pay  dirt  is  breasted  out  on  drifts,  which  run  entirely 
across  the  claim,  so  that  there  are  400  feet  of  breast  for  the  men  to  work  at. 
The  gravel  becomes  softer  when  exposed  to  the  air,  so  the  large  breast  gives 
the  benefit  of  exposure,  as  well  as  of  abundant  room.  At  intervals  of  30  feet 
a  chute  is  made  from  the  sheet  down  to  the  tunnel,  for  the  purpose  of  throwing 
down  the  gravel;  few  timbers  are  used;  and  the  roof  falls  down  upon  the  blue 
gravel,  close  upon  the  heels  of  the  miners.  Two  men  are  constantly  employed 
repairing  the  tunnel,  which  would  close  up  in  a  month,  if  neglected.  The  blue 
gravel  swells  very  much  in  one  stretch  of  150  feet. 

There  is  enough  dirt  in  sight  for  four  years'  work.  All  the  dirt  is  picked 
down. 

The  mill  crushes  200  tons  a  week,  and  the  expenses  are  $1,000  per  week. 
Fifty  men  are  employed  :  32  miners;  four  carmen  in  the  tunnel;  two  carmen  out- 
side; two  tunnel  menders;  four  feeders,  and  six  others  in  and  about  the  mill. 
Two  men  feed  the  20  stamps,  and  two  others  pick  out  the  large  stones  from  the 
gravel. 

The  stamps  weigh  700  pounds,  have  75  drops  per  minute,  and  13  inches  fall. 

The  screen  is  punched  with  holes  a  sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  but  they 
soon  wear  larger. 

Two  tons  of  gravel  are  fed  per  hour  to  each  five-stamp  battery,  and  three  inches 
of  water  run  steadily  into  each  mortar. 

A  quarter  of  a  pound  of  quicksilver  is  put  in  every  morning,  and  as  much  more 
every  evening  into  each  battery. 

A  flask  of  quicksilver  is  bought  once  in  four  months,  implying  the  loss  of  75 
pounds  in  that  period,  or  half  a  pound  per  day  on  an  average,  or  one-quarter  of  all 
that  is  used.  The  retorting  is  done  carefully,  so  the  loss  is  in  the  sluice. 

Below  the  mortars  are  Jenny  Lind  riffles,  and  below  those  hurdy-gurdy  riffles. 
It  is  said  the  claim  was  sold  in  August,  1867,  for  $150,000. 

OTHER  BATH  CLAIMS. — The  Greek  claim,  160  feet  front,  has  lately  been 
bought  by  the  Paragon  Company  for  $9,650.  This  claim  paid  well  in  front,  but 
was  not  worked  well;  the  tunnel  closed  up;  the  owners  quarrelled,  and  then  they 
sold  out. 

The  New  York  claim,  200  feet  front,  has  a  sheet  like  that  of  the  Paragon, 
save  that  it  is  on  the  bed  rock.  A  tunnel  was  cut  1,800  feet  long  in  the  bed 
rock,  at  an  expense  of  $15,000,  but  bad  air  proved  very  troublesome;  the  work 
was  stopped  before  pay  was  reached ;  the  tunnel  closed  up,  and  nothing  has 
been  done  for  three  years. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  99 

The  Sevastopol  Company  lias  a  front  of  1,000  feet,  cut  a  tunnel  800  feet  in 
very  hard  rock,  found  no  pay,  and  stopped  work  in  18G6,  after  spending  $20,000. 

DAMASCUS. — Damascus,  twelve  miles  northeast  of  Forrest  Hill,  on  the  same 
divide,  but  on  its  north  side,  has  the  same  slate  bed  rock,  and  a  similar  bed  of 
blue  cement,  though  there  is  no  overlying  red  gravel. 

The  Damascus  Company  has  a  claim  500  feet  in  front,  and  3,000  long,  running 
into  the  hill.  The  blue  cement  is  four  feet  thick,  lies  immediately  on  a  soft 
talrose  slate-bed  rock,  soft  enough  to  pick,  and  is  covered  by  600  feet  of  volcanic 
sand ;  at  least  it  is  supposed  to  be  sand,  though  no  careful  examination  has  been 
made  of  it.  The  richest  part  of  the  cement  is  within  15  inches  of  the  bottom, 
but  the  largest  nuggets  of  gold  are  found  in  the  bed  rock.  The  gold  is  mostly 
coarse,  in  long  narrow  pieces,  and  those  found  in  the  bed  rock,  like  those  found 
at  Forest  Hill,  are  frequently  quite  black. 

The  claim  is  opened  by  a  tunnel,  450  feet  long,  of  which  distance  200  feet 
were  passed  before  the  rim  had  been  pierced. 

The  tunnel  runs  nearly  south-southeast,  about  the  middle  of  the  claim,  and 
apparently  in  the  middle  of  what  was  the  channel  of  the  ancient  stream.  The 
present  supply  of  cement  is  obtained  northeast  of-  the  tunnel,  and  the  breast  is 
about  200  feet,  extending  nearly  half  way  across  the  claim.  A  pillar  20  feet 
wide  is  left  standing  alongside  of  the  tunnel  to  protect  it.  A  rail  track  is  kept 
along  the  face  of  the  breast,  and  after  20  feet  have  been  breasted  out,  the  track 
is  relaid  for  convenience  of  loading.  The  tunnel  is  eight  feet  below  the  bed  of 
the  channel,  and  the  load  in  the  breast  car  is  dumped  into  the  tunnel  car. 

There  are  many  large  quartz  boulders,  some  of  them  weighing  a  ton  each  in 
the  cement,  and  these  are  thrown  back  to  support  the  proof,  which  never  cracks. 
A  post  six  feet  high,  with  a  cap  30  inches  long,  is  set  up  in  each  square  of  30  feet 
at  the  breast,  but  so  far  there  has  been  no  trouble  with  the  roof. 

There  is  a  10-stamp  mill,  driven  by  steam,  but  it  runs  only  in  day-time  for  lack 
of  water  to  run  longer.  The  company  intend  to  make  a  ditch,  so  that  the  mill 
can  run  day  and  night.  Twenty-five  tons  of  cement  are  crushed  every  day,  and 
the  average  yield  so  far  has  been  83  35  to  a  car  load  of  1,700  pounds,  or  $3  94 
per  ton.  The  bed  rock,  of  which  15  inches  are  dug  up,  is  not  crushed,  but  is 
simply  washed  in  the  sluice. 

The  stamps  weigh  650  pounds  each,  make  70  to  80  blows  per  minute,  and 
drop  from  9  to  11  inches.  When  the  shoes  and  dies  are  new  the  drop  is  9  inches, 
and  the  number  of  blows  80,  and  when  the  drop  is  11  inches  the  number  of 
blows  is  70. 

Three  inches  of  water  are  turned  into  each  mortar,  and  three  inches  more  are 
turned  into  the  sluice  below. 

The  cost  of  the  mill,  including  the  engine,  was  $12,000,  and  the  expenses  daily 
are  the  following,  viz :  a  cord  of  wood,  $3 ;  an  engineer,  $4 ;  a  blacksmith,  S3  j 
a  feeder,  $3 ;  six  miners,  $3  each.  Five  men  breast  out  five  tons  per  day  to  a 
man,  and  one  carman  takes  out  the  cement.  The  engine  is  of  forty-horse  power. 
Two  candles  are  burned  per  day  to  the  breaster. 

The  mill  was  built  before  the  mine  was  properly  opened. 

The  bed  rock  does  not  swell.  The  bed  rock  is  full  of  vertical  quartz-veins 
averaging  a  few  inches  in  thickness,  running  south-southwest  and  north-north- 
east. These  scams  appear  to  form  in  places  half  of  the  bed  rock  j  some  of  them 
are  a  foot  thick,  and  some  as  thin  as  paper.  The  same  quartz  veins,  but  more 
•strongly  marked,  are  found  in  a  second  tunnel,  which  is  65  feet  lower  and  350 
feet  ionir. 

MOUNTAIN  GATE. — The  Mountain  Gate  claim,  adjoining  the  Damascus  on 
the  west,  has  2,000  feet  front,  and  the  tunnel  runs  in  4,000  feet.  The  bed  rock 
is  35  leet  higher  than  in  the  Damascus,  it  swells,  there  is  less  quartz  in  the 
bed  rock,  and  some  of  the  gravel  is  softer;  but  otherwise  there  is  much  sim- 
ilarity in  the  two  claims.  The  tunnel  was  started  40  feet  below  the  top  of  the 


100  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

rim  rock,  which  was  passed  in  500  feet,  and  then  the  tunnel  was  extended  3,500 
feet,  running  nearly  level,  and  the  company  are  now  troubled  so  much  by  water 
that  they  have  started  another  tunnel  65  feet  deeper,  and  it  is  in  1,500  feet.  The 
tunnel  is  about  200  feet  from  the  Damascus  line,  and  they  have  worked  200  feet 
on  each  side  of  the  tunnel.  They  breast  out  on  the  same  system  as  that  used  in 
the  Damascus. 

They  have  no  mill,  and  when  they  come  to  cement  too  hard  to  wash,  they 
usually  leave  it  behind  and  virtually  throw  it  away.  Some  of  it,  however,  is  so 
rich  that  it  pays  to  crush  with  a  hand  mortar.  The  softer  cement  is  washed  three 
or  •  four  times,  at  intervals  of  six  or  eight  months.  Three-fourths  of  the  total 
yield  is  obtained  at  the  first  washing,  and  three-fourths  of  the  further  yield  at  the 
second.  The  sluice  is  200  feet  long. 

There  are  16  partners,  all  of  whom  work  in  the  claim,  and  the}7  seldom  hire 
anybody.  Rumor  says  the  present  yield  is  $12  per  day  to  the  man.  though 
the  work  done  is  much  less  than  the  amount  required  from  hired  men.  The 
claim  has  been  worked  for  12  years,  and  has  produced  altogether  $370,000.  They 
have  enough  water  from  their  own  claim  to  wash  all  their  dirt. 

The  bed  rock  rises  150  feet  near  the  western  line  of  the  Mountain  Gate,  and 
at  the  eastern  line  of  the  Damascus,  so  those  two  companies  take  the  whole  chan- 
nel there. 

IOWA  HILL. — At  Iowa  Hill  the  blue  cement  lies  on  the  bed  rock,  or  lay  before 
it  was  mined  out,  12  or  18  feet  deep.  The  cement  was  so  soft  that  it  could  be 
picked  out,  and  so  hard  that  it  could  be  washed  once  a  year  for  seven  years  •with- 
out being  entirely  disintegrated.  Much  of  the  cement  was  so  rich  that  it  was 
pounded  up  in  a  mortar  weighing  250  pounds,  and  measuring  16  inches  across 
the  bowl.  The  pestle  weighed  70  or  80  pounds,  was  attached  to  a  spring  pole, 
and  was  worked  by  two  men,  wrho  could  thus  pound  up  two  tons  or  two  tons  and 
a  half  in  a  day. 

Over  the  blue  cement  was  a  layer  of  sand  from  one  foot  to  four  feet  in  thick- 
ness. Upon  that  rested  a  stratum  of  rich  brownish  gravel  six  or  eight  feet 
thick.  Over  this  came  140  feet  of  poor  brown  gravel,  with  layers  of  sand  in  it, 
and  usually  there  was  a  very  rich  stratum  of  gravel  just  over  the  sand.  Above 
the  brown  gravel  was  loam  20  or  30  feet  deep. 

A  few  claims  on  this  Blue  lead  were  extremely  profitable.  The  Jamison,  the 
pioneer  claim,  yielded  $500,000 ;  the  North  Star,  $400,000 ;  the  Sailor  Union, 
$300,000;  the'lowa  Hill,  $250,000;  and  the  Dutch,  $250,000 ;  but  three  dozen 
large  tunnels  were  run  and  not  one-third  of  them  paid  expenses.  If  the  loss 
were  balanced  against  the  profit,  the  Iowa  Hill  district  would  not  show  much 
net  gain. 

The  town  stands  on  the  summit  of  a  ridge  200  feet  high  and  a  furlong  wide, 
and  the  blue  cement  of  the  channel  which  passes  under  the  town  has  all  been 
drifted  out,  and  the  hydraulic  pipe  is  now  at  work  on  both  sides,  so  that  the 
town  site  will  itself  be  washed  away  in  a  few  years. 

The  richest  spot  ever  found  in  the  neighborhood  of  Iowa  Hill  was  in  the  brown 
gravel,  from  which  two  men  took  out  $30,000  in  one  day. 

East  of  Iowa  Hill  is  Indian  canon,  reputed  to  have  been  the  richest  canon 
ever  found  in  California. 

WISCONSIN  HILL. — Wisconsin  Hill  is  on  the  same  divide  with  Iowa  Hill,  but 
is  two  miles  distant  in  a  southeast  direction,  and  the  two  places  are  separated  by 
a  ravine.  The  channel  is  the  same  as  at  Iowa  Hill,  but  not  so  rich. 

The  Oriental  cement  mill  at  Wisconsin  Hill  was  built  in  1866  and  has  20 
etaups,  but  it  does  not  pay,  as  the  cement  yields  only  80  cents  to  the  ton. 
Fortunately,  the  surface  has  been  stripped,  so  the  cement  lies  bare  and  can  be 
obtained  at  little  expense. 

ROACH  HILL. — Roach  Hill,  one  mile  east  of  Iowa  Hill,  has  had  some  good 
claims. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  101 

Monona  Flat,  half  a  mile  east  of  Roach  Hill,  has  also  paid  well  in  places. 
The  channel  at  these  two  camps  runs  with  the  divide. 

Pleasant  Flat,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  further  up,  has  a  channel  runnino-  across. 

MORNING  STAR. — Three  hundred  yards  south  of  Iowa  Hill,  beyond  Indian 
canon,  is  Picayune  divide,  through  which  runs  the  Blue  lead,  on  which  is  located 
the  Morning  Star  claim,  which  has  1,200  feet  front,  and  extends  4,000  feet  to 
the  middle  of  the  ridge.  The  channel  here  appears  to  have  been  150  or  200  feet 
wide.  The  Morning  Star  tunnel  was  commenced  in  1856,  arid  no  pay  of  any 
note  was  obtained  until  1865,  by  which  time  a  distance  of  1,800  feet  had  been 
run  and  $45,000  had  been  expended.  After  reaching  the  cement  it  was  found 
that  the  tunnel  was  30  feet  too  high,  and  now  the  dirt  has  to  be  hoisted  and  the 
water  pumped  by  hand  to  the  level  of  the  tunnel.  The  bed  rock  swells,  and 
sometimes  the  track  is  raised  six  inches  in  a  night.  The  cement  varies  in  thick- 
ness from  six  inches  to  six  feet,  and  yields  $3  per  ton.  The  mill  has  six  stamps. 
goes  by  steam,  and  crushes  40  tons  in  24  hours.  From  June  to  December,  there 
is  but  half  the  needed  supply  of  water,  and  the  mill  runs  only  in  the  day-time. 
Twenty -four  men  are  employed. 

BIRD  FLAT  AND  LEBANON. — Three-quarters  of  a  mile  above  the  Morning 
Star  claim,  on  the  Picayune  divide,  the  Iowa  Hill  and  Bird  Flat  Company  have 
been  running  a  tunnel  since  1854,  have  gone  in  1,100  feet,  have  spent  $50,000, 
and  have  obtained  no  return  as  yet. 

The  Lebanon  Company,  at  Prospect  Hill,  have  a  claim  which  adjoins  the  Morn- 
ing Star  on  the  back.  They  have  been  at  work  13  years,  spent  $100,000,  and 
cut  a  tunnel  1,500  feet,  and  in  1866  they  struck  into  pay  and  erected  a  10-stamp 
mill,  which  is  driven  by  a  hurdy-gurdy  wheel.  This  tunnel  is  not  low  enough. 

GOLD  RUN. — On  the  Railroad  divide,  between  Bear  river  and  the  North  fork 
of  the  American,  the  Blue  lead  appears  at  Dutch  Flat,  Gold  Run,  and  Indiana 
Hill.  The  width  of  the  lead  here  is  nearly  half  a  mile,  and  there  are  200  or 
300  feet  of  pay  gravel,  with  no  overlying  barren  stratum.  Squires's  caiion, 
which  empties  into  Bear  river,  separates  Dutch  Flat  from  Gold  Run.  The 
latter  did  not  obtain  a  large  supply  of  water  until  lately,  and  therefore  its  best 
claims  have  not  been  exhausted,  and  it  is  the  most  prosperous  hydraulic  camp  in 
California.  Nine  thousand  inches  of  water  are  used  here,  requiring  a  payment 
of  $1,000  a  day  or  more  in  gold.  The  gravel  is  peculiarly  soft  and  there  is  great 
depth,  so  that  high  power  is  obtained,  and  more  dirt  is  washed  in  proportion  to 
the  quantity  of  water  used  than  in  any  other  large  hydraulic  district. 

( i  HAVEL  AT  GOLD  Rux. — The  bed  of  auriferous  gravel  at  Gold  Run  is  about 
350  feet  deep,  of  which  only  about  150  feet  have  been  worked  so  far.  The 
sluices  are  therefore  200  feet  above  the  bed  rock.  A  shaft  was  sunk  185  feet 
deep  in  Potato  ravine  to  the  bed  rock,  and  the  bottom  of  that  ravine  is  below 
the  level  of  most  of  the  sluices.  It  is  to  be  presumed  that  the  bed  rock  in  that 
shaft  is  no  lower  than  elsewhere  in  the  channel.  Pay  gravel  was  found  all  the 
way  down,  and  it  was  soft  until  within  six  or  eight  feet  of  the  bottom.  This 
vast  bed  of  gravel  Two  miles  long,  half  a  mile  wide,  and  250  feet  deep,  cannot 
be  washed  away  for  many  years. 

OUTLET. — Although  the  caiion  of  the  north  fork  of  the  American  river  is  at 
least  2,500  feet  deep',  yet  ii  is  two  miles  distant  from  Gold  Run,  and  the  tailings 
must  run  into  Canon  creek,  which  near  the  claims  is  only  150  or  175  feet  below 
their  levels.  Several  claims  have  been  compelled  to  stop  work  because  they  no 
longer  have  any  outlet. 

An  outlet  must  be  obtained  200  feet  deeper  than  Canon  creek,  and  it  must 
be  had  without  waiting  for  the  gradual  washing  out  of  the  Blue  Lead  channel 
from  the  canon  of  the  north  fork  of  the  American  river.  .  That  outlet  will  be 
through  .1  tunnel  about  a  mile  long,  and  from  this  tunnel  shafts  will  run  up  to 
the  various  claims.  It  will  be  very  costly,  but  on  the  other  hand  it  will  yield 
an  immense  return. 


102  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

FACILITIES  FOR  PIPING. — There  is  no  prettier  hydraulic  washing  than  that 
at  Gold  Run.  The  gravel  is  very  soft,  it  is  deep,  water  is  abundant  with  a  high 
pressure,  the  claims  are  large,  and  there  is  no  superincumbent  layer  of  barren 
matter.  In  proportion  to  the  amount  of  work  done  fewer  men  are  employed  at 
Gold  Run  than  at  any  other  camp  in  the  State.  At  Smartsville  much  time  is 
spent  in  blasting ;  at  La  Porte,  in  puddling ;  at  Dutch  Flat,  in  attending  to 
large  boulders  j  but  none  here.  Two  men  are  sufficient  here  to  do  all  the  work 
in  a  claim  that  uses  300  inches  of  water.  As  an  inch  of  water  is  equal  to  a  sup- 
ply of  145  pounds  per  minute,  or  8,700  pounds  per  hour,  or  102,900  pounds  (51 
tons)  in  12  hours,  so  it  follows  that  300  inches  supplies  15,000  tons  in  a 
day ;  and  as  the  water  carries  off  at  least  one-tenth — the  ordinary  calculation  is 
one-fifth — of  its  bulk  of  earthy  matter,  it  follows  that  two  men  wash  1,500  tons 
at  Gold  Run  in  12  hours,  or  750  tons  each.  It  is  a  common  saying  at  Dutch 
Flat  that  there  three  pipes  are  required  to  break  down  as  much  gravel  as  the 
water  of  one  can  wash  away,  but  in  Gold  Run  one  pipe  will  break  down  as  much 
as  three  can  wash  away.  This  is  an  exaggeration  when  stated  as  a  general  prin- 
ciple, though  it  has  been  true  in  some  instances. 

CANON  CREEK. — Canon  creek  runs  from  Gold  Run  along  the  eastern  border  of 
the  Blue  Lead  3  J  miles  down  to  Indiana  Hill,  where  it  empties  into  the  north  fork 
of  the  American  river.  This  creek  furnishes  the  outlet  for  many  of  the  claims. 
The  original  bed  of  the  creek  was  in  general  350  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
lead,  or  "gravel  range,"  as  it  is  also  called,  but  the  bed  has  been  in  some  places 
filled  up  as  much  as  fifty  feet  with  gravel. 

WATER. — Piping  was  commenced  at  Indiana  Hill  on  a  small  scale  in  1857, 
with  400  inches,  supplied  in  the  late  winter  and  early  spring  by  a  ditch  from 
Ciiiiou  creek.  Four  years  later  the  Dutch  Flat  ditch  brought  to  Gold  Run  800 
inches,  which  ran  for  six  or  seven  months,  and  have  since  been  doubled  j  and 
the  Bear  River  ditch  brought  in  800  more  5  and  in  1864  the  South  Yuba  ditch 
brought  in  2,500  inches.  The  demand  for  water  has  always  exceeded  the  sup- 
ply, and  as  the  supply  increased  so  did  the  amount  of  work  and  of  production. 
Gold  Run  produced  $150,000,  in  1865}  $300,000  in  1866  5  and  the  yield  for 
1867  is  estimated  at  $500,000.  The  customary  price  for  water  is  12J  cents  per 
inch  for  12  hours,  and  20  cents  for  24  hours. 

SQUIRE'S  CANON  CLAIMS. — On  the  southern  lode  of  Squire's  canon,  in  the 
Gold  Run  district,  are  the  following  claims,  commencing  at  the  east : 

Frost  &  Co.  began  work  in  1865,  wash  through  an  open  cut,  use  300  inches 
of  water,  and  usually  run  in  day-time  only,  though  they  have  run  night  and 
day  at  times. 

W.  H.  Kinder  began  work  in  1866,  uses  300  inches  of  water,  washes  through 
an  open  cut,  and  runs  in  day-time  only. 

Wentworth  &  Co.  began  work  in  1866,  use  300  inches  of  water  night  and  day, 
and  wash  through  an  open  cut. 

A.  Bell  &  Co.  are  running  a  bed  rock  tunnel,  and  have  not  commenced 
washing. 

Wolcott  &  Co.  began  work  in  1867,  and  the  claim  was  sold  in  June  for 
$3,500.  They  use  300  inches  of  water  in  daylight  only,  and  wash  through  an 
open,  cut,  but  intend  to  cut  a  tunnel. 

The  Bailey  claim,  consisting  of  21  claims,  each  100  by  200  feet,  has  not  been 
opened,  and  no  work  is  being  done. 

Grader  &  Co.  began  in  1867,  and  use  175  inches  day  and  night. 

CANON  CREEK  CLAIM. — The  claims  which  have  their  outlet  into  Canon  creek 
are  the  following,  near  the  head  of  Squire's  canon  : 

The  Rock  Company  opened  their  claim  in  1866,  and  used  250  inches  of  water, 
running  day  and  night.  They  are  not  piping  now,  but  are  preparing  to  lay  a 
long  pipe  so  as  to  have  a  heavy  pressure  for  1868. 

Hughes  &  Co.  opened  their  claim  in  1866,  but  are  not  at  work  now. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  103 

A.  S.  Benton  opened  his  claim  in  1867,  and  uses  300  inches  of  water  by  day- 
light only. 

The  Harkness  claim  has  been  worked  by  sluice  and  pipe  for  10  years,  is  now 
taking  G50  inches  of  water  day  and  night,  and  draining  through  an  open  cut. 

Behind  Harkness  is  the  claim  of  Halsey  &  Co.,  900  feet  long  by  500  wide, 
which  cannot  be  worked  until  an  outlet  is  obtained  through  the  claim  in  front. 
A  fourth  interest  was  offered  for  sale  in  last  February  for  $2,000,  but  no  buyer 
appeared.  It  would  have  found  ready  sale  if  there  had  been  an  outlet. 

Next  to  Harkness,  on  Canon  creek,  is  the  claim  of  Goding  &  Co.,  who  have 
worked  off  the  top  of  their  claim  as  low  as  they  can  go,  and  are  now  waiting  for 
a  deeper  outlet. 

The  claim  of  Benton  &  Co.,  adjoining,  is  in  a  similar  condition. 

The  Bay  State  claim  was  opened  in  1857,  and  has  been  worked  steadily  since 
whenever  water  could  be  had.  In  1866  it  used  750  inches  day  and  night;  this 
year  it  used  350.  The  profit  never  has  been  large,  though  the  gross  yield 
has  been  $150,000,  and  the  yield  for  1866  $37,000. 

The  claim  of  A.  Beel  is  in  the  same  condition  as  that  of  Goding. 

GOOSLING  RAVINE  CLAIMS. — Goosling  &  Co.  have  been  at  work  since  1854. 
A  ravine  runs  down  through  the  middle  of  the  claim,  and  they  are  piping  on 
each  side,  using  300  inches  day  and  night  on  one  side,  and  300  inches  in  day- 
time only  on  the  other.  Goosling  ravine  is  in  this  claim. 

Prindle  &  Co.  opened  their  claim  in  1864,  and  used  275  inches  of  water  day 
and  night.  Work  has  been  closed  for  this  season  because  the  pipe  has  advanced 
to  within  50  feet  of  a  ditch,  the  proprietors  of  which  have  warned  the  claim 
owners  that  they  will  be  held  responsible  for  any  damage  to  the  ditch.  Four 
ditches  cross  this  claim.  The  outlet  is  through  Goosling's  ravine. 

The  Uncle  Abe  claim,  behind  Goosling,  is  irregular  in  shape,  but  is  about 
1,000  feet  long  by  850  feet  wide.  It  was  opened  in  1867,  and  in  April,  May, 
and  June,  yielded  $12,000.  It  was  sold  in  May  for  $6,000.  The  consumption 
of  water  is  275  inches  day  and  night. 

LOWER  CANON  CREEK  CLAIMS. — The  claim  of  Winters  &  Co.  has  been  worked 
three  years,  and  is  in  the  same  condition  as  Goding's. 

The  Bay  State  No.  2  is  unopened.  An  offer  of  $3,000  for  the  claim  was 
refused, 

The  Hall  claim  was  worked  for  two  years,  but  is  idle  this  season  for  want  of 
an  outlet. 

The  claim  of  Taylor,  Moore  &  Co.  is  about  1,000  feet  square,  was  worked  on 
a  small  scale  from  1853  till  1865,  and  for  the  last  two  years  has  been  piping  on 
a  large  scale.  It  was  sold  this  year  for  $11,000.  The  yield  in  "a  run  of  22 
days,"  as  a  run  of  11  days  day  and  night  is  termed,  is  usually  between  $4,000 
anil  $5,000. 

The  Church  claim  was  opened  in  1860,  and  the  yield  in  1866  was  $27,000. 
Three-fifths  of  the  claim  were  sold  in  1865  for  $7,000.  Of  water,  275  inches 
are  used  in  the  day-time  only. 

The  ( Jolden  Gate  claim  began  work  in  1858,  uses  300  inches  of  water  in  day- 
time ..nly,  pays  well,  and  is  the  last  claim  that  tails  immediately  into  Canon 
creel;. 

GOLD  RUN  CANON.— The  Gold  Run  claim  began  work  in  1859,  uses  300 
inches  of  water  in  the  day-time  only,  has  paid  well,  and  tails  into  Golden  Run 
oafion,  which  is  on  the  southern  side  of  the  claim.  An  offer  of  $10,000  for  the 
claim  has  been  refused. 

The  Fit/j.atrick  claim,  fronting  on  Gold  Run  canon,  has  lately  been  sold  lor 
82, 1  00,  and  is  now  preparing  to  work  with  300  inches  of  water. 

On  the  south  side  of  Gold  Run  canon,  and  opposite  to  the  Fitzpatrick  claim, 
is  the  Sheldon  claim,  owned  by  the  Dutch  Flat  Water  Company.  It  has  been 
worked  several  years,  but  is  idle  now. 


104  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

The  Huyck  and  Hubbard  claim,  fronting  on  Gold  Run  canon,  lias  a  sluice 
tunnel,  but  is  waiting  for  cheaper  water,  and  doing  nothing. 

The  Home  Ticket  has  been  worked  four  years,  and  uses  350  inches  in  day- 
time. The  gross  yield  in  May  and  June,  1867,  was  about  $100  per  day. 

The  Newark  was  opened  in  1863,  uses  300  inches  in  the  day-time,  and  yielded 
about  $75  gross  in  June,  1867. 

POTATO  RAVINE. — The  following  companies  tail  into  Potato  ravine,  a  tribu- 
tary of  Gallon  creek : 

Baldwin  and  Bailey  have  been  at  work  three  years,  using  275  inches  of  water 
in  the  day-time,  and  obtaining  about  $70  gross  per  day. 

The  Harris  claim  is  large  and  unopened. 

The  Fitzpatrick  claim  yields  about  $75  gross  per  day,  was  opened  in  1866, 
and  consumes  330  inches  of  water  in  day-time. 

The  Cedar  Company  have  900  by  800  feet,  began  work  in  1861,  run  300 
inches  day  and  night,  and  obtain  about  $230  in  24  hours.  The  yield  in  1866 
was  $35,000,  one-half  of  it  profit. 

Stewart  and  Kinder  have  500  feet  square,  fronting  on  both  Canon  creek  and 
Potato  ravine,  but  are  not  at  work.  Along  Canon  creek  there  is  a  rim  rock,  so 
they  will  tail  into  Potato  ravine.  They  refused  an  offer  of  $1,500  for  the  claim. 

The  Judd  and  Griffin  claim,  1,000  feet  square,  has  been  worked  since  1854, 
and  was  sold  in  1866  for  $3,500.  The  yield  is  about  $75  per  day,  with  270 
inches  running  twelve  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four.  To  get  drainage  an  open 
cut  was  made  600  or  700  feet  long  in  the  rim-rock,  and  in  one  place  40  feet  deep. 

Huyck  and  Judd  have  one  of  the  most  profitable  claims  of  the  district  on  the 
eastern  side  of  Indiana  Hill  canon,  which  empties  into  the  north  fork  of  the 
American  river.  They  have  been  at  work  since  1854,  use  275  inches  of  water 
in  the  day-time,  and  cleared  $7,000  in  1866. 

The  Hoskin  claim  adjoining  is  open,  but  is  not  worked. 

INDIANA  CEMENT  MILL.— ^Mallory,  Gaylord  &  Co.  are  working  with  an  eight- 
stamp  cement  mill,  driven  by  a  hurdygurdy  wheel.  Their  claim  is  the  only  one 
in  the  district  in  which  the  bed-rock  has  been  reached.  Their  mode  of  getting 
out  dirt  is  to  cut  a  tunnel  60  or  70  feet  on  the  bed-rock,  let  off  a  blast  of  200 
kegs  of  powder,  sluice  off  the  top  dirt,  and  run  the  cement  through  the  mill. 

INDIANA  CANON  CLAIMS. — The  following  claims  tail  into  Indiana  Hill  canon. 

The  Hawkins  claim  was  opened  this  year,  uses  350  inches  night  and  day,  and 
yields  $200  in  24  hours. 

The  Brink  claim  was  opened  in  1864,  but  is  not  worked  now  on  account  of 
disturbance  of  the  telegraph  or  flume  from  which  the  pipe  is  fed.  The  yield  was 
about  $75  per  day,  and  the  quantity  of  water  30  inches.  Work  will  be  resumed 
next  year. 

Stewart  and  Prindle  opened  their  claim  in  1867,  use  200  inches  day  and  night, 
and  take  out  about  $100  per  day. 

MOODY'S  TAIL  SLUICE. — In  Canon  creek  Moody  &  Co.  have  a  double  tail 
sluice  2,000  feet  long,  consisting  of  two  flumes,  each  eight  feet  wide  and  about 
four  feet  deep.  This  sluice  cost  $25,000.  The  lower  part  was  carried  away  in 
1862,  and  the  upper  part  was  buried  and  had  to  be  replaced.  The  yield  was 
$10,000  in  1865,  $7,000  in  1866,  and  $3,000  in  the  first  half  of  1867.  An  offer 
of  $11,000  for  a  third  interest  was  refused.  The  estimated  receipts  for  1867  are 
$10,000.  Most  of  the  cleaning  up  is  done  in  September  and  October,  when 
there  is  not  much  water  for  piping. 

KINDEII'S  TAIL  SLUICE. — Kinder  and  White  have  a  tail  sluice  in  Canon  creek 
and  claim  the  creek  for  a  mile  and  a  half  below  Moody  &  Co.  In  the  uppei 
part  of  their  claim  they  have  two  sluices  eight  feet  wide  and  700  feet  long.  Half 
of  the  sluice  was  sold  in  1865  for  $3,000,  but  since  then  it  has  become  more 
valuable.  The  grade  is  three  inches  to  12  feet.  This  sluice  was  carried  away 
in  1865. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 
The  following  companies  tail  into  the  two  tail  sluices  in  Canon  creek : 


105 


Incheg- 


Companies 
Golden  Gate 

Home  Ticket  .......................  359 

Newark  .........................  !  !  "  300 

Bailey  &  Brother  ....................  275 

Fitzpatrick  ..........................  300 

Brogan  ...........  ..  .............  ."."  390 

Total  ..................  ...5/250 


Companies.  Inches. 

Rock  Creek ^75 

Benton  &  Co 350 

Harkness 600 

Bay  State 350 

Bell 300 

German 600 

Uncle  Abe 275 

Taylor  &,  Co 400 

Church 275 

The  Gold  Run  tail  sluice,  in  Gold  Run  canon,  is  1,500  feet  long,  six  feet 
wide,  and  yields  $6,000  or  $7,000  a  year.  It  tails  into  Canon  creek. 

Goosling  &  Co.  have  a  tail  sluice  3,000  feet  long  in  Goosling  ravine,  and  four 
companies  tail  into  it.  Two  tail  sluices  are  buried  20  or  30  feet  deep  in  this  mine. 

Huyck  and  Judd  have  1,000  feet  of  tail  sluice  in  Indiana  Hill  canon. 

Hosiers  TAIL  SLUICE. — The  Hoskins  tail  sluice  is  in  Indiana  Hill  ravine, 
which  is  so  steep  that  the  sluice  is  in  short  sections,  the  longest  24  feet,  and 
between  the  sections  the  water  pitches  down  over  steep  rocks.  There  are  in  all 
fifteen  boxes  of  main  tail  sluice,  six  or  eight  feet  wide  and  two  or  two  and  a  half 
feet  deep,  with  a  grade  of  eight  inches  to  12  feet. 

Besides  the  main  sluice  boxes  there  are  a  number  of  undercurrent  boxes,  from 
six  to  nine  feet  wide,  14  inches  deep,  with  a  grade  of  12  or  13  inches  to  12  feet. 
Not  more  than  one-fifth  of  the  matter  in  the  main  bluice  gets  into  the  undercur- 
rent, passing  through  a  cast  grating  of  white  iron,  with  openings  an  inch  wide, 
eight  inches  and  a  half  long,  separated  by  bars  an  inch  and  a  half  thick  on  top. 
There  are  usually  from  600  to  1,200  inches  of  water  running  in  the  main  sluice 
and  120  in  the  undercurrent,  which  latter  catches  three  times  as  much  gold  as 
the  former,  because  the  current  is  slower  and  shallower. 

There  are  second  undercurrents,  or  secondaries,  as  they  are  usually  called. 
Their  grade  is  14  or  15  inches  to  the  box,  their  width  30  inches,  and  their  depth 
1:2.  They  take  one-fifteenth  of  the  water  of  the  undercurrent,  and  catch  one- 
eighth  as  much  gold.  They  are  especially  serviceable  for  catching  quicksilver. 
Tin*  spaces  in  the  grating  arc  live  inches  long  and  three-eighths  of  an  inch  wide. 
there  are  three  boxes  of  12  feet  to  eacrj  undercurrent,  and  two  to  each  second- 
ary. The  undercurrents  always  pay  where  the  gold  is  fine,  and  the  secondaries 
are  especially  serviceable  in  steep  canons. 

DUTCH  FLAT. — Dutch  Flat,  on  the  north  side  of  the  divide  between  Bear 
river  and  the  north  fork  of  the  American  river,  and  within  half  a  mile  of  the 
line  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  has  for  12  years  been  one  of  the  leading 
hydraulic  camps  of  the  State.  It  is  pleasantly  situated,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  to wns in  the  mines,  although  the  monthly  gold  yield  was  thrice  as  great 
in  1858  as  it  is  now.  There  are  many  comfortable  homes,  most  of  the  people 
consider  themselves  permanent  residents,  and  there  is  a  steady  increase  in  the 
number  of  families.  Dutch  Flat,  probably  alone  of  all  the  mining  towns,  has 
never  been  burned  down,  and  only  one  house  has  been  burned.  The  shipment 
of  eold  in  January,  1867,  was '$31,600;  in  February,  $33,000;  in  March, 
$43,000 ;  in  April,  $74,000  ;  in  May,  $66,000 ;  and  in  June,  $60,000.  These 
shipments  included  much  from  Gold  Run. 

.Most  <>f  the  soft  irravel  that  covered  the  Blue  lead,  and  that  could  be  washed 
down  readilv  with  the  pipe,  has  been  washed  away,  and  the  blue  cement,  which 
is  too  hard  lor  the  pipe,  and  perhaps  not  rich  enough  for  the  stamp,  has  been 
reached  ;  and  most  of  the  claims  are  now  lying  idle  in  the  hope  that  some  other 
ii">de  will  be  devised  of  working  them. 

Tin-  principal  claims  at  Dutch  Flat,  commencing  on  Bear  river,  at  the  north- 
eastern corner  of  the  district,  are  the  following: 

PIKKNIX  AND  AMEKICAN.— The  Phoenix,  900  feet  long  by  300  wide,  was 


106  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

opened  in  1857  and  was  worked  until  1865,  with  an  average  yield  of  $150  and 
an  expense  of  $60  per  day.  All  the  soft  gravel  has  been  washed  and  the  hard 
cement  remains.  The  depth  to  the  bed  rock  is  not  known. 

The  American,  900  feet  long  by  400  feet  wide,  was  opened  in  1857,  and  was 
worked  for  six  years  as  a  hydraulic  claim,  yielding  $150  per  day.  It  will  not 
pa}7  now  for  piping,  and  Chinamen  are  sluicing  in  it. 

BUCKEYE. — The  Buckeye  was  opened  as  a  sluicing  claim  in  1854,  and  it  was 
piped  from  1857  till  1867,  and  may  be  regarded  as  worked  out  for  the  hydraulic 
process.  It  has  used  250  inches  of  water  and  employed  from  four  to  six  men. 
An  incline  was  sunk  250  feet  below  the  level  of  the  present  workings  to  the 
bed  rock,  and  the  cement  taken  out  in  going  down  yielded  $8  to  the  car-load, 
and  not  more  than  one-third  of  the  gold  was  washed  out.  If  this  statement  be 
correct,  and  if  the  cement  found  in  the  incline  was  a  fair  average  of  all  in  the 
claim,  the  Buckeye  is  an  extremely  valuable  piece  of  property. 

DUTCH  FLAT  Aim  QUEEN  CITY. — The  Dutch  Flat,  1,800  by  900  feet,  was 
opened  in  1857,  and  is  still  at  work  with  12  men.  The  yield  is  from  $200  to 
$400  per  day.  The  soft  gravel  will  last  another  season.  The  company  com- 
menced wx>rk  in  1854,  cutting  a  tunnel  for  drainage,  but  after  going  450  feet  and 
spending  $46,000  on  it,  they  gave  it  up.  Some  of-  the  rock  was  so  hard  that 
they  paid  S85  50  per  lineal  foot. 

The  Queen  City,  900  by  250  feet,  began  piping  in  1858,  and  will  exhaust  its 
soft  gravel  this  year.  Four  men  arc  employed ;  the  yield  is  $130  to  $150  per 
day,  and  200  or  250  inches  of  water  are  used. 

BEAR  RIVER  AND  TEAFF. — The  Bear  lliver  claim,  900  by  400,  was  opened 
in  1856,  and  will  be  exhausted,  so  far  as  the  soft  gravel  is  concerned,  this  year. 
Four  men  are  employed,  250  inches  of  water  are  used,  and  the  yield  is  $150  per 
day. 

TeafFs  claim,  900  by  310  feet  on  one  side  of  the  hill,  and  1,500  by  900  on 
the  other  side,  was  opened  as  a  pipe  claim  in  1855,  and  the  soft  gravel  will  be 
worked  out  next  year.  From  1857  to  1860  125  inches  of  wrater  were  used,  and 
the  average  yield  was  $100  per  day.  About  80  feet  have  been  washed  away 
from  nearly  the  entire  area  of  the  claim.  The  amount  of  water  used  is  250  inches, 
at  an  expense  of  $30  per  day ;  four  men  are  employed  at  $3  each ;  the  total 
expenses  arc  about  $50  per  day,  and  the  yield  $150.  The  head  of  water  for 
piping  is  120  feet. 

FROM  BOSTON  TO  YANKEE. — The  Boston  claim,  900  by  450  feet,  )vas  opened 
as  a  hydraulic  claim  in  1855,  and  the  soft  gravel  will  all  be  wrashed  away  this 
year.  Four  men  are  employed,  250  inches  of  wrater  are  purchased,  and  the  yield 
is  $150  per  day. 

The  Gray  Eagle,  900  by  300  feet,  was  piped  from  1858  till  this  year,  and 
now  the  soft  gravel  has  all  disappeared.  The  yield  was  $150  per  day,  and  250 
or  300  inches  were  used  per  day. 

The  North  Star  was  worked  as  a  drift  claim  for  a  long  time,  and  then  piped. 
The  soft  gravel  is  all  gone,  and  the  claim,  is  lying  idle. 

The  Union  is  working,  and  paying  good  wages  to  two  men. 

The  Yankee,  at  the  junction  of  Dutch  Flat  ravine  with  Bear  river,  has  worked 
off  nearly  all  the  soft  gravel.  In  1858  and  1859  it  was  worked  as  a  drift  claim 
by  16  men,  and  it  yielded  250  ounces  (about  $4,500)  per  month. 

DRIFT  CLAIMS. — The  Blue  Cut  struck  pay  in  1856  as  a  drift  claim,  and  paid 
very  high  for  a  time,  and  now  pays  $400  per  month.  Four  men  are  employed, 
ami  the  claim  is  still  worked  by  drifting. 

The  Potosi,  a  drift  claim,  pays  200  ounces  per  month  to  12  men  drifting  day 
and  night. 

The  Whynot  Company  is  worked  as  a  drifting  claim ;  yield  not  ascertained. 

The  Badger  has  22  feet  of  drifting  dirt,  and  has  been  very  rich,  but  is  working 
now  on  a  small  scale.  In  four  years  it  paid  $192,000  of  dividends 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  107 

MILL  CLAIMS. — The  Ohio  claim  has  a  four-stamp  cement  mill,  which  started 
this  year  and  pays  well.  The  cement  is  hauled  out  with  a  mule.  The  soft 
gravel  has  been  sluiced  off  from  the  top. 

The  erection  of  a  mill  has  been  commenced  on  the  Baker  claim. 

The  German  Company  intend  to  build  a  mill. 

OTHER  CLAIMS. — The  Deep  Shaft  claim  is  the  property  of  the  Water  Con> 
puny,  and  is  worked  by  the  hydraulic  process,  but  the  supply  of  water  is  irreo-u- 
lur.  When  there  are  250  inches  of  water  the  yield  is  about  8150  per  day. 

The  Iowa  claim  uses  250  inches,  and  pays  $150  per  day,  but  did  not  pay  more 
than  $100  previous  to  1866.  The  soft  gravel  will  be  worked  out  next  year. 

The  North  Star  yielded  $150  per  day  for  four  or  five  years,  but  the  soft  gravel 
is  all  gone  now. 

Between  Dutch  Flat  Ravine  and  Squire's  Cafion  are  a  number  of  hydraulic 
claims  that  have  been  worked  many  years,  and  have  paid  very  little  more  than 
ex)  tenses. 

TEAFF'S  TAIL  SLUICE. — James  Teaif,  who  owns  one  of  the  piping  claims  at 
Dutch  Flat,  also  owns  a  tail  sluice — probably  the  largest  one  in  the  State.  The 
total  length  is  5,500  feet ;  2,500  feet  long,  five  and  a  half  feet  wide,  and  26  inches 
deep,  in  a  tunnel,  and  3,000  feet  long  and  six  feet  wide  outside.  The  construc- 
tion of  the  tunnel  and  sluice  cost  $55,000  in  money  and  four  years7  time,  and  was 
completed  in  1863.  The  Teaff,  Dutch  Flat,  Queen  City,  Bear  River,  Franklin, 
Boston,  and  Iowa  companies,  with  1,550  inches  of  water,  tail  into  it.  It  is 
paved  all  the  way  with  boulders  14  inches  deep.  The  grade  is  10  inches  to  12 
Feet,  but  eight  inches  would  have  been  better.  At  intervals  of  120  feet  there  are 
falls  or  dumps  two  feet  and  a  half  high  in  the  tunnel  and  five  feet  high  outside. 
These  dumps  are  of  great  service  in  breaking  up  pieces  of  cement. 

Boulders  10  and  15  inches  in  diameter  are  constantly  rushing  through  the  sluice, 
and  some  of  20  inches  frequently  pass.  The  great  weight  of  these  boulders 
rushing  along  at  a  speed  of  nearly  10  miles  an  hour  tries  the  sluice  severely, 
and  the  rock  bottom  is  always  worn  down  about  two  inches  in  three  months, 
and  half  of  the  paving  boulders  are  broken  so  as  to  be  unfit  for  further  use. 

The  rock  for  the  paving  is  obtained  by  putting  an  iron  grate  in  a  sloping  posi- 
tion in  the  sluice.  The  bars  of  the  grate  are  an  inch  and  a  half  thick  and  eight 
inches  apart,  so  everything  small  passes  through.  A  Chinaman  stands  by  the 
grate,  examines  every  boulder  that  stops,  lays  the  good  ones  on  one  side,  and 
throws  the  others  over. 

Every  evening  15  or  20  pounds  of  quicksilver  are  put  into  the  sluice,  and  the 
largest  amount  in  the  sluice  at  one  time  is  900  pounds.  The  owner  of  the 
sluice  never  buys  any  quicksilver,  but  has  it  to  sell,  for  he  catches  more  than  he 
putsin.  llecleans  up  several  sections — a  section  is  between  two  dumps — between 
Sat  unlay  night  and  .Monday  morning,  which  time  he  has  for  cleaning  up  under 
a  contract  with  the  companies.  Six  men  are  employed  20  hours — 12  days' work — 
in  cleaning  up  a  section  of  ten  boxes  or  120  feet,  and  the  expense,  including 
ne -A  stone  and.  repairing,  is  S3  75  per  box.  The  yield  is  usually  $25  per  box, 
250  per  section,  at  a  dean  up,  and  there  are  416  boxes  in  the  sluice.  Three 
men  are  constantly  employed  in  looking  after  the  sluice,  and  extra  men  are 
engaged  to  clean  up. 

The  companies  which  tail  into  the  tunnel  have  about  600  feet  of  their  own 
sluices. 

DRAINAGE  <n  \\\:\\i  RIVER.— Bear  river,  opposite  to  Dutch  Flat,  is  70  feet 
deep,  with  tailings,  the  mass  of  which  extends  for  some  miles  above  and  many 
below.  It  has  been  proposed  to  cut  a  tunnel  three  miles  long  from  Bear  river  at 
Secret  ravine  through  the  railroad  divide  to  the  north  fork  of  the  American  river, 
the  1  .cd  of  which  is  1,000  feet  lower  than  that  of  Bear  river.  It  is  supposed  that 
an  immense  profit  would  be  derived  from  such  an  enterprise,  though  the  cost  of 
making  a  tunnel  for  that  length  11  feet  wide  and  eight  feet  high,  at  $40  per  foot, 


108  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

would  be  about  8630,000.  The  bed  of  Bear  river,  opposite  Dutch  Flat,  never 
was  flunied,  and  is  probably  quite  rich.  The  present  deposit  of  tailings  began  to 
accumulate  in  1858  or  1859.  They  rise  about  two  feet  per  month  from  February 
till  September,  and  then  the  floods  of  winter  cany  away  a  considerable  portion  of 
them. 

SOUTH  PLACER  QUARTZ  REGULATIONS. — There  is  no  general  quartz  regula- 
ti  H  for  Placer  county ;  each  district  has  its  own  rules. 

The  following  are  the  main  provisions  of  the  South  Placer  quartz  regulations : 

Any  person  may  take  up  and  pre-empt  one  claim  of  200  feet  in  length  on  the  lode  by  200 
feet  in  width,  (following  the  dip  of  the  lode,)  with  all  dips,  spurs,  angles,  and  courses,  with 
all  precious  metals  therein  contained.  Such  claims  shall  be  valid  by  the  locator's  posting 
one  notice  thereupon,  naming  the  number  of  feet  claimed  each  way  from  said  notice  ;  desig- 
nating, if  possible,  by  cropping?;,  the  general  direction  of  said  lode,  but  if  no  croppings  are 
visible,  then  by  the  words  easterly,  westerly,  northerly,  or  southerly,  as  the  case  may  be  ;  but 
in  no  case  shall  a  location  of  a  claim  be  invalid  by  reason  of  any  misapprehension  in  regard 
to  the  direction  of  said  lode.  Notices  of  locations  shall  be  put  upon  the  records  of  this 
district,  together  with  filing  a  copy  of  the  same  with  the  recorder,  which  shall  give  as  full  a 
description  as  possible  of  the  claim. 

All  claims  shall  be  recorded  as  above  specified  within  20  days  from  the  date  of  their  notice. 

All  claims  in  this  district  shall  be  held  by  working  the  same,  the  work  to 
amount  to  at  least  one  full  day's  work  to  each  claim  in  each  company  in  every 
month  in  good  faith  j  and  after  the  sum  of  $50  to  each  name  in  such  company  shall 
have  been  expended  upon  the  claim,  on  application  to  the  recorder  it  shall  be  his 
duty  to  go  and  see  the  work,  and  if  he  rinds  that  the  said  amount  of  work  or 
money  has  been  expended  as  before  stated,  he  shall  give  to  the  parties  owning 
or  their  representatives  a  certificate  stating  that  the  said  amount  of  work  and 
money  has  been  expended,  which  entitles  the  owners  to  lay  over  and  suspend 
work  for  the  term  of  six  months  from  the  date  of  said  application,  and  the  claim 
will  not  be  considered  forfeited  until  after  the  said  six  months  has  expired. 

CANADA  HILL  AND  LONE  STAR  REGULATIONS. — The  quartz  regulations  of 
Canada  Hill  allow  200  feet  on  the  lode  to  each  person,  and  50  feet  on  each  side, 
and  10  feet  on  every  cross-lode;  and  require  five  days'  work  per  month  for  each 
individual  claim  or  share. 

In  the  Lone  Star  district,  west  of  Auburn,  the  regulations  allow  200  feet  to  each 
person,  and  300  feet  on  each  side.  A  company's  claim  may  be  held  for  the  first 
year  by  doing  work  of  the  value  of  $25  within  60  days  after  the  location;  and 
an  equal  amount  of  work  will  hold  it  for  any  subsequent  year. 

GREEN  EMIGRANT. — The  Green  Emigrant  mine,  three  miles  northwest  from 
Auburn,  is  1,000  feet  long  on  a  vein  which  appears  to  run  north  65°  west,  but 
there  are  a  number  of  veins  that  seem  to  concentrate  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  in 
which  a  rich  deposit  has  been  found. 

The  vein  which  runs  through  the  hill  is  called  the  Green  Emigrant,  is  three 
feet  wide,  and  dips  45°  to  the  southwest.  The  foot-wall  is  serpentine  and  the 
hanging  wall  talcose  slate  and  schist.  The  vein  itself  near  the  surface  seems 
to  be  decomposed  quartz,  talcose,  and  schist.  The  middle  parallel  vein  is  18 
inches  wide  and  nearly  vertical,  and  the  vein  matter  is  like  that  in  the  Green 
Emigrant.  The  southwestern  vein  is  four  feet  and  a  half  wide,  and  dips  45° 
to  the  east.  The  vein  matter  is  the  same  as  in  the  other  two.  There  are  spaces 
of  50  feet  between  these  parallel  veins  at  the  surface,  but  it  is  supposed  that  they 
unite  150  feet  below  the  surface.  The  walls  of  the  middle  vein  and  the  hang- 
ing wall  of  the  southern  vein  are  talcose  slate  j  and  the  foot-wall  of  the  latter 
vein  is  a  hard  rock  resembling  sienite.  A  shaft  was  sunk  10  feet  in  the  south- 
western vein,  and  the  rock  averaged  $10  per  ton.  The  mine  was  discovered  in 
1864,  and  not  more  than  50  tons  have  been  crushed,  }^ielding  $100  per  ton.  Tlie 
yield  for  the  first  two  years  was  $20,000,  but  the  proprietors  refuse  to  tell  what 
ithasbeen  since.  Rumor,  which  probably  exaggerates  grossly,  says  that  $100.000 
have  been  taken  out  in  a  hand  mortar  in  the  first  six  months  of  1867.  That 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  109 

many  rich  specimens  have  been  obtained  is  indubitable.  All  the  work  in  the 
mine,  except  on  rare  occasions,  is  done  by  two  partners  in  it,  and  strangers  are 
not  permitted  to  enter.  The  rich  deposit  is  found  in  streaks  near  the  walls. 
The  mine  is  opened  by  a  tunnel  225  feet  long.  The  mine  owners  say  the  whole 
hill  will  pay — the  rock  for  crushing  and  the  gravel  for  washing. 

The  first  extension  of  the  Green  Emigrant  on  the  north  is  600  feet  long,  and 
is  being  opened  or  examined  by  cross  cuts.  Some  auriferous  talcose  slate  has 
been  found,  but  so  far  no  vein. 

Monahan  &  Co.  have  2,000  feet  on  the  same  vein,  and  have  done  nothing. 

The  Wells  claim  is  2,400  feet  long,  and  the  vein  is  five  feet  wide.  There  are 
two  shafts,  one  50  and  the  other  40  feet  deep.  Forty  tons  have  been  crushed, 
and  they  yielded  $12  50  per  ton  on  an  average,  after  the  specimens  had  been 
picked  out. 

The  first  extension  south  of  the  Green  Emigrant  is  2,000  feet  long.  A  shaft 
has  been  sunk  25  feet,  and  the  vein  is  18  inches  wide.  The  rock  prospects  well. 

Xi-:w  YORK  AND  EMPIRE. — The  New  York  mine,  formerly  known  as  the  Con- 
rad, one  mile  west  of  Auburn,  has  three  veins,  each  two  feet  wide,  not  more  than 
200  feet  apart. 

The  Empire  Company,  at  Ophir,  has  11,000  feet  of  claims  on  various  veins, 
and  is  working  in  a  shaft  35  feet  deep,  in  a  vein  two  feet  wide.  The  mill 
has  10  stamps,  and  began  to  run  in  March  of  this  year.  The  average  yield  is 
$8  per  ton,  exclusive  of  the  sulphurets,  which  are  not  saved.  An  experiment  was 
nia'le  in  this  mill  of  working  the  float  quartz,  which  covers  the  whole  country 
near  Ophir,  but  it  did  not  pay.  The  working  vein  is  in  granite  and  runs  north 
and  south.  The  mill  was  burned  down  in  July,  after  it  was  visited. 

SCHXABLE. — The  Julianne  or  Sclmable  mine,  on  Jenny  Lind  Flat,  near 
Ophir,  is  2,000  feet  long  on  a  vein  two  and  a  half  feet  wide,  running  north  and 
south  in  granite,  and  dipping  80°  to  the  east.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  105  feet, 
and  drills  have  been  run  50  feet  below  the  surface,  1,200  feet  on  the  vein,  in  pay 
all  the  way.  The  pay  is  evenly  distributed  through  the  vein,  and  the  average 
yield  of  free  gold,  as  reported  by  the  proprietor,  is  $6  per  ton;  but  the  general 
impression  in  the  neighborhood  is  that  the  mine  is  quite  valuable.  The  expense 
for  stopping  out  is  $2  per  ton,  and  the  total  expense  $4.  The  croppings  have 
paid  for  2,000  feet  on  the  surface.  The  rock  contains  seven  per  cent,  of  sulphu- 
rets, which  assay  $147  per  ton,  or  $10  per  ton  of  rock.  There  is  a  five-stamp 
mill  which  has  been  running  for  two  years  and  a  half,  working  25  or  30  tons 
per  week. 

WALTER  AND  ST.  LAWRENCE. — The  Walter  mine,  900  feet,  at  Hamberg 
Flat,  is  on  a  vein  which  runs  northwest  and  southeast,  averages  18  inches 
in  thickness,  and  dips  80C  to  the  southwest.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  45  feet, 
and  drifts  have  been  run  48  feet  on  the  vein  in  pay  rock  all  the  way.  There  is 
slate  wall  on  both  sides,  but  in  some  places  the  granite  comes  to  the  west  wall. 
Some  very  rich  specimens  have  been  found.  The  mine  has  no  mill.  Twenty 
tons  have  been  crushed,  and  the  yield  was  $13  per  ton. 

The  St.  Lawrence  Company  lias  three  claims.  The  St.  Lawrence  vein,  on 
which  they  are  working,  runs  northeast  and  southwest,  dips  southeast  65°,  and 
is  20  inches  wide.  The  claim  on  this  vein  is  1,400  feet  long.  A  shaft^has 
been  sunk  75  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run  85  feet  in  pay  all  the  way.  Phe 
walls  are  granite,  with  a  slaty  gouge  about  an  inch  thick  on  each  side.  The 
surf ae« •  was  w< >rked  with  a  profit  by  Mexicans  for  many  years.  The  St.  Lawrence 
claim  on  the  Boulder  vein  is  2,400  feet  long..  The  vein  is  three  and  a  half  feet 
wide,  and  has  the  same  course,  dip,  and  walls  as  the  St. Lawrence.  A  shaft  has 
been  sunk  75  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run  75  feet.  An  assay  of  the  sulphurets 
shows  .si  38  gold  and  $158  silver  per  ton.  An  assay  of  dry  slum  showed  ! 
gold  and  $46  silver  per  ton.  . 

GOLDEN  RULE.— The  Golden  Rule  Company,  of  Sacramento,  (to  be  distal- 


110  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

guished  from  the  Golden  Rule  Company  of  San  Francisco,  which  has  a  valuable 
mine  on  the  Mother  lode  in  Tuolumne  county,)  has  claims,  each  2,000  feet  long, 
on  three  parallel  veins  nine  miles  south-southwest  of  Auburn.  The  eastern  vein 
is  three  feet  thick,  and  has  been  opened  by  a  shaft  250  feet  deep  and  drifts  160 
feet  long  on  the  vein,  all  the  way  in  rock  that  averages  $12  to  the  ton.  The 
middle  vein  is  two  ieet  thick,  and  the  rock  averages  $8.  This  is  100  feet 
from  the  eastern  vein,  has  been  reached  by  a  cross-drift  from  it,  and  a  drift  in 
the  vein  has  been  run  60  feet.  The  western  vein  is  60  feet  distant,  ip  fifteen 
inches  wide,  and  has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  75  feet  by  a  shaft,  and  to  a  length 
of  50  feet  by  drifts.  The  eastern  and  middle  veins  show  quartz  of  the  same 
quality ;  the  western  has  a  bluish  hard  quartz,  containing  more  free  gold  than 
the  others,  which  have  white  quartz  and  sulphurets.  A  20-stamp  mill  is  going 
up,  and  also  a  reverberatory  furnace,  with  a  capacity  to  roast  a  ton  at  a  charge. 
The  sulphurets  are  to  be  concentrated  with  Hungerford's  concentrator.  There  is 
a  75-horse  power  steam  engine  and  steam  hoisting  works.  For  hoisting,  a  flat 
wire  rope  is  used. 

STEWART'S  FLAT,  AMERICAN  BAR,  AND  DAMASCUS. — Stewart's  Flat  mine, 
1,350  feet  long,  is  on  a  vein  two  and  a  half  feet  wide,  running  north-northeast 
and  south-southwest,  in  granite  walls.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  120  feet,  and 
drifts  have  been  run  380  feet  on  the  vein  in  pay  all  the  way.  The  average 
yield  is  $15  per  ton.  The  mine  was  worked  from  1862  to  1864,  and  was  then 
left  idle  till  this  spring,  when  work  was  resumed.  There  is  a  five-stamp  mill. 

At  American  Bar,  two  miles  below  Michigan  Bluff,  a  quartz  mill  is  being  built. 

The  Damascus  quartz  mine,  at  Damascus,  was  worked  for  three  years,  paying 
a  profit  part  of  the  time,  and  has  been  idle  for  the  last  three  years.  The  vein  i« 
]  2  feet  wide  and  the  mill  has  five  stamps. 

RED  STONE. — The  Red  Stone,  10  miles  'north  of  Dutch  Flat,  on  the  north 
branch  of  the  north  fork  of  the  American  river,  is  2,400  feet  long,  on  a  vein  which 
runs  northwest  and  southeast,  and  is  five  and  a  half  feet  wide,  between  granite 
and  talcose  slate.  A  depth  of  165  feet  has  been  reached,  and  drifts  have  been 
run  30  feet  in  the  vein.  The  rock,  so  far  as  examined,  is  very  rich.  A  four- 
stamp  mill  has  been  running,  and  an  18-stamp  mill  is  now  in  the  course  of 
erection. 

There  is  a  mill  of  two  stamps  erected  in  Bear  Valley,  for  the  purpose  of  pros- 
pecting the  Champion  and  the  Blue  Belle  lodes,  both  of  which  yield  excellent 
quartz. 

CANADA  HILL. — Canada  Hill,  on  the  Forest  Hill  ridge,  10  miles  west  of 
the  summit,  has  a  number  of  quartz  lodes,  some  of  which  are  very  promising  at 
the  surface.  The  gulches  about  the  hill  are  full  of  rough  gold  and  gold-bearing 
quartz.  Most  of  the  miners  there  are  Mexicans.  The  Secret  mill,  built  four 
years  ago,  ran  two  years  and  is  now  standing  idle. 

The  Buena  Vista  Company  are  opening  a  quartz  claim. 

Bald  Mountain,  two  miles  east  of  Canada  Hill,  is  covered  with  float-quartz, 
and  many  of  the  pieces  contain  specks  of  gold  plainly  visible.  There  has  been 
much  prospecting  for  lodes,  but  none  of  any  size  have  been  found. 

HARPENDING  MINE. — The  Gold  Quarry  Company's  property,  familiarly 
known  as  the  Banker  or  Harpending  mine,  is  situated  near  Lincoln,  on  a  deposit 
similar  to  that  of  Quail  Hill,  in  Calaveras  county.  The  ores  are  delivered  by 
contract  at  40  cents  per  ton.  A  40-stamp  mill  is  at  work,  crushing  about  five 
,ons  daily  to  the  stamp.  The  labor  is  principally  Chinese.  The  estimated  cost 
of  the  entire  extraction  and  treatment  is  within  $1  per  ton. 

Professor  Silliman,  in  a  paper  on  the  Harpending  and  Quail  Hill  deposits, 
says: 

Accompanying  the  entire  mass  of  decomposition  at  both  localities,  occur  both  gold  and 
silver,  disseminated  with  remarkable  uniformity  in  all  parts  of  the  ore  ground.  At  Whiskey 
Hill  films  of  metallic  silver  are  visible  upon  the  talcose  masses,  stained  green  by  malachite 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  Ill 

or  chrysocolla.  The  gold  is  rarely  seen  in  situ,  being  mostly  obscured  by  the  very  rusty 
and  highly-stained  character  of  the  associated  materials.  But  it  is  rare  that,  on  washing  a 
small  quantity  of  any  of  the  contents  of  these  great  deposits,  gold  is  not  found  in  angular 
grains  or  small  ragged  masses,  from  the  size  of  a  few  grains'  weight  to  impalpable  dust. 
Nuggets  of  several  pennyweights  occur  occasionally.  This  gold  has  evidently  accompanied 
tho  sulplimvts  and  been  left  in  its  original  position  and  condition  by  their  decomposition. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  gold  of  the  gulches  adjoining  these  deposits  lias  been 
derived  from  them.  At  Whiskey  Hill  the  gulch  gold  ceases  to  be  found  as  soon  as  the  limits 
of  this  deposit  are  passed  ;  and  the  same  is  true  at  Quail  Hill.  The  occurrence  of  deposits 
of  this  nature  throughout  the  range  of  the  foot  hills  seems  to  offer  the  best  solution  which  has 
suggested  itself  of  the  origin  of  the  placer  gold,  which  is  found  in  situations  so  far  removed 
from  tho  gold  belt  of  the  upper  sierras,  and  away  from  sources  usually  recognized  as  those 
to  which  placer  gold  may  be  referred. 

The  chemical  results  of  the  extensive  decomposition  of  metallic  sulphids  which  has  in 
former  times  occurred  at  these  localities  offer  an  interesting  problem  in  chemical  geology. 
The  sulphur  has  been  removed  chiefly  as  sulphuric  acid,  beyond  doubt,  which  has  combined 
with  iron  and  copper  to  form  sulphates  of  those  metals.  These  have,  for  the  most  part,  dis- 
appeared, being  washed  out  by  the  atmospheric  waters,  and  have  followed  the  drainage  of 
the  country.  At  Whiskey  Hill  I  found  the  sulphate  of  iron,  (coquimbite, )  sulphate  of  cop- 
per, (cyauosite,)  and  alum.  The  water  of  the  shaft  contains  copper  enough  to  redden  the 
iron  tools.  *  * 

From  all  the  evidence  presented,  we  seem  justified  in  regarding  these  remarkable  metallic 
deposits  as  segregated  veins,  holding  a  pretty  uniform  and  high  tenor  of  gold  and  silver, 
associated  with  and  derived  from  the  decomposition  of  extended  masses  of  metallic  sulphur- 
ets  and  quartzose  matter,  and  carrying,  at  times,  ores  of  copper,  the  commercial  value  of 
which  is,  however,  entirely  subordinate  to  that  of  the  precious  metals  which  are  found  to 
characterize  these  veins  or  ore  channels. 


SECTION   IX. 

NEVADA    COUNTY. 

Nevada  county,  California,  has  for  its  eastern  boundary  the  dividing  line 
between  California  and  Nevada  State ;  extends  across  the  summit  and  down  the 
westerly  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  to  the  foot  hills  that  border  the 
eastern  edge  of  the  Sacramento  valley.  Its  northerly  and  southerly  boundaries 
are  the  Middle  Yuba  and  Bear  rivers,  to  the  sources  of  those  streams;  thence 
due  cast  to  the  State  line.  Its  length  from  east  to  west  is  about  65  miles,  having 
an  average  breadth  of  20,  and  containing  about  1,300  square  miles.  It  is  near 
tho  middle  of  the  great  gold  region  that  stretches  along  the  westerly  slope  of 
the  mountain  chain,  extends  entirely  across  the  auriferous  belt,  and  in  the  last 
nineteen  years  has  produced  more  gold  than  any  tract  of  country  of  equal  extent 
in  the  world.*  The  elevation  above  the  level  of  the  ocean  ranges  from  800  to 
1,000  feet,  along  the  foot  hills,  and  rises  to  8,000  and  9,000  feet  in  places  on 
the  summit,  thus  affording  a  great  variety  of  climates.  On  and  near  the  summit 
the  ground  is  covered  with  snow  for  more  than  half  the  year,  while  at  the  foot 
hills  snow  and  ice  are  seldom  seen. 

Several  streams,  which  have  their  sources  high  up  in  the  mountains,  flow 
westerly  through  the  county,  and  empty  into  the  main  Yuba  or  Bear  river.  The 
most  considerable  of  these  are  the  South  Yuba,  Deer  creek,  and  Greenhorn, 
which,  with  their  tributaries,  have  cut  deep  channels  in  the  primitive  rock. 
Between  these  streams  and  those  forming  the  northerly  and  southerly  boundaries 

*  Professor  B.  Silliman  says  of  the  product  of  the  valley  district: 

"The  place  has  obtained  a  well-earned  celebrity  as  the  most  prosperous  of  all  the  gol 
quart-/- mining  districts  in  California.  Quartz  mining  was  begun  here  as  early  as  IBpU,  ai 
has  been  continued,  on  the  whole,  with  a  steadily  increasing  success,  to  the  present  ti 

"It  is  diflicult  to  obtain  exact  statistics  of  the  total  product  of  the  Grass  Valley  quart 
mines,  hut  it  is  believed  by  those  best  able  to  form  a  trustworthy  opinion  on  this 
thut  the  product  in  1886  was  probably  not  less  than  $2,000,000,  while  for  the  whole  period 


•  product  in  JSb'G  was  probably  not 
£31 — say  14  years — it  was  probably 


from  1831— say  14  years— it  was  probably  in  excess  of  $23,000,000." 


112  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

of  the  county  are  four  main  ridges  running  nearly  at  right  angles  with  the  moun- 
tain chain,  and  varying  in  length  from  25  to  40  miles.  These  ridges  are  com- 
posed mainly  of  gravel  and  alluvial  deposits,  the  debris  from  the  higher  moun- 
tains, and  matter  of  volcanic  origin.  In  places  the  bed  rock  rises  nearly  to  the 
surface,  but  in  general  the  alluvium  is  from  100  to  200  feet  in  depth,  and  at  the 
higher  elevations  is  covered  with  basaltic  rocks  and  a  deep  volcanic  cement. 
The  volcanic  covering  is  supposed  at  one  time  to  have  extended  over  a  much 
larger  area  than  at  present,  forming  extensive  table  lands,  but  in  course  of  time 
has  been  worn  away  on  the  lower  portions  and  along  the  margins  of  the  ridges, 
leaving  the  alluvium  as  the  upper  surface,  and  which  now  constitutes  the  prin- 
cipal field  for  hydraulic  mining.* 

*  Professor  Silliman,  in  an  article  published  in  Bean's  Directory  of  Nevada,  says  of  the 
general  geological  character  of  the  Grass  Valley  district : 

"The  gold-bearing  rocks  at  this  place  are  mostly  highly  metamorphic  schists  or  sandstone 
passing  into  diorite  or  greenstone  syenite.  These  greenstones,  seemingly  crystaline,  are 
probably  only  highly  altered  sedimentary  rocks,  containing  a  large  amount  of  protoxide  of 
iron  with  sulphnret  of  iron.  In  some  parts  of  the  district  slaty  rocks  occur,  more  or  less 
talcose  or  chloritic  in  character ;  masses  of  serpentine  also  abound,  forming  at  times  one 
wall  of  the  quartz  veins.  This  serpentine  is  probably  metamorphic  of  the  magnesian  rocks 
last  named.  The  red  soil,  seen  almost  everywhere  in  the  Grass  Valley  district,  has  its  origin 
from  the  peroxidation  of  the  iron  contained  in  the  greenstones  and  diorites,  and  set  at  liberty 
by  its  decomposition. 

"The  line  of  contact  between  the  gold-bearing  and  metamorphic  rocks  of  Grass  Valley 
and  the  granites  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  is  met  on  the  road  to  the  town  of  Nevada,  about  a  half 
mile  before  coming  to  Deer  creek.  The  talcose  and  chloritic  slates  are  seen  to  the  north,  in 
the  direction  of  the  Peck  load,  and  in  the  slate  districts  of  Deer  creek. 

"The  dip  and  strike  of  the  rocks  in  the  Grass  Valley  region  is  seen  to  vary  greatly  in 
different  parts  of  the  district.  Following  the  course  of  Wolf  creek,  a  tributary  of  Bear  river, 
it  will  be  observed  that  the  valley  of  this  stream — which  is  Grass  Valley — as  well  as  of  its 
principal  branches,  follows,  in  the  main,  the  line  or  strike  of  the  rocks.  In  the  absence  of 
an  accurate  map  of  the  region  it  may  not  be  easy  to  make  this  statement  evident.  But  all 
who  are  familiar  with  the  chief  mines  of  this  district  will  recall  the  fact  that  the  course  of  the 
veins  in  the  Forest  Springs  location,  at  the  southern  extremity  of  the  district,  is  nearly  north 
and  south — N.  about  20°  E. — with  a  very  flat  dip  to  the  east ;  while  at  the  Eureka  mine,  on 
Eureka  Hill,  about  four  miles  to  the  northward,  the  course  of  the  vein  is  nearly  east  and 
west,  with  a  dip  to  the  south  of  about  78  degrees.  Again,  commencing  at  North  Gold  Hill 
and  following  the  course  of  the  famous  vein  which  bears  the  names  of  Gold  Hill,  Massachu- 
setts Hill,  and  New  York  Hill,  we  find  the  veins  conforming  essentially  to  the  southerly 
course  of  the  stream,  with  an  easterly  dip.  The  North  Star,  on  Weimar  Hill,  has  likewise 
the  same  general  direction  of  dip.  Near  Miller's  ravine,  at  El  Dorado  mill,  Wolf  creek  makes 
a  sudden  bend  to  the  left  or  east,  leaving  the  Lone  Jack,  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  and  Allison 
Ranch  mines  to  the  west.  All  these  last-named  mines  are  found  to  possess  a  westerly  dip, 
"showing  the  existence  of  a  synclinal  axis  running  between  the  base  of  New  York  Hill  and 
the  mines  having  westerly  dips  last  named,  along  which,  probably,  the  veins  will,  if  explored 
in  depth,  be  found  'in  basin.'  The  dip  at  Lone  Jack  is  about  30°  west;  at  Allison  Ranch 
it  is  about  45°  west.  Just  below  the  Allison  Ranch  mine  Wolf  cieek  again  makes  a  sharp 
turn  to  the  left;  nearly  at  a  right  angle,  and  then'  resumes  its  former  course  with  the  same 
abruptness.  A  mile  lower  down,  where  it  strikes  the  Forest  Springs  locations,  we  find  the 
Morambagua  inclosed  in  syenitic  rocks,  dipping  at  a  very  low  angle  to  the  east ;  a  dip  is  seen 
also,  at  a  still  less  angle,  in  the  Shamrock,  yet  further  south.  There  is  probably  a  saddle  or 
anticlinal  axis  below  the  Allison  Ranch  mine,  due  to  the  elevation  of  the  syenitic  mass,  which, 
it  seems  probable,  sets  in  at  the  sharp  bend  in  the  stream,  before  alluded  to,  and  where  the 
ravine  trail  joins  it.  The  stream  probably  runs  pretty  nearly  in  the  basin  of  the  synclinal. 

"The  rocks  on  the  east  side  of  Wolf  creek,  and  above  Forest  Springs  locations,  dip 
westerly.  Such  is  the  case  at  Kate  Hayes  and  with  the  veins  on  Osborn  Hill.  The  middle 
branch  of  the  creek  sweeps  around  to  the  east,  forms  its  junction  with  the  north  fork,  and 
the  veins  explored  there  near  its  upper  waters,  as  at  Union  Hill,  the  Burdette  ground,  Mur- 
phy vein,  Lucky,  and  Cambridge,  all  dip  southwest  or  south,  conformably  to  the  Idaho  and 
Eureka,  and  at  a  pretty  high  angle.  The  Eureka  vein,  going  west,  faults  in  the  Whiting- 
ground,  -and,  having  previously  become  almost  vertical,  has,  west  of  the  fault,  a  northerly 
clip  at  a  high  angle.  At  the  Coe  ground  this  northerly  dip  is  also  found  at  an  angle  of  about 
5(»°.  At  Cincinnati  Hill  the  vein  dips  southerly,  in  a  direction  exactly  opposite  to  that  ot 
the  North  Star,  there  being  a  valley  between  the  two,  and  a  saddle  or  anticlinal  between  Cin- 
cinnati and  Massachusetts  Hills. 

"These  facts,  which  by  a  more  detailed  statement  could  be  easily  multiplied,  seem  to  war- 
rant the  conclusion  that  the  course  and  dip  of  the  Grass  Valley  veins  is  especially  conformable 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  113 

Tin-  whole  country  was  originally  covered  with  magnificent  forests,  the  differ- 
ent varieties  of  the  pine  predominating  in  the  more  elevated  regions,  and  giving 
place  to  tho  oak  in  the  foot-hills.  As  the  first  settlers  had  no  interest  in  the 
soil,  and  felt  that  they  were  but  sojonrners  for  a  time  in  the  mines,  the  timber 
has  been  \vnsteiVilly  used,  and  much  of  it  has  disappeared. 

The  entire  county  is  what  might  be  termed  mineral  land,  as  distinguished 
from  agricultural.  Vet  there  are  many  sheltered  valleys  of  rich,  arable  soil 
which  have  been  cultivated,  and  amply  rewarded  the  husbandman.  The  largest 
of  these  is  Pema  valley,  lying  near  the  westerly  border  of  the  county,  and  con- 
taining about  2,000  acres  of  good  soil,  which  has  been  occupied  and  cultivated 
for  many  years. 

SETTLEMENT. — The  first  settlement  in  what  is  now  Nevada  county  was  made 
in  the  summer  <>i'  1848,  when  the  south  and  middle  branches  of  the  Yuba  were 
prospected  for  gold  for  a  considerable  distance  into  the  mountains,  and  many 

to  that  of  the  rocks,  and  that  the  streams  have,  in  general,  excavated  their  valleys  in  alike 
conformable  manner." 

In  reference  to  the  gold-hearing  veins  of  Grass  Valley,  Professor  Siiliman  says  : 

'•  The  quartz  veins  of  Grass  Valley  district  are  not  generally  large.  Two  feet  is  prohably 
a  full  average  thickness,  while  some  of  the  most  productive,  and  those  which  have  given 
from  the  first  a  high  reputation  to  this  region,  have  not  averaged  over  a  foot,  or  possibly 
eighteen  inches  in  thickness.  There  are  some  exceedingly  rich  veins,  which  will  hardly 
average  four  inches  in  thickness,  and  which  have  yet  been  worked  at  a  profit,  while  at  the 
same  time  there  are  veins  like  the  Eureka,  which  have  averaged  three  in  thickness,  and  the 
Union  Hill  vein  over  four  feet.  The  Grass  Valley  veins  are  often,  perhaps,  usually  imbedded 
in  the  inclosing  rocks,  with  seldom  a  fluccan  or  clay  selvage  or  parting,  although  this  is 
sometimes  found  on  one  or  both  walls. 

41  The  walls  of  the  fissures  and  the  contact  faces  of  the  veins  are  often  seen  to  be  beautifully 
polished  and  striated. 

"  The  veins  are,  as  a  rule,  highly  mineralized,  crystalline,  and  affording  the  most  unmis- 
takable evidence  of  an  origin  from  solution  in  water,  and  afford  not  the  least  evidence  of  an 
igneous  origin.  Calcedonic  cavities  and  agatized  structure  are  very  conspicuous  features  in 
many  of  the  best  characterized  and  most  productive  of  the  gold-bearing  veins  of  this  district. 
These  indisputable  evidences  of  an  aqueous  origin  are  seen  in  Massachusetts  Hill,  Ophir 
Hill,  Allison  Ranch,  Kate  Hayes,  and  Eureka. 

"The  metallic  contents  of  the  Grass  Valley  veins  vary  extremely  ;  some  carry  but  little  or  no 
visible  gold  or  sulphurts,  although  the  gold  tenor  is  found  in  working  in  mill  to  be  satis- 
factory, and  the  sulphurets  appear  on  concentrating  the  sands  from  crushing.  This  is  the 
case  in  the  Lucky  and  Cambridge  mines,  for  example.  But  in  most  cases  the  veins  of  this 
district  abound  in  sulphurets,  chiefly  of  iron,  copper,  and  lead,  the  sulphurated  contents 
varying  greatly  in  the  same  vein ;  zinc  and  arsenic  are  found  also,  but  more  rarely,  the 
most  noted  example  of  arsenical  sulphurets  being  in  the  Norambagua  and  on  the  Heuston 
Hill ;  lead  abounds  in  the  Union  Hill  lodes,  (as  galena,)  and  the  same  rnetal  is  found  associated 
with  the  yellow  copper  in  parts  of  the  Eureka  mine.  The  gold  when  visible  is  very  com- 
monly seen  to  bo  associated  with  the  sulphurets;  this  was  particularly  the  case  in  Massa- 
chusetts Hill,  while  Rocky  Har  and  in  Scadden  Flat,  on  the  same  vein,  the  gold  is  found 
sometimes  in  beautiful  crystallized  masses,  binding  together  the  quartz,  and  almost  destitute 
of  siilphurets.  Mr.  William  Watt  informed  me  that  in  working  some  seventy  thousand 
tons  of  rock  from  Massachusetts  Hill  vein,  the  average  tenor  of  gold  was  about  $30  ;  but  at 
times  this  vein  was  almost  barren,  while  again  the  gold  was  found  in  it  so  abundantly, 
especially  where  it  was  thin,  that  it  had  to  be  cut  out  with  chisels.  It  is  matter  of  notoriety 
that  in  tfm  Gold  Hill  vein,  (continuation  of  the  vein  in  Massachusetts  Hill,)  portions  of  the 
lode  were  so  highly  charged  with  gold  that  the  amount  sequestered  by  the  miners  in  a  single 
year  exceeded  $50,000.  On  the  other  hand,  in  the  Cambridge  and  Lucky  mines,  having  a  tenor 
Of  about  s:i.',  to  $()(>  gold  to  the  ton,  the  precious  metal  is  seldom  visible.  In  the  Eureka, 
-where  tin-  average  tenor  of  gold  in  1866  was  $50  per  ton,  it  seldom  exhibited  what  may  b< 
called  ;i  '  specimen  '  of  gold. 

"The  structure  of  the  veins  in  Grass  Valley  varies  in  different  portions  of  the  district, 
'ally  in  respect  to  the  distribution  of  the  pyrites  and  portions  of  the  adjacent  wail. 
On  tho.  Eureka  Hill  the  veins  possess  a  laminated  structure  parallel  to  the  walls,  enclosing 
portions  of  the  .lioriti!  or  talcose  rocks,  forming  closures  or  joints  m  which  the  vein  split 
•  •usily.  On  these  surfaces  of  cleavage  minute  scales  of  gold  may  often  be  detected  by  close 
Inspection.  The  sulphurets  are  also  seen  to  be  arranged  in  bands  or  lines  parallel  to  tne 
walls  In  many  other  cases  this  kind  of  structure  is  found  to  be  wholly  absent,  while  the 
eulphureU  and  gold  appear  to  follow  no  regular  mode  of  distribution.  In  a  few  mines  t 

8 


114  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

rich  deposits  were  found  in  the  gravel  bars  and  along  the  margins  of  those  streams. 
Two  or  three  parties  remained  in  their  camps  over  winter,  but  the  most  of  the 
adventurers  returned  to  the  valleys  or  to  San  Francisco  in  the  fall.  The  next 
season,  when  the  news  of  the  discoveries  brought  a  rush  of  gold-seekers  from  the 
eastern  States,  the  lower  portion  of  the  county,  and  as  far  up  as  Nevada  City, 
was  explored  by  prospectors.  One  or  two  companies  of  overland  immigrants 
that  crossed  the  mountains  by  the  Truckee  route  stopped  near  Rough  and  Ready 
and  remained  there  during  the  winter  of  1S49-'50.  Another  company  of  immi- 
grants stopped  in  Grass  Valley,  and  others  who  had  found  rich  claims,  including 
two  or  three  families,  spent  the  winter  in  the  basin  of  Nevada,  Mining,  which 
commenced  along  the  running  streams,  was  gradually  extended  to  the  dry  gulches 
and  flats,  and  thence  into  the  hills,  thus  greatly  enlarging  the  known  mining  area. 
Enough  prospecting  had  been  done  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1849  to  prove 
the  surface  diggings  to  be  incredibly  rich,  individuals  in  some  cases  having  taken 

sulphurets  are  arranged  very  distinctly  in  bands  or  zones,  parallel  to  the  walls,  forming 
'  ribbon  quartz.'  This  is  especially  distinct  in  the  Norambagua,  where,  as  before  mentioned, 
the  sulphurets  are  arsenical,  and  the  gold  very  finely  disseminated. 

"The  average  tenor  of  the  gold  in  the  Grass  Valley  veins  is  believed  to  be  considerably  in 
excess  of  what  is  found  in  most  other  portions  of  California.  In  Allison  Ranch,  Massachusetts 
Hill,  Rocky  Bar,  Ophir  Hill,  and  Eureka,  this  average  has  probably  reached  $50  to  the  ton. 
In  many  other  mines  it  has  been  considerably  less,  but,  on  the  whole,  $30  may  not  be  far 
from  the  general  average  tenor  of  the  whole  district,  meaning,  of  course,  the  amount  actually 
saved  by  milling  operations. 

"The  loss  of  gold  is  very  various,  but  is  probably  nearly  always  greater  than  owners  are 
willing  to  confess,  if  indeed  they  know,  which  is  doubtful.  It  is  certain,  in  one  well-known 
mine,  my  own  samples  of  quartz  sands,  and  sulphurets  from  'pans,'  assayed  respectively 
$23  and  $57  per  ton — a  result  which  was  later  confirmed  by  the  researches  of  another  very 
competent  mining  engineer,  quite  independently.  In  other  cases,  as  at  Eureka  and  Noram- 
bagua,  my  own  researches  show  the  loss  in  the  tailings  to  be  very  small,  not  exceeding  $7  to 
the  ton  in  the  latter,  and  less  than  that  in  the  former. 

"  The  gold  in  many  of  the  Grass  Valley  mines  is  very  easily  worked,  being  clean,  angular, 
and  not  very  small,  hence  it  is  readily  entangled  in  the  fibre  of  blankets,  together  with -a  con- 
siderable portion  of  sulphurets,  naturally  leading  to  the  method  most  commonly  in  use  in 
Grass  valley  for  treatment  of  the  gold  ores." 

The  same  authority  refers  as  follows  to  the  Grass  Valley  method  of  amalgamation : 

"What  may  properly  be  called  the  'Grass  Valley  mode,' consists  in  the  use  of  heavy 
stamps,  700  or  1,OUO  pounds,  crushing  usually  two  tons,  sometimes  two  and  a  half  tons 
of  ore  each  in  24  hours  through  screens  not  exceeding  No.  6,  rarely  so  fine.  Amalga- 
mating in  battery  and  copper  aprons  are  usually  united.  In  some  mills  mercurial  riffles 
are  placed  in  front  of  the  discharge,  but  more  commonly  the  whole  body  of  crushed  stuff  is 
led  at  once  over  blankets,  which  are  washed  out  every  few  minutes  into  tanks,  where  the  free 
gold  and  sulphurets  are  allowed  to  collect  preparatory  to  being  passed  through  the  'Attvvood 
amalgamators.'  These  simple  machines  are  designed  to  bring  the  gold  into  thorough  con- 
tact with  mercury  contained  in  little  vats,  sunk  in  the  surface  of  an  inclined  table,  over 
which  the  stuff  is  fed  to  the  vats  in  a  regulated  manner  by  a  stream  of  water,  while  iron 
blades  slowly  revolve  in  the  vats  to  cause  a  mixture  of  the  sands  and  quicksilver.  By  this 
apparatus,  at  the  Eureka  mill,  90  per  cent,  of  all  the  gold  is  obtained  which  is  saved 
from  the  ore.  Beyond  the  amalgamators  the  sands  are  carried  over  amalgam atic  copper 
sluices,  and  are  put  through  various  ore-saving  processes,  with  a  view  especially  to  concen- 
trating the  sulphurets.  These  processes  vary  much  in  different  mines.  In  some  mills, 
especially  the  Ophir,  much  more  elaborate  mechanical  apparatus  has  lately  been  introduced, 
with  what  results  still  remains  to  be  seen.  It  is  certain  that  if  the  method  of  treatment  just 
sketched  seems  imperfect,  (as  it  undoubtedly  is,)  it  is  the  method  which  has  hitherto  yielded 
the  large  returns  ot  gold  for  which  Grass  valley  has  obtained  its  well-deserved  renown.  As 
the  development  of  the  district  goes  forward,  cases  will  occur  of  veins  containing  gold  in  a 
state  of  very  fine  division,  to  which  other  methods  of  treatment  must  be  applied.  Such 
examples  indeed  already  exist,  and  the  problems  which  they  offer  will  be  met  by  the  use  of 
other  systems  of  amalgamation,  or  by  suitable  modifications  of  the  existing  system. 

"  VALUE  OF  THE  SULPIIUHETS.— The  sulphurets  occurring  in  the  Grass  Valley  district  are 
usually  rich  in  spold — some  of  them  remarkably  so.  In  quantity  they  probably  do  not  on 
an  average  amount  to  over  one  per  cent,  of  the  mass  of  the  ores,  although  in  certain  mines 
they  are  found  more  abundantly.  For  a  long  time  there  was  no  better  mode  known  of  treat- 
ing them  than  the  wasteful  one  of  grinding  them  in  pans  and  amalgamating.  In  this  way 
rarely  was  60  per  cent,  of  the  gold  tenor  saved.  After  many  abortive  efforts,  at  length  com- 
plete success  has  been  met  with  in  the  use  of  Plattner's  chlorination  process.  Mr.  Deetken, 


WEST    OF    THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  115 

out  thousands  of  dollars  in  a  few  days,  and  the  fame  of  the  mines  reaching  other 
parts  of  the  State,  the  hills  and  ravines  of  the  county  were  overrun  with  eager 
prospectors  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1850.  During  that  season  settlements 
were  made  and  mining  commenced  in  every  part  of  the  county,  except  what  is 
now  Meadow  Lake  township,  while  the  towns  of  Nevada,  Grass  Valley,  and 
Rough  and  Ready  each  became  the  centre  of  a  large  mining  population.  No 
definite  estimate  can  be  made  of  the  gold  product  of  the  county  in  1850;  but 
it  must  have  been  large,  for  there  were  not  less  than  four  or  five  thousand  men 
engaged  in  the  mines.  The  claims  were  extraordinarily  rich,  and  a  considerable 
proportion  of  the  miners  returned  to  their  former  homes  with  what  they  consid- 
ered snug  fortunes,  of  from  $5,000  to  Si 0,000  each,  as  the  result  of  their  sum- 
mer's work.  Never  were  fortunes  more  easily  made  by  the  unskilled  laborer. 

In  the  spring  of  1851  the  legislature  passed  an  act  for  the  organization  of 
the  county,  the  territory  having  previously  been  comprised  within  the  limits  of 

now  connected  with  the  reduction  works  of  the  Eureka  mine,  is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  hav- 
ing overcome  the  difficulties  which  formerly  prevented  the  successful  use  of  this  process  in 
Grass  Valley,  a  more  detailed  description  of  which  will  be  found  in  our  notice  of  the  Eureka 
mine." 

In  reference  to  the  length  and  depth  of  productive  ore  ground,  the  following  remarks,  by 
Professor  Silliman,  are  interesting  : 

"  Of  the  length  of  the  productive  portion  of  quartz  veins  and  the  depth  at  which  they  com- 
mence to  become  productive,  Grass  Valley  offers  some  instructive  examples: 

"  The  North  Star  vein,  on  Weimar  Hill,  has  been  proved  productive  on  a  stretch  of  about 
1,000  feet,  while  the  tenor  of  gold  has  gradually  increased  with  the  depth,  from  an  average 
of  ft^O  in  the  upper  levels  to  nearly  double  that  in  the  lower  levels.  The  limits  named  are 
rather  those  of  exploration  than  the  known  extent  of  the  productive  ore.  In  the  vein  on 
Massachusetts  and  Gold  Hills,  on  the  contrary,  the  distribution  of  the  'pay'  has  been  found 
much  more  capricious,  being  at  times  extremely  rich,  and  again,  with  no  apparent  reason, 
yielding  scarcely  the  cost  of  milling.  The  Eureka  mine  offers  the  most  remarkable  example, 
however,  of  a  steady  increase  from  a  non-paying  tenor  of  gold  near  the  outcrop  to  one  of 
uncommon  productiveness.  An  opinion  has  found  advocates,  and  has  been  perhaps  gene- 
rally accepted  by  most  writers  on  the  subject  of  gold-bearing  quartz  veins,  that  they  were 
richest  near  surface  and  in  depth  became  gradually  poorer.  There  is  nothing  in  the  nature 
of  the  case,  as  it  seems  to  me,  to  justify  such  a  generalization  more  than  there  is  to  sustain 

mines, 
slope ; 

Ranch,  ;V25  feet,  &c.,  as  a* rule  have  had  an  increasing  tenor  of  gold.  If  the  Allison  Ranch, 
the  Princeton  mine,  and  some  others  appear  to  be  exceptions,  the  answer  is,  we  may  reason- 
ably expect  the  same  variations  of  productiveness  in  depth  which  are  known  to  exist  in  linear 
extent.  The  Princeton,  after  an  excellent  run  of  good  ore,  became  suddenly  poor,  at  a  depth 
of  over  600  feet,  in  18G5;  but  I  am  informed  by  Mr.  Hall,  the  present  superintendent, 
that  the  good  ore  came  in  again  in  a  short  distance.  Mr.  Laur,  the  French  engineer,  whose 
papers  of  California  mines  is  often  quoted,  cites  the  Allison  Ranch  mine  in  evidence  of  the 
theory  of  a  decreasing  tenor  of  gold  in  depth,  but  it  is  in  proof  that  since  the  date  of  Mr. 
Laur's  visit  (1862-'3)  this  mine  has  been  at  work  on  ores  which  have  yielded  over  $100  value, 
its  present  suspended  activity  being  due  to  causes  quite  unconnected  with  the  intrinsic  value 
of  the  mine.  The  rich  •  chimneys'  or  productive  zones  of  ore  ground  are  known  to  be  ot 
various  extent  in  quartz  veins,  from  a  few  feet  to  many  hundreds  of  feet,  and  it  is  impossible 
to  assign  any  valid  reason  why  we  may  not  expect  the  same  changes  in  a  vertical  direction 
which  we  find  in  a  horizontal.  As  the  ore-bearing  ground  or  shoots  of  ore  have  in  many,  it 
not  in  most  cases,  a  well-determined  pitch  off  the  vertical,  it  is  self-evident  that  a  vertical 
shaft  or  incline  at  right  angles  to  the  veins  must,  in  descending,  pass  out  of  the  rich  into  the 
poor  ground,  at  certain  intervals,  and  it  is  perhaps  due  to  an  ignorance  of  this  fact  that  miners 
have  abandoned  sinking  because  they  found  the  'pay'  suddenly  cease  in  depth,  when  a 
short  distance  more  would  probably  bring  them  into  another  zone  of  good  ore.  Hie  expe- 
rience of  every  gold-mining  district  offers  examples  in  illustration  oi  these  remarks.  In 
quartz  veins  containing  a  considerable  amount  of  sulphurets,  it  is  evident  that  the  outcrop- 
pings  should  offer  much  better  returns  to  mining  industry  than  will  follow  after  the  line  ot 
atmospheric  decomposition  has  been  passed,  because  above  this  line  nature  has  set  iree  tl 
gold  formerly  entangled  in  the  sulphurets,  leaving  it  available  for  the  common  modes  of  treat- 
ment, with  the  added  advantage  oftentimes  that  the  particles  of  free  gold  formerly  distributed 
through  a  considerable  section  of  the  vein,  are  found  concentrated  in  a  limited  amount  ot  ore. 
It  is  easy  to  reach  the  conclusion  in  such  cases  that  the  tenor  of  gold  in  the  vein  is  less  in 
dt-pth,  after  the  real  average  tenor  is  reached,  while  in  fact  it  is  neither  greater  nor  less  ;  but 
the  metal  is  no  longer  available  by  common  methods  of  treatment. 


116  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Yuba.  Nevada  City,  then  the  principal  town  and  near  the  centre  of  population, 
was  made  the  county  seat,  where  it  has  ever  since  remained.  The  county  is 
divided  into  nine  townships  for  local  government,  viz :  Nevada,  Grass  Valley, 
Rough  and  Ready,  Bridgeport,  Bloomfield,  Eureka,  Washington,  Little  York, 
and  Meadow  Lake.  Rough  and  Ready  comprises  the  foot-hills  extending  across 
the  western  end  of  the  county,  from  the  Yuba  to  Bear  river;  Meadow  Lake 
includes  the  summit  extending  across  the  eastern  end;  Bridgeport,  Bloomfield 
and  Eureka  lie  between  the  middle  and  south  Yuba  on  the  north ;  Little  York 
is  on  the  south,  mostly  lying  between  Bear  river  and  Greenhorn  creek;  and 
between  Rough  and  Ready  and  Meadow  Lake  are  the  townships  of  Grass  Valley, 
Nevada  and  Washington,  occupying  the  central  position. 

Of  the  early  settlers  but  few  remained  permanently  in  the  county,  by  far  the 
larger  proportion  returning  to.the  east,  or  taking  up  their  permanent  abode  in 
other  parts  of  California.  But  their  places  were  filled  by  other  adventurers,  and 
the  population  gradually  assumed  a  permanent  character,  and  now  numbers  not 
far  from  20,000  souls,  of  whom  about  one-third  are  adult  males.  The  inhab- 
itants derive  their  support  either  directly  or  indirectly  from  the  mines,  on  the  pros- 
perity of  which  depend  all  other  branches  of  business. 

PLACER  MINING. — Placer  mining  properly  signifies  the  working  of  the  shal- 
low deposits;  but  in  California  the  term  "placer"  is  usually  applied  to  the  deep 
deposits  as  well  as  the  shallow  diggings — hydraulic  and  cement  mining  being 
only  branches  of  placer  mining — and  all  except  the  quartz  lodes  being  desig- 
nated as  placer  mining. 

The  placer  mines  of  Nevada  county  have  been  worked  steadily  since  1849, 
and  have  yielded  an  amount  of  treasure  that,  could  the  figures  be  procured, 
would  stagger  belief.  The  rich  pockets  along  the  margins  of  the  streams,  and 
the  shallow  diggings  and  ravines  that  required  no  capital  and  but  little  prelim- 
inary labor  to  mine  successfully,  have  been  mostly  worked  out,  and  capital  and 
skill  are  now  indispensable  to  success,  yet  there  is  but  little  diminution  in  the 
yield.  As  claims  are  worked  out  in  one  place  new  ones  are  opened  in  other 
localities,  and  although  failure  in  any  given  enterprise  is  about  as  likely  as 
success,  yet  the  prospect  of  big  strikes,  and  the  hope  of  acquiring  a  fortune  or  a 
competency  by  one  or  two  years  of  well-directed  labor,  are  incentives  that  can- 
not fail  to  enlist  the  skill  of  the  most  energetic  of  the  mining  population. 

At  first,  mining  was  confined  to  the  gravel  bars  and  beds  of  the  running 
streams,  and  as  these  were  partially  exhausted,  it  gradually  extended  to  the  dry 
ravines,  fiats  and  hillsides  adjacent.  The  rocker  was  the  principal  machine  used 
for  washing  the  auriferous  sands  and  separating  the  gold  from  the  lighter  particles. 
It  had  been  brought  into  use  in  the  summer  of  1848,  during  the  first  season  of 
mining  in  California,  though  much  of  the  gold  obtained  that  season  was  separated 
by  the  Mexican  method  of  washing  the  sand  in  wooden  bowls.  Sheet-iron  pans 
are  now  used  by  the  American  miners  for  prospecting  and  other  purposes,  in 
place  of  the  wooden  bowls  of  the  Mexicans.  The  rocker  was  superseded  by 
the  long-torn,  by  means  of  which  a  larger  amount  of  earth  and  gravel  could  be 
washed ;  and  the  long-torn  in  its  turn  gave  place  to  the  sluice.  This  was  a  most 
important  improvement,  and  enabled  miners  to  work  many  claims  that  would  not 
pay  with  the  rocker  and  long-torn.* 

*  Professor  Silliman,  in  a  report  on  the  property  of  the  Eureka  Ditch  Company,  says  of  the 
sources  to  which  the  gold  in  California  is  referable : 

"  The  original  source  from  whence  all  the  gold  of  California  has  been  derived  is  undoubt- 
edly the  veins  of  gold-bearing  quartz  which  occur  so  abundantly  in  all  the  slates  and  meta- 
irorphic  rock  of  the  western  slopes  of  the  Sierras  within  the  areas  known  as  the  gold  regions, 
but  this  original  or  great  source  of  the  precious  metal  is  historically  secondary  to  the  shallow 
and  deep  digging  or  placers,  in  the  former  of  which  gold  was  first  discovered,  and  which 
during  the  early  years  of  California  history  furnished  nearly  the  whole  of  the  metal  sent  into 
commerce.  That  the  placers  were  derived  from  the  degredution  or  breaking  up  of  the  aurif- 
erous veins  and  the  distribution  of  the  detritus  thus  formed  by  the  agency  of  running  water 


WEST    OP   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  117 

Ditches  at  length  were  constructed  to  bring  the  water  over  the  hills,  and  as 
the  miners  were  compelled  to  leave  the  flats  and  ravines  and  take  to  the  deeper 
diggings,  the  process  of  shovelling  the  earth  into  the  sluices  became  unprofitable, 
and  the  practice  of  ground-sluicing  came  into  use.  By  this  process  the  surface- 
soil,  being  loosened  up  or  thrown  into  a  trench  cut  in  the  bed  rock,  was  washed 
away  by  a  stream  of  water,  leaving  only  the  heavy  gravel  at  the  bottom  to  be 
shovelled  into  the  sluices.  Ground-sluicing  was  carried  on  extensively  in  this 

and  ice  does  not  admit  of  a  question.  It  appears,  also,  to  be  pretty  conclusively  proved  that 
the  gold-bearing  gravel  is  of  two  distinct  epochs,  both  geologically  very  modern,  but  the 
later  period  distinctly  separated  in  time  from  the  earlier,  and  its  materials  derived  chiefly  from 
the  breaking  up  and  redistribution  of  the  older  or  deep  placers.  These  appear  to  be  distinctly 
referable  to  a  river  system  different  from  that  which  now  exists,  flowing  at  a  higher  level,  or 
over  a  less  elevated  continental  mass,  and  with  more  power,  but  generally  in  the  direction 
of  the  main  valleys  of  the  present  system.  It  was  pretty  early  discovered  that  very  exten- 
sive and  valuable  deposits  of  auriferous  gravel  lay  at  levels  far  above  the  present  course  of 
the  streams,  and  that  to  wash  these  deposits  required  the  adoption  of  new  methods  adapted 
to  meet  the  case.  Hence  came  the  so-called  hydraulic  process,  which,  although  in  use  now 
for  more  than  ten  years,  has  yet  made  barely  more  than  a  commencement  upon  the  great 
mass  of  deep-lying  auriferous  shingle  which  remains  to  be  treated  by  this  method  of  gold 
washing. 

"Finally  co mes  the  era  of  quartz  mining  in  depth,  the  successful  prosecution  of  which 
demanded  more  skill  and  capital,  as  well  as  cheaper  labor  and  better  machinery,  than  the 
early  days  of  California  furnished.  In  this  man  undertakes  to  do  for  himself  by  the  use  of 
his  own  skill  what  in  an  earlier  age  nature  had  done  for  him  on  a  grand  scale,  in  breaking 
up  the  matrix  of  the  precious  metal,  commencing  at  the  fountain  head  of  the  stream  of  gold. 

"  I  propose  at  present  to  consider  with  some. detail  the  second  of  the  great  sources  of  gold 
productions,  viz:  deep-lying  placers.  The  character  of  these  deposits  is  well  illustrated  by 
a  description  of  the  ground  between  the  south  and  middle  forks  of  the  Yuba  river,  in  Nevada 
county,  where  this  description  of  gold  deposit  is  well  exposed  in  consequence  of  the  consid- 
erable amount  of  mining  work  which  has  been  performed  there,  the  whole  of  this  ground 
being  controlled  by  the  waters  of  the  Middle  Yuba  Canal  Company  and  of  the  Eureka  Lake 
Water  Company. 

"  THE  DEEP  PLACERS  OF  THE  YUBA. — The  Yuba  is  an  affluent  of  the  Feather  river,  which 
it  joins  at  Marysville  on  its  way  to  its  junction  with  the  Sacramento.  The  south  and  middle 
forks  of  the  Yuba  river  unite  with  the'  North  Yuba,  the  course  of  which  is  nearly  at  right 
angles  to  these  two  branches,  whose  mean  course  is  west  about  13°  south,  (magnetic,)  the 
Feather  river  running  about  north  and  south. 

"  The  ridge  of  land  embraced  between  the  south  and  middle  forks  of  the  Yuba  is  from  six 
to  eight  miles  in  width,  and  to  the  limits  of  the  auriferous  gravel,  as  thus  far  explored,  about 
30  miles,  forming  an  area  of  about  200  square  miles.  The  elevation  of  this  ridge  above  the 
sea  is,  at  its  western  extremity,  near  French  Corral,  about  1,500  feet,  from  whence  it  gradually 
rises  into  the  high  Sierras,  the  Yuba  Gap  Pass  being  4,570  feet  above  the  sea,  and  the  Dowuie- 
ville  Buttes  about  8,840  feet.  This  Mesopotamia  is  cut  up  by  ravines  descending  from  a 
central  axis  both  ways  into  the  valleys  of  the  two  rivers  forming  '  gulches '  with  steep  sides, 
often  beautifully  wooded.  The  more  elevated  portions  of  the  land  are  covered  by  a  heavy 
bed  of  volcanic  ashes  and  breccia,  which  evidently  at  an  earlier  day  formed  a  continuous 
sheet  over  not  only  the  tongue  of  land  under  consideration,  but  over  the  adjacent  region,  as 
is  conspicuously  seen  in  the  sections  afforded  by  the  various  rivers  This  mass  of  volcanic 
ashes  contains  numerous  angular  fragments  of  cellular  lava,  trachyte,  basalt,  porphyry,  and 
volcanic  mineral  aggregates  quite  foreign  to  the  general  geology  of  the  country.  Its  thick- 
ness varies  with  the  topography  and  drainage  of  the  surface,  but  it  forms  the  summits  of  all 
the  hills  above  a  certain  horizon,  and  in  places  reaches  an  elevation  of  from  2,000  to  3,000 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  rivers.  Below  Columbia  the  denudation  of  the  surface  has  removed 
the  volcanic  matter,  leaving  the  auriferous  gravel  exposed  as  the  upper  surface.  This  volcanic 
deposit  receives  from  the  miners  the  general  name  of  'cement,'  a  term  it  well  deserves  from 
its  compact  and  tenacious  character,  much  resembling  pozzolana  or  Eomau  cement. 

"The  auriferous  gravel  varies  in  thickness  from  80  to  100  feet,  where  it  has  been  exposed  to 
Denudation,  to  250  feet  or  more  where  it  is  protected  from  such  action.  Probably  120  feet  is 
not  an  over-statement  for  its  average  thickness  in  the  marginal  portions,  where  it  has  been 
exposed  by  working  the  deep  diggings  or  hydraulic  claims.  This  vast  gravel  bed  is  com- 
posed of  rounded  masses  of  quartz,  greenstone,  and  all  the  metamorphic  rocks  which  are 
found  in  the  high  Sierras. 

44  It  is  often  locally  stratified,  but  I  could  find  no  evidence  of  any  continuity  m  its  beddings. 
The  lower  portions  are  composed  of  larger  boulders  than  the  upper  as  a  general  rule,  but  this 
does  not  exclude  the  occasional  presence  of  huge  boulders  in  the  central  and  upper  portions. 
In  a  fresh  fracture  of  the  whole  thickness  of  these  deposits,  such  as  may  be  seen  daily  m  the 
*  claims,'  which  are  being  actively  worked,  a  striking  contrast  of  color  is  seen  between  tt 


118  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

country  in  1851  and  1852,  the  use  of  the  sluice  proper  at  that  time  being  well 
understood,  and  having  in  a  great  measure  superceded  other  methods.  With  most 
of  the  mining  improvements  there  were  no  especial  inventions,  but  the  different 
appliances  came  into  use  gradually  as  they  were  needed  by  the  changing  charac- 
ter of  mining,  and  may  be  considered  as  the  result  of  the  combined  skill  and 
ingenuity  of  the  mining  population.  William  Elwell  put  up  and  used  the  first 
sluice  at  Nevada  City,  in  February  or  March,  1850,  but  he  does  not  claim  it  as 

lower  and  upper  portions  of  the  gravel  mass,  consequent  on  the  percolation  of  atmospheric 
waters  and  air,  oxidizing  the  iron  resulting  from  the  decomposition  of  pyrites,  and  staining 
the  gravel  of  a  lively  red  and  yellow  color  in  waving  lines  and  bands,  contrasting  boldly 
with  the  blue  color  of  the  unoxidized  portions.  A  close  examination  of  the  blue  colored 
portion  of  the  gravel  shows  it  to  be  highly  impregnated  with  sulphuret  of  iron,  (iron  pyrites,) 
forming,  in  fact,  the  chief  cementing  material  which  holds  the  pebbles  in  a  mass  as  firm  as 
conglomerate,  requiring  the  force  of  gunpowder  to  break  it  up. 

"In  the  upper  portions  of  these  beds  are  frequent  isolated  patches,  often  of  considerable 
extent,  composed  of  fine  sand,  clearly  showing  water  lines,  curved,  sloping,  or  horizontal, 
but  never  for  any  distance  regular,  and  in  these  portions  occur  frequently  large  quantities  of 
lignite,  or  fossil  wood,  little  changed  from  its  original  condition,  but  blackened  to  the  color 
of  coal  and  flat  with  pressure.  Among  these  remains  are  logs  similar  in  appearance  to  the 
Manzanita,  now  growing  abundantly  on  the  hills  of  auriferous  gravel.  Some  of  these,  which 
I  measured,  were  15  to  18  inches  in  diameter,  and  10  to  15  feet  in  length.  Occasionally  the 
mass  of  this  ancient  driftwood  accumulated  in  these  eddies  of  the  current,  where  they  were 
deposited  with  the  fine  sands,  amount  almost  to  a  continuous  bed  of  lignite. 

"Wedge-shaped  and  lenticular  masses  of  tough  yellow  and  whitish  clay  also  occur  in  the 
ancient  drift,  replacing  the  gravel  and  affording,  by  their  resisting  power,  a  great  impedi- 
ment to  the  operations  of  mining. 

"The  'slacking  down,'  or  disintegration  which  a  few  months' exposure  of  the  hard  gravel 
'  cement'  produces,  is  due  mainly,  if  not  entirely,  to  the  decomposition  of  the  associated 
pyrites  before  noted.  It  is  remarkable  how  large  a  part  of  the  smoothed  and  beautifully 
rounded  stones,  even  those  of  large  size,  undergo  a  similar  slacking  by  atmospheric  action, 
even  in  a  very  brief  period  of  time,  rendering  it  almost  impossible  to  preserve  specimens  of 
the  gravelly  concrete  unless  they  are  protected  by  varnish.  The  most  unyielding  of  the 
'  cement'  masses  are  sometimes  left  over  one  season  by  the  miners,  exposed  to  the  air  and 
frosts,  to  secure  the  benefits  of  this  disintegration,  without  which  but  little  of  the  contained 
gold  can  be  obtained. 

"The  gold  is  disseminated  throughout  the  entire  mass  of  this  great  gravel  deposit,  not  uni- 
formly in  value,  but  always  in  greater  quantity  near  its  base  or  on  the  bed  rock.  The  upper 
half  of  the  deposit  is  found  to  be  always  less  in  value  than  the  lower  part,  sometimes  so  poor 
that  it  would  be  unprofitable  working  by  itself,  but  inasmuch  as  there  is  no  practicable  mode 
of  working  the  under  stratum,  without  first  moving  the  upper  portion,  in  practice  the  whole 
is  worked. 

"  The  gold  rarely  occurs  in  large  masses  in  this  ancient  gravel.  Often  on  the  polished  and 
very  smooth  surfaces  of  the  'bed  rock'  and  of  the  superincumbent  masses  of  gravel  when 
freshly  raised  from  their  long  resting  place,  the  scales  of  brilliant  yellow  metal  are  beautifully 
conspicuous.  These  are  frequently  inlaid  so  firmly  upon  the  hard  granite  floor  of  the  ancient 
river  or  glacier  as  to  resemble  hard  stone  mosaics.  In  fact  the  whole  surface  of  the  bed  rock 
requires  to  be  worked  over  by  the  pick  to  secure  the  gold  entangled  in  its  surface,  to  a  depth, 
when  soft,  (as  of  mica  or  chloritic  slate  or  gneiss,)  of  several  inches. 

"The  bed  rock,  as  it  is  significantly  termed  by  the  miners,  shows  everywhere,  when  freshly 
exposed,  the  most  conspicuous  evidence  of  aqueous  or  glacial  action.  The  course  and  direc- 
tion of  the  motion  which  has  left  its  traces  everywhere  is  plainly  discernable.  *  *  * 

"The  'bed  rock'  varies  of  course  in  different  portions  of  the  area  now  under  consideration, 
being  either  granite,  gneiss,  greenstone,  or  shale.  In  the  granite  are  observed  numerous 
minute  quartz  veins  pursuing  a  course  parallel  to  each  other  olten  for  hundreds  effect  without 
interruption. 

"In  the  'American  claim,'  at  San  Juan,  the  granite  is  succeeded  on  the  west  by  a  large 
jointed  blue  siliceous  shale  of  the  same  strike  with  the  main  joints  of  the  granite.  This  latter 
rock  is  covered  by  numerous  very  large  boulders  of  metamofphic  conglomerate,  of  which  no 
traces  are  seen  in  place. 

"The  course  of  the  ancient  current,  where  I  had  an  opportunity  of  measuring  it,  appears  to 
have  been  about  20°  to  25°  west  of  north,  (magnetic,)  which  it  will  be  observed  is  nearly  at 
right  angles  to  the  mean  course  of  the  middle  and  south  forks  of  the  Yuba  river  ;  but  it  is  not 
far  from  parallelism  with  the  axis  of  the  Sacramento  river  valley,  or  of  the  great  valley  between 
the  coast  range  and  the  Sierra  Nevada.  I  have  noted  the  same  general  direction  of  the 
scratches  elsewhere  in  the  great  gold  region,  but  additional  observations  are  required  to  justify 
any  comprehensive  generalization.  This  much  appears  clearly  shown,  however,  by  the 
present  state  of  our  knowledge  on  this  subject,  viz :  that  the  spread  of  the  ancient  gold- 


WEST    OF   THE   EOCKY   MOUNTAINS.  119 

an  invention— some  one  having  suggested  the  idea  to  him.  A.  Chabot  and  M. 
F.  Hoit  used  them  soon  after,  and  greatly  improved  the  arrangement  of  the  riffles 
and  the  method  of  working.t 

HYDRAULIC  MINING. — The  hydraulic  system  came  into  use  in  Nevada  county 
in  1853,  and  enabled  miners  to  work  with  profit  a  vast  amount  of  auriferous 
ground  that  would  never  have  paid  by  the  old  process  of  sluicing.  About  April, 
1852,  A.  Chabot,  mining  near  Nevada  City,  used  a  hose  of  some  thirty-five  or 
forty  feet  in  length,  through  which  the  water  was  conducted  from  the  top  of  the 
bank  to  the  bottom  of  his  diggings.  There  was  no  pipe  or  nozzle  at  the  end, 
but  still  it  was  found  to  be  a  great  saving  in  sluicing  off  the  earth  and  gravel 
that  had  been  picked  down,  and  also  a  convenience  in  cleaning  up  the  bed-rock. 
So  far  as  known  the  hose  was  not  used  that  season  in  any  other  claims,  and  it 
does  not  appear  that  Chabot  discovered  the  great  advantage  that  would  result  by 
directing  the  stream  of  water  against  the  bank.  This  discovery  was  made  by 
E.  E.  Matterson  a  year  later.  In  April,  1853,  Matterson  and  hfs  partners,  who 
were  working  a  claim  on  American  Hill,  rigged  up  a  hose,  attached  a  nozzle  at 
the  end,  and  directing  it  against  the  bank,  as  water  is  thrown  upon  a  building 
by  a  fire  engine,  found  that  a  small  stream  of  water  would  do  the  work  of  a 
hundred  men  in  excavating  earth.  Very  soon  after  this  the  hydraulic  was  adopted 
by  the  miners  throughout  the  county  wherever  water  and  a  sufficient  fall  could 
be  procured.  Successive  improvements  have  been  made  in  hydraulic  mining, 
until  the  appliances  now  in  use  but  little  resemble  those  of  1853  j  but  the  prin- 
ciple is  the  same,  and  to  Matterson  is  due  the  credit  of  the  important  discovery. 

The  water  is  usually  conducted  into  the  diggings  through  large  iron  pipes,  at 
the  end  of  which  the  hose  is  attached,  and  the  water  having  a  high  fall  is  coin- 
bearing  gravel  was  produced  by  a  cause  greatly  more  elevated  than  the  existing  river  system, 
or,  which  is  more  probable,  at  a  time  when  the  continent  was  less  elevated  than  at  present,  * 
and  moving  in  a  direction  conformable  to  the  course  of  the  valleys  of  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin.  We  find  it  impossible  to  admit  the  existing  river  system  as  a  cause  adequate  to  the 
spreading  of  such  vast  masses  of  rounded  materials  ;  the  facts  plainly  point  to  a  much  greater 
volume  of  water  than  any  now  flowing  in  the  valley.  The  section  already  given  illustrates 
perfectly  the  relations  of  the  present  river  system  to  the  more  ancient  one  whose  grand  effects 
are  chronicled  in  the  bed  rock  and  its  vast  superincumbent  mass  of  auriferous  gravel.  It 
serves  also  to  illustrate  the  process  now  in  progress  by  which  the  existing  river  system  derived 
its  gold-bearing  sands,  in  great  part  at  least,  from  the  cutting  away  and  secondary  distribu- 
tion of  these  ancient  placers. 

"  Those  who  have  had  the  opportunity  of  visiting  other  portions  of  the  great  gold  region  of 
California  than  that  now  under  consideration,  will  at  once  recognize  the  local  character  of 'the 
details  given  as  perfectly  consistent  with  the  general  phenomena  of  the  ancient  placers  as 
observed  elsewhere ;  while  at  the  same  time  great  differences  are  found  in  many  of  the  details. 
Thus  in  Calaveras  and  Tuolumne  counties,  80  or  1UO  miles  further  south,  the  volcanic  matter 
capping  the  auriferous  gravel  is  found  in  the  form  of  basaltic  columns,  beneath  which  occur 
the  same  phenomena  already  described.  Here  the  wood  contained  in  the  gravel  beds  is 
beautifully  agatized,  or  converted  into  semi-opal,  as  is  also  the  case  at  Nevada  City,  Placer- 
ville,  and  elsewhere,  associated  with  beautiful  impressions  of  leaves  of  plants  and  trees  similar 
in  appearance  to  those  now  found  in  this  region. 

"  This  general  description  of  the  deep-lying  placers  of  the  Yuba  might  be  greatly  extndede 
from  my  notes,  but  enough  has  probably  been  said  to  convey  the  impression  that  the  phe- 
nomena here  described  are  on  a  grand  and  comprehensive  scale,  and  referable  to  a  general 
cause  long  anterior  in  date  to  the  existing  river  system— a  cause  which  has  been  sufficient  to 
break  down  and  transport  the  gold-bearing  veins  of  the  Sierras,  with  their  associating  meta- 
^ornhic  rocks,  thus  laying  up  in  store  for  human  use  deposits  of  the  precious  metal  in  amount 
on  a'  scale  far  beyond  the  notions  generally  prevailing  of  the  nature  of  placer  deposits." 

*It  is  the  opinion  of  geologists  that  subsequent  to  the  tertiary  period  was  the  time  when  the  main  valleys 
of  the  continent  were  excavated  by  erosion.     It  was  probably  in  this  epoch  that  the  deep-lying  uuriicrous 
gravel  was  produced  from  the  degradation  of  th^metamorphic  schists  and  quartz  veins  of  the  sierras  by  th 
joint  action  of  water  and  of  glaciers. _ 

t  The  sluice  is  undoubtedly  the  most  essential  of  any  one  contrivance  for  savmg  gold,  and 
is  used  in  all  placer  mining  operations.  It  can  hardly  be  called  a  machine ;  but  is  simply  a 
board  flume,  on  the  bottom  of  which  are  fitted  blocks  of  wood,  rounded  stones,  or  riffles,  with 
quicksilver  to  catch  and  detain  the  gold,  while  the  earth  and  gravel  is  carried  down  by  the 
current. 


120  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

pressed  and  forced  through  an  aperture  of  one  and  a  half  to  two  inches  in 
diameter.  The  pipes  are  made  of  heavy  sheet  iron,  and  the  hose  of  stout  canvas 
usually  double  thickness.  Where  the  pressure  is  great,  the  hose  are  still  further 
strengthened  by  a  net-work  of  strong  cord.  In  some  of  the  larger  mining  opera- 
tions iive  or  six  streams  of  water  are  kept  playing  upon  the  bank,  undermining 
the  ground  and  melting  away  the  hills  at  an  incredible  rate.  In  this  manner 
acres  of  ground,  frequently  100  to  200  feet  deep,  are  washed  away  in  a 
single  season,  and  the  bed-rock  left  bare.  The  water  shoots  from  the  nozzle 
with  tremendous  force,  and  miners  frequently  direct  the  stream  against  huge 
boulders  to  roll  them  out  of  their  way.  The  hydraulic  is  the  most  effectual 
method  ever  yet  devised  for  excavating  large  quantities  of  earth,  and  the  pro- 
cess was  employed  to  some  extent  in  1866,  by  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany in  cutting  through  the  deep  hills  near  Dutch  Flat. 

The  American  miners,  except  those  engaged  in  quartz,  are  chiefly  working 
the  deep  hill  diggings  by  the  hydraulic,  the  shallow  flats  and  ravines,  as  a  gen- 
eral thing,  being  abandoned  to  the  Chinese.  In  most  cases,  the  cost  of  opening 
the  deep  claims  is  heavy,  requiring  considerable  capital  and  the  nerve  to  invest 
it,  or  the  aggregated  labor  of  a  number  of  miners  who  are  content  to  work,  per- 
haps for  years,  in  the  hope  of  an  eventual  reward.  In  too  many  cases  their 
labor  and  perseverance  has  come  to  naught.  The  richest  deposits  are  found  on 
the  bed-rock  in  basins  or  in  the  channels  of  ancient  streams,  and  to  reach  these 
tunnels  have  to  be  run  in  solid  rock,  varying  in  length  from  a  few  hundred  to 
several  thousand  feet  in  order  to  drain  the  ground  and  get  an  outlet  for  sluicing. 
Wherever  practicable,  a  shaft  is  first  sunk  to  prospect  the  ground  and  ascertain 
the  position  of  the  basin  or  channel,  so  that  the  tunnel  in  coming  in  shall  be 
below  the  auriferous  deposit.  But  this  cannot  always  be  done,  and  expensive 
tunnels  are  sometimes  found  to  be  too  high  to  work  the  ground,  and  a  lower  one 
must  be  run  or  the  claim  abandoned.  The  tunnel  serves  the  double  purpose  of 
draining  the  ground  and  a  sluiceway,  and  the  mining  usually  commences  from  a 
shaft  sunk  from  the  surface  to  the  head  of  the  tunnel. 

The  most  important  centre  of  hyraulic  mining  in  this  county  is  at  North  San 
Juan,  in  Bridgeport  township,  and  a  brief  statement  of  the  operations  of  some 
of  the  companies  there  will  give  an  idea  of  the  scale  on  which  this  branch  of 
mining  is  conducted.  The  Eureka  Company,  whose  claims  were  on  San  Juan 
Hill,  commenced  a  tunnel  in  August,  1855,  to  reach  the  inner  basin.  The  tun- 
nel was  completed  in  October,  1860,  at  a  cost  of  $84,000,  in  actual  assessments, 
and  the  cost  incurred  before  a  dividend  was  declared  was  $142,000.  During 
the  existence  of  the  company  the  average  number  of  men  employed  daily  was 
25,  and  the  total  yield  of  the  claims  $530,000.  The  claims  known  as  the 
Deadman  Cut,  which  were  worked  out  in  1859,  yielded  $156,307,  at  a  cost 
of  $71,433.  The  claims  of  McKecley  &  Company,  on  Manzanita  Hill,  were 
worked  from  1855  to  1864,  yielding  $368,932,  and  paying  its  owners  in  dividends 
$126,660.  The  claims  above  mentioned  have  been  worked  out,  but  there  are 
other  companies  still  carrying  on  extensive  operations  in  the  vicinity,  some  of. 
which  are  deriving  a  handsome  revenue  from  the  profits  of  working  their  claims. 
The  tunnel  of  the  American  Company  is  1,800  feet  in  length,  having  been  run 
much  of  the  distance  through  blasting  rock.  This  company  has  adopted  all  the 
improvements  in  hydraulic  mining.  They  have  a  mill  with  eight  stamps  for 
crushing  cement,  and  their  sluice  boxes  extend  from  Manzanita  Hill  to  the  middle 
Yuba,  a  distance  of  nearly  a  mile,  where  they  have  pans  for  grinding  the  sand. 
The  company  usually  employ  25  men,  use*500  inches  of  water,  and  the  claims 
yield  from  $10,000  to  $15,000  a  month.  It  will  require  three  or  four  years 
longer  to  work  out  the  claims.  The  tunnel  of  the  Yuba  Company  is  1,500  feet 
in  length,  and  was  completed  last  spring  after  eleven  years'  labor.  This  com- 
pany uses  400  inches  of  water,  and  has  ground  enough  to  last  ten  years. 
The  tunnel  of  the  Star  Company  is  1,400  feet  in  length,  that  of  the  Golden 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  121 

™n017;TyT0?  fGG*l™%  Wy°T?  Company  1,000  feet,  the  Knickerbocker 
2,000  feet,  the  Badger  700  feet,  and  that  of  the  Gold  Bluff  Company  1  800  feet 
These  tunnels  have  been  rim  for  much  of  the  distance  through  solid  rock  which 
costs  from  $30  to  $50  a  foot. 

r>ii:riivii,Li:,  situated  lour  miles  west  of  North  San  Juan,  has  also  been  a  pros- 
perous locality  for  hydraulic  mining.  The  Irish  claims  were  worked  by  means 
of  drifting  for  a  number  of  years,  and  paid  largely.  Water  was  furnished  by 
tl.c  Shady  creek  and  Grizzly  ditches,  but  in  such* limited  quantities  that  little 
progress  was  made  in  hydraulic  mining  until  1857,  when  the  Middle  Yuba  Canal 
Company  extended  their  ditch  to  Birchville,  and  furnished  water  in  abundance. 
In  1859  four  bed-rock  tunnels  were  projected,  and  completed  in  1864,  at  an 
aggregate  cost  of  $120,000.  These  tunnels  drain  the  upper  portion  of  the  channel- 
the  lower  portion  will  be  drained  by  another  tunnel  2,400  feet  in  length,  now  in 
course  of  construction,  by  means  of  which  a  large  extent  of  valuable  minino- 
ground  will  be  worked.  The  gross  yield  and  net  profits  of  the  claims  of  five 
of  the  leading  companies  at  Birchville,  for  1866,  were  as  follows,  in  round  num- 
bers: 

Gross  proceeds.  Net  profits. 

Irish  American  Company $180,  000  $133,  000 

San  Joaquin  Company 134,000  68,500 

Don  Jose  Company 100,  000  72,  000 

Granite  Tunnel  Company 82,  000  24,  000 

Kenriebcc  and  American  Company 85,  000  30,  000 

The  years  1865  and  1866  may  be  regarded  as  the  harvest  time  for  the  Birch- 
ville miners,  as  they  had  previously  been  at  heavy  expense  in  opening  their 
ground,  which  is  now  nearly  worked  out.  Many  of  the  owners  in  the  above 
claims  are  appropriating  a  large  share  of  their  profits  to  running  the  new  tunnel. 

FRENCH  CORRAL  is  situated  at  the  lower  terminus  of  the  auriferous  gravel  range 
that  is  found  between  the  Middle  and  South  Yuba  rivers.  The  ravines  and  flats 
proved  to  be  rich,  and  attracted  thither  a  considerable  number  of  miners,  at 
seasons  of  the  year  when  water  could  be  had  to  work  the  claims.  The  hill  dig- 
gings were  discovered  in  1853,  and  ditches  were  constructed  from  Shody  creek 
to  bring  in  water  to  work  them.  Tunnels  and  cuts  were  run  into  the  hills 
wherever  fall  could  be  obtained,  the  ditches  were  enlarged,  and  profitable  mining 
soon  followed.  Subsequently  deeper  tunnels  were  run,  in  order  to  reach  the 
bottom  of  the  deposit,  which  was  found  to  be  from  100  to  200  feet  below 
the  surface.  The  total  cost  of  the  various  cuts  and  tunnels  of  the  district  can- 
not be  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars,  and  the  amount  of  gold  taken 
out  must  be  several  millions.  A  large  extent  of  valuable  mining  ground  remains 
to  be  worked.  In  addition  to  the  hydraulic  mines,  there  is  a  broad,  deep  stratum 
of  blue  cement  gravel  which  is  rich  in  gold.  This  will  have  to  be  worked  by 
mill  process,  as  is  already  being  successfully  clone  in  other  parts  of  the  county, 
and  will  give  work  to  several  mills  for  years.* 

MOORE'S  FLAT,  situated  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  south  of  the  Middle  Yuba,  in 
Eureka,  township,  is  another  important  centre  of  hydraulic  mining.  Several 
thousand  acres  of  ground,  averaging  100  feet  in  depth  from  the  surface  to  the 
bed-rock,  have  been  sluiced  off,  giving  employment  to  several  hundred  miners 
for  the  past  15  years.  Of  late  the  claims  have  been  bought  up  by  a  few 
large  companies,  who  are  carrying  on  operations  upon  an  extensive  scale,  and 
generally  with  success.  At  Wolsey's  Flat,  a  mile  below  Moore's,  are  some  of  the 
deepest  diggings  in  the  county,  the  bank  in  one  place  being  over  200  feet 
in  height,  Orleans  flat,  two  miles  above  Moore's,  was  formerly  an  important 
mining  locality,  and  at  one  time  had  a  population  of  600  or  800  j  but  the  diggings 

*  For  a  more  detailed  account  of  this  district  see  article  on  ditches. 


122  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

being  comparatively  shallow  Lave  been  entirely  worked  out,  and  the  town  is 
now  deserted. 

At  North  Bloomfield  and  Columbia  Hill,  in  Bloomfield  township,  at  Gopher 
Hill  and  Scotch  Flat,  in  Nevada  township,  at  Quaker  Hill,  in  Little  York, 
and  many  other  places  in  the  county,  hydraulic  mining  is  earned  on  quite  exten- 
sively. 

The  amount  of  capital  invested  in  hydraulic  and  placer  mining  in  the  county, 
including  the  cost  of  opening  the  claims,  iron  pipes,  flumes  and  sluices,  and 
various  other  implements  and  improvements,  is  estimated  at  $1,500,000.  These 
mines  give  employment  to  about  2,000  men  including  several  hundred  Chinese, 
and  yield  annually  not  far  from  $3,500,000 — say  $1,750  to  each  man.  Three 
dollars  a  day  is  the  usual  wages  paid  to  miners  j  but  the  water  bills  and  other 
expenses  absorb  a  large  portion  of  the  gross  product,  so  that  the  net  yield  to  the 
miners,  if  the  whole  could  be  averaged,  would  be  but  little  in  excess  of  their 
wages.  Of  course,  some  of  the  claims  afford  large  profits,  while  others  scarcely 
yield  sufficient  to  pay  water  bills  j  but  the  miners  persevere  to  the  extent  of  their 
means  in  hopes  of  striking  better  pay. 

CEMENT  MINING. — In  some  of  the  auriferous  deposits  found  in  the  beds  of 
the  ancient  lakes  and  watercourses  the  gravel  is  cemented  together  so  compactly 
that  considerable  force  is  required  to  pulverize  it,  in  order  to  save  the  gold  by 
the  sluicing  process.  For  this  purpose  various  expedients  have  been  devised  by 
the  miners,  among  which  is  the  erection  of  stamp  mills,  similar  to  those  used  in 
crushing  quartz,  and  the  business  has  become  of  considerable  importance  in  this 
county.  Little  York  township  has  taken  the  lead  in  this  branch  of  mining. 
Cement  mills  have  also  been  erected  in  Washington,  Eureka,  Bridgeport,  Nevada, 
and  Grass  Valley  townships,  but  mostly  as  adjuncts  to  hydraulic  mining,  and  the 
yield  from  this  source,  as  compared  with  that  from  other  branches  of  mining,  is 
small.  In  Little  York,  however,  it  is  the  leading  business. 

Blue  cement  gravel  was  found  in  many  of  the  hill  claims  in  Little  York  township 
as  early  as  the  summer  of  1852,  and  in  some  of  the  claims  it  was  so  tough  that 
it  had  to  be  blasted  in  order  to  drift  it  out.  A  very  small  proportion  of  the  gold 
was  saved  by  merely  running  it  once  through  the  sluices,  and  the  method  at  first 
adopted  was  to  pile  up  the  tailings  and  allow  them  to  remain  some  months,  until 
the  action  of  the  elements  had  partially  decomposed  them,  and  then  sluice  them 
again.  In  this  manner  each  lot  of  gravel  was  run  through  the  sluices  six  or 
eight  times,  requiring  two  or  three  years  for  the  operation.  The  Chinamen  work 
the  cement  in  the  same  manner  now,  and  many  are  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  the 
most  efficient  and  economical  method;  but  the  process  is  too  slow  for  American 
miners. 

The  first  stamp  mill  for  crushing  cement  was  built  by  the  Massassauga  Com- 
pany, near  the  town  of  Little  York,  in  the  summer  of  1857.  This  mill  had  no 
screens,  but  the  cement  was  thrown  into  the  battery,  where  the  stamps  were  kept 
running,  and  carried  off  into  the  sluices  by  a  stream  of  water.  Of  course,  much  of 
the  cement  was  not  pulverized,  but  the  tailings,  after  running  through  the  sluice, 
were  saved  for  a  year  or  more  and  allowed  to  slack,  when  the}7  were  run  through 
again,  and  yielded  nearly  as  much  gold  as  on  the  first  run.  Another  mill  was 
built  near  Little  York  in  the  spring  of  1858,  which  was  a  considerable  improve- 
ment on  its  predecessor,  and  cement  mills  have  since  been  erected  at  You  Bet, 
Red  Dog,  Hunt's  Hill,  Gougeye,  and  other  places  in  the  township.  The  screens 
now  used  are  nearly  as  fine  as  those  commonly  used  in  the  quartz  mills,  and  it 
has  been  fully  determined  that  the  finer  the  cement  is  crushed  the  more  gold  will 
be  saved. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  16  cement  mills  in  Little  York  township,  having 
in  all  136  stamps;  two  in  Washington  township  with  eight  stamps,  one  in  Eureka 
with  eight  stamps,  one  in  Bridgeport  with  eight  stamps,  one  in  Nevada  with  15 
stamps,  and  one  in  Grass  Valley,  with  eight  stamps.  These  make  an  aggregate 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  123 

in  the  county  of  22  mills,  with  185  stamps.  Some  of  these  mills  are  kept  run- 
ning steadily,  others  are  in  'operation  only  a  portion  of  the  time,  and  a  number 
luive  been  idle  for  a  year  or  more  in  consequence  of  the  inability  of  the  owners 
to  open  their  claims,  and  other  causes.  The  amount  of  gravel  crushed  by  a 
stamp  varies  from  three  to  eight  tons  in  24  hours.  Sometimes  loose  gravel  is 
run  through  the  mills  to  save  the  gold  contained  in  the  quartz  pebbles,  and  which 
would  be  lost  by  ordinary  sluicing;  but  much  of  the  cement  is  very  compact 
and  as  difficult  to  crush  as  the  hardest  quartz. 

The  cement  mills  are  not  usually  provided  with  the  appliances  for  amalgama- 
ting and  saving  the  gold  that  are  now  connected  with  the  quartz  mills.  Quick- 
silver is  used  in  the  batteries,  where  the  most  of  the  gold  is  amalgamated,  and 
after  leaving  the  batteries  the  pulp  passes  over  galvanized  copper  plates  and 
riffles  filled  with  quicksilver,  and  whatever  gold  is  not  saved  by  this  process  is 
lost.  A  much-needed  improvement  is  an  effectual  method  of  concentrating  the 
sulphurets.  These  are  found  in  considerable  quantities  with  the  cement  gravel, 
and  generally  contain  sufficient  gold  to  yield  a  good  profit  when  worked  by  the 
chlorination  process.  If  machinery,  not  too  expensive,  could  be  devised  for 
separating  them  from  the  mass  of  pulp,  it  would  add  largely  to  the  profits  of  the 
business. 

The  working  of  the  cement  deposits,  like  other  branches  of  mining,  has  had 
its  ups  and  downs,  but  on  the  whole  has  been  progressing,  and  the  business  has 
been  increasing  in  importance  since  the  first  mill  was  erected  in  1857.  Almost 
every  claim  has  at  times  paid  largely,  and  again  the  receipts  would  fall  below 
expenses.  The  gold  is  unevenly  distributed  throughout  the  gravel  deposits, 
being  found  in  great  abundance  wherever  the  position  of  the  rock  or  other  cir- 
cumstances were  such  as  to  form  riffles,  and  in  other  places  insufficient  to  pay  the 
cost  of  drifting  out  the  gravel.  Whether  the  business  is  to  increase  until  it 
becomes  of  leading  importance  depends  on  the  character  of  the  deposits  that  may 
hereafter  be  opened  in  the  ancient  river  channels.  A  vast  amount  of  placer  mining 
ground  yet  remains  to  be  opened,  and  should  a  considerable  proportion  of  the 
gravel  found  therein  be  cemented  so  as  to  require  crushing,  mills  will  be  erected 
for  the  purpose ;  otherwise  it  will  be  worked  by  the  more  economical  process  of 
sluicing. 

The  capital  invested  in  cement  mining  in  Nevada  county,  including  the  mills, 
hoisting  machinery,  cost  of  opening  the  claims,  &c.,  is  about  $400,000  ;  number 
of  men  employed,  300 ;  annual  yield,  $300,000.  These  figures,  given  in  round 
numbers,  are  very  nearly  correct,  as  applied  to  the  past  three  years.  There  are 
some  outside  expenses,  which,  added  to  the  wages  of  the  miners,  will  probably 
somewhat  exceed  the  gross  yield.  Some  of  the  cement  mines  have  paid  largely, 
while  others  have  proved  failures;  but  the  failures  have  not  been  so  disastrous 
and  universal  as  the  early  quartz  failures. 

EXTENT  OF  THE  PLACER  MINES. — The  product  of  the  placer  mines  of  Nevada 
county  has  neither  materially  increased  nor  diminished  since  1850,  and  though 
they  have  been  worked  without  interruption  for  19  years,  the  developments  of 
that  period  have  barely  been  sufficient  to  give  us  an  idea  of  their  vast  extent. 
The  shallow  diggings,  which  were  so  easily  worked,  and  afforded  such  large 
returns  to  the  early  miners,  are  mostly  exhausted ;  but  the  deep  placers,  or  hill 
diggings,  in  the  channels  of  ancient  streams,  in  many  places  underlying  hundreds 
of  feet  of  alluvial  deposits  and  volcanic  material,  cannot  be  exhausted  for  a  long 
period  of  time.  In  fact,  for  all  practical  purposes,  they  may  be  considered  as 
inexhaustible. 

The  long  gravel  ranges,  extending  from  the  high  Sierra  to  the  foot  hills,  cover 
nearly  half  the  surface  area  of  the  country,  for  the  most  part  are  auriferous,  and 
in  places  are  of  great  depth.  Gold  in  greater  or  less  quantities  is  found  from 
the  surface  down,  in  some  places  sufficient  to  pay  running  expenses;  but  lor 
their  profits  t)  e  miners  mainly  rely  on  striking  rich  gravel  deposits  m  the  chan- 


124  RESOURCES   OF   STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

nels  of  what  once  were  running  streams.  These  ancient  channels  are  very 
numerous,  and  the  gravel  deposits  therein  are  of  tn"e  same  character  as  those  in 
existing  streams.  Many  of  the  old  channels  are  cut  transversely  by  others, 
showing  the  existence  of  not  only  one,  but  several  ancient  river  systems;  but 
whether  the  great  changes  on  the  western  slope  of  the  mountains  were  produced 
by  causes  now  in  force,  or  by  sudden  convulsions,  the  facts  yet  brought  to  light 
are  not  sufficient  to  warrant  us  in  forming  a  theory.  The  petrefactions,  which 
are  found  plentifully  in  the  deepest  diggings,  are  the  pine,  oak,  manzanita,  and 
other  varieties  of  wood  now  growing  in  the  mountains,  indicating  that  no  great 
climatic  or  geological  changes  have  taken  place  since  the  ancient  channels  were 
filled  up.  The  filling  up  process  may  have  been  aided  by  volcanic  action, 
raising  the  beds  of  rivers  in  places  and  forcing  their  waters  into  new  channels. 
These  new  channels  would,  in  time,  wear  deeply  into  the  bed  rock,  and  in  this 
way  the  deep  gulches,  ravines,  and  valleys  were  formed.  The  formation  of  new 
valleys  by  the  action  of  water  left  the  old  river  channels  filled  with  gravel  and 
volcanic  ashes  to  solidify,  and  become  less  pervious  to  the  assaults  of  time  than 
the  primitive  rock  that  walled  them  in.  Myriads  of  ages  have  abraded  and 
worn  away  the  solid  rock  that  once  enclosed  and  towered  far  above  the  old  chan- 
nels 5  but  the  cement  ridges,  defying  more  stoutly  the  action  of  the  elements, 
remain  to  attest  their  comparative  indestructibility  and  the  magnitude  of  nature's 
changes. 

Thus  far  the  old  river  channel  Jias  only  been  opened  and  worked  at  the  more 
favorable  localities,  where  there  are  biwashes,  or  where  they  have  been  cut  by 
more  modern  streams,  as  is  the  case  in  the  Nevada  basin.  The  ridge  between 
the  South  Yuba  and  Deer  creeks  is  broken  by  two  deep  depressions,  directly 
north  of  Nevada  City,  and  a  peak  called  Sugar  Loaf  Hill  rises  between  the 

taps.  At  this  point  the  ridge  curves  to  the  west,  but  the  ancient  channel,  which 
>r  some  distance  above  follows  the  course  of  the  ridge,  continues  its  general 
southwesterly  direction,  and  makes  out  into  the  basin.  Here  the  overlying 
strata  being  comparatively  shallow,  the  channel  was  discovered  at  an  early  day, 
arid  worked  by  means  of  drifting,  or  burrowing,  whence  it  was  called  the  "  Cayote 
Lead."  Shafts  were  sunk  on  Bourbon,  Manzanita,  Wet,  and  American  Hills, 
and  the  richest  deposits  drifted  out,  but  the  claims  were  subsequently  bought  up 
by  a  few  companies,  and  the  ground  worked  from  the  surface  down  by  the 
hydraulic.  These  claims  yielded  immensely,  and  the  amount  of  gold  extracted 
from  the  base  of  Sugar  Loaf  to  the  lower  workings  on  American  Hill,  a  little  over 
a  mile,  is  believed  to  have  reached  $7,000,000  to  $8,000,000.  The  amount,  how- 
ever cannot  be  ascertained  with  any  degree  of  accuracy.  Subsequently  the 
channel  was  traced  northeasterly  under  the  high  ridge,  and  worked  out  for  a 
distance  of  3,000  feet  by  the  Young  America,  Live-oak,  Nebraska,  and  some 
other  companies  of  less  note,  and  the  yield  of  gold  in  that  distance  along  the 
channel  is  known,  however,  to  have  exceeded  $3,000,000.  The  channel  is  nearly 
parallel  with  Deer  creek,  though  it  must  have  carried  a  much  larger  quantity  of 
water,  and  the  average  fall  appears  to  have  been  but  little  over  one  foot  in  a 
hundred.  The  same  channel  was  opened  a  mile  above  by  the  Harmony  Company, 
where  the  deposit  was  found  to  be  equally  rich ;  but  that  company  was  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  commence  operations  on  the  north  side  of  the  ridge,  when  the  channel, 
at  their  location,  sweeps  round  to  the  south  side,  thus  largely  enhancing  the  cost 
of  working.  After  taking  out  §70,000  at  a  cost  of  $83,000,  they  suspended 
operations.  The  most  of  the  ground  has  been  located  for  a  distance  of  eight 
miles  up  the  ridge,  and  at  two  or  three  different  places  the  channel  has  been 
found,  and  fine  prospects  obtained,  but  the  operators,  for  the  want  of  adequate 
pumping  machinery,  were  compelled  to  desist.  The  claims  of  the  Cold  Spring 
.Company  adjoin  the  Harmony  ground  above,  and  still  further  above  are  the 
claims  of  the  Fountain  Head  Company.  These  companies  are  preparing  to 
commence  operations  under  favorable  auspices.  The  evidence  is  conclusive 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  125' 

tluit  the  channel  extends  a  considerable  distance  up  the  mountains,  perhaps  20 
or  -2i)  miles,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  every  1,000  feet  of  its  length 
holds  its  million  of  tivasure.  Besides  this,  large  quantities  of  gold  are  found  in 
the  smaller  channels  that  were  probably  once  tributaries  of  the  main  streams,  as 
well  as  in  the  alluvium  above.  The  rich  hydraulic  diggings  at  Gold  Hill 
Alpha,  Omega,  and  other  places,  now  mostly  worked  out,  are  on  this  range. 

The  most  extensive  placer  mining  field  in  the  county,  and  perhaps  In  the 
State,  is  the  ridge  between  the  Middle  and  South  Yuba,  embracing  the  town- 
shifts  of  Bridgeport,  Bloomfield,  and  Eureka.  This  ridge  is  about  30  miles 
in  length,  and  from  six  to  eight  in  width,  forming  an  area  of  about  200  square 
miles.  The  more  elevated  portion  is  covered  by  a  volcanic  formation  j  but  in 
the  lower  portions,  in  Bloomlield  and  Bridgeport  townships,  the  volcanic  material 
has  been  worn  away,  leaving  the  ground  in  a  more  favorable  condition  for 
hydraulic  operations,  which  is  now  being  improved  at  North  San  Juan,  and  other 
places  already  referred  to.  Professor  Silliman,  and  M.  Laur,  a  French  engineer 
of  mines,  have  described  this  ridge,  and  made  some  curious  estimates  of  the 
amount  of  gold  contained  therein.  Laur  estimates  that  the  region  under  con- 
sideration, worked  at  a  rate  which  would  yield  $12,000,000  of  gold  annually, 
would  be  exhausted  only  after  a  period  of  524  years,  which  would  give  as  the  gold 
product  over  six  thousand  millions  of  dollars.  This  estimate,  however,  is  based 
on  the  supposition  that  the  entire  gravel  range  is  equally  as  rich  as  the  claims 
which  he  examined.*  The  more  moderate  estimate  of  Professor  Silliman  gives 

*  The  Lake  Company  distributes  water  to  several  hundred  workings,  among  which  I  will 
choose,  for  illustration,  that  of  the  "Eureka  claim,"  near  the  little  village  of  San  Juan.  In 
the  Eureka  claim,  the  gravel  bed  is  135  feet  deep,  or  about  43  metres.  The  first  22  metres 
from  the  surface  are  a  rather  poor  but  easily  washed  sand ;  the  18  metres  below  are  a  very 
coarse  gravel,  richer,  but  quite  difficult  to  disintegrate.  The  working,  therefore,  is  carried 
on  under  conditions  of  some  difficulty. 

The  working  district  has  been  controlled  by  a  "bed  rock  tunnel"  or  drain-gallery,  cut  for 
ft  great  distance  into  very  hard  granite,  at  the  rate  of  40  francs  the  running  foot,  (about  700 
francs  a  metre,)  giving  a  total  cost  of  140,000  francs.  The  claim  is  still  in  full  activity. 

Tim  working  is  carried  on  by  four  jets  rf'caw,  discharging  together  about  25,000  litres  of 
water  a  minute  under  a  pressure  of  48  metres.  Thcs&jets  (Vmy,  break  up  the  gravel  against 
which  they  are  directed,  and  the  current  carries  off  the  mud  and  stones  into  the  sluices  in  the 
drain-gallery,  where  the  gold  is  deposited. 

Four  men  are  sufficient  to  direct  this  work,  which  is  carried  on  for  two  weeks,  say  ten 
working  days  of  eight  hours  each.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  the  washing  down  of  fresh 
earth  is  stopped,  the  sluices  are  washed,  and  the  gold  is  taken  up. 

During  this  period  often  days  28,080  cubic  metres  of  gravel  are  worked  over,  removing 
the  auriferoua  de-posit  over  a  superficies  of  620  square  metres.  The  charges  for  working  are 
as  follows : 

Francs. 

Expenses  of  water 5, 000 

Manual  labor 864 

Sundries,  about • 500 

Total 6.364 

The  gold  taken  from  the  sluices  at  the  end  of  this  period  brings  an  average  of  30,000 
francs.  This  yield  increases  to  80,000  and  100.000  francs,  when  the  working  has  been  con- 
fined exclusively  to  the  lower  portions  of  the  gravel. 

These  results  show  the  value  of  gold  extracted  from  one  of  these  California  alluvial  mines  ; 
they  bi  ing  out  especially  the  great  progress  on  working  and  the  small  amount  of  human  labor 
in  this  new  method  of  washing.  In  fact,  estimating  the  cost  of  a  miner's  wages  at  ihe  uniform 
rate  of  2l>  francs,  the  expense  of  manual  labor  necessary  for  working  one  cubic  metre  of  gravel 
by  the  several  methods  hitherto  employed  is  as  follows,  viz :  _ 

By  the  pan...  about  75  00 

By  the  rocker 20.  00 

By  the  "long  torn" 5  00 

By  the  sluice *  J* 

By  the  new  method  (hydraulic  washing) 

Let  us  suppose  the  workings  now  actually  open  on  the  ridge  of  land  which  I  have  taken 


126  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

the  aroa  of  the  places  where  gravel  deposits  have  been  worked  on  this  ridge  as 
equal  to  fifteen  square  miles,  and  its  probable  yield  in  gold  is  estimated  at 
$£44,610,000.  In  this  estimate  the  gravel  deposits  underlying  the  volcanic 
formations  were  not  taken  into  account.  These  are  known  in  many  places  to 
be  rich,  but  in  most  cases  can  only  be  reached  at  considerable  cost.*  The  Mount 
Zion  Company  has  been  engaged  for  eleven  years  in  an  enterprise  to  open  the 
ground  under  the  cement  ridge  near  Snow  Point.  They  commenced  operations 
on  the  South  Yuba  side  and  ran  a  tunnel  to  the  centre  of  the  hill,  where  they 
found  rich  gravel ;  but  the  tunnel  proved  to  be  higher  than  the  bed  of  the  chan- 
nel, and  was  of  no  service  in  working  the  ground.  They  then  started  another 
tunnel  on  a  lower  level,  which,  after  several  years'  labor,  is  now  nearly  com- 
pleted. The  Kentucky  Company,  encouraged  by  the  prospects  obtained  in  the 
claims  of  the  Mount  Zion  Company,  commenced  a  vertical  shaft  last  spring,  near 
Snow  Point,  with  the  view  of  sinking  to  the  bed  rock.  After  sinking  108  feet 
through  lava  cement,  they  reached  the  alluvial  deposit,  and  the  enterprise  is  still 
in  progress.  The  cost,  and  length  of  time  required  to  realize  returns,  have  a 
tendency  to  discourage  miners  from  embarking  in  such  undertakings,  though 
they  may  feel  certain  that  the  gold  is  there. 

THE  CHALK  MOUNTAIN  RANGE,  lying  mostly  between  Bear  river  and  Green- 
horn creek,  on  the  southerly  border  of  the  county,  is  another  mining  field  of  immense 
prospective  value.  The  average  elevation  of  the  ridge  is  somewhat  greater  than 
either  of  the  others  in  the  county,  and  the  higher  portion  is  covered  with  lava 
and  basaltic  rocks.  At  the  southwesterly  extremity,  near  Red  Dog  and  You  Bet, 
and  along  the  margins  of  the  ridge,  where  the  volcanic  covering  has  been  worn 
away,  the  auriferous  gravel  has  been  worked  by  the  hydraulic,  and  in  most  places 
yielded  excellent  returns ;  but  by  far  the  larger  portion  of  the  ground  will  have 

as  au  example,  to  be  replaced  by  one  hundred  areas  equal  in  importance  to  the  Eureka  claim. 
These  one  hundred  hypothetical  districts  would  be  precisely  equivalent  to  ail  those  now 
existing- ;  for,  according-  to  the  preceding  indications,  it  would  absorb  all  the  water  brought 
by  the  Lake  Company,  as  does  this.  The  richness  of  the  gravel,  taken  in  its  total  mass, 
being  assume!  to  be  nearly  uninterrupted,  the  yield  of  gold  would  be  in  both  cases  sensibly 
the  same. 

Now,  the  actual  working  of  the  Eureka,  after  a  year,  equivalent  to  200  days'  effective  labor, 
brings  a  value  in  gold  of  3,000x200— 60'0, 000  francs.  After  an  equal  period  the  one  hundred 
openings  supposed  would  have  brought  in  60,000,000  francs,  and  would  have  removed  the 
auriferous  deposit  over  an  extent  of  1,240,000  square  metres. 

But  the  total  superficies  of  the  deposit  being  at  least,  650, 000, 000  square  metres,  we  see  that 
this  total  gold-producing  area,  yielding  $60,000,000  of  gold  annually,  would  be  exhausted 
only  after  a  period  of  524  years. 

The  placer  to  which  the  preceding  indications  refer  is  certainly  one  of  those  where  the  pro- 
duction of  gold  is  most  perfectly  organized  and  most  active ;  but  its  extent,  which  is  650 
square  kilometres,  is  unimportant  in  connection  with  the  total  extent  of  the  analogous  deposits 
which  are  found  scattered  over  the  superficies  of  19,000  square  kilometres  which  forms  tho 
auriferous  zone  of  California.  An  increase  of  the  aica  worked  over,  and  a  consequent  increase 
of  production  from  this  class  of  deposits,  is  possible  everywhere,  within  limits,  in  the  go!d 
regions  of  California. — Memoir  dc  La  Production  des  Metana  Precieux  en  California.  Rap- 
port d  son  Excellence  M.  le  Ministrc  des  Travaux  Publics.  Par  P.  Laur,  Ingenieur  au  Corps 
Imperial  d/s  Mines.  Paris,  1862.  8vo.  pp.  132. 

*  Mr.  Black  estimates  the  length  of  the  mining  claims  of  the  present,  supplied  with  water 
by  the  Middle  Yuba  Canal  Company,  at  five  miles,  with  an  average  width  of  350  yards,  and 
an  average  depth  "of  40  yards,  making  a  quantity  of  123,000,000  of  cubic  yards  of  auriferous 
gravel.  He  also  estimates  that  eight  per  cent,  of  this  quantity  has  been  worked  away  in  the 
past  12  years,  leaving  1 13,000,000  of  cubic  yards  which  remain  for  future  operations.  At  an 
average  of  34  cents  of  gold  to  the  cubic  yard,  (the  average  of  the  Yuba  region  appears  to  be 
from  30  cents  to  45  cents  per  cubic  yard,  saved  in  the  hydraulic  process,)  the  volume  of 
auriferous  gravel  here  estimated  would  jield  over  $38,000,000.  But  the  total  area  of  the 
various  places  where  gravel  deposits  have  been  worked  on  this  ridge  is  estimated  by  Mr. 
Black  as  equal  to  15  square  miles,  all  of  which,  and  much  more,  is  controlled  by  the  water 
of  the  Eureka  Lake  Company,  or  of  the  Middle  Yuba  canal.  If  this  area  is  estimated  at  an 
average  of  40  yards  in  depth,  (it  varies  from  80  to  200  and  250  feet  in  depth,)  we  shall  have 
1,815,936,000  cubic  yards  of  gravel,  and  if  this  be  estimated  to  yield  only  30  cents  per  yard 
we  reach  the  grand  aggregate  of  $544,610,000  as  its  probable  yield  of  gold.—  Professor  Silli- 
man's  Report  on  the  Deep-lying  Placers,  March,  1865. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  127 

to  be  worked  by  drifting,  either  by  means  of  deep  shafts  or  extensive  tunnels. 
The  ridge  extends  nearly  to  the  summit  of  the  Sierra,  but  is  divided  by  the  valley 
of  Bear  river,  15  miles  above  Red  Dog,  which  cuts  through  it  nearly  at  right 
angles,  making  a  deep  depression,  the  hills  rising  to  the  height  of  600  or  800 
feet  on  each  side  of  the  valley.  Three  miles  below  Bear  valley,  on  the  south- 
easterly side,  the  deep  gorge  of  Steep  Hollow  has  cut  down  through  the  volcanic 
and  gravel  formations  to  the  bed  rock,  showing  the  thickness  of  the  overlyging 
mass  to  be  at  least  a  thousand  feet.  The  Chalk  Mountain  Blue  Gravel  Com- 
pany made  extensive  locations  on  the  ridge  in  the  spring  of  1866,  and  has  since 
been  engaged  in  making  explorations  under  the  superintendence  of  S.  N.  Strana- 
han.  An  incline  shaft  was  sunk  at  the  southwesterly  end  of  the  company's  ground, 
into  the  body  of  the  mountain,  going  down  on  the  red  gravel,  under  the  pipe- 
clay. Their  explorations  revealed  a  well-defined  ancient  river  channel,  the  rim 
rock  rising  to  a  considerable  height  on  each  side.  The  course  of  the  stream  was 
nearly  southwest,  and  evidences  of  an  old  river  channel  have  been  found  at  Steep 
Hollow  and  Bear  valley,  which  is  believed  to  be  the  same.  For  the  past  six 
months  a  mining  company  has  been  engaged  in  sinking  a  vertical  shaft  at  Bear 
valley,  and  at  a  depth  of  a  little  over  a  hundred  feet  they  struck  a  deposit  of  gravel 
and  boulders,  evidently  made  by  a  running  stream,  having  a  southwesterly  course. 
Whenever  explorations  have  been  made  in  this  region,  the  different  strata  are 
found  in  the  following  order  :  The  blue  cement  gravel,  in  which  the  gold  is  very 
unevenly  distributed,  is  found  only  in  the  channels  of  the  ancient  streams.  Over 
this  is  a  deep  bed  of  loose,  gold-bearing  gravel,  of  a  reddish  color,  and  this  is 
covered  by  a  deep  layer  of  pipe-clay.  This  is  what  is  termed  the  hydraulic 
ground,  the  principal  "  pay"  being  in  the  red  gravel.  At  higher  elevations  on 
the  ridge,  the  lower  section  is  exactly  the  same,  but  with  two  additional  stratifi- 
cations! Above  the  pipe-clay  is  a  deep  deposit  of  conglomerate  boulders,  and 
above  this  a  bed  of  lava  or  basaltic  rocks.  The  bed  rock  is  uneven,  and  in 
many  places  rises  into  the  pipe-clay  and  cuts  off  the  red  gravel ;  but  wherever 
this  deposit  is  found,  and  the  overlying  mass  is  not  too  deep,  it  invariably  pays 
for  hydraulicing.  There  is  a  vast  quantity  of  this  ground  to  be  worked,  but  to 
open  a  claim  usually  requires  the  labor  of  several  miners  for  two  or  three  years. 
Deep  cuts  have  to  be  made  in  the  bed  rock,  or  long  tunnels  run,  to  obtain  suffi- 
cient fall  for  a  sluiceway  to  run  off  the  earth. 

Another  gravel  range  dividing  the  waters  of  Greenhorn  and  Deer  creeks,  passing 
Nevada  on  the  north  and  Grass  Valley  on  the  south,  extends  westerly  through 
the  county  to  the  foot-hills,  terminating  at  Smartsvillc,  in  Yuba  county,  where 
sonic  of  the  best  mines  in  the  State  are  situated.  The  elevation  of  this  ridge  is 
less  than  either  of  the  others  described,  and  the  ground  in  many  places  has  been 
worked  successfully  by  the  hydraulic.  At  the  Alta  shaft,  sunk  on  this  range 
near  Grass  Valley /an' immensely  rich  deposit  of  gravel  was  discovered  in  the 
bed  of  an  ancient*  stream,  which  .afforded  large  profits  to  the  owners  of  the  claim. 
It  is  believed  by  some  that  a  continuous  channel  extends  the  length  of  the  ridge 
from  which  came  the  rich  surface  diggings  at  Rough  and  Ready  that  were  worked 
out  at  an  early  day.  Much  of 'this  range  will  not  pay  for  working  with  the 
present  appliances  for  mining,  and  at  rates  now  charged  for  water;  but  with 
further  improvements  in  the  art  of  mining,  and  perhaps  the  cheapening  of  water 
and  the  cost  of  living,  it  is  probable  that  the  most  of  it  will  eventually  be  worked. 

Xo  estimate  approaching  to  accuracy  can  be  made  of  the  amount  of  gold  con- 
tained in  the  plaeer  mines  of  this  county,  and  which  yet  may  be  brought  forth 
for  the  benefit  of  the  civilized  world.  To  say  that  it  is  enough  to  pay  off  the 
national  debt  would  be  a  moderate  estimate,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that m 
some  of  tliese  deep  placers,  deposits  of  gold  may  yet  be  found  in  such  quantities 
as  will  materially  diminish  the  value  of  the  metal.  But  to  extract  it  from  the 
vast  accumulations  of  debris  in  which  it  is  hidden  will  cost  thousands  ol  miners 


128  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

centimes  of  toil.  Some  of  the  workers,  more  lucky  than  their  fellows,  will 
strike  valuable  deposits,  and  become  suddenly  enriched,  while  the  majority,  as 
has  always  been  the  case,  will  toil  on  in  poverty.  The  hope  of  rich  strikes  is 
the  great  incentive  to  the  miner  to  persevere,  but  the  risk,  which  is  always  con- 
siderable in  mining  operations,  even  when  the  best  judgment  is  exercised,  has  a 
tendency  to  deter  capital  from  embarking  in  the  business. 

•  QUAETZ  MIXIXG. — In  the  mining  and  working  of  gold-bearing  quartz,  as  in 
most  other  branches  of  mining,  Nevada  county  has  taken  the  lead,  and  is  far  in 
advance  of  other  sections  of  the  gold  region.  It  was  not  until  the  spring  of  1850, 
who-ii  the  placer  mines  had  been  worked  two  seasons,  that  attention  was  directed 
to  the  quartz  veins  as  the  matrix  in  which  the  gold  was  originally  formed,  and 
the  sources  from  which  that  found  in -the  surface  diggings  was  derived.  The 
early  settlers,  and  those  who  first  rushed  to  California  on  the  announcement  of 
the  discovery  of  gold,  had  no  knowledge  of  vein  mining,  and  were  too  much 
absorbed  in  collecting  the  precious  particles  which  were  found  mixed  with  the 
gravel  on  the  bars  and  in  the  beds  of  the  streams  to  give  any  attention  to  the 
sources  whence  they  came.  The  discovery  of  gold  imbedded  in  quartz  pebbles 
led  to  an  examination  of  the  lodes,  and  some  quartz  locations  were  made  early  in 
the  spring  of  1850. 

The  first  quartz  location  in  Nevada  county,  of  which  we  now  have  any  inform- 
ation, was  made  at  Gold  Hill,  near  Grass  Valley.  This  was  in  June,  1850. 
Quartz  was  discovered  at  Massachusetts  Hill  soon  after,  and  in  October  of  tho 
same  year  the  Gold  Tunnel  lode  was  located  at  Nevada.  The  latter  was  dis- 
covered by  four  young  men  from  Boston,  while  engaged  in  their  first  day's  work 
at  ruining.  A  few  other  locations  were  made  the  same  season,  both  at  Grass 
Valley  and  Nevada,  but  the  three  above  named  have  become  especially  famous 
for  their  immense  yield  of  gold,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  nearly  double  the 
present  assessed  property  valuation  of  the  county.  The  first  mill  in  the  county 
was  erected  by  two  Germans,  at  Boston  ravine,  near  Grass  Valley,  in  the  winter 
of  1850-'51.  It  was  a  rude  affair,  and  of  course  was  a  failure. 

In  1851  there  was  a  great  quartz  excitement  in  this  county.  The  shallow 
surface  diggings  were  beginning  to  show  signs  of  exhaustion,  or  at  least  were 
not  so  readily  found  as  in  the  preceding  years,  and  prospectors  were  running  over 
the  hills  in  search  of  lodes.  Numerous  mills  were  projected,  and  during  the  fall 
and  winter  eight  or  ten  were  erected  at  Nevada,  and  as  many  more  at  Grass 
Valley.  All  the  Nevada  mills,  with  the  exception  of  the  Gold  Tunnel,  and  the 
most  of  those  at  Grass  Valley,  proved  disastrous  failures,  and  in  1853  the  quartz 
interest  was  completely  prostrated.  With  our  present  experience  in  quartz  mining, 
we  can  readily  perceive  the  causes  of  the  early  failures  in  the  business.  The 
mills  were  erected  at  enormous  expense,  in  many  cases  the  projectors  paying  an 
extortionate  interest  for  money;  they  had  been  deceived  by  professed  assayers, 
or  had  deceived  themselves  as  to  the  amount  of  gold  contained  in  the  quartz  ; 
the  appliances  for  amalgamating  were  of  the  rudest  description,  and  there  were 
no  miners  in  the  county  who  knew  how  to  open  and  work  a  quartz  vein. 

At  Grass  Valley,  where  some  eastern  and  English  capital  had  been  invested, 
a  number  of  companies  continued  operations,  several  mills  were  kept  running, 
and  the  business  slowly  revived.  But  at  Nevada,  where  the  failures  had  been 
more  decided,  the  business  was  almost  entirely  abandoned,  and  the  miners  turned 
their  attention  to  the  hill  diggings,  then  just  beginning  to  be  prospected.  The  Gold 
Tunnel  mill  was  kept  in  operation,  and  yielded  good  returns,  but  for  several 
years  the  dependence  of  the  population  was  almost  entirely  on  the  placer  mines. 
The  few  companies  that  continued  operations,  however,  were  measurably  suc- 
cessful, their  mines  at  times  paying  largely,  and  this  was  an  inducement  for 
others  to  resume  work  on  their  lodes,  particularly  at  seasons  of  the  year  when 
water  could  not  be  procured  to  work  the  placer  mines.  By  1857  the  Grass 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  129 

Valley  mines  were  in  quite  a  flourishing  condition,  and  continued  to  prosper  for  the 
three  or  lour  succeeding  years,  becoming  the  leading  interest  of  the  town,  while 
at  Nevada  the  business  steadily  improved. 

The  development  of  the  quartz  interest,  however,  was  destined  to  meet  another 
reverse,  though  by  no  means  so  disastrous  and  discouraging  as  that  of  1852-'53. 
The  discovery  of  silver  in  Washoe  was  first  made  public  in  this  county  in  the 
summer  of  1859,  and  quite  a  number  of  our  most  energetic  quartz  operators  hast- 
ened to  the  new  mining  field.  The  wonderful  richness  of  the  Comstock  Iod3 
was  fully  determined  that  fall,  and  the  next  spring  witnessed  the  exodus  of  many 
of  our  best  working  miners,  who  abandoned  their  claims  here  for  what  appeared 
to  be  the  more  promising  field  of  enterprise  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains. 
For  three  years  there  was  a  constant  drain  of  population  and  capital  from  the 
county — the  capital,  especially,  being  much  needed  in  the  development  of  our 
own  mines.  Added  to  this  drain  upon  our  resources,  the  most  of  the  best-paying 
mines  in  Grass  Valley  were  flooded  during  the  severe  winter  of  1861-'62,  requir- 
ing many  months  to  place  them  again  in  working  condition,  during  which  time 
there  were  no  returns  and  the  expenses  were  heavy.  From  these  causes  business 
was  greatly  depressed  and  property  depreciated  very  materially  in  value,  espe- 
cially at  Grass  Valley  and  Nevada.  In  1864  the  adventurers  who  had  left  for 
distant  mining  regions  began  to  return,  satisfied  that  this  county  presented  the 
best  field  for  mining  enterprise  on  the  coast.  As  a  consequence,  the  quartz 
business  speedily  revived,  and  at  the  present  time  Grass  Valley  is  the  most  pros- 
perous mining  town  in  the  State,  her  prosperity  being  due  entirely  to  the  sur- 
rounding quartz  mines. 

Without  taking  into  account  the  temporary  drawbacks,  the  quartz  business  has 
been  improving  since  ]  853,  and  the  yield  of  gold  from  that  source  has  steadily 
increased.  The  successful  operations  have  in  nearly  all  cases  been  conducted 
by  practical  miners,  who  learned  the  business  here,  and  who  have  discovered  and 
brought  into  use  all  the  improved  methods  of  mining  and  reducing  the  ore,  and 
amalgamating  and  collecting  the  gold.  Very  little  foreign  capital  has  been 
invested  in  our  mines,  although  there  is  not  a  mining  region  in  the  world  that 
offers  better  inducements  for  judicious  investment.  The  comparatively  small 
amount  that  has  been  invested  by  capitalists  in  this  county  has,  in  most  cases, 
been  in  dividend-paying  mines,  and,  of  course,  was  no  assistance  in  developing 
our  resources.  At  no  period  since  the  wild  speculations  of  1852  has  quartz 
mining  been  in  more  favor  than  at  present,  or  the  prospects  more  flattering. 

There  are  in  the  county  four  distinct  quartz-mining  districts,  in  different  stages 
of  development,  viz :  Grass  Valley,  Nevada,  Eureka,  and  McadoAV  Lake. 

GRASS  VALLEY  DISTRICT. — The  Grass  Valley  district  is,  beyond  question, 
the  most  important  and  prosperous  quartz-mining  region  of  California.  The 
mines  have  been  worked  uninterruptedly  since  1852,  and,  though  there  have 
been  many  failures,  and  some  of  the  best  mines  have  at  times  been  temporarily 
abandoned,  yet  the  miners  persevered,  until  the  business  is  now  established  on 


exceeded  $25*000,000.*  The  lodes  of  the  district  are  narrow — some  of  those 
which  have  been  most  productive  not  averaging  over  a  foot  in  width — and  the 
bed-rock,  or  what  is  called  by  vein  miners  the  "country"  rock,  is  mostly  green- 
stone and  slate.  The  lodes  run  in  every  direction,  though  the  principal  mines 
which  have  been  opened  and  worked  usually  approximate  an  east  and  west  or 
north  and  south  course.  The  average  yield  of  the  Grass  Valley  mines  has  been 
variously  estimated  at  from  $20  to  $35  a  ton;  but  the  higher  estimates  have 

*  Professor  Silliman,  in  bis  report  of  March,  1865,  estimated  the  entire  yield  as  then  exceed- 
ing  $£1,000,000. 
9 


130  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

undoubtedly  been  based  on  the  yield  of  the  best-paying  mines,  examined  by 
scientific  gentlemen  and  passing  strangers,  who  have  written  on  the  subject,  and 
who  had  no  knowledge  of  the  large  amount  of  rock  worked  at  Grass  Valley, 
which  scarcely  paid  for  hauling  and  crushing.  Taking  all  the  rock  worked  in 
the  district,  820  a  ton  would  be  a  fair  estimate  for  the  average  yield.  The  cost 
of  mining  the  rock  depends  on  the  size  and  situation  of  the  lode  and  the  char- 
acter of  the  enclosing  rock.  With  a  lode  of  two  to  three  feet  in  width,  which 
can  be  worked  by  means  of  tunnels,  the  cost  of  extracting  the  vein-stone  may 
not  exceed  81  or  $2  a  ton ;  but  where  the  vein  is  small  and  enclosed  in  blasting 
rock,  and  steam  has  to  be  used  for  hoisting  and  pumping,  the  cost  sometimes 
reaches  820  and  830.  The  charges  for  reducing  ore  at  the  custom  mills  range 
from  82  50  to  85  a  ton,  depending  on  the  character  of  the  ore,  the  amount  fur- 
nished, &c. 

THE  EUREKA  MINE,  now  regarded  as  the  most  valuable  gold  mine  in  the 
county,  and  perhaps  the  most  valuable  in  the  world,  is  situated  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
northeast  of  the  town  of  Grass  Valley,  and  was  located  early  in  1851.  It  was 
worked  at  intervals,  by  various  parties,  up  to  1857,  but  the  most  of  the  rock 
failed  to  pay  for  crushing.  In  the  latter  year  it  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  Fricot, 
Ripert,  and  Pralue,  and  the  first  crushing  made  by  them ;  the  rock,  being  taken 
from  near  the  surface,  yielded  only  84  a  ton.  From  1857  to  1863,  the  mine  was 
worked  to  a  perpendicular  depth  of  50  feet,  during  which  a  large  quantity  of 
quartz  was  taken  out,  none  of  which  paid  largely,  and  the  greater  portion  failed 
to  pay  expenses.  Becoming  satisfied,  at  length,  that  the  mine  was  a  good  one, 
they  sank  a  vertical  shaft,  in  1863,  to  the  depth  of  100  feet,  and  the  mine  has 
since  been  yielding  handsome  returns.  On  the  1st  of  October,  1865,  the  mine 
was  sold  to  a  company  of  capitalists  for  8400,000  in  gold  coin.  How  much  it 
had  yielded  up  to  that  time  is  not  known,  but  the  owners  erected  hoisting  works 
and  a  20-stamp  mill,  all  at  a  cost  of  860,000,  besides  receiving  large  dividends 
from  the  profits.  The  mine  has  been  producing,  under  the  present  management, 
at  the  rate  of  about  849,000  a  month.  The  first  year,  ending  September  30, 
1866,  the  gross  product  was  8531,431,  and  for  the  eleven  months  ending  August 
31,  1867,  8588,139,  making  a  total  of  $11,119,570  in  23  months.  Nearly  a  thou- 
sand tons  of  rock  have  been  taken  from  the  mine  every  month  and  reduced  at  the 
mill,  the  average  yield  being  not  far  from  850  a  ton ;  arid  the  monthly  expenses, 
including  repairs  to  machinery  and  permanent  improvements,  have  averaged  about 
816,000.  The  regular  monthly  dividends  for  over  a  year  past  have  amounted  to 
$30,000,  and  one  or  two  extra  dividends  have  been  declared  in  addition.  The 
Eureka  mine  is  opened  by  an  incline  shaft,  5  by  20  feet,  which  is  designed  to 
explore  the  vein  to  a  great  depth,  and  is  now  down  nearly  500  feet.  Levels  have 
been  run  from  the  shaft  at  distances  of  100  feet  apart,  and  for  700  feet  along  the 
lode.  At  50  feet  from  the  surface  the  quartz  paid  815  a  ton,  and  increased  to 
828  at  100  feet.  Between  the  100  and  200-feet  levels  the  average  yield  was 
837  a  tori,  and  below  that  the  average  has  been  850.  The  vein  runs  nearly  east 
and  west,  dipping  south  at  an  angle  of  about  78°  j  and  over  the  whole  extent  of 
some  700  feet  which  has  been  worked  the  average  width  is  about  three  feet. 
At  the  fourth  level  the  mine  is  said  to  show  still  further  improvement,  with 
an  increase  in  the  yield  of  ore,  though  it  has  been  worked  but  little  below  the 
third  level.  The  value  of  the  mine,  with  the  mill,  hoisiing  works,  and  other 
property  connected  therewith,  is  now  rated  at  about  81,000,000.  William  Watt,  a 
successful  quartz  miner  and  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Eureka,  is  the  superintendent. 
THE  GOLD  HILL  MINE,  the  first  discovered  at  Grass  Valley,  was  worked  by 
various  companies,  and  with  little  interruption,  for  a  period  of  14  years,  yielding 
in  that  time,  according  to  popular  belief,  84,000,000.  At  times  the  mine  paid 
enormously,  the  quartz  being  fairly  knit  together  with  gold,  and  again  the  receipts 
would  fall  below  expenses,  the  gold  being  found  in  "pockets/7  and  apparently 
distributed  through  the  vein  stone  in  the  most  capricious  manner.  The  mine  was 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  131 

worked  to  the  depth  of  300  feet  on  the  slope  of  the  lode,  and  for  a  length  of  600 
or  800  feet,  but  the  upper  levels  are  now  mostly  filled  up  and  inaccessible.  The 
vein  is  very  irregular  and  crooked,  and  perhaps  does  not  average  over  a  foot  in 
width.  The  work  on  the  mine  was  suspended  in  September,  1865,  but  opera- 
tions have  lately  been  resumed,  with  fair  prospects. 

THK  MASSACHUSETTS  HILL  MLXE,  which  is  believed  to  be  identical  with  that 
on  Gold  Hill,  was  worked  by  different  companies  up  to  1866,  yielding  in  that  time 
over  s:;, 000,000.  The  working  of  this  mine  was  attended  with  more  than  the 
usual  vicissitudes  of  gold-mining,  some  of  the  companies  failing  most  disas- 
trously, and  others  realizing  large  profits.  The  failure  of  the  Mount  Hope  com- 
pany, working  the  mine  from  1856  to  1858,  was  the  occasion  of  a  most  shocking 
tragedy.  31  it-had  Brennan,  the  superintendent,  having  hopelessly  involved  the 
company,  murdered  his  wife  and  three  children  and  then  committed  suicide. 
The  deed  was  committed  on  the  21st  of  February,  1858.  The  mine  passed 
into  other  hands,  and  a  year  or  two  later  a  .large  body  of  rich  ore  was  struck 
within  a  few  feet  of  where  Brennan  had  abandoned  work  in  despair. 

THE  OPIIIK  HILL  MINI:  is  situated  a  mile  southeast  of  Grass  Valley,  and  was 
located  in  1851.  The  original  owners  worked  the  mine  a  year  or  two,  when 
they  failed,  and  the  property  was  sold  at  auction,  the  purchasers  organizing  as 
the  Empire  Company.  This  company  erected  a  six-stamp  mill,  and  worked  the 
mine  from  May,  1854,  to  September,  1S63,  the  yield  in  that  time  amounting  to 
$1,056,234.  The  property  was  then  sold  to  other  parties,  Captain  S.  W.  Lee, 
one  of  the  purchasers,  taking  charge,  and  work  was  resumed  in  April,  1865. 
The  product  of  tlve  mine  from  that  period  up  to  June  of  the  present  year  was 
$286,082,  making  a  total  yield  in  13  years  of  $1,342,316.  The  amount  of 
quartz  worked  is  estimated  at  37,840  tons,  giving  an  average  yield  of  over  $35 
a  ton.  The  present  company  have  erected  a  magnificent  20-stamp  mill  at  a  cost 
of  nearly  $100,000.  It  is  the  finest  quartz  mill  in  the  State,  but  the  mine  is 
not  yet  sufficiently  opened  to  keep  it  constantly  employed.  The  mill,  hoisting 
works,  and  other  machinery  and  property  of  the  company,  with  the  drain  tunnel 
and  other  permanent  improvements  on  the  mine,  has  cost  some  $250,000.  The 
Ophir  lode  runs  nearly  north  and  south,  and  dips  westerly  at  the  low  angle  of 
27  degrees.  The  lode  is  not  large,  averaging,  perhaps,  not  over  18  inches  in 
width,  but  it  has  been  explored  by  levels  for  a  distance  of  900  feet  along  its 
course,  showing  a  continuation  of  rich  ore  for  that  distance. 

TITE  NORTH  STAR  MINE  has  been  worked  with  varied  results  since  1852,  chang- 
ing hands  several  times,  once  under  a  forced  sale.  This  mine  is  perhaps  more 
thoroughly  opened  than  any  other  in  the  county,  an  incline  shaft  having  been 
sunk  oil  the  slope  of  the  vein  to  the  depth  of  750  feet,  and  levels  run  along  its 
course  nearly  1,000  feet.  In  the  five  years  ending  in  January,  1867,  the 
net  earnings  of  the  mine  amounted  to  more  than  $500,000,  and  in  the  early  part 
of  this  year  the  net  profits  were  reported  at  $12,000  a  month.  On  this  repre- 
sentation the  mine  was  sold  to  San  Francisco  capitalists  for  $450,000,  of  which 
$250,000  was  paid  dowrn,  and  the  remainder  was  to  have  been  paid  from  one-half 
the  net  profits.  But  the  receipts  for  the  first  two  or  three  months,  under  the  new 
administration  not  coming  up  to  the  representations,  the  sellers  released  the  pur- 
chasers from  further  payments. 

THE  ALLISON  1 1  A  NCII  LODE,  which  for  many  years  ranked  as  the  leading  mine 
in  the  State,  was  discovered  in  1855,  and  worked  with  continued  success  over  11 
years.  It  yielded  in  that  period  $2,300,000  in  gold  bullion.  In  working  the 
mine  rich  bodies  of  ore  were  encountered  which  paid  $100  and  $200  a  ton,  with 
poorer  rock  between  that  scarcely  paid  the  cost  of  working.  An  examination  of 
the  books  of  the  company  shows  the  average  yield  of  all  the  rock  worked  to 
have  been  $50,  the  rock  taken  from  the  mine  and  crushed  amounting  to  46,00 
tons.  The  mine  has  been  worked  to  a  depth  of  over  500  feet,  and  for  nearly 
1,000  feet  along  its  course.  The  vein  has  been  an  expensive  one  to  work,  on 


132  RESOURCES     OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

account  of  the  large  quantity  of  water  that  had  to  be  raised  and  the  hardness 
of  the  enclosing  rock ;  but  probably  not  less  than  two-thirds  of  the  gross  pro- 
ceeds were  divided  as  profits  among  the  owners.  Owing  to  a  want  of  agree- 
ment in  the  management  the  work  in  the  mine  was  suspended  at  the  beginning 
of  the  present  year. 

There  are  many  other  ualuable  mines  in  the  district,  some  of  which  are  now 
or  have  been  paying1  regular  dividends  to  the  owners.  Among  these  may  be 
mentioned  the  New  York  Hill  mine,  which  has  been  worked  at  intervals  since 
1852,  and  produced  not  less  than  $500,000 ;  the  Wisconsin,  from  which  was 
taken,  in  1866,  1,400  tons  of  ore  that  yielded  an  average  of  $51  a  ton  5  the 
Hartery,  which  has  yielded  over  $250,000  ;  the  Norambagua,  a  vein  not  exceeding 
an  average  width  of  five  inches,  but  which  yielded  over  $80,000  in  1866  •  the 
Houston  "Hill  mine,  which  yielded  over  $500,000  in  the  past  three  years,  and 
paid  good  profits,  although  the  cost  of  extracting  and  reducing  the  ore  amounts 
to  some  $40  a  ton ;  the  Osborn  Hill  mine,  which  was  producing  large  returns  at 
a  time  when  the  quartz  interest  of  the  district  was  supposed  to  be  on  the  wane  ; 
the  Lone  Jack,  which  has  produced  over  $500,000 ;  the  Cambridge  mine,  on 
Howard  Hill,  and  the  claim  of  the  Lucky  Company  on  the  same  lode,  which 
have  been  opened  at  great  cost  and  are  regarded  as  promising  mines,  though  at 
present  idle  on  account  of  disagreements  among  the  owners  ;  the  Union  Hill 
mine,  and  the  adjoining  mine  of  Win.  O'Connor  Sydney,  which  is  now  being 
opened  and  explored  in  the  most  systematic  manner  and  without  regard  to 
expense ;  besides  numerous  others  in  the  district  which  would  be  tiresome  to 
sketch  in  detail. 

There  are  now  some  30  dividend-paying  mines  in  the  district;  28  quartz  mills, 
having  an  aggregate  of  300  stamps,  and  the  capital  invested  in  the  mills,  hoisting 
works,  and  other  machinery,  and  in  the  opening  of  the  mines  which  may  now 
be  considered  as  available,  is  about  $2,000,000.  The  number  of  men  employed 
in  the  mills  and  mines  is  about  1,600,  and  the  yield  of  the  mines  in  1866  was 
$2,000,000,  in  round  numbers — an  average  of  $1,250  for  each  man.  The  pro- 
duct of  the  district  will  probably  be  somewhat  less  the  present  year  than  in 
1866,  on  account  of  the  suspension  of  work  in  the  Allison  Ranch  and  some  other 
mines,  but  the  falling  oft*  will  be  only  temporary,  as  the  mines  are  too  valuable 
to  remain  idle  for  any  great  length  of  time. 

NEVADA  QUARTZ  DISTRICT. — The  Nevada  quartz  district  includes  the  town- 
ship of  that  name,  though  the  most  of  the  gold-bearing  lodes'  are  situated  in  the 
Nevada  basin,  forming  an  area  of  eight  or  ten  square  miles.  The  primitive  rock 
in  the  basin  is  a  soft  granite,  encircled  by  a  slate  formation  on  the  east,  south, 
and  west.  Numerous  quartz  lodes,  both  in  the  granite  and  surrounding  slate, 
have  been  opened  and  worked  more  or  less — the  general  course  of  the  veins  being 
a  little  east  of  south  and  north  of  west,  and  the  most  of  them  having  an  easterly 
dip  at  various  angles.  Some  are  nearly  perpendicular,  and  others  descend  at  a 
low  angle,  the  more  usual  dip  being  about  35  or  40  degrees.  At  the  southwest- 
erly end  of  the  granite  formation  are  a  number  of  parallel  veins,  having  the  same 
general  course,  but  dip  westerly.  The  most  noted  of  these  are  the  Sneath  and 
Clay  and  the  Mohawk.  All  the  lodes  in  the  district  which  showed  any  surface 
croppings  were  located  in  1851,  during  the  first  quartz  excitement,  and  it  being 
then  understood  that  they  were  the  sources  from  which  the  placer  gold  was 
derived,  the  most  extravagant  expectations  were  formed  as  to  their  prospective 
yield.  Mills  were  erected  at  great  expense,  and  a  large  amount  of  ill-directed 
labor  was  expended  in  endeavoring  to  open  the  veins;  but,  with  two  or  three 
exceptions,  the  enterprises  were  failures,  and  quartz  was  very  generally  pro- 
nounced a  humbug. 

THE  GOLD  TUNNEL  MINE,  situated  west  of  Nevada  City,  but  mostly  in  the  cor- 
poration limits,  was  the  only  one  in  the  district  in  which  operations  were  continued 
without  interruption.  This  was  the  first  gold-bearing  lode  discovered  in  the  dis- 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  133 

trict,  and  the  discoverers  worked  it  for  a  time  by  washing  the  decomposed  quartz 
in  a  rocker,  realizing  large  profits.  In  the  spring  of  1851  a  tunnel  was  started 
on  the  lode,  and  the  following  summer  a  six-stamp  mill  was  erected  on  Deer 
creek,  near  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel,  to  crush  the  rock.  From  1852  to  1855  the 
mine  was  worked  by  E.  W.  Kidd,  who  owned  a  controlling  interest,  and  in  the 
latter  year  the  property,  including  the  mill  and  mine,  was  sold  to  a  company 
of  Cornish  miners.  Up  to  this  time  the  mine  has  yielded  over  $300,000  in  gold, 
the  rock  paying  on  an  average  $50  a  ton,  though  worked  in  a  mill  that  would 
not  now  be  used.  The  Cornishmen  worked  the  mine  over  eight  years,  suspend- 
ing operations  in  1863,  but  the  yield  during  that  period  is  not  known.  A  con- 
tinuous body  of  rich  ore  extended  from  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel  at  Deer  creek 
for  a  distance  of  600  feet  north  $  beyond  that  the  rock  contains  gold,  but  not  in 
sufficient  quantities  to  pay  for  working.  The  vein  has  never  been  worked  below 
the  level  of  Deer  creek,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  will  eventually  be  opened 
to  a  great  depth,  and  worked  again  with  profit. 

THE  ILLINOIS  AND  CALIFORNIA  CLAIMS,  situated  on  thegold  tunnel  lode  south 
of  Deer  creek,  have  been  worked  at  intervals  since  1851,  and  at  times  have  paid 
largely.  In  1866  the  Eagle  Company  purchased  the  California  claim,  erected 
hoisting  works  and  a  10-stamp  mill,  and  expended  a  large  amount  in  sinking  an 
incline  shaft  and  exploring  the  vein.  Considerable  rock  was  taken  from  the 
mine  and  crushed,  but  it  did  not  yield  in  accordance  with  the  anticipations  of 
the  company,  and  recently  the  work  was  suspended.  It  is  understood  that  opera- 
tions will  soon  be  resumed. 

THE  BANNER  MINE  is  situated  three  miles  east  of  Nevada  City,  and  is  a  com- 
paratively recent  location.  Some  work  has  been  done  on  it  in  1860-'61  by  two 
different  companies,  but  the  indications  being  unfavorable,  they  abandoned  it. 
It  was  relocated  in  1864  by  the  parties  from  whom  the  present  owners  derive 
their  title,  and  the  first  crushing  yielded  only  four  or  five  dollars  a  ton.  After. a 
suspension  of  some  months  they  took  out  another  crushing,  which  yielded  near 
$20  a  ton,  and  this  gave  the  mine  a  good  reputation,  which  it  has  ever  since  sus- 
tained. With  two  or  three  temporary  interruptions,  the  mine  has  been  worked 
from  June,  1865,  up  to  the  present  time.  The  lode  runs  nearly  north  and  south, 
dips  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  about  50°,  and  is  opened  by  an  incline  shaft  sunk 
to  the  depth  of  350  feet  on  the  slope  of  the  vein.  Four  levels  have  been  run 
in  each  direction  from  the  shaft,  the  upper  one  being  60  feet  from  the  surface, 
the  next  60  feet  deeper,  and  the  other  two  at  distances  of  100  feet.  Two 
"chimneys"  of  rich  rock,  or  "ore  shoots,"  as  they  are  commonly  called  by  the 
miners,  have  been  found  in  the  lode,  both  of  which  rapidly  widen  with  the  depth. 
At  the  first  level,  60  feet  below  the  surface,  the  large  ore  chute  extends  along 
the  course  of  the  lode  only  about  100  feet;  but  at  the  third  level,  160  feet  deeper, 
it  has  a  breadth  along  the  lode  of  225  feet.  North  of  the  main  ore  chute  another 
body  of  rich  quartz  has  been  struck,  which  has  a  breadth  of  40  feet  at  the  second 
level  and  75  feet  at  the  third  level.  If  they  continue  their  course  they  will  come 
together  at  the  fourth  level,  thus  affording  continuous  rich  ore  for  a  distance  of 
about  500  feet  along  the  lode.  Outside  of  the  ore  chutes  the  quartz  pays  only 
$8  or  $10  a  ton,  barely  sufficient  to  cover  the  expenses  of  mining  and  reducing 
it.  Up  to  the  1st  of  January,  1866,  5,000  tons  of  rock  had  been  taken  from  the 
mine  and  reduced,  yielding 'an  average  of  about  $19  a  ton.  From  the  1st  of 
.January  to  the  1st  of  September,  of  the  present  year,  the  yield  has  been  $76,000 
from  3,000  tons  of  rock  worked,  an  average  of  $25  33  a  ton.  The  vein  is  of 
good  si/o,  being  from  three  to  four  feet  in  width,  and  is  now  yielding  from  30  to 
K)  ions  of  quartz  daily.  The  owners  have  a  20-stamp  mill  convenient  to  the 
mine,  and  besides  keeping  this -employed,  they  are  having  considerable  quartz 
worked  at,  custom  mills.  . 

'I'm-:  IViTsnriiG  MINE,  more  commonly  known  as  the  "  Wigham,"  is  situated 
a  mile  arid  n  half  southeast  of  Nevada  City,  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  descending 


134  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

into  the  basin.  It  was  located  in  1851  for  a  Pittsburg  mining  company,  by  R. 
S.  Wigliam,  who  erected  a  mill  the  same  season,  but  the  enterprise  was  among 
the  early  quartz  failures.  The  property  finally  fell  into  the  hands  of  Merritt  & 
Bourn,  of  San  Francisco,  who  still  retain  it.  The  mine  was  worked  on  a  lease 
in  1855,  and  again  in  1857,  but  with  indifferent  success.  In  1862  it  was  leased 
to  Weeks  &  Thomas,  who,  in  the  course  of  15  months,  took  out  3,700  tons  of 
quartz,  which  yielded  at  the  mill  an  average  of  $22  a  ton,  and  the  profits  to  the 
lessees  amounted  to  near  $40,000.  The  mine  was  then  idle  until  January,  1866, 
when  the  owners  made  arrangements  for  further  explorations.  Another  level  was 
opened,  and  in  the  course  of  the  year  the  mine  yielded  $102,000  from  1,700  tons 
of  rock — an  average  of  $60  a  ton.  A  mill  and  first-class  hoisting  works  were 
erected  last  spring,  and  started  in  operation  about  the  1st  of  Junej  but  we  have 
no  report  of  the  yield  for  this  season.  At  the  upper  level  the  ore  chute  extended 
only  about  50  feet  along  the  lode ;  but  in  the  lower  level,  380  feet  on  the  slope 
of  the  vein,  it  has  a  breadth  of  400  feet.  The  average  width  of  the  vein  is  about 
two  feet,  and  the  country  rock  is  slate.  The  Wigham  and  the  Banner  are  the 
leading  quartz  mines  of  Nevada  district  at  the  present  time. 

THE  MINE  OF  THE  NEVADA  QUARTZ  MINING  COMPANY,  commonly  known  as 
the  "  Soggs"  mine,  is  situated  a  mile  west  of  Nevada  City,  and  is  a  parallel  vein 
with  the  Gold  Tunnel.  The  lode  was  located  at  an  early  day,  but  no  successful 
effort  was  made  to  develop  it  until  1857.  A  rich  chimney  having  been  discovered 
by  the  owners,  they  made  arrangements  for  the  erection  of  an  eight-stamp  steam 
mill  to  work  the  mine.  This  was  run  two  or  three  years  successfully,  when  it 
was  take;i  down,  and  the  owners  put  up  a  new  12-stamp  water  mill  on  Deer 
creek,  and  the  mine  has  been  worked,  with  one  or  two  brief  interruptions,  for  10 
years.  About  5,000  tons  of  rock  have  annually  been  taken  from  the  mine  and 
crushed  at  the  mill,  the  gross  receipts  ranging  from  $40,000  to  $70,000  a  year. 
During  the  year  1866,  according  to  a  statement  furnished  by  William  M.  Hat- 
cliff,  the  superintendent,  the  amount  of  rock  crushed  was  a  fraction  under  5,000 
tons,  which  yielded  at  the  mill  $42,000;  while  the  returns  from  sulphuret  ore 
shipped  to  Swansea  and  concentrated  sulphurets  netted  $8,000.  The  average 
yield  of  all  the  rock  crushed  has  been  about  $13  a  ton,  yet  the  owners  have  at 
times  derived  large  dividends  from  the  working  of  the  mine,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  construction  account  of  the  first  mill,  but  one  assessment  has  been 
levied,  and  that  only  for  a  trifling  amount.  The  lode  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
district,  though  very  irregular,  ranging  from  a  mere  seam  to  16  feet  in  width,  and 
averaging  about  four  feet.  It  is  opened  by  three  tunnels,  starting  in  above  the 
mill  and  running  north.  The  length  of  the  npper  tunnel  is  2,900  feet,  and  the 
other  two  about  1,900  feet  each.  The  rock  is  taken  from  the  mine  in  cars  and 
dumped  in  front  of  the  stamps,  thus  saving  the  cost  of  hauling ;  and  having  a 
large  lode,  and  the  advantage  of  water-power  to  run  the  mill,  the  owners  have 
been  enabled  to  work  a  low  grade  of  ores  with  profit. 

THE  SNEATH  AND  CLAY  MINE,  situated  a  mile  southeast  of  Nevada  City,  was 
discovered  in  the  spring  of  1862,  and  several  lots  of  the  quartz  crushed  during 
the  next  summer  yielding  good  returns,  the  locaters  erected  a  mill,  which  was 
started  in  operation  about  April,  1863.  For  a  time  the  rock  yielded  largely, 
the  gross  product  in  two  years  being  $180,OOQ,  of  which  over  half  was  clear 
profit ;  but  the  owners  were  unable  to  agree  in  the  management,  and  having 
worked  out  the  opened  levels  the  property  was  sold  in  May,  1865,  to  a  New 
York  company  for  $27,000.  The  mill  and  hoisting  works  had  cost  $45,000. 
The  New  York  company  opened  two  additional  levels,  which  having  been  worked 
out  to  the  extent  of  the  pay  ore,  the  work  was  suspended  in  the  summer  of  1867. 
The  mine  is  believed  to  be  a  good  one,  and  had  it  been  judiciously  managed 
from  the  start,  and  the  "dead  work"  kept  well  in  advance,  it  might  have  been 
profitably  worked  for  a  long  period. 

THE  LECOMPTON  MINE,  three  miles  above  Nevada  City,  on  Deer  creek,  was 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS  135 

located  in  1858,  and  in  the  course  of  two  years  the  net  proceeds  amounted  to 
*o'(),000,  the  quartz  averaging  S40  a  ton.  The  gross  yield  of  the  mine  up  to 
186o  was  8-2:20,000,  and  it  lias  been  worked  but  little  since,  the  pay  ore  above 
the  level  of  the  creek  being  exhausted.  This  lode  is  situated  near  the  junction 
of  the  granite  and  slate,  and  cuts  through  from  one  formation  to  the  other  with- 
out changing  its  course  «>r  dip. 

There  are  numerous  other  mines  in  the  district  which  have  at  times  afforded, 
large  profits  to  the  owners,  but  which  are  now  idle,  either  from  bad  manage- 
ment or  other  causes.  Among  those  now  being  worked  may  be  mentioned  the 
Cornish,  the  Pennsylvania,  the  Providence,  and  the  Murchie,  which  have  mills 
connected  therewith,  and  the  Cunningham,  Mohawk,  Mattingly,  and  Harvey. 
All  of  these  have  yielded  good  returns,  and  are  still  worked  with  fair  success. 

There  are  now  in  the  Nevada  district  17  quartz  mills,  having  an  aggregate 
of  137  stamps,  and  the  capital  invested  in  the  business  is  about  $500,000.  The 
total  yield  of  the  mines  in  1865/was  about  $400,000  ;  in  1866,  according  to  sta- 
tistics kept  by  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  it  was  a  fraction  less  than  $500,000,  and  will 
be  about  the  same  in  1867.  The  number  of  men  employed  in  the  mines  and 
mills  is  about  450,  the  gross  yield  being  equal  to  $1,100  lor  each  man.  A  con- 
siderable proportion  of  the  quartz  miners  are  either  prospecting  or  engaged  in 
opening  veins,  which  are  not  now  productive. 

EUKEKA  QUARTZ  DISTRICT. — Within  the  past  year  or  two  considerable  atten- 
tion has  been  given  to  the  development  of  the  quartz  lodes  near  the  town  of 
Kureka,  si >me  i  \\cnty-five  miles  above  Nevada  City.  The  general  characteristics 
of  the  Eureka  district  resemble,  in  many  respects,  those  of  the  Nevada  district, 
the  country  rock  being  a  soft  granite,  which  can  be  excavated  in  most  places 
without  the  aid  of  powder,  and  the  course  of  the  veins  being  east  of  south  and 
west  of  north,  corresponding  with  the  mountain  range.  This  quartz  belt  crosses 
the  South  Yuba  into  Washington  township,  where  the  enclosing  granite  is  hard, 
which  greatly  enhances  the  cost  of  working  the  mines.  In  the  slate  formation, 
which  conies'  in  half  a  mile  west  of  the  town  of  Eureka,  there  are  numerous 
well-dH'med  quart/  veins,  but  they  contain  very  little  gold,  and  with  one  or  two 
exceptions  are  considered  valueless. 

In  1856  a  quart/  lode  was  located  on  Gaston  ridge,  some  miles  south  of 
Eureka,  and  a  mill  was  erected  to  work  it  a  year  or  two  later,  which  was  run 
with  little  interruption  until  November,  1863,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
In  that  time  some  15,000  tons  of  quartz  were  extracted  from  the  mine  and  crushed 
in  the  mill,  yielding  Un  average  of  $8  or  $9  a  ton.  The  mill  was  an  inferior 
one,  taring  no  pans  <»r  other  improved  methods  of  saving  the  gold;  but  the  vein 
being  large  and  favorably  situated  for  working  the  owners  realized  a  small  profit, 
though  not  sulHcient  at  that  time  to  justify  them  in  erecting  a  new  mill.  Two 
other  mills  were  built  in  the  district  in  1857;  but  one  was  sold  on  account  of  a 
disagreement  anion--  the  owners,  and  the  machinery  moved  away;  and  the  other, 
after  doing  a  fair  business  for  two  or  three  years,  was  taken  down  and  moved  to 
Waslioe  at  the  beginning  of  the  silver  excitement. 

No  further  attempt  was  made  to  develop  the  mines  of  the  district  until  the 
spring  of  1866,  when  some  of  the  old  residents,  having  worked  out  their  placer 
claims,  and  others  who  had  noted  the  favorable  indications,  commenced  operations 
in  earnest.  A  couple  of  arrastras  were  erected  near  the  town,  run  by  water 
power,  and  capable  of  reducing  three  tons  of  quartz  in  24  hours,  ihesc^arras- 
tras  ha\ •<•  been  constantly  employed,  have  done  excellent  work,  and  been  of  great 
advantage  in  prospecting  and  determining  the  value  of  the  mines.  During  the 
summerTiml  fall  of  is(i(i,  .Messrs.  Black  &  Young  erected  a  10-stamp  mill  on  a 
Lode  situated  about  a  mile  south  of  town.  Operations,  however,  were  not  lairly 
commenced  OD  the  mine  until  May  last,  since  which  time  the  mill  has  been  run- 
ning steadily,  and  the  quartz  is  yielding  from  $20  to  $25  a  ton.  Two  other  mills 
were  also  built  the  same  season,  one  of  five  stamps  to  work  the  Jim  lode,  and 


136  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

the  other  of  four  stamps,  intended  for  custom  work.  Two  new  mills  are  now  in 
course  of  construction,  one  of  10  stamps  to  work  the  Veatch  and  Powell  mine, 
and  the  other  of  five  stamps  on  the  Birchvillo  mine.  Both  of  these  mines  have 
been  thoroughly  prospected,  are  of  good  size,  and  the  gold  is  found  in  paying- 
quantities  very  generally  disseminated  through  the  vein-stone. 

TECUMSEH  MILLS. — Some  years  ago  two  mills  known  as  the  Tecumseh  and 
Star  were  erected  in  Washington  township,  but  on  the  same  quartz  range.  Con- 
siderable quartz  has  been  worked  in  both  mills,  which  yielded  fair  pay ;  but  owing 
to  want  of  means  to  properly  open  the  mines,  the  expense  being  very  great  on 
account  of  the  hardness  of  the  enclosing  rock,  the  enterprises  have  not  proved 
successful.  The  Star  Company,  however,  is  still  prosecuting  work,  and  the 
Tecumseh  mill  lias  lately  been  leased  to  parties  who  are  prospecting  other  lodes. 
TUP;  GRIZZLY  LODE,  situated  four  miles  west  of  Eureka,  in  DeviFs  canon,  was 
purchased  by  the  Eagle  Company,  of  Hartford,  about  the  beginning  of  1866. 
The  company  erected  a  five-stamp  mill  at  the  mine  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year, 
but  being  unprepared  for  winter  work,  little  was  done  in  developing  the  lode 
until  May  last,  since  which  time  the  mill  has  been  running  steadily  and  with 
favorable  results.  The  vein  has  an  average  width  of  four  feet,  runs  in  slate, 
and  is  opened  by  tunnels.  It  is  so  situated  that,  with  proper  arrangements  and 
.1  larger  mill,  $6  and  $8  quartz  can  be  worked  with  profit.  As  long  ago  as  1854 
a  mill  was  erected  on  a  lode  called  the  National,  about  half  way  between  Eureka 
and  the  Grizzly.  This  mill  was  run  a  year  or  more,  a  portion  of  the  time  being 
leased,  but  the  yield  of  the  quartz  was  not  sufficient  to  pay  with  the  prices  then 
ruling.  The  work  was  suspended  in  1856,  and  the  mill  was  destroyed  by  fire 
a  year  or  two  later.  The  Grizzly  and  National  are  the  only  quartz  lodes  yet 
discovered  in  the  slate  formation  of  that  region  that  have  exhibited  sufficiently 
favorable  surface  indications  to  justify  an  outlay  of  capital  to  develop. 

About  250  men  are  engaged  at  the  present  time  in  the  quartz  mines  and  mills 
of  the  Eureka  district,  many  of  whom  are  prospecting  or  working  on  lodes  that 
are  not  yet  productive.  There  are  10  mills  in  the  district,  including  the  two  in 
Washington  township,  having  an  aggregate  of  60  stamps,  and  the  capital  invested 
is  estimated  at  $200,000.  The  yield  of  the  mines  for  1867,  it  is  believed,  will 
amount  to  $200,000. 

MEADOW  LAKE  DISTRICT. — The  Meadow  Lake  quartz  district  is  situated  near 
the  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  but  on  the  western  slope.  It  derives  its  name 
from  a  large  mountain  lake,  used  by  the  South  Yuba  Canal  Company  as  a  res- 
ervoir, a  dam  having  been  constructed  across  its  outlet  to  retain  the  water  in  the 
spring,  and  is  let  out  into  the  company's  ditches  as  fast  as  needed  by  the  miners. 
Gold-bearing  quartz  lodes  were  discovered  near  the  lake  in  1863,  others  the  year 
following,  and  in  1865,  some  of  the  lodes  giving  indications  of  extraordinary 
richness,  considerable  excitement  was  created  throughout  California  and  Nevada 
State,  causing  a  rush  of  adventurers  to  the  locality.  The  real  work  of  develop- 
ing the  mines  was  not  commenced  until  the  summer  of  1866,  and  considering  the 
many  disadvantages,  including  the  deep  snows  of  winter,  has  progressed  favor- 
ably, though  not,  on  the  whole,  equal  to  the  anticipations  of  the  first  adventurers 
and  locaters. 

The  country  rock  of  the  district  is  sienite,  and  usually  has  to  be  blasted  in 
making  excavations ;  but  this  disadvantage  is  partially  compensated  by  the  size 
of  the  veins,  which  will  average  considerably  larger  than  those  of  Grass  Valley 
and  Nevada.  The  general  direction  of  the  lodes  is  northwesterly  and  south- 
easterly, and  they  are  easily  traced  by  the  dark,  reddish  appearance  of  the  crop- 
pings,  caused  by  the  oxidation  of  the  iron  pyrites  encased  in  the  quartz.  The 
quartz  contains  an  unusually  large  proportion  of  sulphurets,  averaging,  it  is  said, 
20  to  25  per  cent.  The  sulphurets  yield  by  assay  $60  to  $70  a  ton,  and  are  suc- 
cessfully reduced  by  the  Plattner  chlorination  process,  works  for  that  purpose 
having  been  constructed  in  the  district.  Seven  quartz  mills  have  been  built  in 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


137 


the  district,  having  in  all  62  stamps.  The  mills,  however,  have  not  been  run- 
ning regularly,  having  been  erected  in  advance  of  the  development  of  the  mines.1 
Of  several  hundred  (jiiartz  veins  Ideated  in  the  district  during  the  excitement  in 
the  summer  of  1865,  50  or  more  have  been  partially  developed  and  given  indi-; 
cations  of  value.  i 

THE  U.  S.  GRAXT  COMPANY,  whose  mine  is  situated  six  miles  south  of  Meadow 
Lake,  and  within  four  miles  of  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  has  been 
the  most  successful  of  any  in  the  district.  The  owners  of  the  mine  have  kept 


California,  and  Excelsior  companies  have  also  erected  mills  and  made  fair  pro- 
gress in  the  development  of  their  mines. 

The  number  of  men  employed  in  the  mills  and  mines  of  the  district  at  the 
present  time  is  about  200,  and  the  available  capital  invested  may  be  set  down  at 
S:j()0,000.  The  yield  of  gold  this  year  will  be  about  $50,000.  Much  of  the 
labor  and  capital  is  being  expended  in  opening  mines  which  arc  not  now  produc- 
tive;  consequently,  if  the  mines  arc  equally  as  good,  the  yield  will  not  be  as 
bu-go  in  proportion  to  the  men  employed  as  in  the  older  districts.  There  are  no 
placer  mines  in  the  district^  or  at  least  none  have  been  discovered. 

Table  slioiving  the  number  of  men  employed,  the  capital  invested,  and  the  gross  yield 
of  the  mines  of  Nevada  county,  California. 


Men  em- 
ployed. 

Capital  in- 
vested. 

Gross  yield. 

rMacev  and  hydraulic  mines 

2  000 

$1  500  000 

$3  500  000 

Cement  mini's 

300 

400  000 

300  000 

Qrtirtz  mines  — 
(iniss  Valley  district 

1  600 

2  000  000 

2  000  000 

Nevada  district 

450 

500  000 

500  000 

Eureka  district 

250 

200  000 

200  000 

Meadow  Lake  district  

200 

200  000 

50,  000 

Canals  and  ditches  .  -  .... 

200 

1  ,  000,  000 

Totals  

5,000 

5,  800,  000 

C,  550,  000 

NOTE. — In  estimating  the  capital  invested  in  mining,  the  design  has  been  to 
include  the  cost  of  machinery,  tools,  &c.,  as  well  as  the  labor  expended  in  opening 
claims  which  are  now  considered  of  value,  and  excluding  those  that  have  been 
worked  out  or  proved  failures.  The  ditches  might  be  considered  as  a  part  of 
the  capital  invested  in  the  placer  mines,  as  the  water  is  mostly  used  by  the  placer 
and  hydraulic  miners. 


SECTION  X. 

SIERRA  COUNTY. 


or  more.     The  surface  is  cut  up  by  numerous  canons,  about  2,000  feet  deep, 
and  not  one  acre  in  50  is  fit  for  the  plough.     There  are  numerous  high  peaks, 


138  RESOURCES    OF   STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

among  which  are  the  Dounieville  Butte,  8,500  feet ;  Fir  Cap,  Saddle  Back,  Table 
mountain,  and  Mount  Fillmore,  each  about  7,000,  besides  numerous  others.  The 
Ponnieville  Butte  is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  State,  being  visible  from  a  large 
ami  in  the  Sacramento  valley,  and  it  is  remarkable  for  the  ragged  outline  of  its. 
summit.  The  county  is  so  rough  that  only  two  wagon  roads  enter  it  west  of  the 
summit  of  the  Sierra,  one  on  the  divide,  between  the  middle  Yuba  and  the  north 
Yuba,  and  another  on  the  divide  between  the  Slate  creek  and  Canon  creek.  No 
road  crosses  the  county  from  north  to  south.  The  principal  mode  of  travelling 
is  mule-back  riding.  The  snow  is  very  deep  at  the  higher  camp,  lying  in  some 
of  them  three  or  four  months  in  ordinary  winters.  Most  of  the  mines  are  on  old 
channels,  high  above  the  present  streams,  so  high  that  the  introduction  of  water  is 
very  expensive.  There  are  few  ditches,  and  many  claims  are  not  able  to  wash 
more  than  four  or  five  months  in  the  year.  Two  old  channels  cross  the  county. 
The  main  Blue  lead,  which  crosses  Nevada  and  Placer,  is  worked  at  Deadwood, 
Sebastopol,  Little  Grizzly,  Excelsior,  Monte  Cristo,  City  of  Six,  Forest  City, 
Chipps  Flat,  and  Minnesota.  All  these  have  been  mined  mainly  by  drifting, 
and  all  save  the  three  first  are  much  less  flourishing  now  than  they  were  from 
six  to  10  years  ago.  This  channel  runs  from  the  northwest  to  the  southeast. 

Another  channel  which  seems  to  run  from  the  northeast  to  the  southwest, 
passes  through  La  Porte  and  Brandy  City,  thence  to  Camptonville  and  San 
Juan.  This  channel  is  not  covered,  as  the  other  is,  by  heavy  layers  of  tufa,  lava, 
or  volcanic  sand,  and  the  auriferous  gravel  coming  to  the  surface  offers  excellent 
opportunites  for  hydraulic  mining,  which  is  or  has  been  carried  on  extensively  at 
all  the  points  named. 

A  channel  found  at  Howland  Flat  and  at  Cold  Canon,  and  another  found  at 
Morristown,  Craig's  Flat,  and  Eureka,  are  supposed  to  be  tributaries  of  the  main 
Blue  lead^ 

La  Porte  and  Port  Wine,  which  belonged  to  Sierra  county  previous  to  1866, 
were  given  to  Plumas  in  that  year  by  a  legislative  act,  which  was  entitled  "An 
act  to  better  define  the  boundaries  of  Plumas  county,"  and  was  passed  without 
any  suspicion  on  the  part  of  the  representatives  of  Sierra  or  the  members  generally 
that  it  took  a  rich  mining  district  from  the  latter  county. 

The  blue  cement  found  in  the  Blue  lead  in  Sierra  county  is  soft,  and  it  yields 
three-fourths  of  its  gold  or  more  at  the  first  washing,  so4here  is  no  cement  mill 
in  the  county.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  is  Gold  lake,  which  has  the 
appearance  of  being  in  the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano. 

A  belt  of  limestone  is  observed  between  Dounieville  and  the  Sierra  Butte,  and  it 
may  be  that  the  belt  which  appears  near  Magalia,  in  Butte  county,  is  the  same. 

The  State  and  county  taxes  in  Sierra  are  $2  91  on  $100  of  taxable  property, 
and  the  county  debt  is  $30,000. 

BRAXDT  CITY. — Brandy  City,  the  principal  hydraulic  camp  of  the  county, 
uses  about  3,000  inches  of  water  in  piping  claims,  of  which  there  are  twelve, 
some  of  them  using  500  inches.  The  lead  is  200  feet.  The  supply  of  gravel 
will  last  10  or  perhaps  2.0  years. 

ST.  Louis  AXD  NEIGHBORING  Towxs. — St.  Louis  has  10  or  12  hydraulic 
companies  working,  and  using  in  all  1,000  inches  of  water,  with  a  pressure  of 
100  feet. 

Cedar  Grove  has  drift  diggings,  but  is  doing  nothing  this  year. 

Pine  Grove,  a  mile  below  Howland  Flat,  was  an  important  place  before  1862, 
but  in  that  year  the  latter  town  grew  up,  and  the  former  declined.  All  the  mining- 
is  done  by  drifting,  save  in  one  piping  claim. 

Rabbit  Point,  a  mile  below  Pine  Grove,  has  two  hydraulic  claims,  which  are 
100  feet  deep,  and  together  employ  thirty  men  during  the  water  season,  which 
lasts  three  or  four  months. 

Chandlerville,  a  furlong  below  Rabbit  Point,  had  rich  hydraulic  claims  from 
1853  to  1857,  but  they  are  now  worked  out. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  139 

Pino  Grove,  Rabbit  Point,  and  Chandlerville  together  purchase  700  inches  of 
water  in  the  water  season. 


x.  —  The  diggings  at  Morristown  are  remarkable  for  the  presence 
of  larger  quartz  boulders,  and  more  of  them  than  any  other  hydraulic  claims  in  the 
.Staic.  A  stratum  10  or  15  feet  deep  is  made  up  chiefly  of  boulders  that  weigh 
over  a  ton,  many  of  them  being  from  five  to  10  tons  in  weight. 

There  is  only  one  company,  the  American,  now  piping  in  Morristown.  They 
own  all  the  water  that  comes  into  the  place,  and  as  it  runs  only  two  or  three 
months,  they  want  it  all  for  their  own  use.  When  their  flume  is  full  they  have 
1,000  inches.  They  employ  40  men  during  the'  water  season.  In  1866  they 
took  out  820,000,  and  paid  very  little  dividend.  The  bank  is  50  or  60  feet  deep. 

MIXNKSOTA.  —  At  Minnesota  the  pay  channel  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  but 
the  pay  is  not  equally  distributed  over  it,  for  there  are  parts  that  are  barren.  If 
one  side  is  rich  tho  other  is  probably  poor  ;  and  if  much  gold  is  found  on  a  bank 
or  bar,  there  is  little  likelihood  of  finding  a  rich  bed.  The  bed  rock  is  serpentine, 
and  tho  pay  stratum  is  from  three  to  five  feet  thick.  The  gravel  is  made  up 
chiefly  of  quartz,  usually  from  two  to  six  inches  in  diameter  ;  and  it  is  soft  enough 
to  wash,  but  so  tough  that  it  is  not  entirely  disintegrated  until  it  has  been  washed 
three  or  four  times.  The  fouVth  washing  however  does  not  pay,  and  the  dirt  of 
most  of  the  claims  has  been  washed  only  twice.  The  second  washing  pays  better 
than  the  first.  The  gold  is  coarse,  many  pieces  weighing  an  ounce,  and  it  fre- 
quently happens  that  in  large  lots  of  dust  there  is  not  a  piece  worth  less  than  25 
cents.  Most  of  the  pieces  are  worth  $2  or  more.  The  sluices  are  usually  about 
400  feet  long,  with  a  grade  of  16  inches  to  12  feet,  and  no  quicksilver  is  used  in 
them.  The  fine  gold  is  lost  in  sluices  so  short  and  steep,  and  tail  sluices  pay 
well.  The  car  load  must  yield  50  cents  or  the  claim  will  not  pay  for  working. 
The  ground  is  solid  and  the  sides  of  the  tunnel  need  no  lagging  j  but  a  cap  sup- 
ported by  posts  is  required  to  secure  the  roof.  The  pay  stratum  is  usually  soft 
enough  to  be  picked  down. 

The  Blue  Lead  was  discovered  here  in  1852  by  some  surface  miners  who  fol- 
lowed up  a  rich  deposit,  in  Taylor's  ravine  till  it  ran  out,  and  then  they  hunted 
along  the  side  till  they  found  the  place  where  the  lead  went  into  the  hill.  It 
was  very  rich,  and  for  a  long  time  Minnesota  had  some  of  the  best  drift  digging 
in  the  State.  Only  Jour  claims  are  worked  now.  In  1853  400  miners  were 
employed  here,  and  they  made  on  an  average  $12  or  $15  per  day,  and  now  there 
are  100,  who  average  >>:>  per  day. 

The  Keystone  Company  have  been  at  work  since  1859,  employ  18  men,  and 
the  yield  is  probably  *ii  or  68  to  the  man  per  day. 

The  Wisconsin  Company  have  been  taking  out  pay  most  of  the  time  for  eight 
years,  employ  10  men,  and  get  86  or  $8  per  day  to  the  man. 

Chipps's  Flat  is  doing  very  little  in  the  way  of  successful  mining,  but  there 
is  some  prospecting  in  progress. 

Allcghany  has  'the  credit  of  having  produced  $400,000,  but  the  flush  times 
passed  away  six  or  eight  years  ago.  The  money  was  nearly  all  obtained  by 
drifting,  and  there  was  bad  drainage  and  little  systematic  working.  The  bed 
rock  swells  badlv,  and  in  plaees  the  timbers  must  be  put  in  as  thick  as  they  will 
stand,  and  reset  'every  week.  There  were  claims  which  paid  well,  but  when 
work  was  stopped  not*  half  of  the  pay  dirt  was  extracted. 

A  company  called  the  Alleghany  Consolidated  Mining  Company  has  been 
formed  to  rework  this  ground.  They  have  purchased  eighty  acres  of  claims,  and 
are  about  to  commence  the  cutting  of  a  tunnel  to  be  large  enough  to  use  mules 
for  hauling  in  the  cars.  They  will  run  out  by  their  own  weight. 

In  1858  there  were  18  tunnel  companies  at  Alleghany,  all  paying;  now  only 
25  men  are  at  work  there.  ••$». 

Water  was  supplied  by  a  very  costly  ditch,  which  was  allowed  to  go  to  rum 
when  the  miners  had  no  longer  any  considerable  quantity  of  dirt  to  wash. 


140 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


The  Oregon  Company  took  out  $400,000,  the  Buckeye  $200,000,  and  the 
Empire  $200,000. 

The  Blue  Lead  was  found  at  Forest  City  by  the  Dutch  Company,  which  obtained 
two  or  three  ounces  to  the  pan,  and  brought  water  to  their  sluice  in  a  canvas 
flame. 

The  claims  at  Forest  City  arc  situated  on  the  south  side  of  a  ravine,  north  of 
which  the  lead  has  not  been  found,  although  a  tunnel  has  been  run  half  a  mile 
into  the  hill. 

At  one  time  there  were  20  companies  working,  at  Forest  City  and  all  making 
money,  and  now  there  is  only  one  at  work. 

LIVE  YANKEE  CLAIM. — The  principal  claim  at  Forest  City  is  the  Live  Yankee, 
which  has  360  feet  of  front  and  a  depth  of  2,600.  The  following  table  shows 
the  receipts,  expenses,  and  dividends,  from  1854  till  1863,  inclusive: 


Year. 

Receipts. 

Expenses. 

Dividends. 

1354               .        

§15,243 

$7,  152 

$8,  091 

1855                 „                                   .             

95  713 

32,  385 

63,  328 

]856            

85,  921 

42,691 

43,  230 

J857                                „                              

95,  806 

55,616 

40,  190 

1858      

84,  875 

43,  973 

41,902 

1859                   

129,  937 

67,  303 

62,  634 

J860                              .             .           

84,  120 

40,  236 

43,  884 

J861          

60,  092 

38,192 

21,900 

1862                                  .         .          

30,  720 

26,  970 

3,  750 

1863    

31  ,  350 

22,  800 

8,550 

Total 

713,777 

377,  318 

336,  459 

Since  1863  the  dividends  have  been  about  $10,000  per  year.  The  expense 
of  keeping  up  the  mine  is  considerable.  There  is  a  very  long  tunnel  and  a  long 
track,  that  need  frequent  repairs. 

HIGHLAND  AND  MASONIC. — The  Highland  and  Masonic  claim,  near  Forest 
City,  was  worked  at  first  through  a  shaft  368  feet  deep.  There  was  much  water 
in  the  channel,  and  steam-pumping  and  hoisting  works  were  erected  at  a  cost 
of  $75,000.  The  yield  was  $300,000,  but  the  expenses  were  so  great  that  little 
if  any  profit  was  left  j  and  the  works  stopped,  and  the  hoisting  works  were  burned 
down.  The  claim  was  sold  for  debt,  and  the  new  proprietors  bought  three  claims 
in  front  and  a  bed  rock  tunnel  4,000  feet  long,  and  by  extending  the  tunnel  the 
claim  was  worked  at  much  less  expense.  The  yield  was  $100,000  per  month  for 
a  time.  It  is  said  that  under  the  new  management  the  expenses  have  been 
$8,000  or  $10,000  more  than  the  receipts.  Nevertheless,  some  dividends  have 
been  paid.  Some  shares  of  the  claim  are  in  litigation,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  ascer- 
tain the  precise  production.  The  water  in  this  claim  is  acidulous,  and  a  piece 
of  sheet  zinc  left  in  it  entirely  disappears  in  a  day  or  two,  and  iron  shovels  are 
made  worthless  in  a  few  days. 

MONTECRISTO. — At  Hontecristo  the  channel  is  200  yards  wide,  but  the  pay  is 
only  half  as  wide,  and  is  in  a  stratum  three  feet  deep.  The  pay  is  usually  in  the 
middle  of  the  channel.  The  gold  was  obtained  by  drifting  until  1862,  when 
piping  was  commenced,  but  the  supply  of  water  never  exceeds  300  inches,  and 
does  not  last  long,  so  there  cannot  be  much  hydraulic  washing  there.  The  bed 
rock  swells,  and  most  of  the  tunnels  were  allowed  to  close  up  three  years  ago, 
so  that  though  there  were  300  miners  in  1857,  there  are  now  only  a  dozen. 

DEADWOOD. — Deadwood  is  on  the  ridge  between  the  north  fork  of  the  Yuba 
and  Canon  creek,  about  6,000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  it  has  an  old  channel,  the 
extent  and  character  of  which  are  not  yet  proved,  but  it  is  supposed  to  be  in  the 


WEST    OP    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  141 

main  Blue  Lead.  The  Deadwood  claim,  700  feet  front  on  this  old  channel 
has  been  worked  since  1856,  has  cost  $115,000,  and  has  yielded  $10,000.  Some 
good  gravel  has  been  found,  but  it  does  not  appear  to  be  in  a  continuous  lead. 
Fifteen  men  are  now  employed  in  prospecting.  There  are  three  tunnels,  one 
2,500,  one  2,200,  and  one  1,200  feet  long. 

IMK  CAP,  SKISASTOPOL,  AND  GRIZZLY. — At  Fir  Cap  Camp, on  the  south  side 
of  Fir  Cap  mountain,  there  is  an  old  channel  in  which  some  very  rich  gravel  has 
been  found  lately. 

Sevastopol,  on  the  south  side  of  the  ridge,  between  the  North  Yuba  and 
Canon  creek,  is  supposed  to  be  on  the  main  Blue  Lead.  Miners  have  been 
engaged  in  prospecting  and  mining — chiefly  prospecting — since  1854,  and  the 
expenses  have  been  double  the  receipts.  Three  long  tunnels  have  been  run. 

Little  Grizzly/  on  the  north  side  of  the  same  ridge,  and  on  the  same  channel, 
has  spent  $100,000,  and  taken  out  about  as  much.  The  New  Orleans  Company 
struck  pay  gravel  in  1866,  and  are  doing  tolerably  well  now. 

COLD  CANON. — Cold  Canon,  sixteen  miles  northward  from  Downieville,  and 
on  the  southeast  side  of  the  ridge  between  Caiion  creek  and  Slate  creek,  is  directly 
opposite  to  lion-land  Flat,  on  the  same  ridge,  and  apparently  on  the  same  chan- 
nel. The  claims  at  both  places  are  worked  by  drifting,  and  the  tunnels  of  each 
place  point  in  the  direction  of  the  other  as  if  they  would  meet.  The  channel 
appears  ro  be  800  or  1,000  feet  wide,  and  the  course  at  Cold  Canon  is  south  76° 
east.  The  grade  is  from  five  to  seven  feet  in  a  hundred.  The  pay  is  best  where 
the  boulders  are  largest,  and  the  general  width  of  the  pay  is  200  feet,  and  its 
depth  from  three  to  rive  feet.  Over  the  pay  stratum  is  a  deposit  of  gravel  that 
would  pay  well  if  it  were  accessible  with  a  hydraulic  pipe.  A  stratum  of  pipe- 
clay from  20  to  60  feet  deep,  and  another  of  volcanic  conglomerate  500  or  600  feet 
deep,  arc  the  superincumbent  matter. 

The  character  of  the  gravel,  of  the  gold  in  it,  and  of  the  various  strata,  are 
the  same  as  at  Montecristo. 

FASHION  CLAIM. — The  Fashion  Company,  at  Cold  Canon,  have  a  claim  954 
feet  in  front  by  about  4,000  feet  deep.  Work  was  commenced  in  1856,  in  which 
year  400  feet  of  tunnel  were  cut,  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  In  1857  286  feet  more 
cut,  at  a  cost  of  •>-"), 000,  1  (ringing  the  company  into  pay.  Then  it  was  necessary 
to  build  a  dump-house  and  sluice,  and  make  other  preparations  to  wash,  at  a  cost 
of  850,000.  In  1858  the  receipts  were  $80,000,  and  the  dividends  $18,000  ;  in 
1859,  receipts  $60,000,  and  dividends  nothing;  in  1860,  receipts  $45,000,  divi- 
dends SI. ,000  ;  and  from  1858  till  July,  1867,  the  total  receipts  were  $430,000, 
and  the  total  dividends  845,000.  In*  1865  and  1866  the  company  took  out  no 
pay,  but  now  they  again  have  good  gravel. 

The  gravel  yields  $1  50  to  a  car  load,  the  estimated  weight  of  which  is  3,000 
pounds.  Ealf  that  yield  would  pay  expenses.  There  have  been  places  in  the 
claim  that  paid  *  1  per  ear  load.  The  working  tunnel  is  3,300  feet  long.  The 
space  worked  out  is  2,000  feet  long  by  300  wide.  Twenty-five  men  are  now 
employe)!.  Gold  is  found  three  or  four  inches  deep  in  the  bed  rock, ^ but  the 
miners  dig  up  a  foot  and  a  half  of  it  for  convenience  of  working,  as  it  is  softer 
than  the  barren  gravel,  and  the  pay  gravel  is  not  deep  enough  for  them  to  work-in. 
The  bed  rock  swells  badly  for  six'or  eight  months  after  the  drifts  are  cut.  The 
posts  in  the  tunnels  an;  crowded  together  at  the  bottom  by  the  swelling,  so  the 
tunnel  is  cut  nine  feet  wide  at  the  bottom  and  four  feet  at  the  top,  with  the  posts 


straddling  out  at  an  angle  of  55°.  In  a  few  weeks  or  a  few  months  the  posts  are 
nearlv  perpendicular,  and  thev  may  have  to  be  set  back  at  the  bottom  several 
times  before  they  get  right,  'Drifts  arc  run  through  the  pay  dirt  with  a  breast 
:;o  (eel  uide  on  each  side,  and  two  men  work  at  each  breast. 

SIKKKA  CLAIM.— The  Sierra  Company,  1,800  feet  front  by  a  mile  deep,  is 
the  only  company  besides  the  Fashion  at  Cold  canon.  The  company  commenced 
w  >rk  in  JS58,  and  in  1864  they  reached  pay  in  a  tunnel  3,000  feet  long,  alter 


142  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

spending  $70,000.  Since  they  began  to  wash  their  expenditures  have  been 
greater  by  $5,000  than  their  receipts;  so  they  are  now,  at  the  end  of  nine  years, 
$75,000  out  of  cash,  exclusive  of  interest.  The  claim,  however,  is  valuable,  and 
will  last  twenty  years.  The  working  of  the  last  three  years  would  have  been 
profitable  if  the  company  had  not  changed  the  grade  of  their  tunnel  and  raised 
up,  so  that  they  got  too  high  for  drainage  and  for  easy  transportation  of  their 
gravel.  They  have  lost  much  time  and  labor,  and  have  had  to  go  back  and  run 
in  on  the  original  level  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  Their  receipts  now  are  $46,000 
per  year.  Their  expenses  are  $35,000  for  labor,  at  $3  50  and  $4  per  day ;  $3,500 
for  timber  delivered,  $1,200  for  candles,  $300  for  oil  for  cars,  $100  for  steel  rope, 
and  $5,000  for  other  materials,  including  powder. 

Twenty-five  men  are  employed ;  and  two  of  them  are  kept  busy  repairing  the 
tunnel  and  the  track,  principally  on  account  of  the  swelling  of  the  bed  rock;  60 
car-loads  of  gravel,  weighing  3,000  pounds  each,  are  extracted  every  day;  100 
loads  are  thrown  into  a  dump-box,  and  then  the  mass  is  piped  away.  The  sluice  is 
500  feet  long,  and  75  per  cent,  of  the  gold  is  obtained  in  the  first  three  boxes. 
The  gravel,  after  passing  through  the  sluice,  is  saved  and  is  washed  a  second 
time,  but  97  per  cent,  of  all  saved  is  caught  at  the  first  washing.  Chinamen, 
however,  catch  the  tailings  in  the  creek  after  the  second  washing  and  put  them 
through  the  sluice  again.  The  space  worked  out/ so  far  is  500  by  100  feet. 

HOWLAXD  FLAT. — Howland  Flat  is  now  the  most  prosperous  mining  camp 
in  the  Sierra  and  the  most  productive  drifting  camp  in  the  State,  unless  Fir  Cap 
has  surpassed  it.  The  shipment  of  gold  this  year  will  be  about  $300,000;  it 
was  twice  as  much  annually  for  four  years  previous  to  1866.  The  shipment  for 
February,  1867,  was  $23,000;  for  March,  $10,000 ;  for  April,  $24,000;  for  May, 
$31,000;  for  June,  $31,000. 

'The  flat  from  which  the  place  obtained  its  name  is  worked  out,  or,  at  least, 
has  been  worked  over  by  drifting.  It  would,  perhaps,  pay  for  piping  on  an 
extensive  scale.  The  diggings  now  worked  are  under  Table  mountain,  and  are 
of  the  class  known  as  hill  diggings.  They  are  in  an  old  channel  from  400  to 
700  feet  wide,  with  a  pay  stratum  from  three  and  a  half  to  ten  feet  deep.  The 
boulders  in  this  stratum  are  all  of  quartz,  some  of  which  weigh  a  ton.  The  best 
pay  is  among  boulders  weighing  from  100  to  500  pounds.  There  are  large  quan- 
tities of  sulphurets  in  the  gravel,  and  it  would  probably  pay  to  collect  them  by 
concentration. 

THE  SNOW  AT  ROWLAND  FLAT. — The  town  is  situated  about  6,000  feet 
above  the  sea,  on  the  north  side  of  Table  mountain,  which  is  a  rallying  point  for 
snow-storms,  and  snow-drifts  collect  deeply  on  its  northern  slope  every  winter. 
Rain  is  comparatively  rare,  and  there  have  been  winters  almost  without  rain, 
though  snow  was  abundant.  Last  winter  snow  fell  about  16  feet  deep  on  a  level 
near  Howland  Flat,  but  by  drifting  it  got  25  feet  deep  in  the  town,  and  it  lay  in 
the  streets  till  the  1st  of  June,  and  deep  drifts  were  still  lying  on  the  mountain 
side  within  half  a  mile  in  the  middle  of  July.  For  three  months  the  snow  was 
so  deep  that  most  of  the  chimneys  were  below  its  level,  and  people  went  from 
house  to  house  either  through  tunnels  or  by  climbing  up  to  the  house-tops  and 
going  over  the  surface. 

Last  winter  an  open  reservoir  100  feet  square,  containing  running  water,  could 
not  be  found,  although  a  pole  20  feet  high  had  been  fastened  on  it  to  mark  the 
place.  The  water  in  this  reservoir  was  eight  feet  deep,  and  was  supplied  by 
springs,  and  a  steady  stream  ran  from  it.  The  snow  over  it  was  white,  as  clear 
and  as  hard  as  that  over  the  adjacent  land,  and  several  attempts  to  find  it  were 
vain.  The  water  was  several  times  exhausted,  but  the  snow  did  not  change  its 
place  or  its  appearance. 

The  abundance  of  the  snow  and  its  long  duration  renders  it  necessary  for  the 
people  to  accustom  themselves  to  snow-shoes,  and  snow-shoe  races  are  the  chief 
amusement  in  the  winter.  People  travel  20  or  30  miles  across  the  country  to  see 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


143 


tin-in,  and  large  sums  are  bet  on  the  results.  The  racing  ground  is  always  on  a 
long  slope,  down  which  the  racers  slide  at  a  speed  that  sometimes  reaches  a  mile 
a  minute.  The  shoes  are  thin  pine  boards,  12  or  16  feet  long,  4  inches  wide 
turned  up  ,-it  the  toe. 


850,000  as  assessments.  The  Union  Company  succeeded  to  the  ownership  of 
the  mine,  and  spent  $30,000  over  and  above  receipts,  and  did  not  get  any  divi- 
dends until  two  years  later.  Four  years'  time  and  $120,000  of  cash  were  required 
to  bring  the  mine  into  a  paying  condition. 

It  is  now  trying  to  make  amends.     Its  total  yield  has  been  about  $900,000. 
The  vield  for  the  last  18  months  has  been  as  follows: 


Yield. 

Car  loads. 

Wages. 

Ounces. 

Value. 

First  half  of  1866  

3,181 

2,870 
3,  183| 

$56,680  44 
50,660  00 
57,307  50 

41,950 
33,  160 

48,  167 

$27,  150 
22,  223 
29,  556 

Second  half  of  1866 

First  half  of  1867  

Eighty  men  are  employed,  at  from  $3  to  $3  50  per  day.  The  cost  per  car- 
load, exclusive  of  labor,  is  10  cents.  Round  timbers,  from  12  to  18  inches  in 
diameter,  and  from  five  to  eight  feet  long,  for  gangways  and  tunnels,  cost  60 
cents  each.  Breasting  posts,  eight  inches  square  and  from  three  to  seven  feet 
long,  cost  12  cents  each.  Caps,  30  inches  long,  12  wide,  and  6  thick,  cost  12 
cents  each.  Lagging,  six  feet  long,  five  inches  wide,  and  an  inch  and  a  half 
thick,  cost  (our  and  a  half  cents  each.  The  cost  of  all  the  material  is  lumped  at 
$10,000  per  year. 

Tin-  bed  rock  swells,  and  the  tunnel  is  cut  10  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  and 
four  at  the  top.  In  six  months  the  sides  are  ncarty  perpendicular,  the  bottom 
being  in  the  bed  rock  and  the  top  in  the  pay  dirt,  which  does  not  swell.  The 
timbers  are  usually  forced  into  the  bottom  by  the  swelling  of  the  bed  rock,  and 
not  broken ;  the  rock  seldom  swells,  except  near  the  pay.  In  some  places  the 
posts  must  be  set  back  in  two  months;  in  others,  in  a  year. 

An  air  tunnel  four  by  three  feet  is  cut  20  feet  above  the  pay 5  30  feet. is  left 
on  each  side  of  the  main  tunnel  for  support.  The  dirt  is  hoisted  on  an  incline  by 
a  Fredenbur  wheel,  driven  by  40  inches  of  water,  under  a  pressure  of  124  feet. 
The  water  after  leaving  the  wheel  is  used  to  wash  the  dirt.  There  are  1,200 
feet  of  sluices.  It  is  estimated  that  there  is  pay  gravel  in  sight  enough  to  last 
eight  years.  Ventilation  is  secured  by  having  an  air  drift  20  feet  over  the  work- 
ing tunnel,  communicating  with  an  air  shaft  200  feet  deep.  The  gravel  is  taken 
out  through  drifts  or  gangways  50  feet  apart,  with  breasts  25  feet  wide  on  each 
side.  LUS61  the  company  obtained  the  privilege  of  drainage  through  the  Down- 
East  Company's  claim  adjoining,  by  paying  $2,000  and  giving  a  strip  of  ground 
75  feet  wide  and  3,400  feet  long.  "Thus  a  great  expense  previously  incurred  for 
pumping  was  avoided. 

OTHKK  CLAIMS.— The  Pittsburg  Company  have  800  feet  front,  have  been  at 
work  since  1860,  have  extracted  $500,000,  have  paid  $40,000  of  dividends,  and 
Laving  exhausted  the  pay  in  si{>'ht,  are  now  running  for  another  channel. 

Tin-  Hawk  Eye  Company  have  800  feet  front  by  3,500  feet  deep.  They 
be-;m  work  in  1857  and  reached  pay  in  1861,  after  spending  $30,000.  Since 
then  thev  have  taken  out  $360,000,  but  the  dividends  have  not  been  over  five  per 
cent,  of  the  receipts,  and  the  company  are  out  of  pocket.  They  made  the  mistake 


144  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

of  opening  the  mine  on  the  upper  side,  so  they  had  no  drainage.  They  cut  a 
drain  tunnel  through  Union  claim,  but  it  closed  up  in  December,  1866.  They 
are  now  running  a  new  drain  tunnel,  to  be  finished  in  three  years,  to  cost  $30,000, 
and  to  be  3,000  feet  long. 

The  Down-East  Company,  who  have  a  frontage  of  350  feet,  commenced  work 
in  1855.  There  are  12  shareholders,  all  of  whom  work  in  the  mine,  and  they 
hire  no  labor.  The  claim  pays  about  $2,000  a  year  over  ordinary  \vages.  The 
total  yield  has  been  $425,000,  and  $240,000  have  been  paid  out  as  dividends. 
There  is  enough  pay  dirt  in  sight  to  last  three  years. 

The  Hibernia  claim,  600  feet  in  front  and  wider  at  the  back,  was  opened  in 
1862  by  a  shaft  180  feet  deep,  and  after  being  worked  two  years  was  sold  by  the 
sheriff,  and  was  purchased  by  the  Shirley  Company.  The  total  yield  has  been 
$125,000.  The  first  company  lost  $40,000  in  the  mine;  the  second  is  making 
a  moderate  profit.  There  is  enough  pay  dirt  to  last  a  year.  There  are  twelve 
shareholders,  who  work  in  the  mine,  and  they  employ  three  or  four  Chinamen  as 
carmen  and  pumpers  at  $1  75  per  day. 

The  Ohio  claim  is  undeveloped.  The  Black  Ball  was  bought  by  the  Shirely 
Company  and  worked  out  by  them.  The  Sierra,  Wild  Rover,  and  Wisconsin 
claims  are  undeveloped. 

The  Sugar  Loaf  Company  have  been  at  work  eight  or  nine  years,  have  pay 
gravel  to  last  three  or  four  years  longer,  and  have  not  taken  out  much  more 
than  enough  to  pay  expenses.  Some  of  the  company  work  in  the  mine.  The 
company  have  a  second  claim  (numbered  24  on  the  diagram)  which  has  yielded 
$120,000  in  all,  and  $25,000  of  dividends.  Part  of  the  Nevada  claim  has  been 
worked;  the  Hollins  is  undeveloped.  The  Shirley  claim  has  been  worked  out, 
yielding  $100,000  gross,  and  .$20,000  net;  it  was  worked  four  years.  The 
Mountaineer  claim  was  opened  in  1859,  and  is  now  nearly  exhausted ;  the  dirt 
was  brought  through  a  shaft  by  an  engine ;  the  yield  was  $200,000,  and  the 
dividends  10  per  cent,  of  that  sum.  The  Last  Chance  claim  was  worked  out 
by  the  Mountaineer  Company. 

The  French  Company  opened  their  claim  in  1862  by  a  shaft,  but  were  com- 
pelled by  water  to  abandon  it.  They  started  again  by  a  shaft,  in  1864,  and  made 
it  pay  expenses.  In  June,  1867,  they  bought  the  Sugar  Loaf  tunnel,  and  intend 
to  extend  it  so  as  to  drain  their  claim.  Their  pay  will  last  four  or  five  years. 

The  Mountain  Ranger  claim  has  been  worked  out,  paying  no  profit.  The 
Wabash  Company  worked  two  or  three  years  and  lost  $20,000.  The  Empire  and 
Tip  Top  claims  were  rich,  and  were  worked  six  or  eight  years  ago. 

Adjoining  the  Pittsburgh  on  the  east  is  the  Monumental  claim,  1,200  feet  in 
front.  The  tunnel  was  started  in  1863,  and  after  running  2,400  feet  it  struck 
rich  gravel  this  year.  The  company  arc  now  raising  an  air  shaft  to  be  300  feet 
high,  and  to  cost  S3, 000.  The  dump-houses,  sluices,  stock  of  timber,  cars,  &c., 
necessary  as  a  preparation  for  washing,  will  cost  $15,000.  The  expense  of  the 
tunnel  was  $25,000,  but  the  Empire  Company,  which  intends  to  use  it  for  drain- 
age, has  contributed  $10,000  towards  it. 

The  Empire  Company  have  1,000  feet  front,  with  the  privilege  of  working  and 
draining  through  the  Monumental  tunnel ;  but  they  must  cut  a  tunnel  1,200  feet 
long,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,  to  reach  their  pay.  They  are  about  to  commence  that 
connecting  tunnel. 

The  Virginia  began  to  prospect,  but  after  expending  $5,000  had  to  quit  for 
lack  of  drainage.  The  Nebraska  Company  began  a  tunnel,  but  got  into  very 
hard  rock,  arid  gave  it  up  after  expending  $10,000.  The  Gross  Company  began 
a  tunnel  in  1856,  have  gone  in  1,200  feet,  expended  $55,000,  and  are  now  work- 
ing for  wages  to  get  the  means  of  continuing  their  tunnel,  which  is  still  in  the 
bed-rock. 

QUARTZ  IN  SIERRA  COUNTY. — Sierra  has  very  few  quartz  mines  that  are  now 
profitable,  but  among  those  few  are  several  that  deserve  to  be  classed  among 


WEST    OP    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  145 


tate.     There  is  one  set  of  quartz  regulations  for  the  whole  conntv, 
published  in  the  report  of  1866.     Some  rich  veins  have  been 


the  lies?  in  the  Stale. 

and  these  were 

discovered  near  Gold  Lake,  but  they  have  not  been  developed  sufficiently  to 

prove  their  permanent  value. 

SIKUU.V  Itt.-TTES.-*- The  Sierra  IVittes,  or,  as  it  is  also  called,  the  Reis  mine,  is 
2,000  feet  long,  and  is  situated  15  miles  east  of  Downieville,  and  the  office  is 
5,100  feet  above  the  sea.  The  elevation  has  commonly  been  placed  at  7  200 
feet,  but  barometrical  observations  have  proved  that  the  latter  figures  are  incorrect. 
The  situation  is  on  a  steep  mountain  side,  1,500  feet  above^the  valley  of  the 
South  Yuba,  so  steep  that  there  is  no  wagon  road  near  it.  All  the  supplies  are 
brought  by  park  animals — even  the  fire-wood  cut  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 

The  mine  is  situated  on  a  lode  which  is  split  up  into  several  branches;  the 
width  from  wall  to  wall  being  from  70 "to  100  feet,  and  of  this  width  from  40  to 
70  feet  is  quartz,  with  intervening  horses  or  beds  of  hard  blue  slate  of  the  same 
character  as  the  walls.  In  some  places  there  are  two  and  in  others  six  branches. 
The  course?  of  the  lode  is  a  few  degrees  north  of  west,  and  the  dip  is  40°  to  the 
northward.  Six  pay  chimneys  have  been  found,  one  of  them  500  feet  long  hori- 
zontally. All  these  chimneys  are  vertical ;  the  pay  is  irregular  in  them,  skipping 
from  one  branch  to  another;  if  the  chimney  disappears  in  one  branch,  the  miners 
look  for  it  in  the  other  branch.  No  pay  chimney  gives  out. 

All  the  rock  is  extracted  through  tunnels,  of  which  there  are  six,  the  lowest 
one  being  225  feet  above  the  upper  mill,  the  distance  from  which  to  the  upper- 
most workings  is  1,100  feet,  and  to  the  bottom  of  the  mountain  is  1,500  feet  perpen- 
dicularly, or  2,200  feet  following  the  dip  of  the  vein,  so  that  there  is  a  probability 
of  opening  and  draining  the  mine  to  a  depth  of  3,000  feet  by  tunnels.  There  are 
about  40,000  tons  of  pay  rock  now  in  sight,  enough  to  keep  the  mills  going  three 
years,  and  to  pay  $60,000  of  proiit.  The  lower  tunnel  is  being  extended,  and 
if  that  should  strike  the  same  pay  chimneys  found  above,  with  the  same  size  and. 
quality,  the  stock  of  good  ore  in  sight  will  be  200,000  tons,  enough  to  employ 
the  mills  1  5  year*,  and  to  pay  $.'>, 000,000.  This  is  the  most  extensive  and  most 
promising  project  now  in  progress  in  the  State  in  the  matter  of  opening  a  mine. 

The  mine  was  taken  up  in  I  s57,  and  has  been  worked  ever  since — previous  to 
1857  with  arrastras;  from  1857  to  I860,  with  eight  stamps,  five  arrastras  and 
two  Chile  rollers;  from  1860  to  1867,  with  24  stamps;  and  since  June,  1867,. 
with  -Vs  stamps.  From  1853  to  1857,  six  tons  were  reduced  per  day,  or  1,500 
tons  per  year;  from  1857  to  1860,  6,000  tons  per  year;  from  1860  to  1864, 
10,000  toiis;  IVom  Jsij.ito  1866,  12,000  tons;  and  the  present  crushing  is  at  the 
rate  of  1  1,000  tons  per  year. 

The  average  yield  of  the  quart/  has  been  from  $15  to  $17  per  ton.     In  1866 
it  was  over  *t?\     In  the  last   report  the  receipts,  expenses  and  dividends  were 
given  year  by  year  from  ls57  to  1865,  showing  aggregates  of  $1,120,000  receipts, 
5,000  expenses,  and  $735,000  dividends.' 

In  1806  i  he  receipts  were  $224,000 ;  expenditures,  $70,000 ;  dividends,  $144,000, 
and  $10,000  were  retained  in  the  treasury  more  than  at  the  end  of  1865.  The 
yield  during  the  first  nine  months  of  1867  was  $156,000,  and  the  dividend  was 
$87,000.  The  yield  previous  to  1857  is  estimated  at  $250,000,  and  the  total 
yield  from  the  discovery  to  the  1st  October,  1867,  $1,75,000,  and  the  dividends 
since  1857,  $966,000. 

The  yield  previous  to  1857  is  estimated  at  $250,000,  and  the  total  yield  from 
the  disi-overy  to  the  1st  of  October,  1867,  $1,750,000,  and  the  dividends,  since 
L857,  -.><i(;,ooO. 

Previous  to  Is57  the  quartz  was  assorted  carefully,  and  about  $40  per  ton  was 
obtained  from  all  \\ovkedin  1 85 6 r  and  probably  as  much  in  1854.and  1855. 
largest    dividend  in  any  year  before  1866  was  $150,000,  in  1861,  showing  that 
the  profil  of  1  NOO  WM  nearly  fifty  per  cent,  greater  than  that  of  any  previous  year. 

There  are  two  mills,  one  of  16  and  the  other  of  12  stamps,  both  driven  by  the 
10 


146  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

same  water,  one  being  below  the  other,  in  the  ravine.  Amalgamation  is  effected  in 
the  mortar  and  on  copper  aprons,  after  leaving  which  the  tailings  are  ground  in  17 
arrastras  on  shares.  Three  companies,  with  four  arrastras  each,  pay  a  quarter 
uf  their  receipts  to  the  Sierra  Buttes  Company,  which  derived  $3,000  in  all  from 
that  source  in  1S66  ;  and  there  are  rive  arrastras  below,  which  pay  $40  in  all  per 
mouth.  These  17  arrastras  are  all  placed  in  the  ravine,  one  below  another,  so 
that  all  are,  driven  by  the  same  water.  The  arms  to  which  the  mullers  are 
attached  are  also  the  arms  of  the  driving  wheel,  which  is  horizontal,  with  perpen- 
dicular buckets  against  which  the  water  rushes  under  a  pressure.  The  bottom 
and  sides  and  mullers  of  the  arrastras  are  of  greenstone. 

In  the  summer  60  men  are  employed,  and  in  the  winter  from  52  to  54.  There 
are  28  miners,  10  carmen  and  transporters,  nine  men  in  the  mills,  two  carpenters, 
two  blacksmiths,  two  cooks,  and  several 'packers. 

INDEPENDENCE. — The  Independence  mine,  4,500  feet  long,  adjoining  the 
Sierra  Buttes  mine  on  the  west,  on  the  same  lode,  has  the  cliff  and  aBrial  branches, 
but  not  the  rose,  as  found  in  the  Sierra  Buttes  mine — or  rather,  the  rose  is  found, 
but  it  has  no  regularity  or  importance.  The  cliff  and  serial  have  the  same  general 
characteristics  here  as  in  the  adjoining  claim,  but  they  seem  to  be  distinguished 
by  the  occurrence  of  regular  pay  chimneys  in  the  cliff  and  of  pockets  in  the 
serial.  If  a  pocket  is  found  in  the  serial  near  the  hanging  wall,  the  cliff  opposite 
is  rich  on  the  foot  wall.  The  work  is  confined  chiefly  to  the  cliff,  which  here 
lias  a  yellow  ribbon  rock.  The  thickness  of  the  quartz  varies  from  3  to  22  feet. 
A  depth  of  310  feet  has  been  reached,  and  800  feet  have  been  run  on  the  vein. 
There  are  three  pay  chimneys,  the  largest  one  400  feet  long  horizontally.  They 
are  nearly  vertical,  but  clip  a  little  to  the  west. 

There  is  two  per  cent,  of  sulphurets  in  the  quartz ;  they  contain  on  an  average 
$75  per  ton  ;  and  the  superintendent  says  they  are  so  magnetic  that  three-fourths 
of  the  particles  will  adhere  to  the  magnet. 

The  total  yield  in  1866  was  $108;000 ;  the  average  yield  per  ton  $10,  and 
there  is  enough  ore  in  sight  of  that  quality  to  last  three  years. 

The  first  mill,  erected  in  1856,  began  to  run  in  February,  1857,  and  was 
burned  down;  the  second  mill  was  injured  twice  by  avalanches  of  snow;  the 
third  mill,  built  in  1861,  and  now  running,  has  24  stamps,  and  is  driven  by  two 
overshot  wheels,  each  32J  feet  in  diameter,  both  gearing  into  the  same  pinion- 
wheel,  and  both  driven  by  the  same  water,  one  being  immediately  over  the  other. 
As  the  mill  is  1,500  feet  above  the  south  branch  of  the  North  Yuba  river,  on  a 
very  steep  hillside,  thousands  of  stamps  could  be  driven  by  wheels  placed  one 
below  another  on  the  steep  ravine. 

The  mine  can  be  opened  1,000  feet  below  the  present  working  levels  by 
tunnels.  The  ore  now  obtained  is. extracted  through  a  tunnel,  to  which  it  is 
hoisted  by  steam.  Amalgamation  is  effected  in  the  mortar  and  on  copper  aprons, 
below  which  are  blankets;  and  the  tailings  from  these,  after  having  lain  a  week 
to  oxydise,  are  thrown  into  the  battery,  and  it  is  supposed  that  $40  or  $50  per 
ton  are  obtained  from  them.  They  are  never  worked  separately. 

In  extremejy  cold  weather  not  so  much  gold  is  obtained  as  in  summer,  and 
the  loss  is  estimated  at  three  per  cent.  Since  1856,  $75,000  have  been  expended 
on  buildings,  $27,000  on  flumes,  and  $5,000  on  roads. 

KEYSTONE. — The  Keystone  mine,  15  miles  eastward  from  Downieville,  has  a 
lode  from  two  to  six  feet  wide,  running  east  and  west,  and  nearly  vertical.  The 
walls  are  of  black  slate,  and  the  quartz  is  a  yellow  ribbon  rock.  There  is  no 
barren  vein-stone,  the  walls  pinching  together  at  the  ends  of  the  three  pay  chim- 
neys, which  go  down  perpendicularly.  A  depth  of  550  feet  has  been  reached, 
and  drifts  have  been  run  500  feet  on  the  vein.  A  tunnel,  to  be  700  feet  long, 
has  been  started  to  strike  the  vein  300  feet  below  the  present  workings.  It  has 
already  gone  in  400  feet.  The  gold  is  fine  and  free  and  evenly  distributed 
through  the  pay  chimney,  except  one  streak  in  the  middle,  which  is  the  richest. 


WEST   OF    THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  147 

The  seams  in  the  quartz,  instead  of  being  parallel  with  the  direction  of  the  vein, 
cross  at  an  angle.  The  average  yield  is  $17  per  ton,  and  15  tons  are  crushed 
per  day.  The  mill  was  erected  in  1857,  with  eight  stamps,  and  four  were  added 
in  1866,  making  12  in  all.  The  pulp  is  amalgamated  in  the  mortar  and  on  cop- 
per aprons,  from  which  it  passes  over  blankets,  and  the  tailings  from  these  are 
worked  in  Knox's  pan. 

PKIMROSE. — The  Primrose,  3,700  feet  long,  is  two  miles  north  of  the  Sierra 
Buttes,  on  a  vein  which  runs  east  and  west,  dips  a  little  to  the  south,  and  is  from 
1  foot  to  40  feet  in  width.  The  Avails  are  hard  and  smooth.  A  depth  of  150 
feet  has  been  reached,  arid  drifts  have  been  run  on  the  vein  250  feet.  There  is 
one  pay  chimney,  50  feet  long  at  the  surface,  horizontally,  and  250  at  the  deepest 
workings.  A  12-stamp  mill  was  built  in  1858,  but  is  now  so  dilapidated  that  it 
should  be  rebuilt.  The  mine  was  in  a  paying  condition,  yielding  $15  per  ton, 
when  the  company  purchased  the  adjacent  Good  Hope  mine  for  $39,000,  incurred 
n  debt  for  payment  with  three  per  cent,  interest,  and  undertook  to  work  the  latter 
mine,  moving  the  mill  to  it.  The  expenses  thus  made  overwhelmed  the  company, 
and  mine  and  mill  were  sold  for  debt.  The  total  yield  of  the  Primrose  mine  has 
been  .$226,000,  and  it  is  generally  considered  in  Sierra  county  a  valuable  mine. 

MINKS  XKAII  THE  SIEKRA  BuTTES. — Chipp's  mine,  1,100  feet  long,  near  the 
Sierra  Buttes,  is  on  a  vein  three  feet  wide,  with  an  east  and  west  course.  It  has 
been  worked  irregularly  since  1858,  and  the  yield  has  been  irregular,  sometimes 
large  and  sometimes  small.  A  depth  of  200  feet  has  been  reached.  There  is  a 
four-stamp  mill,  which  was  built  in  1858. 

The  l>igclo\\-  mine,  east  of  the  Sierra  Buttes  mine,  and  supposed  to  be  on  the 
same  vein,  has  a  four-stamp  mill,  which  has  been  idle  four  or  five  years. 

About  600  feet  east  of  the  Sierra  Buttes  lode,  and  near  the  mine  of  that  name, 
was  found  in  1865  a  pocket  of  gold  in  ochrous  clay,  with  no  vein-stone,  but  with 
well-defined  walls.  The  pocket  yielded  813,000  gross  and  $10,000  net.  The 
yield  was  from  $300  to  $700  per  day  to  the  man  while  it  was  worked. 

MINKS  NKAI:  Ai.i.i:<;n.\NY  AND  MINNESOTA. — The  Briggs  quartz  mine,  half 
a  mile  above  Minnesota,  has  a  vein  two  feet  wide,  running  east  and  west.  An 
eight-stamp  mill  was  built  in  ISG.'j,  and  is  now  idle.  The  best  yield  of  the  quartz 
was  .$7  per  ton,  and  the  assay  value  about  $20. 

The  French  mine,  one  mile  southeast  of  Minnesota,  has  a  vein  "four  feet  wide, 
very  rich  in  spots.  A  15-stamp  mill  was  erected  in  1863,  but  is  not  running 
BOW. 

The  Rainbow  mine,  near  Ohipp's  Flat,  was  found  in  a  gravel  tunnel  2,000  feet 

from  the  mouth,  and  from  that  an  incline  was  run  down  the  vein.     The  rock  is 

rich,  but  the  shaft  incline  is  tilled  with  water,  and  there  are  many  disadvantages 

in  working  a  mine  situated  like  this  one.     An  eight-stamp  mill  was  erected  in 

and  has  stood  idle  four  or  five  years. 

The  Oak  Flat  mine,  on  Kanaka  creek,  one  mile  from  Chipp's  Flat,  has  a  vein 
four  feet  wide  running  east  and  west.  There  are  two  tunnels,  each  500  feet  long, 
and  work  is  now  bciug  done  on  the  lower  tunnel  to  open  the  mine.  A  four-stamp 
mill  was  built  in  ISO'},  was  afterwards  torn  down,  and  is  now  to  be  rebuilt. 

The  Newell  quart/,  mine,  on  Kanaka  creek,  one  mile  above  Chipp's  Flat,  has 
a  10-stamp  mill,  which  is  standing  idle,  waiting  for  the  opening  of  the  mine. 

The  American  Hill  mine,  four  miles  cast  of  Minnesota,  has  a  vein  five  feet 
thick  on  an  average.     A  six-stamp  mill,  built  in  1858,  paid  well  for  a  time,  but 
id  for  debt  and  has  been  idle  for  eight  months. 

The  I'nion  mine,  in  Wet  ravine,  one  mile  from  Alleghany,  has  a  pocket  vein 
is  inches  wide,  it  has  yielded  $75,000,  including  $15,000  taken  out  in  a  hand 
mortar.  There  is  an  eight-stamp  mill,  which  was  built  in  1864  and  has  been 
idle  three  or  lour  months.  The  vein  runs  east  and  west,  and  the  mine  is  troubled 
with  wati-r. 

The  Ironside  mine,  seven  miles  east  of  Alleghany,  is  reputed  to  be  rich  with 


148  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

refractory  ore.  An  eight-stamp  mill,  built  in  1864,  ran  two  months  and  has 
since  been  idle. 

The  Twenty-one  mine,  on  Kanaka  creek,  one  mile  below  Alleghany,  has  pro- 
duced little.  A  four-stamp  mill  built  in  1866  is  standing  idle. 

The  Consolidated  mine,  on  Jim  Crow  canon,  east  of  Alleghany,  has  a  vein, 
but  very  little  gold.  A  16-stamp  mill,  erected  in  1863,  has  been  taken  down, 
and  is  to  be  moved  to  a  vein  above  Forest  City.  The  Consolidated  Mining  Com- 
pany of  San  Francisco  spent  890,000  on  their  mine  and  mill. 

MINES  NEAR  DOWNIEVILLE. — The  Wheeler  mill,  near  Downieville,  is  stand- 
ing idle.  It  once  had  eight  stamps,  and  now  has  but  four. 

The  Gold  Bluff  mine,  two  miles  above  Downieville,  is  being  opened  by  a 
tunnel.  There  is  a  12-stamp  mill  standing  idle. 

The  Kanaka  mine,  six  miles  east  of  Downieville,  is  standing  idle,  with  a 
20-stamp  mill,  the  property  of  a  New  York  company. 


SECTION    II. 

YUBA    COUNTY. 

The  greater  part  of  Yuba  county  is  valley  land,  but  the  eastern  end  reaches 
to  a  considerable  altitude  in  the  Sierra,  Camptonville  being  4,200  feet  above  the 
sea. 

The  county  debt  is  $200,000,  and  the  State  and  county  taxes  together  are 
S3  17. 

The  principal  mining  towns  are  Brown's  Valley,  Timbuctoo,  Smartsville, 
Sucker  Flat,  and  Camptonville. 

CAMPTON,  BROWN'S,  AND  HANSONVILLE. — Camptonville  is  an  old  channel 
which  appears  north  at  Brandy  City,  in  Sierra  county,  and  south  at  San  Juan, 
in  Nevada  county.  At  Camptonville  it  appears  near  the  top  of  a  high  ridge,  and 
is  nearly  worked  out.  There  are  three  hydraulic  companies  at  work  there,  each 
using  about  200  inches  of  water.  The  shipment  of  gold  from  Camptonville  is 
now  about  $500,000  per  year;  seven  years  ago  it  was  $700,000. 

Brownsville,  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county,  had  ravine  diggings,  which 
are  nearly  exhausted.  There  are  now  numerous  orchards  in  the  neighborhood. 

Hansonville,  four  miles  south  of  Brownsville,  has  some  ravine  and  some  quartz 
claims.  About  $10,000  have  been  taken  out  of  quartz  pockets  in  hand  mortars. 
Seventy-five  inches  of  water  are  used  for  irrigating  vineyards. 

YTJBA  RIVER. — The  Yuba  river,  which  was  once  lined  with  numerous  large 
mining  towns,  has  now  been  filled  to  a  depth  of  70  feet  with  gravel  from  the 
hydraulic  mines,  and  the  sites  of  all  the  river  camps  are  now  buried.  There 
were  13  bars  on  the  river  within  the  present  limits  of  the  county,  and  all  rich. 
At  Parks's  bar  in  1852,  there  were  eight  companies  at  work  in  the  river  bed,  with 
$218,000  invested  in  dams,  flumes,  pumps,  &c.,  and  with  200  hired  laborers.  The 
total  number  of  voters  was  over  400,  and  the  gold  yield  during  part  of  the  summer 
was  about  $10,000  per  day.  The  Ohio  Company  took  out  $96,000  in  the  season; 
the  Canal  Company,  $108,000;  the  Squaw  Company,  $60,000;  the  Excelsior 
Company,  $89,000 ;  the  Patch  Company,  $60,000.  The  Canal  Company  in  1851 
paid  $150,000  dividends.  These  figures  are  derived  from  notes  taken  in  1852, 
by  Lyman  Ackley,  esq.,  who  was  at  that  time  State  census  agent  for  Yuba  county. 

THE  SUCKER  FLAT  CHANEL. — The  leading  mining  district  of  the  county 
is  at  Smartsville,  which  has  Timbuctoo,  a  mile  distant  on  the  west,  Sucker  Flat, 
half  a  mile  to  the  north,  and  Mooney  Flat,  two  miles  east.  An  old  channel  from 
600  to  1,000  feet  wide  runs  through  Timbuctoo,  Sucker  Flat,  and  Mooney  Flat, 
leaving  Smartsville  to  the  southwest.  The  bottom  of  this  channel  has  not  been 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  149 

worked  for  any  distance,  and  therefore  its  course,  whether  to  the  southeast  or  the 
northwest,  has  not  been  ascertained,  but  it  is  presumed  that  it  ran  to  the  north- 
west. From  Sucker  Flat  to  Timbuctoo  there  is  a  ridge  composed  entirely  of 
auriferous  gravel,  except  a  stratum  of  white  cement,  as  it  is  usually  called,  about 
150  feet  below  the  surface.  This  cement  is  from  15  to  30  feet  thick,  and  contains 
a  little  gold. 

TiMiitrcTOO. — The  claims  at  Timbuctoo  are  the  following,  beginning  at  the 
west ,  and  running  eastward  on  the  old  channel  : 

Mr.  Warren  had  an  original  location"  of  125  by  100  feet,  but  this  was  not  large 
enough  to  justify  the  expense  of  the  preparation  necessary  for  hydraulic  washing, 
and  he  purchased  others  adjoining,  and  the  present  Warren  Company  own  500  feet 
square,  with  a  bed  of  gravel  130  feet  deep.  Forty  feet  at  the  surface  are  of  gravel 
and  boulders,  then  comes  pipe-clay,  30'  feet  deep,  and  then  a  deep  stratum  of 
blue  cement,  which  is  richest  near  the  bed  rock.  Drainage  is  obtained  through 
an  open  cut,  which  with  the  flumes  and  other  work  and  materials  necessary  for 
washing,  cost  $18,000.  The  supply  of  water  is  veiy  irregular,  but  when  it  can 
be.  had,  500  inches  are  purchased  at  an  expense  of  $75  per  day.  Labor,  powder, 
and  other  expenses  amount  to  $150  per  day  more,  and  the  yield  is  $300  per  day. 
About  10  men  are  employed.  It  is  said  that  $60,000  have  been  paid  for  water 
to  wash  the  ground  of  this  company. 

The  Antone  Company  began  work  in  1853,  drifting,  and  found  very  rich 
cement,  which,  when  washed  in  a  short  sluice,  paid  them  $50  per  day  to  the 
hand,  though  much  of  the  cement  was  not  dissolved.  A  fence  was  built  to  hold 
the  tailings,  which  after  intervals  were  washed  again  and  again,  paying  almost 
as  well  as  at  first.  In  1854  they  began- to  pipe,  and  the  claim  still  yields  well. 
They  have  paid  $70,000  for  water,  which  they  cannot  always  get  when  they 
would  like  to  have  it. 

.  The  Union  Company's  history  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  Antone.  Their 
claim  has  been  nearly  as  rich,  and  they  have  paid  more  for  water. 

The  Michigan  Company  have  a  claim  1,000  feet  long  b}^  500  feet  wide,  which 
lias  been  one  of  the  most  productive  in  the  vicinity,  the  total  yield  having 
been  £500,000,  of  which  $150,000  have  been  paid  for  water,  and  $50,000  as 
dividends.  The  upper  strata  have  been  nearly  all  washed  away,  and  the  com- 
pany are  now  running  a  tunnel  to  be  700  feet  long,  through  which  to  wash  the 
stratum  next  the  bed  rock. 

After  passing  several  claims,  we  come  to  the  Babb  Company,  who  have  500 
by  400  feet.  The  surface  of  their  claim  has  been  washed  oft'  to  a  depth  of  130 
fret,  yielding  $250,000,  of  which  $95,000  went  for  water.  They  have  a  tunnel 
1,100*  feet  long,  but  it  id  so  located  that  it  gives  a  bank  only  30  feet  deep  at  the 
front,  The  late  results,  however,  are  very  satisfactory.  One  clean  up  of  21 J 
days  yielded  $7,800;  another  of  19  days  yielded  87,000;  and  a  third  of  22  days 
gave  $12,000.  They  paid  S'JO  a  day  for  water,  use  600  inches,  and  employ 
from  8  to  12  men.  They  own  half  of  the  Michigan  tunnel,  and  the  two  com- 
panies will  make  alternate  runs  through  it. 

SUCK  KM  FLAT  CLAIMS. — TheBlue  Point  Gravel  Mining  Company  have  a  large 
claim  at  Sucker  Flat,  have  \\orked  it  nine  years,  and  have  piped  away  half  the 
area,  GO  feet  from  the  surface,  washing  through  an  open  cut.  They  are  running 
a  bed  rock  tunnel  to  be  2,270  feet  long  and  110  feet  deep.  This  enterprise  wa& 
commenced  in  November,  1866,  and  will  be  finished  in  two  years,  at  cost  of 
$100,000.  The  depth  of  the  gravel  has  not  been  ascertained  precisely,  so  it  is 
uncertain  whether  the  tunnel  will  drain  the  claim  to  the  bed  rock. 

The  I'liion  Company  have  a  large  claim,  have  washed  off  one-fourth  of  it  to 
depth  of  00  i'eet  in  one  part  and  120  feet  in  another.  They  are  not  piping  now, 
and  intend  to  tail  into  the  Blue  Point  tunnel  when  it  is  finished. 

The  Dine  Cement  Company  have  a  claim  500  feet  long,  by  240  feet  wide,  on 
which  thev  began  to  pipe  this  year,  with  20  men  and  500  inches  of  water.  Their 


150  EESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

present  bank  is  33  feet  deep.    They  are  now  cutting  a  tunnel  30  feet  deeper,  and 
they  expect  to  tail  into  the  Blue  Point  tunnel  when  it  is  completed. 

The  Nevada  Reservoir  Ditch  Company  own  about  100  acres,  supposed  to  be  all 
hydraulic  ground,  on  the  Blue  Lead,  near  Sucker  Flat  and  Mooney  Flat,  enough 
to  last  50  years. 

The  O'Brien  claim  is  1,100  feet  long  on  the  ridge,  and  includes  30  acres.  The 
present  workings  are  140  feet  deep  to  the  white  cement,  and  the  gravel  is  washed 
in  a  sluice  3,000  feet  long.  The  quantity  of  water  used  is  600  inches;  the  yield 
from  $150  to  $250  per  day,  and  the  net  profit  $15,000  per  year.  A  tunnel 
210  feet  below  the  present  sluice,  to  be  800  feet  long,  and  to  cost  $50,000,  has 
been  cut  260  feet,  and  will  be  finished  in  two  years.  This  tunnel  will  be  deep 
enough  to  drain  the  bed  rock  for  some  distance  each  way. 

McAllis  and  Gordon  have  700  feet  of  the  ridge,  and  have  lately  completed  a 
tunnel  1,500  feet  long,  at  a  cost  of  $40,000  to  work  the  upper  lead  or  the  gravel 
above  the  white  cement,  and  within  175  feet  of  the  surface.  Five  years  will  be 
required  to  work  off  this  upper  lead.  The  distance  from  rim  rock  to  rim  rock 
across  the  channel  in  this  claim  is  1,000  feet.  Seven  men  are  employed,  and 
500  inches  of  water  consumed.  A  tunnel  to  work  the  lower  lead  under  the  white 
cement  will  require  three  years'  work. 

The  Taylor  claim,  300  by  600  feet,  is  half  worked  out,  and  has  paid  very  well, 
yielding  with  600  inches  of  water  from  $300  to  $400  per  day,  lately  the  latter 
sum.  Six  men  are  employed. 

The  Excelsior  Water  Company  have  a  claim  600  by  1,000  freet,  from  which 
they  have  obtained  $300  or  $400,  and  sometimes  $500  per  day. 

The  Pittsburg  claim  is  2,000  feet  long  on  the  old  channel,  and  is  owned  by 
an  eastern  company,  which  paid  $300,000  in  currency  for  it.  They  are  now  wash- 
ing through  a  tunnel  that  cost  $80,000,  and  the  daily  yield  is  reported  to  be  $660, 
with  600  inches  and  12  men.  The  present  bank  is  only  30  feet  deep,  and  a  new 
tunnel,  to  be  76  feet  lower,  and  1,600  feet  has  been  cut  400  feet,  and  two  shafts 
have  been  commenced  on  the  line,  so  as  to  have  four  additional  working  faces. 

SMARTSVILLE  BLUE  GRAVEL. — The  Srnartsville  Blue  Gravel  Company  have 
a  claim  of  about  150  acres  at  Sucker  Flat.  The  channel  is  at  least  200  yards 
wide,  and  its  depth  has  never  been  ascertained  precisely.  On  the  bed  rock  lies 
a  stratum  of  barren  blue  cement,  5  or  10  feet  thick,  containing  large  boulders 
of  granite  and  slate.  Next  comes  a  stratum  of  hard  blue  pay  cement,  containing 
large  boulders  of  slate  trap  and  granite,  a  few  pebbles,  including  some  of  quartz, 
and  much  quartz  sand.  It  requires  an  experienced  eye  to  distinguish  this  from 
the  lower  layer,  but  it  is  important  to  know  their  precise  limits,  for  all  of  the  pay 
cement  is  to  be  washed  away,  and  all  of  the  barren  left  in  its  place.  Then  comes 
a  stratum  of  soft  blue  cement,  55  feet  deep,  softer  on  the  northern  side  of  the 
channel,  and  in  places  where  the  bed  rock  is  lower  than  elsewhere.  There  are 
very  few  boulders  in  this  stratum,  and  the  pebbles  are  mostly  of  slate,  and  less 
than  two  inches  in  diameter.  The  largest  gravel  and  the  richest  pay  in  this 
layer  are  found  near  the  top.  There  are  great  variations  in  the  hardness,  but 
none  is  soft  enough  to  pipe  down. 

The  top  stratum  is  fine  red  gravel,  from  25  to  75  feet  deep,  softer  than  the 
blue,  but  still  not  soft  enough  to  pipe.  The  pebbles  are  mostly  of  slate,  green- 
stone, and  quartz,  the  last  very  fine. 

Many  trees  an;  found  in  the  claim,  some  carbonized,  others  partly  rotten,  and 
partly  replaced  by  sulphurets  of  iron.  There  are  no  petrifactions  and  no  human 
bones  or  articles 'showing  human  workmanship. 

Powder  is  used  more  extensively  here  than  in  any  other  hydraulic  claim,  prob- 
ably more  than  in  any  other  mine  in  California.  All  the  strata  are  too  hard  to  be 
piped  down  with  economy,  and  some  of  them  are  so  hard  in  places  that  the  pipe 
would  scarcely  affect  them.  So  much  powder  has  been  used  here  that  its  empl<  >y- 
ment  is  reduced  to  a  system.  The  quantity  of  powder  for  the  blast  depends 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  151 

upon  the  depth  of  tlie  bank  and  the  surface  area  to  be  loosened.  If  the  bank 
is  50  feet  deep  a  tunnel  four  and  a  half  feet  high  and  two  and  a  half  wide  may 
be  run  in  75  i'eet ;  a  cross-drift  GO  feet  long  is  cut  across  the  end  at  right  angles, 
and  another  similar  cross-drift  of  equal  length  55  feet  from  the  mouth  of  the 
tunnel.  .300  kegs  may  be  used  in  such  a  blast,  all  distributed  along  in  the  cross- 
drifts  and  in  the  tunnel  beyond  the  first  cross-drift.  20  kegs  near  the  intersec- 
tion arc  opened  by  taking  out  the  heads;  the  others  are  left  closed,  with  the  cer- 
tainty that  they  will  all  be  opened  by  the  explosion  of  the  20.  From  the  inter- 
section to  within  10  feet  of  the  mouth  wooden  troughs  two  inches  wide  and  deep 
inside  are  laid,  and  a  liberal  supply  of  powder  is  poured  in,  leading  to  an  open 
keg.  The  10  feet  next  the  mouth  are  laid  carefully  with  a  fuse,  and  for  that 
distance  the  tunnel  is  tilled  in  with  dirt.  When  the'  blast  is  fired  a  dull,  heavy 
sound  is  beard,  the  earth  rises  slowly  about  10  feet;  it  then  settles  down,  leaving 
a  dust  behind,  it,  and  on  examination  an  area  about  120  feet  square  will  be  found 
all  shattered. 

By  blasting,  the  water  is  enabled  to  carry  off  twice  as  much  dirt  as  it  would 
otherwise;  and  as  500  inches  of  water  are 'used  at  an  expense  of  $75  per  day, 
there  is  a  vast  saving.  The  cost  of  powder  is  large,  as  about  10,000  pounds  are 
consumed  monthly  on  an  average  in  this  one  claim.  After  the  ground  has  been 
blown  the  pipes  can  bring  down  more  than  they  can  cany  away,  so  about  one- 
third  of  the  water  is  allowed  to  run  down  over  the  bank,  while  the  remainder  is 
thrown  through  the  pipes. 

The  portion  of  the  claim  worked  is  a  hole  200  yards  wide,  600  long,  and  100 
feet  deep  in  the  hill  or  ridge.  The  dirt  from  this  hole  has  been  earned  off  through 
a  tunnel  1,700  feet  long,  and  without  a  tunnel  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
wash  away  the  immense  mass  of  gravel.  At  first  a  hole  was  washed  75  feet  deep, 
and  then  another  75  feet  deeper,  and  thus  there  is  a  bench  in  the  claim. 

For  the  sake  of  economy  in  washing  it  is  customary  to  have  three  places  to 
work  upon  at  a  time,  so  that  after  the  pipes  have  been  playing  for  two  hours  at 
one  place  they  may  be  turned  upon  another,  and  the  miners  can  then  go  and 
break  up  with  their  picks  the  large  hard  lumps  which  the  water  can  neither  break 
up  nor  carry  off. 

The  sluices  have  a  grade  of  7  inches  to  12  feet,  and  are  paved  with  wooden 
blocks  and  boulders  of  basalt.  The  entire  sluice  is  cleaned  up  once  in  four 
months,  and  half  of  it  at  intervals  nf  two  months.  At  the  cleaning  up  clean 
water  is  run  through  so  as  to  carry  off  the  surplus  dirt  and  gravel,  and  the  water 
is  nearly  shut  oil'. "  The  false  sides  are  taken  off  and  washed  with  a  little  water. 
The  wooden  blocks  in  the  bottom  are  set  up  edgewise,  washed  off,  and  taken 
out;  200  inches  of  water  are  turned  on,  and  this  cleans  the  dirt  from  the  rock 
paving,  which  is  taken  out  and  put  to  one  side.  The  sides  of  the  flume  are 
BCraped  and  swept.  Boards  10  inches  high  are  fitted  tightly  across  the  sluice  at 
intervals,  and  tou«rh  clay  is  put  at  the  sides  and  bottom,  so  that  no  quicksilver, 
irold,  or  water  can  pass  except  over  the  top  of  the  board.  This  is  done  before 
the  rock  paving  is  moved.  Two  hundred  inches  of  water  are  now  turned  on, 
and  all  the  tn.ld,  amalgam,  quicksilver,  black  sand,  and  heavy  gravel  are  col- 
lected above  the  boards.  As  they  have  three  tons  of  quicksilver  in  the  sluice 
at  a  time,  and  expect  to  iind  at  least  840,000  of  gold  at  a  large  clean-up,  the 
operation  requires  some  work.  The  usual  time  consumed  in  the  cleaning  up  is 
48  hours,  and  three  days  more  elapse  before  the  sluices  arc  again  in  running 
Older.  There  are  three'  lar-e  clean-ups  of  about  840,000  each,  and  three  small 
ones  each  of  about  825,000,  in  a  year.  Thirty  men  are  employed. 

The  total  yield  since  March,  1864,  when  the  claim  became  productive,  has 
about  $1,000,000.  .,        ,  .  , 

The  report,  of  iH(5(i  gave  a  brief  history  of  the  claim  and  some  details,  win 
it  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  now.  ., 

BiCABD  FLAT.— Sicard  Flat,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Yuba  river,  two  miles 


152 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


from  Timbuctoo,  has  hydraulic  diggings  in  a  bed  of  gravel  90  feet  deep.  The 
best  pay  is  in  a  bed  of  gray  gravel  from  4  to  10  feet  deep  on  the  bed  rock,  but 
none  of  it  is  rich  enough  to  pay  for  drifting.  The  boulders  are  of  trap,  and 
seldom  weigh  more  than  100  pounds.  The  widest  part  of  the  channel  is  400 
yards  wide  on  the  surface,  but  the  bottom  has  not  been  reached  on  the  north- 
eastern side.  There  is  not  enough  pressure  to  pipe  well,  and  the  dirt  is  not  soft 
enough  to  dissolve  entirely  at  the  first  washing ;  though  in  most  claims  it  gets 
only  one.  In  many  claims  tunnels  and  cross-drifts  six  feet  high  are  cut  at  inter- 
vals of  8  or  12  feet  each  way,  and  in  three  or  four  days  the  pillars  give  way  and 
the  gravel  above  is  well  broken  up  by  the  fall.  General  rumor  says  that  Sicard 
Flat  has  never  paid. 

The  Lower  Diggings  claim,  on  the  southwest  end  of  the  Flat,  is  400  feet  square, 
uses  600  inches  of  water  -in  the  spring,  and  employs  nine  men.  The  water  is 
supplied  by  a  ditch  belonging  to  the  claim.  The  yield  for  the  season  of  1866-7 
was  $13,000,  and  the  expenses  for  the  season  were  about  81,000  per  month. 

The  Gates  claim,  360  by  400  feet,  and  the  Black  claim,  200  by  400  feet, 
have  not  been  worked  lor  three  years. 

On  the  side  of  the  ridge  facing  Parks's  Bar  is  the  McQueen  claim,  800  by  400 
feet,  with  a  ditch  carrying  600  inches  of  water  belonging  to  it.  This  claim, 
when  last  worked,  yielded  no  profit. 

The  Union  claim  has  not  been  worked  for  six  or  seven  years. 

BROWN'S  VALLEY. — Brown's  Valley,  11  miles  northeastward  from  Marysyille, 
and  about  500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  is  a  rich  quartz  district. 

The  Daniel  Webster  Company  have  3,600  feet  on  the  Jefferson  lode,  have 
gone  down  90  feet,  and  there  stopped  work  three  years  ago.  They  are  now 
reorganizing  and  preparing  to  start  again. 

The  Pacific  has  600  feet,  went  down  60  feet,  and  is  doing  nothing.  The  claim 
has  been  in  litigation  for  five  years. 

JEFFERSON. — The  Jefferson  mine  is  780  feet  long  on  the  Pennsylvania  lode, 
which  has  yielded  most  of  the  gold  obtained  in  Brown's  valley.  The  vein  rims 
north  and  south,  dips  45°  to  the  east  with  the  course  and  cleavage  of  the  slates, 
and  has  two  main  branches  which  unite  at  a  depth  of  360  feet  in  the  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  on  the  surface  at  the  north  end  of  that  mine  and  at  the  south  end  of 
the  Jefferson.  The  eastern  branch  has  mostly  bluish  quartz,  and  is  not  dis- 
tinctly traceable  within  90  feet  of  the  surface  at  the  shafts  of  the  Jefferson  and 
Pennsylvania  mines.  The  western  branch  has  mostly  yellowish  quartz.  Each 
branch  in  places  is  10  feet  wide  or  more. 

The  width  in  the  Jeflerson  mine  varies  from  lj  to  14  feet,  with  an  average  of 
six  or  seven  feet.  The  main  incline  is  down  612  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run 
400  feet  on  the  vein.  A  fine  pay  chimney  found  near  the  northern  line  was  JOO 
feet  long  at  the  surface,  and  160  feet  down,  enlarged  so  as  to  be  nearly  300  feet 
iong  horizontally,  and  maintained  the  same  width  to  the  300-foot  level,  where  it 
seemed  to  split. 

The  yield  at  the  surface  was  sometimes  as  high  as  $40  per  ton,  and  for  small 
bodies  of  ore  even  rose  to  $200,  but  during  the  last  four  years  has  at  no  time 
exceeded  $15.  The  following  table  shows  the  yield  of  the  mine  since  it  has 
been  in  the  hands  of  the  present  company,  for  the  several  mine  years  ending 
December  1st : 


Receipts,     j        Labor. 
1 

Other  expenses. 

Dividends. 

1863 

$19,  554  90 
121,  380  05 
88,  197  60 
124  °08  82 

$8,  926  75 
54,  704  56 

28,  063  ?:i 
52,9.")!  02 
46,419  51 

191,155  57 

$19.622  88 

an,  596  j  7 

12,  4«;  <19 
30,  888  93 
6,  654  47 

9],  169  14 

""$42,*»cb 

•42.  !).'<> 
45,  800 

1864  

.  .   . 


1867 

56,  275  «57 
409,617  04 

Total          

131,600 

WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  153 

The  year  1863,  in  the  above  table,  began  on  the  13th  September,  when  the. 
company  took  possession;  arid  the  year  1867  comes  down  only  to  the  first  of  * 
( Jciobcr.     P>e  lore  September  13,  1863,  the  yield  had  been  about* $130,000,  mak- 
ing the  total  production  of  the  mine  $539,000. 

In  1,:>00  tons  of  ore  there  is  one  ton  of  sulphurets,  which  yield  $220  of  gold 
per  ion. 

The  fineness  of  the  gold  at  the  surface  was  840,  and  at  600  feet  below  it  is 
863  to  80-"). 

The  mill  has  12  stamps  and  three  Harney  pans.  About  four  and  a  half  per 
cent,  of  the  total  yield  is  obtained  from  the  pans.  There  are  two  engines,  one  of 
60  and  the  other  of  30-horse  power.  In  this  mill  the  scraps  of  iron  found  in  the 
mortar,  consisting  of  fragments  from  the  shoes,  dies,  shovels,  picks,  hammers, 
and  drills,  are  carefully  saved,  on  account  of  the  particles  of  gold  driven  into 
their  interstices  while  they  are  battered  about  in  the  ore.  From  20  to  50  pounds 
are  collected  in  a  month,  and  after  being  digested  in  warm  sulphuric  acid  until 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  is  eaten  off  the  surface,  they  yield  about  $'3  of  gold  for 
every  pound  of  iron.  The  larger  scraps,  before  going  into  the  acid,  were  broken 
up  wiili  a  sledge  hammer.  The  shoes  and  dies  contained  the  gold  chiefly  on  the 
face,  jjnd  these,  instead  of  being  broken  up  and  put  into  acid,  were  boiled  half 
an  hour  in  water,  and  then  they  were  hammered  and  the  particles  of  gold  fell 
out  of  the  interstices. 

In  a  diagram  the  Pennsylvania  shaft  is  shown  running  down  into  the  ground 
claimed  by  the  Jefferson.  The  two  companies  agree  about  their  boundary  line 
at  the  surface,  but  they  have  a  dispute  as  to  the  direction  of  the  line  below  the 
surface  ;  and  the  Pennsylvania  Company  having  taken  some  valuable  quartz  from 
the  disputed  ground,  the  Jefferson  Company  have  sued  them  for  $100,000,  its 
alleged  value.  The  main  question  in  the  suit  relates  to  the  direction  of  the  vein. 
It'  tin;  plane  of  the  lode  were  vertical — that  is,  if  the  lode  had  no  dip — there 
would  lie  no  dispute  about  the  boundary  line  after  the  point  of  junction  at  the 
surface  had  been  agreed  upon,  but  this  vein  dips  at  an  angle  of  45°,  and  the 
direction  of  the  boundary  depends  on  the  direction  of  the  vein.  If  the  Vein  runs 
with  the  meridian  the  boundary  plane  would  be  parallel  with  the  equator.  We 
have  no  express  provision  in  our  statutes  relative  to  the  legal  point,  but  the  courts 
will  no  doubt  decide,  when  the  question  is  raised,  that  the  limit  of  a  lode  mine  is 
a  line  made  by  a  vertical  plane  passing  through  the  vein  at  right  angles  to  its 
horizontal  direction.  If  a  book  is  set  up  vertically  on  a  table  and  another  dip- 
ping at  an  angle  of  45°  is  pushed  against  its  side,  the  end  of  the  sloping  book 
will  not  lit  against,  the  other  unless  the  two  books  meet  at  right  angles.  Put  up 
two  books  slojmig  at  4-3°  so  as  to  touch  at  the  upper  corners,  with  a  difference  of 
10°  or  15°  in  their  d:rcction,  and  their  ends  will  show  how  the  boundary  lines 
of  mines  run  in  dill'erent  directions  according  to  the  course  of  the  lode.  The 
.Jefferson  and  Pennsylvania  agree  at  the  surface,  but  500  feet  down  there  are 
50  feet  of  vein  in  dispute  between  them. 

Pi:N'xstLVANlA. — The  Pennsylvania  Company,  incorporated  at  Marysville, 
has  ],:{()()  feet  on  the  Pennsylvania  lode  and  its  branches,  adjoining  the  Jeffer- 
son on  the  north:  and  it  is'supposed  that  several  pay  chimneys  found  on  the 
latter  mine  dip  into  the  Pennsylvania. 

A  dept  h  of  600  feet  has  been'reached  on  an  incline,  and  drifts  have  been  run  200 
feet  on  the  vein.  Two  pay  chimneys  are  worked,  and  two  others  have  been  found. 

The  company  commenced  work  in  1863,  ran  down  110  feet  on  the  Pennsyl- 
vania lode,  then  struck  across  into  the  Jefferson,  spent  $75,000  before  getting 
any  return,  and  then  spent.  $75,000  of  the  net  receipts  in  opening  the  mine  and 
bnilding  the  mill.  No  dividend  has  been  paid  yet,  and  the  $75,000  expended 
on  the  mine  and  mill  have  not  been  reimbursed.  During  the  last  ten  months, 
accordini:  to  the  statements  of  the  president  of  the  company,  the  net  yield  above 
ordinarv  expenses  has  been  $7;500  per  month.  The  average  yield  at  present  is 


154  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

,  $lo  per  ton  ;  the  amount  crushed  per  month  from  900  to  1,000  tons ;  the  ordinary 
expenses  $4,500,  leaving  $10,000  net  per  month. 

There  is  one  ton  of  sulplmrets,  containing  $1,000,  in  1,000  tons  of  quartz. 

The  mill  has  16  stamps,  is  situated  on  the  south  end  of  the  claim,  and  is  driven 
by  a  steam  engine  of  100  horse-power.  The  quartz  is  hoisted  by  steam.  Amal- 
gamation is  effected  in  the  mortar  and  on  a  copper  apron,  below  which  are  blankets, 
and  the  tailings  from  these  are  ground  in  four  Chile  mills.  Wheeler  and  Ran- 
dall pans  are  now  being  set  up  as  preferable  to  Chile  mills. 

An  experiment  was  made  by  grinding  all  the  blanket  washings  from  the  16 
stamps,  two  hours  for  each  charge,  in  the  Chile  mills,  and  the  yield  was  eight 
ounces  of  gold  in  a  month.  Then  half  the  tailings  were  ground,  lour  hours  to 
a  charge,  and  the  yield  was  200  ounces  in  a  month.  Again,  all  the  pulp  from  a 
four-stamp  battery  was  allowed  to  run  with  a  continuous  charge  and  discharge 
through  a  Chile  mill,  and  not  one  ounce  was  caught  in  two  weeks.  The  ore  was 
the  same  in  quality  and  quantity,  and  the  amount  caught  in  the  mortar  during 
these  experiments  was  the  same  per  week. 

In  the  middle  of  the  Pennsylvania  claim  is  an  incline  180  feet  deep,  with 
pumping  and  hoisting  works  and  a  15  horse-power  engine.  A  railroad  carries 
the  ore  from  this  incline  to  the  mill. 

In  the  Pennsylvania  mill  the  Von  Muller  amalgamator,  invented  by  the  presi- 
dent of  the  company,  is  used.  It  is  a  box  three  feet  long,  a  foot  wide,  and  a 
foot  deep,  with  a  board  set  into  the  ends  and  going  to  within  an  inch  of  the  bot- 
tom. Quicksilver,  half  an  inch  deep — about  SO  pounds — is  put  into  the  box, 
which  is  then  set  under  the  sluice,  below  jthe  amalgamating  apparatus  and  the 
blankets.  The  pulp  pours  into  the  box  above  the  board,  has  to  pass  under  the 
board  and  then  up,  escaping  over  the  lower  side,  which  is  not  quite  so  high  as 
the  ends  or  upper  side.  This  amalgamator  requires  little  attention,  and  always 
catches  enough  gold  to  pay. 

The  Chile  mills  have  cast-iron  basins,  cost  $400  each,  work  a  charge  of  100 
pounds  in  four  hours,  and  make  10  revolutions  per  minute. 

The  Wheeler  and  Randall  pans  grind  a  charge  of  1,200  pounds  in  four  hours, 
and  cost  $500.  Long  grinding  is  very  important  for  those  ores  in  which  the 
quartz  is  very  fine. 

OTHER  QUARTZ  MINES  OF  YTJBA. — The  Burnside.  Company  have  800  feet, 
went  down  40  feet,  but  suspended  work  when  the  panic  of  1864  came,  and  are 
preparing  to  start  again. 

The  Paragon  Company  have  1,800  feet,  did  some  work  previous  to  the  panic, 
and  have  done  nothing  since. 

The  Ophir  Company  have  1,200  feet,  and  have  had  the  same  history  as  the 
Paragon. 

The  Rattlesnake,  formerly  the  Yuba  mine,  is  1,600  feet  long.  The  vein  is 
two  and  a  half  feet  wide,  and  a  depth  of  140  feet  has  been  reached.  There  is 
a  30  horse-power  engine  for  hoisting.  A  yield  of  $18  per  ton  was  obtained  from 
1,500  tons.  The  company  are  preparing  to  build  a  mill. 

The  Dannebroge  mine,  2,400  feet  long,  is  on  a  lode  which  runs  northeast  and 
southwest,  and  intersects  the  Pennsylvania  lode  at  the  north  end  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania mine.  The  vein  is  three  feet  wide,  and  it  dips  to  the  northwest  at  an 
angle  of  40°.  Only  one  pay  chimney  has  been  discovered,  and  that  is  150  feet 
long,  horizontally,  with  hard  white  flinty,  quartz,  containing  many  fine  specimens, 
and  averaging  $15  or  $20  per  ton — the  richest  in  Brown's  valley.  The  total 
yield  was  $:2oO,000,  according  to  report,  but  the  company  has  had  much  litiga- 
tion and  has  kept  its  affairs  as  secret  as  possible.  Rumor  says  the  superintendent 
had  instructions  to  keep  no  books.  Work  was  stopped  in  1865,  and  was  resumed 
in  July  of  this  year.  A  depth  of  500  feet  has  been  reached,  and  drifts  have 
been  run  200  feet  on  the  vein.  There  is  an  eight-stamp  mill,  with  two  Chile 
mills  and  an  engine  of  20  horse-power. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS  155 

.  Half  a  mile  west  of  the  Pennsylvania  mine  is  the  Sweet  Vengeance,  8,400 
feet  long,  on  a  lode  wliieh  runs  northwest  and  southeast,  and  clips  40°  to  the 
northeast,  They  commenced  work  in  1863,  spent  880,000,  extracted  $25,000 
from  the  mine,  and  stopped  work  two  years  ago.  Many  rich  specimens  have 
been  obtained  from  the  mine,  and  for  six  months  it  paid  expenses.  A  depth  of 
200  feet  has  been  reached ;  drifts  have  been  run  250  feet  on  the  vein ;  and  there 
is  a  20-stamp  mill. 

The  Bayerque  claim,  one  mile  east  of  Brown's  valley,  has  reached  a  depth  of 
100  feet,  and  has  quartz  that  yields  $18  per  ton.  Some  of  the  rock  has  been 
crushed  at  the  Dannebroge  mill. 

On  the  same  lode  is  the  Anderson  mine,  which  is  being  opened.  The  quartz 
is  rich  in  sulphurets. 

West  of  Brown's  valley,  at  Prairie  diggings,  are  hundreds  of  quartz  claims, 
which  were  prospected  a  little  in  1863  and  abandoned  in  186^. 

At  Dobbin's  ranch  is  the  Bateman  mine,  which  has  a  vein  18  inches  wide,  and 
yields  $30  per  ton.  There  is  a  live-stamp  mill,  which  began  work  in  July  of 
this  year. 

At  Frcnchtown,  in  a  ravine  between  two  steep  mountains,  there  are  many 
quartz  veins,  but  no  mill. 

The  Brown's  Valley  Tunnel  Company  undertook  to  run  a  long  tunnel  into 
the  hill  back  of  Brown's  valley  for  the  purpose  of  prospecting  19  quartz  veins 
which  crop  out  on  the  hill,  but  they  were  stopped  by  the  panic  of  1864,  after 
going  200  feet. 

The  Marc  Antony  claim,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  Timbuctoo,  had  a  pocket 
that  paid  $5,000  to  a  hand  mortar,  and  nothing  has  been  obtained  since. 

The  Andrew  Jackson  quartz  mine,  near  Smartsville,  has  a  10-stamp  mill, 
which  is  not  running.  The  vein  is  now  being  opened. 

The  Deadvvood  lode,  one  mile  from  Forbestown,  and  very  near  the  Butte 
county  line,  is  four  feet  wide,  and  has  yielded  $5,000  in  hand  mortars.  Three 
tons  taken  out  near  a  pocket,  and  worked  in  a  mill,  yielded  $30  per  ton.  It  is 
supposed  that  there  is  little  beyond  the  pockets  in  the  lode. 

BROWN'S  VALLEY  QUARTZ  REGULATIONS. — The  records  of  Brown's  Valley 
district  have  not  been  kept  carefully,  many  alterations  have  been  made  in  the 
regulations,  and  there  is  much  doubt  as  to  what  regulations  are  in  force.  The 
requirement  of  representation  at  annual  mceungs  is  peculiar. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1853,  a  meeting  was  held  "to  make  new  laws^to 
govern  the  mines  in  said  valley  in  regard  to  working  and  holding  claims.*'  The 
following  resolution  was  passed  at  that  meeting : 

Resolved,  That  the  law  passed  February  14,  1852,  and  all  laws  previous  to  that  date  regu- 
lating; the  working  of  quartz  claims  in  the  above  valley  and  vicinity,  is  an  arbitrary  and 
despotic  set  of  laws,  and  are  this  day  revoked  by  common  consent. 

Nothing  was  done  at  that  meeting  to  fix  the  size  of  claims,  or  the  conditions 
under  which  they  could  be  held.  A  clause  adopted  at  this  meeting  requiring  the 
posting  of  a  notice  on  the  claim  of  any  company  or  individual  at  the  time  of  loca- 
tion was  repealed  on  the  31st  of  July,  1853.  On  the  Sth  of  August,  1853,  the 
following  resolutions  were  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  each  claim  shall  bo  entitled  to  a  vote  in  the  miner's  meetings  in  this  district, 
by  the  proper  owner,  or  represented  by  power  of  attorney  from  the  proper  owner,  specifying 
the  object  of  that  power  and  its  limitation. 

Resolved,  That  each  claim,  in  the  future  semi-annual  meetings  of  this  district  shall  be  repre- 
sented in  person  or  by  a  written  power  of  attorney,  otherwise  it  shall  be  forfeited. 

At  a  meeting  held  on  the  14th  of  August,  1854,  W.  Kinsella  moved  that  all 
claims  that  had  been  worked  since  the  last  meeting  should  be  exempt  from  the 
necessity  of  being  represented.  The  motion  was  lost. 


156  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

At  ei  meeting  held  on  the  4th  of  January,  1864,  the  following  resolutions  were 
adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  the  law  requiring-  each  shareholder  or  claimant  in  a  company  to  represent 
his  individual  interest  be,  and  is  hereby,  expunged  from  the  record. 

Resolved,  That  any  known  member  of  a  company  shall  have  full  power  to  represent  and 
cast  a  vote  of  said  company  to  the  number  of  feet  therein  contained,  on  all  questions  pertain- 
ing to  the  mining  laws  of  Brown's  Valley  district. 

,      On  the  2d  of  January,  1865,  the  following  resolution  was  passed  : 

Resolved,  That  for  the  better  regulation  of  working  claims,  from  and  after  this  date  it  will 
only  be  necessary  to  perform  or  make  improvements  on  any  quartz  claim  during  the  year  to 
the  amount  of  $100,  in  order  to  hold  the  same,  and  after  such  work  has  been  done,  the  repre- 
sentation of  claims  annually  will  be  sufficient  to  hold  the  same,  and  all  parties  after  having 
performed  such  labor  or  improvements  shall  leave  a  written  notice  to  that  effect  with  the 
recorder  of  the  district,  the  same  to  be  placed  on  record.  Any  claim  that  shall  have  performed 
such  amount  of  work  shall  be  considered  exempt,  providing  said  work  was  done  within  the 
past  year. 

On  the  8th  of  January,  1866,  the  following  resolution  was  offered  by  Charles 
Bandum : 

Resolved,  That  for  the  better  regulation  of  claims,  hereafter  any  and  all  claims  shall  have 
at  least  $5  worth  of  work  or  improvements  performed  on  each  and  every  claim  of  150  feet 
every  year,  in  order  to  hold  the  same. 

H.  Videau  moved  to  amend  by  saying  820  instead  of  $5.  The  amendment 
and  resolution  being  put  to  vote  were  both  lost. 

Mr.  Bandum  moved  to  reconsider,  and  the  motion  was  carried. 

It  was  then  moved  by  H.  Leland  to  amend  H.  Videau's  amendment  by  having  $10  worth 
of  work  or  improvement  performed  on  each  and  every  claim  of  150  feet  annually  in  order  to 
hold  the  same,  in  addition  to  the  annual  representation,  and  that  a  sworn  certificate  of  such 
work  or  improvement  must  be  recorded  with  the  mining  recorder  of  this  district,  and  that 
unless  such  certificate  be  recorded  that  such  work  has  been  done,  then  such  claim  or  claims 
shall  be  forfeited.  The  amendment  was  then  put  and  carried. 

There  is  no  record  that  Videau's  amendment,  or  Mr.  Bandum's  resolution,  was 
put  to  a  vote. 

By  a  resolution  adopted  January  3,  1859,  it  was  declared  that  quartz  claims 
should  be  150  feet  on  the  vein,  with  all  the  dips,  angles,  and  spurs. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1867,  the  following  resolution  wras  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  the  law  requiring  work,  improvement,  or  labor  to  be  performed  on  claims, 
be  dispensed  with,  and  that  representation  be  sufficient  to  hold  the  same,  running  until  the 
first  Monday  of  May,  1668. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  certificate  of  representation,  on  record  : 

I  do  hereby  certify  that  I  am  the  agent  and  part  owner  of  the  Brown's  Valley  Gold  and 
Silver  Mining  Company,  situated  in  the  Brown's  Valley  mining  district,  Yuba  county,  Cali- 
fornia, and  that  the  representation,  &c.,  of  the  same  has  been  duly  performed  according  to 
the  district  laws  for  the  years  1864  and  1865. 

G.  H.  LELAND,  Agent. 

JANUARY  29,  1866. 

EMPIRE  QTJAETZ  REGULATIONS. — The  Empire  district,  near  Smartsville,  has 
the  following  regulations  : 

Notice  of  a  claim  or  location  of  mining  ground  by  individual  or  by  a  company,  on  file  in 
the  recorder's  office,  shall  be  deemed  equivalent  to  a  record  of  the  same. 

Each  claimant  shall  be  entitled  to  hold  by  location  200  feet  on  any  lode  in  the  district, 
with  all  its  dips,  angles,  spurs,  offshoots,  outcrops,  depths,  widths,  variations,  and  all  min- 
erals and  other  valuables  contained  therein — the  discoverer  of  any,  or  locater  on  a  new  lode, 
being  entitled  to  one  claim  extra  for  discovery. 

The  locater  of  any  lode  or  ledge  in  this  district  shall  be  entitled  to  hold  on  each  side  of  the 
ledge,  lode,  or  lead,  located  by  him  or  them,  250  feet,  including  any  lateral  veins,  lodes,  or 
ledges,  bearing  minerals  therein.  The  space  of  said  250  feet  on  each  side  of  the  main  lead 
shall  be  considered  as  claimed  by,  and  entirely  belonging  to,  the  locater  or  locators  of  a  ledge, 
and  his  or  their  assignee,  and  parcel  of  the  same  mine. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  157 

It  shall  be  the  privilege  of  any  person  or  persons  or  company,  when  the  vein  ledge  or  lode 
of  mineral  is  not  distinctly  traceable  on  the  surface,  to  take  up  the  ground  they  desire  to 
prospect,  stating  in  their  notice  the  manner  they  intend  to  prospect  the  same. 

Every  claim,  whether  by  individual  or  company,  shall  be  recorded  within  10  days  after 
the  date  of  location. 

It  shall  be  required  of  each  company  holding  ground  in  this  district  to  put  $50  worth  of 
work  on  said  ground  in  three  months  from  the  date  of  recording. 

When  any  company  shall  have  done  honest  work  to  the  amount  of  $100  upon  their  claims, 
and  shall  cause  an  entry  to  be  made  on  the  records  of  this  district,  said  company  shall  be  con- 
sidered as  having  acquired  a  vested  right  in  said  ledge,  which  shall  have  all  the  force  and 
effect  in  law  and  equity  as  other  real  estate  and  property. 

When  any  company  has  put  work  to  the  amount  of  $50,  s,aid  work  shall  hold  said  claim 
for  one  year. 

These  regulations  were  adopted  January  26,  1863.  No  quartz  mines  are  now 
worked  in  the  district. 


SECTION   III. 

BUTTE    COUNTY. 

Butte  is  a  large  county,  which  includes  part  of  the  basin  of  the  Feather  river, 
and  reaches  from  the  Sacramento  river  eastward  to  a  line  where  the  tops  of  the 
ridges  are  about  4,000  feet  above  the  sea.  The  western  part  of  the  county  is  in 
the  lowland  of  the  Sacramento  valley,  and  a  majority  of  the  people  are  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  The  higher  portions  are  densely  covered  with  pine 
forests,  on  which  most  of  the  California  turpentine  and  rosin  have  been  made. 

Oroville,  the  county  seat,  is  connected  by  railroad  with  Marysville,  and  the  latter 
place  will  soon  be  connected  with  Sacramento. 

The  county  debt  of  Butte  is  $280,000,  and  the  State  and  county  taxes,  $3  30 
for  the  current  year. 

Feather  river  was  extremely  rich  in  early  days,  but  it  is  now  worked  o\it ;  or, 
at  least,  no  extensive  fluming  or  damming  enterprise  in  the  river  has  paid  within 
the  lasi  right  years. 

The  town  of  Oroville  stands  on  a  bed  of  auriferous  gravel  which  may  pay  for 
washing  at  some  day. 

BUTTE  TABLE  MOUSTTAIX. — The  most  prominent  topographical  feature  of 
Butte  county  is  the  Butte  Table  mountain,  which  rises  at  Lasscn's  peak  and  flows 
do\\n  as  a  river  of  basalt  to  Oroville,  where  it  terminates  on  the  north  bank  of 
.Feather  liver,  which  it  never  crossed,  or  else  all  south  of  the  stream  has  been 
swept  away,  unless  certain  peaks  near  Bangor  are  remains  of  it.  The  course  was 
nearly  south,  and  its  general  elevation  above  the  plain  near  Oroville  is  1,000  feet. 
The  widrli  averages  about  a  mile,  but  there  are  places  where  branches  extend  a 
considerable  distance  to  the  westward.  The  surface  declines  about  100  feet  in  a 
mile  to  the  southward  and  about  50  feet  to  the  mile  to  the  westward.  Is  this 
inclination  to  the  westward  due  to  the  accidental  wear  of  the  surface  by  the  water, 
or  is  it  caused  by  the  upheaval  of  the  Sierra  f  The  inclination  of  50  feet  in  a 
mile  to  the  westward,  observed  near  Oroville,  may  not  be  found  along  the  whole 
course;  but  if  it  marks  the  entire  length  of  the  basaltic  stream,  it  would  imply 
an  uplifting  of  the  eastern  side. 

This  Table  mountain,  like  the  similar  one  in  Tuolumne  county  ^covers  the  bed 
of  an  ancient  auriferous  stream,  but  it  is  neither  so  rich  nor  has  it  been  worked 
so  much  as  the  other  basalt-covered  river. 

CHEROKEE.— The  principal  mining  camp  on  the  Butte  table  mountain  is  Cher- 
okee,  where  the  basalt  has  been  denuded  for  a  distance  of  four  miles,  giving  miners 
an  opportunity  of  o-etiino'  down  to  the  auriferous  gravel.  The  strata  here,  accord- 
ing to  the  observations  of  Charles  Waldeyer,  esq.,  are  the  following,  commencing 
at  the  top:  basalt,  80  feet  high;  pipe  clay  and  sand,  10  feet;  boulders  burned 


158  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

and  vitrified,  12  feet ;  sand  and  clay  mixed  with  quartz  gravel,  20  feet  ;  pipe  clay, 
12  feet ;  white  quartz  gravel,  150  feet;  pipe  clay,  12  feet;  white  and  yellow  quartz 
gravel,  100  feet;  sand,  15  feet;  white  and  yellow  quartz  gravel,  200  feet;  pipe 
clay,  30  feet;  quicksand,  10  feet;  white  quartz  gravel  and  sand,  10  feet;  reddish 
quartz,  10  feet;  blue  gravel,  from  5  to  40  feet.  The  denudation  at  Cherokee  is 
from  300  to  500  feet  deep,  in  some  places  reaching  to  the  top  of  the  upper  layer 
of  white  and  yellow  quartz  gravel,  and  in  others  reaching  down  to  the  middle  of 
the  second.  In  no  place  is  the  gravel  less  than  200  feet  deep  in  the  middle  of 
the  channel ;  that  is  the  presumption,  for  the  bottom  of  the  channel  has  not  been 
reached;  but  the  miners  generally  suppose  that  the  lowest  workings  are  very 
near  the  bottom.  The  rim-rock  rises  about  150  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the 
channel,  and  is  not  cut  through  to  the  bottom  anywhere  by  canons. 

The  diggings  at  Cherokee  have  been  worked  since  1850,  and  have  always 
paid  moderately  well,  but  there  has  never  been  enough  water.  Most  of  the 
claims  are  suitable  for  the  hydraulic  process.  The  gravel  and  gold  bear  much 
resemblance  to  those  found  at  Smartsville. 

OREGON  GULCH  GOLD  MINING  COMPANY. — This  is  an  extensive  placer  mine, 
situated  at  the  head  of  Morris  Gulch.  The  basalt,  of  which  Table  Mountain 
chiefly  consists,  covers  an  ancient  river  bed,  extending  from  Cherokee  Flat  in  a 
south  west  wardly  direction  for  a  number  of  miles,  until  it  is  lost  in  the  Sacramento 
valley.  When  the  eruption  occurred  in  this  locality,  the  bed  of  the  ancient  river 
was  the  lowest  portion  of  the  country.  The  basalt,  occupying  the  river  bed, 
forced  the  water  into  new  channels,  which,  in  process  of  time,  wore  the  surround- 
ing country  down  to  its  present  level.  Being  of  an  indestructible  nature,  which 
almost  absolutely  resists  the  action  of  the  elements,  it  protected  the  bed  of 
the  river  from  denuding  agencies,  and  we  thus  find  the  river  bed  in  almost 
exactly  the  same  condition  as  when  it  was  overwhelmed  by  lava  in  remote 
ages. 

The  exceedingly  regular  grade  of  the  surface  of  every  portion  of  this  lava 
flow  not  undermined  by  the  action  of  water  proves  that  the  country  has  not  been 
subject  to  any  great  upheaval. 

In  the  course  of  time  the  Sacramento  river  formed  its  valley  and  the  Feather 
river  cut  its  channel  through  the  rocks  towards  the  mountains,  leaving  the  ancient 
river  beds  over  a  thousand  feet  above  their  present  levels. 

Morris  Gulch  commenced  at  the  Feather  river,  and  cat  its  course  to  the  north 
into  the  ancient  river  channel,  gradually  wearing  away  the  bed  rock,  and  causing 
vast  slides  of  rock,  gravel,  sand,  and  the  basalt  cap  into  its  canon,  where,  in 
process  of  ages,  all  was  reduced  and  earned  into  the  Feather  river  in  the  form 
of  sand  and  gravel.  This  gulch  cut  through  the  richest  portion  of  the  ancient 
gravel  bed,  and  a  large  part  of  the  gold  remains  in  the  gulch,  rendering  it  one 
of  the  richest  gulches  in.  California. 

Oregon  Gulch  was  enriched  from  the  same  source. 

Shirmir  Gulch,  on  the  west,  did  not  reach  the  gravel  in  the  old  river  bed,  or 
at  least  that  portion  which  contains  the  pay  streak. 

Wherever  this  has  been  worked  it  has  proved  rich,  as  just  north  of  Oroville, 
at  the  head  of  Morris  Gulch,  and  at  Cherokee  Flat  for  a  distance  of  over  10 
miles.  Its  width  is  not  definitely  known,  but  at  the  head  of  Morris  Gulch  it 
must  be  over  a  mile.  At  Cherokee  Flat,  and  near  Oroville,  the  miners  follow 
down  the  bed  of  the  ancient  stream,  and  in  a  short  distance  the  water,  having  no 
outlet,  becomes  very  troublesome,  and  will  in  time  prevent  work  from  that  direc- 
tion. But  at  the  head  of  Morris  Gulch  the  miners  follow  up  the  stream,  and 
the  water  drains  off  and  does  not  interfere  with  their  labors. 

This  appears  to  be  almost  the  only  point  where  sufficient  fall  can  be  obtained 
for  a  good  "  dump"  for  hydraulic  mining.  "  Dump"  means  a  sufficient  declivity 
from  the  end  of  the  flume  to  cause  the  tailings  or  debris  from  the  mine  to  run 
off  in  natural  channels  and  not  accumulate  at  the  end  of  the  flume.  This  is 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  159 

* 

very  important.     Unless  a  mine  lias  a  good  clump,  it  cannot  be  worked  by 
bydiaulics  to  any  advantage. 

The  (  h-cgon  Gulch  Gold  Mining  Company  arc  at  work  at  present  on  a  large 
slide,  and  still  have  a  good  dump.  But  when  they  follow  the  lead  under  the 
basalt,  they  will  find  the  bed  rock  much  higher  than  where  they  are  now  at  work. 
This  will  give  them  an  excellent  dump,  sufficient  to  wasli  all  the  gravel  under 
the  mountain  up  to  Cherokee  Flat.  The  indications  are  that  they  are  at  work 
On  the  westeni  side  of  the  lead  or  pay  streak,  and  as  they  follow  into  the  moun- 
tain they  will  get  nearer  its  centre,  where  the  gravel  will  probably  be  richer  than 
where  they  are  working  at  present,  and  much  more  water  will  be  met  with.  This 
will  be  a  great  assistance  in  washing  the  sand  and  gravel.  Except  in  an  abun- 
dant supply  of  water  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  the  natural  facilities  for  working 
this  claim  are  superior  to  those  of  any  other  claim  of  a  similar  nature  in  this 
vicinity. 

They  have  been  turned  to  good  account  by  the  manager  of  the  company,  Mr. 
William  Hendricks.  All  the  work  has  been  done  in  a  thorough  and  miner-like 
manner.  The  position  of  the  company's  flume  is  lower  than  any  other  in  this 
locality,  so  that,  as  the  work  progresses,  all  the  water  in  the  mountain  must  pass 
through  it ;  this  is  important,  as  the  use  of  the  water  in  the  mountain  will  be  of 
great  value. 

The  scarcity  of  water  in  the  dry  season  will  only  delay  the  working  of  the 
mine.  If  water  should  be  brought  in  by  a  ditch  company,  work  could  be  con- 
tinued during  the  whole  year,  which  would  be  a  great  advantage,  but  this  would 
in  a  measure  be  neutralized  by  the  cost  of  the  water. 

Tin;  expense  of  bringing  water  to  a  desirable  point,  either  by  pumping  it  up 
from  the  river  or  by  iron  pipes,  is  so  great  that  it  is  difficult  to  see  any  profit  in 
the  enterprise,  unless  the  mine  owners  in  the  mountain  should  bring  it  in  for 
their  own  use. 

These  mountain  claims  are  among  the  most  enduring  placer  mines  in  California, 
This  ancient  river  bed  is  as  rich  as  the  bed  of  Feather  river ;  and  a  company 
owning  half  or  a  wrhole  mile  of  the  Feather  river  bed,  as  rich  as  it  was  before 
it  was  worked,  would  have  possessed  one  of  the  most  valuable  mines  in  the 
world.  The  cost  of  working  the  old  bed  under  the  mountain  will  not  be  greater 
than  that  required  to  flume  and  drain  Feather  river. 

The  climate  is  mild  and  healthful.  Mining  operations  can  be  prosecuted  at 
all  seasons  of  the  year.  Being  within  four  miles  of  the  terminus  of  the  Marys- 
ville  and  Oroville*  railroad,  labor  and  all  supplies  required  in  mining  can  be 
obtained  as  cheaply  as  at  any  other  mining  locality  in  California. 

THE  CIIKUOKEE  BLUE  GRAVEL  CLAIM. — The  Cherokee  Flat  Blue  Gravel 
Company  have  a  claim  a  mile  wide  across  the  mountain  by  two  miles  long  on  its 
course,  south  of  Cherokee.  They  have  been  trying  to  get  into  the  channel,  but 
have  not  yet  succeeded.  They  started  a  low  tunnel,  which  ran  into  trap  rock 
so  hard  that  work  was  stopped,  and  then  a  shaft  was  sunk  155  feet  deep,  and 
the  water  became  so  troublesome  that  that  had  to  be  abandoned;  and  then'  an 
incline  was  commenced,  and  that  has  reached  the  red  gravel,  which  is  supposed 
ti  >  rest  on  the  blue  cement .  The  claim  is  probably  very  valuable,  but  much  time 
and  money  may  be  required  to  open  it.  The  company  is  incorporated  in  San 
Francisco.  A  steam  pump  is  used  for  hoisting  water  from  the  incline.  The  claim 
has  boon  worked  since  1856,  and  the  present  company  have  spent  $70,000.  The 
blue  cement  supposed  to  he  on  the  bed  rock,  where  it  has  been  reached,  has  yielded 
$8  per  day  to  the  hand,  when  worked  under  great  inconvenience,  and  has  been 
soft  enough  to  be  washed  in  a  sluice  without  crushing. 

Tin-    KCKKKA  CLAIM.— The  Eureka  Company  cut  a  tunnel  900  feet  long, 
and,  after  nine  years'  work,  got  into  gravel,  but  did  not  succeed  in  making 
enough  to  repay 'them  for  140,000  expended.     They  are  not  at  work  now. 
tunnel  i.s  10(3  feet  below  the  top  of  the  rim  rock. 


160  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

THE  CHEROKEE  CLAIM. — The  Cherokee  Company,  who  have  a  piping  claim 
in  the  flat,  took  out  $54,000  in  50  days'  washing  in  1866  from  a  stratum  seven 
feet  deep,  100  feet  wide  and  300  feet  long.  The  company  own  50  acres,  have 
piped  away  about  six,  have  expended  $150,000,  and  have  extracted  $500,000. 
They  had  water  to  wash  60  days  this  year,  and  in  one  dry  season  they  could 
wash  only  10  days.  It  is  to  be  presumed  from  the  yield  of  the  small  part  of 
their  claim  already  worked,  that  if  they  had  an  abundant  supply  of  water  they 
might  produce  more  than  any  other  placer  claim  in  the  State. 

Welch  &  Co.,  adjoining  the  Cherokee  Flat  Blue  Gravel  Company,  have  a 
claim  100  feet  square,  from  which  they  have  taken  825,000. 

DIAMONDS. — Cherokee  has  been  notable  for  the  production  of  diamonds,  a 
number  having  been  obtained  here.  They  are  mostly  found  in  the  red  gravel 
next  to  the  blue  cement 'at  the  bottom  of  the  channel.  This  "red  gravel/7  as  it 
called,  is  a  stratum  of  tough  red  clay  enclosing  pebbles  of  various  kinds,  mostly 
quartz  and  green-stone.  The  gems  have  not  been  observed  in  this  stratum,  but 
after  portions  of  it  have  been  washed,  they  have  been  picked  up  in  the  sluice. 
Some  persons  have  spent  days  and  weeks  in  hunting  for  diamonds,  but  without 
avail.  They  are  not  sufficiently  numerous  or  valuable  to  pay  for  a  special  search. 
The  metal  in  the  red  gravel  is  more  valuable  than  the  stones.  If  at  some  future 
time  there  should  be  an  opportunity  to  wash  much  of  this  stratum,  attention  will 
no  doubt  be  given  to  the  diamonds,  which  might,  under  favorable  circumstances, 
be  obtained  in  sufficient  quantity  to  reward  the  extra  care  required  in  collecting 
them.  Those  found  at  Cherokee  are  nearly  all  clear,  and  so  brilliant  at  the  sur- 
face and  so  regular  in  their  crystallization,  that  no  doubt  of  their  character  could 
remain  in  the  mind  of  any  one  familiar  with  the  natural  form. 

.MORRIS,  NIMSHEW,  AKD  KIMSHEW. — Between  Cherokee  and  Orovillc  Morris 
ravine  has  cut  deep  down  into  Table  mountain,  and  has  washed  away  much 
auriferous  gravel,  but  has  not  enabled  the  miners  to  get  fairly  into  the  channel, 
though  they  have  spent  much  money  in  attempting  to  get  in.  The  ravine  claims 
were  very  rich. 

Nimsliew  and  Kimshew  arc  places  north  of  Cherokee  where  tunnels  have  been 
*  run  in  to  strike  the  old  channel  under  Table  mountain,  but  they  have  not  paid 
much. 

BANGOR. — Bangor  is  12  miles  southeastward  from  Oroville  on  an  old  channel, 
the  bed  of  which  is  about  60  feet  below  the  level  of  the  lowest  ravines  in  the 
neighborhood.  At  the  bottom  of  this  channel  is  a  deposit  of  hard  blue  cement, 
about  60  feet  wide  and  six  feet  deep.  In  this  cement  are  found  boulders  weigh- 
ing several  tons,  and  the  gravel  is  green-stone,  trap,  granite,  slate,  and  quartz  ; 
the  last  being  not  more  than  one-eighth  of  all  the  gravel.  The  stream  seems  to 
have  been  about  as  large  as  Feather  river,  and  to  have  run  toward  Oroville  with 
a  grade  of  five  feet  in  100.  Over  the  pay  stratum  there  is  a  barren  grayish 
cement,  softer  than  the  blue. 

This  channel  was  discovered  in  1857  by  some  placer  miners,  who,  while  run- 
ning a  cut  in  a  ravine,  found  the  bed  rock  dipping  down,  and  after  following  it 
as  far  as  they  could  in  the  cut,  they  went  off  some  feet  and  sunk  a  shaft,  which 
in  65  feet  struck  a  rich  stratum,  which  paid  $100  per  day  to  the  hand.  The 
existence  of  a  channel  being  proved,  the  outcroppings  of  the  rim  rock  at  the 
ravines  and  on  the  hill-sides  showed  its  course,  and  it  was  claimed  for  miles.  The 
pioneer  claim  was  known  as  Boyle's. 

The  claim  in  which  the  channel  was  next  opened  was  that  of  Tucker,  to  the 
southeast.  This  claim  was  worked  three  or  four  years,  but  did  not  yield  much 
profit,  the  pay  stratum  being  found  for  a  distance  of  only  200  feet. 

The  Floyd  claim,  adjoining  Tucker,  the  third  in  reaching  the  pa}7,  was  worked 
for  a  year  and  half,  in  which  time  the  pay  dirt  was  exhausted.  The  cement  was 
so  tough  that  it  was  washed  eight  or  nine  times,  and  was  not  entirely  dissolved 
then.  The  yield  from  the  first  five  washings  was  $46,500 ;  the  expenses  $14,500 ; 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  161 

the  dividends  $32,000.  About  $23,000  was  obtained  from  tlie  first  washing;  as 
for  the  production  of  the  washings  after  the  fifth,  no  information  could  be  obtained, 
but  it  was  probably  quite  small.  This  claim  was  300  feet  long,  and  pay  was 
found  for  a  length  of  220  feet  in  the  channel.  The  shaft  reached  the  pay  in 
April,  1858,  and  it  has  been  customary  to  wash  the  dirt  every  spring. 

Next  to  Floyd's  was  the  Oroville  claim,  GOO  feet  long.  It  was  worked  bv 
three  shafts  and  paid  well  for  several  years.  Common  report  says  the  bed  rock 
was  not  well  cleaned. 

Between  the  Oroville  and  Boyle  claims  the  channel  did  not  pay  in  any  place, 
though  many  shafts  were  sunk.  Southeast  of  Tucker's  nothing  was  found,  and 
it  is  doubtful,  according  to  some  miners,  whether  the  channel  was  struck. 

The  Barnum  claim,  northwest  of  Boyle's,  is  1,500  feet  long,  and  was  opened 
in  1861  by  a  shaft,  which  struck  the  pay  stratum  at  a  depth  of  55  feet.     Two 
hundred  feet  of  the  channel  were  worked  out  in  a  year  and  a  half,  and  the  dirt 
was  washed  three  times  in  a  sluice  300  feet  long.     The  first  washing,  imme- 
diately after  the  cement  was  extracted,  yielded  $8,000;  the  second,  a  year  later, 
favc  $2,000 ;  and  the  third,  after  an  interval  of  two  years,  yielded  81,500.     The 
irt  is  not  fully  washed  yet,  and  it  is  saved  to  be  put  through  the  sluice  again. 
Two  other  shafts  have  been  sunk,  but  nothing  has  been  taken  out  of  them  as 
yet,  though  good  prospects  have  been  found  in  one  of  them.     Several  companies 
are  prospecting  for  the  channel  northwest  of  the  Barnum  claim.  / 

CEMKXT  BARREL. — At  the  Barnum  claim  Mr.  E.  Bassett  has  been  trying  to 
reduce  cement  in  a  barrel  eight  feet  long  and  three  feet  in  diameter,  made  of 
boiler  iron.  An  iron  pipe  runs  through  the  barrel,  passing  through  hollow  jour- 
nals, and  through  this  pipe  exhaust  steam  from  the  engine  is  to  pass,  so  as  to 
heat  the  cement.  There  are  two  doors  opposite  to  each  other  in  the  barrel,  each 
(10  by  14  inches,  for  charging  and  discharging.  A  ton  of  cement,  10  pounds  of 
quicksilver,  and  GO  gallons  of  water  will  be  a  charge,  and  when  the  door  is 
fastened  down  the  steam  will  bo  turned  on ;  the  barrel  will  be  set  to  revolving 
at  the  rate  of  20  revolutions  per  minute.  In  20  minutes  the  cement  will  be  at 
boiling  heat,  and  in  50  minutes  it  will  all  be  disintegrated.  One  hour  will  be 
required  for  a  charge,  including  charging  and  discharging.  There  is  no  doubt 
that'  the  cement  can  be  disintegrated  in  this  manner,  and  the  expense  does  not 
exceed  25  cents  per  ton.  The  barrels  are  lined  with  wood  set  endways,  two  and 
a  half  inches  thick. 

WYANDOTTK. — Wyandotte,  sixteen  miles  west  of  Forbestown,  has  some  ravine 
claims,  halt'  a  dozen  hydraulic  claims,  and  an  ancient  channel,  the  same  that  is 
worked  at  Bangor.  This  channel  is  50  feet  below  the  level  of  a  creek  that 
passes  Wyandotte,  and  thus  there  is  no  natural  drainage,  and  the  blue  cement  at 
the  bottom  of  the  channel  is  not  supposed  to  be  rich  enough  to  pay  for  pump- 
ing. Several  shafts  have  been  sunk  to  the  bottom.,  striking  the  channel.  The 
hydraulic  claims  at  Wyandotte  have  banks  75  feet  high,  and  take  40  inches  of 
water  each  on  an  average,  with  a.  pressure  of  75  feet.  There  is  a  large  body  of 
this  gravel.  A  thousand  inches  of  water  are  purchased  here,  a  small  portion  of 
it  for  irrigating  orchards  and  vineyards,  but  mostly  for  shallow  mining. 

FORHKSTOWN. — Forbestown,  22  miles  eastward  from  Oroville,  on  the  main 
divide  between  the  Yuba  and  Feather  river,  and  on  the  main  road  between  Oro- 
ville and  La  Porte,  has  quartz  and  placer  mines,  lumbering  and  turpentine-making 
among  its  resources. 

The  town  was  in  its  most  flourishing  condition  in  1855,  when  it  polled  about 
400  votes,  and  now  it  polls  only  about  100. 

The  shipment  of  gold  from  Forbestown  in  1866  was  $135,000;  from  the  1st 
September,  186G,  to  the  15th  July,  1867,  it  was  $80,121. 

There  are  a  number  of  springs  on  the  ridge  near  Forbestown,  all  about  the 
level,  and  all  have  cold  water.     No  town  in  the  State  has  so  large  a  supply 
of  n.M  and  good  water  from  springs  above  the  level  of  the  main  street. 
11 


162  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

In  Robinson's  hill,  near  town,  there  are  a  number  of  quartz  veins,  most  of 
them  small,  and  rattiiy  of  them  visibly  auriferous. 

New  York  Flat  is  the  principal  mining  district  near  Forbestown.  Three 
hydraulic  claims  are  at  work  there  now,  employing  in  all  about  20  men.  In 
.I860,  four  companies  there  took  out  $50,000. 

There  has  been  some  difficulty  about  drainage,  and  the  Nevada  Company  are 
making  a  deep  cut  to  be  half  a  mile  long,  and  to  drain  a  body  of  ground  4,000 
feet,  long  and  300  feet  wide,  supposed  to  be  rich. 

MOOREVILLE  AND  EvANSViLLE. — Moorevillc,  in  the  southeastern  corner  of 
the  county,  has  a  large  body  of  auriferous  gravel,  in  a  good  position  for  piping, 
except  that  it  is  difficult  to  get  water  high  enough.  There  was  a  ditch  which 
was  too  low  down,  and  it  has  now  gone  to  ruin.  A  new  one  to  be  60  feet  higher 
has  been  commenced,  but  no  work  is  being  done  at  it  now.  Some  doubt  is 
entertained  whether  the  gravel  is  rich  enough  to  pay  for  washing. 

Evansville,  lour  miles  southwest  of  Forbestown,  purchases  200  inches  of  water, 
some  of  it  for  mining  and  some  for  irrigation. 

BANGOE,  QUARTZ  REGULATIONS. — Each  mining  district  in  Butte  county  has 
its  own  quartz  regulations. 

The  regulations  of  the  Bangor  district  contain  the  following  provisions : 

ARTICLE  2.  The  size  of  a  mining  claim  in  this  district  shall  be  as  follows  :  for  ravine  or 
surface  ruining  a  hundred  yards  square,  provided  that  a  ravine  claim  shall  extend  from  bank 
to  bank  ;  for  blue  lead  claims  a  hundred  feet  in  length  and  extending  from  rim  to  rim  ;  for 
quartz  or  other  mineral-bearing  rock  200  feet  on  the  lead  with  its  spurs  and  angles,  and 
100  feet  on  each  side  of  said  lead,  with  sufficient  ground  adjacent  thereto  for  the  erection 
of  the  necessary  works. 

ART.  4.  Persons  locating  claims  in  this  district  shall  post  in  one  or  more  conspicuous 
place  or  places  thereon  a  notice  containing  the  number  of  claims,  with  the  names  of  the 
locaters  and  a  general  description  of  the  .ground  claimed,  with  the  boundaries  thereof,  and 
within  10  days  thereafter  file  with  the  district  recorder,  hereafter  to  be  provided  for,  ageneral 
description  of  said  claim,  with  the  boundaries  thereof  sufficiently  distinct  as  to  be  easily 
found  by  reference  to  the  record,  which  record  and  notice  shall  bo  bona  fide  proof  of  posses- 
sion of  said  claims  for  the  space  of  90  days  from  date  of  record  thereof. 

ART.  5.  After  the  expiration  of  the  90  days  mentioned  in  the  previous  article,  all 
claims  shall  be  deemed  abandoned,  unless  the  parties  locating  the  same  shall  proceed  to  work 
them  in  good  faith,  and  by  expending  in  labor  and  improvements  at  least  $3  per  month 
for  each  100  feet  claimed  until  the  amount  so  expended  shall  amount  to  $60  for  each  100 
feet  of  the  whole  amount  claimed. 

ART.  6.  Parties  having  complied  with  articles  four  and  five  shall  be  entitled  to  hold  their 
claims  without  further  expense  for  two  years. 

FOUBESTOTVN  MINING  REGULATIONS. — The  mining  regulations  of  the  Forbes- 
town  district  now7  in  force  were  adopted  on  the  9th  June,  1863,  and  48  quartz 
claims  are  recorded  in  the  district. 

The  following  are  the  main  provisions  : 

The  size  of  an  individual  claim  on  gold-bearing,  silver,  or  other  mineral  veins  shall  be  100 
feet,  in  length  on  the  ledge  vein  or  lode,  including  all  lateral  spurs,  angles,  variations,  and 
intersecting  veins,  with  a  width  of  200  feet  on  bcth  sides  of  the  ledge. 

"When  there  is  conflict  in  boundary,  or  as  to  location,  the  claim  or  claims  first  located  shall 
have  priority  of  right;  location  and  property  and  the  claim  subsequent  in  date,  if  it  is  a 
lateral  interference,  may  be  extended  by  expansion  on  the  other  side,  if  desired,  provided  the 
same  does  not  interfere  with  a  prior  location. 

Every  claim  located  in  this  district  must  have  good,  substantial  notices,  specifically  setting 
forth  the  direction,  nature,  and  extent  of  the  claim,  posted  at  each  end  of  the  same  in  some 
conspicuous  place,  and  a  copy  thereof  filed  in  the  office  of  the  recorder  within  10  days 
thereafter. 

Each  quartz  mining  company  who  have  claims  in  this  district,  upon  which  $50  worth  of 
work  shall  have  been  expended,  must  be  worked  upon  in  good  faith  at  least  two  in  every  30 
days'by  the  company  holding  said  claims,  and  all  ground  which  shall  not  have  been  so  worked 
within  :JO  days  shall  be  deemed  vacant  ground  and  subject  to(location  the  same  as  though 
it  had  not  been  located.  Those  claims  on  which  work  to  the  amount  of  $oO  shall  be  done 
may  be  held  by  the  claimants  for  the  period  of  six  months  after  work  shall  have  been  stopped 
on  the  same,  when  the  claim  shall  be  considered  abandoned. 

The  size -of  a  placer  or  ravine  claim  shall  be  100  feet  in  length,  running  up  and  down  the 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  163 

ravine,  and  the  owner  or  owners  of  said  claim  or  claims  can  work  the  same  as  wide  as  he  01 
they  choose,  and  if  a  quartz  lode  runs  ucrass  the  placer  claim  the  owner  of  the  same  shall 
be  entitled  to  100  feet  of  the  quartz  lode,  50  feet,  ou  each  side  of  the  main  or  deepest  channel 
running  through  his  claim. 

NISUKT  QUARTZ  MINE. — TheNisbct  Mining  Company,  incorporated  in  Marys- 
ville,  has  a  mine  3,600  feet  long  on  a  vein  which  runs  north  and  south,  dips  50C 
to  the  east,  and  averages  two  feet  in  width  at  Oregon  City.  The  walls  arc  of 
slate.  The  main  shaft  or  incline  is  down  1GO  feet,  and  drifts  have  been  run  700 
feet  on  the  vein,  in  pay  all  the  way.  The  lode  varies  in  thickness  from  six  inches 
to  nine  feet ;  in  very  narrow  places  sulphurcts  form  one-tenth  of  the  vein,  and  in 
the  widest  riot  more  than  a  hundredth.  The  sulphurets  assay  from  $1,300  to 
$1,600  per  ton  ;  are  caught  in  a  sluice  and  are  saved  to  be  worked  at  some  time  in 
the  future.  The  mill  has  eight  stamps,  and  there  is  a  six-inch  pump  for  drainage, 
all  driven  by  steam.  Work  was  commenced  on  the  mine  with  arrastras  in  1851, 
and  the  present  mill  was  built  in  1864.  The  yield  at  the  surface  was  $34  per 
ton;  and  of  late  it  has  been  $10,  exclusive  of  the  sulphurets,  for  the  reduction 
of  which  no  arrangements  have  been  made.  Thirteen  men  are  employed  ;  nine 
white  men  and  four  Chinamen.  The  latter  are  considered  better  feeders  because 
they  do  not  become  impatient  and  dissatisfied  with  the  monotony  of  the  labor. 

SPRING  VALLEY. — The  Spring  Valley  mine,  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Chero- 
kee, is  on  a  vein  uhidi  runs  north  and  south,  is  seven  feet  wide,  and  is  nearly 
horizontal  at  the  surface  for  200  feet,  and  dips  50°  to  the  east.  The  claim  is  300 
feet  long.  There  was  a  10-stamp  mill  which  crushed  several  thousand  tons  of 
rock,  and  extracted,  according  to  report,  from  $10  to  $24  per  ton.  The  mill  was 
burned  down  and  work  ceased  on  the  mine,  but  lately  work  has  been  resumed, 
but  there  is  no  new  mill  as  yet. 

OTHER  QUARTZ  MINES  OF  BUTTE. — The  Powell  mill,  at  Oregon  City,  has 
12  stamps,  and  has  been  idle  a  year. 

The  llock  River  mill,  which  stood  between  Oregon  City  and  Cherokee,  has 
been  removed.  There  was  a  roasting  furnace  attached  to  it. 

There  is  a  live-stamp  quartz  mill  at  Mount  Hope,  not  running. 

Three,  quart/  mills  at  Yankee  Hill  have  been  burned  down— the  Yankee  Hill, 
the  Virgin,  and  the  Fuller. 

Derrick's  quartz  mill,  at  Oregon  City,  was  taken  across  the  mountains  in  1863, 
and  stays  there. 

White,  &  Nutter's  mill,  at  Oregon  City,  was  moved  away  in  1866. 

The  Bloomer  Hill  mill,  14  miles  north  of  Orovillc,  has  eight  stamps,  and  is 
now  running,  but  the  mine  is  pockety,  and  the  yield  is  very  irregular. 

Near  Lovelock's,  seven  or  eight  miles  above  Dogtown,  an  arrastra  ismnning. 

Smith  &  Sparks's  mine,  two  miles  and  a  half  northeast  of  Oroville,is  on  a  vein 
four  feet  wide,  running  north-northwest,  and  dipping  northeast.  The  walls  are 
of  slate.  The  mill  has  eight  stamps,  was  built  in  1865,  and  rebuilt  in  1864.  It 
has  been  standing  idle  for  two  years.  The  owners  are  mostly  San  Franciscans. 

The  Forbcstown  Mining  Company  own  15,000  feet  in  9  or  10  claims,  on  dif- 
ferent Lodes.  Mexican  lode  No.  1  is  five  feet  wide,  and  has  yielded  $20  per  ton 
for  100  tons;  and  Mexican  lode  No.  2  is  12  feet  wide,  and  has  yielded  $10  per 
ton  for  200  tons.  There  is  a  live-stamp  steam  mill  which  has  not  been  used 
except,  for  prospecting  purposes,  and  is  now  standing  idle. 

The  Shakspeare  mine,  3,000  feet  long,  has  a  vein  12  feet  wide  and  has  been 
opened  bv  a  small  shaft.  Ten  tons  yielded  $10  per  ton. 

The  1'olecat  lode,  one  mile  from  Forbestown,  is  two  feet  wide,  and  100  tons 
of  its  quartz  yielded  $1,200. 


164  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

SECTION    XIII. 

PLUMAS    COUNTY. 

Plumas  comity  comprises  the  more  elevated  portion  of  the  basin  of  Feather 
river.  It  is  high,  rugged,  and  wild.  Lassen's  Peak  forms  the  northwestern 
corner,  and  that  wras  a  great  centre  of  volcanic  energy,  from  which  lava  and  scoria 
were  poured  or  blown  out  upon  the  adjacent  country.  The  ancient  rivers  which 
appear  at  Montccristo  and  at  Brandy  City,  in  Sierra,  ran  through  Plumas,  but 
their  course  has  not  been  traced  so  distinctly,  nor  have  they  been  worked  with 
so  much  profit.  In  most  places  where  the  channels  have  been  found,  they  are 
covered  so  deep  with  volcanic  matter,  and  the  pay  stratum  is  so  difficult  of  access, 
that  the  profits  of  working  have  been  moderate.  On  the  other  hand,  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  many  extensive  gravel  deposits  in  this  county  will  be  worked 
at  a  profit  within  a  few  years,  and  that  gravel  mining  will  make  more  progress 
here  for  years  to  come  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  State. 

The  county  is  very  rich  in  quartz,  and  American  valley  and  Indian  valley  are 
two  of  the  main  centres  of  quartz-mining  industry  in  California.  There  are  many 
rich  veins  of  copper,  but  they  cannot  be  worked  with  a  profit  at  present.  At 
least,  none  has  yielded  any  profit,  although  one  is  being  worked  now. 

The  principal  placer-mining  camps,  all  on  old  channels,  are  La  Porte,  Secret 
Diggings,  Gibsonville,  Saw  Pit  Flat,  Little  Grass  Valley,  Onion  Valley,  Wash- 
ington, Hungarian  Hill,  Badger  Hill,  Eagle  Gulch,  Grizzly  Creek,  and  Spanish 
Ranch. 

The  quartz  veins  in  Plumas  generally  run  east  and  west,  and  dip  to  the  south 
at  an  angle  of  45°. 

BECKWOUKTH'S  PASS. — Plumas  county  possesses  in  Beckwourth's  pass  the 
lowest  across  the  Sierra  Nevada ;  but  it  is  not  in  the  direct  line  of  travel  between 
Sacramento  and  Virginia  City,  and  therefore  it  is  not  much  used.  The  elevation  is 
4,500  feet  above  the  sea,  and  the  latitude  39°  50'.  The  pass  proper  is  two  miles 
long,  and  for  12  miles  the  road  has  an  elevation  of  more  than  4,000  feet  above 
the  sea.  Last  winter  the  snow,  at  the  deepest,  was  two  feet  and  a  luilf  on  the 
summit — not  enough  to  interfere  seriously  with  travel,  even  if  nothing  were  done 
to  beat  it  down.  Heretofore  the  road  west  of  Quincy  has  crossed  a  ridge  6,000 
feet  high  with  IS  miles  of  snow-belt,  but  a  road  is  to  be  constructed  down  a  canon, 
so  that  there  will  be  a  continuous  descent  from  Quincy  (which  is  3,400  feet  above 
the  sea)  to  Oroville  ;  and  then  there  will  be  no  more  trouble  from  snow.  The 
last  legislature  authorized  Plumas  county  to  issue  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $65,000 
to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  road  along  the  north  fork  of  Feather  river  to  Beck- 
wourth's pass,  and  a  company  has  commenced  w:ork.  The  first  30  miles  out 
from  Oroville  are  to  be  on  railroad  grade  ;  and  the  whole  work  is  to  be  finished 
in  1868,  at  a  cost  of  $140,000.  The  superiority  of  this  route  for  wagon  travel, 
in  every  respect  save  distance,  is  admitted  by  all  persons  familiar  with  the  differ- 
ent passes  over  the  Sierra. 

CONLY  AJ$D  Go  WELL'S  CLAIM. — Conly  and  Go\vell  have  a  very  large  claim 
at  La  Porte,  made  up  of  100  original  claims.  It  includes  the  entire  old  chan- 
nel 500  feet  wide,  and  extends  into  the  hill  half  a  mile  or  more. 

During  the  water  season  they  use  3,000  inches  of  water,  at  least  so  long  as 
they  can  get  so  much  ;  they  employ  50  men,  and  so  anxious  are  they  to  avoid 
any  loss  of  time  while  they  can  get  water,  that  they  run  continuously  through  the 
season,  cleaning  up  only  once  a  year. 

The  dirt  is  soft,  and  1,200  inches  of  water  bring  down  as  much  as  3,000  can 
cany  off,  so  only  1,200  are  thrown  through  pipes,  the  remaining  1,800  inches 
being  allowed  to  run  down  over  the  bank.  There  are  three  sets  of  pipes,  three 
or  four  in  each  set.  The  pressure  is  100  feet.  Twelve  men  take  charge  of  the 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  165 

pipes  by  night,  and  as  many  more  by  clay;  and  26  men  are  employed  in  shovel- 
ling bed  rock  and  pay  dirt,  moving  boulders  out  of  the  way,  and  so  forth. 

The  day  hands  work  10  hours  and  the  night  hands  12  hours,  and  the  pay  foi 
each  is  $3  50  per  day.  At  night  torches  are  made  in  iron  baskets  resting  upon 
iron  posts  about  five  feet  from  the  ground.  In  these  baskets  pine  wood  is  burned, 
giving  u  very  good  light.  Fires  are  also  built  on  the  ground  so  that  the  men 
can  warm  themselves. 

The  claim  has  outlet  through  two  tunnels.  The  Northampton  tunnel  is  2,000 
feet  long,  has  a  sluice  six  feet  wide,  and  cost  $160,000.  Ten  years  were  spent 
in  cutting  500  feet,  so  hard  was  the  rock.  The  Warren  Hill  tunnel  is  2,000  feet 
long  and  5  feet  wide,  and  cost  $15,000.  The  grade  of  both  tunnels  is  4  inches 
in  16  feet.  The  Northampton  tunnel  receives  the  dirt  from  two  surface  sluices, 
and  usually  carries  2,000  inches  of  water;  the  Warren  Hill  receives  one  sluice 
and  carries  1,000  inches.  The  ground  and  the  outlet  do  not  permit  the  use  of  a 
steeper  grade  ;  and,  as  no  small  sluice  could  wash  on  that  grade,  it  was  necessary 
for  the  owners  of  small  claims  to  sell  out  and  let  them  be  consolidated  in  one 
large  claim.  Another  tunnel  is  being  cut,  to  be  3,000  feet  long,  to  drain  another 
part  of  the  claim. 

Under-currents  are  not  used  here.  Width  is  considered  particularly  desirable 
in  sluices.  The  paving  in  the  sluices  consists  of  boulders  as  large  as  a  man  can 
lift,  and  they  are  worn  out  in  a  season.  The  water  is  shut  oft'  for  an  hour  at 
noon  every  day,  and  men  examine  the  whole  length  of  the  sluices,  to  see  that 
the  paving  is  all  right  and  to  repair  any  breaks. 

About  a  ton  of  quicksilver  is  put  into  the  sluices  in  a  season,  and  one  quarter 
of  it  is  lost.  The  mercury,  instead  of  being  thrown  directly  into  the  sluice,  is 
scattered  on  the  surface  of  the  bank  which  is  to  be  washed  down.  It  is  put  into 
a  can  made  of  Russian  sheet-iron,  large  enough  to  hold  40  pounds,  and  the  cap 
or  nozzle  of  the  can  is  perforated  with  holes  an  eighth  or  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  through  which  the  metal  is  sprinkled. 

The  ditch  which  supplies  water  for  the  claim  is  owned  by  the  same  proprietors, 
cost  $100,000,  but  could  now  be  constructed  for  $50,000.  The  length  is  13  miles. 
The  preservation  of  the  flumes  against  the  snow  is  expensive.  Whenever  a 
snow-storm  comes  on  men  are  sent  to  shovel  the  snow  off,  lest  the  weight  should 
break  down  the  flume  ;  and  then  the  snow  must  be  shovelled  away  from  the  flume 
on  the  hillsides  above,  for  the  snow  bank  moves  slowly  down  hill  with  tremen- 
dous pressure,  which  no  flume  could  resist.  The  trees  on  the  hillsides  show  this 
influence,  for  they  are  all  bent  down  hill,  and  many  are  broken  down  every  winter. 
It  is  necessary  to  cover  the  iron  pipes  with  strong  timber,  or  they  would  be  crushed 
flat  by  the  weight  of  the  snow.  The  pipe  used  in  this  claim  cost  $2,000. 

The  channel  is  500  feet  wide;  the  grade,  50  feet  to  a  mile;  the  rim-rock,  100 
feet  high  on  the  east  and  20  on  the  west,  on  an  average.  The  deposit  of  gravel 
is  100  feet  deep.  It  is  white  near  the  top ;  red,  blue,  and  black  at  the  bottom. 
There  are  many  boulders  of  quartz  quite  black.  In  the  upper  strata  the  pebbles 
are  seldom  larger  than  a  goose  egg;  in  the  lower  there  are  many  boulders  from 
6  to  20  inches  in  diameter.  At  "the  bottom  is  a  layer  two  feet  thick  of  hard 
ecu  lent,  which  is  crushed  in  a  five-stamp  cement  mill  belonging  to  the  same  pro- 
prietors. 

In  1866  Conly  and  Gowell  washed  off  a  strip  of  ground  1,100  feet  long,  300 
feet  wide,  and  SO  feet  deep,  equivalent  to  435,000  tons  of  40  cubic  feet  each. 
The  i^ross  yield  was  $32,000  and  the  net  $12,000.  If  we  multiply  the  1,100, 
the  300,  and  the  80  together,  we  find  that  26,400,000  cubic  feet,  or  660,000  tons 
of  40  cubic  feet  each,  were  washed  away;  and  if  we  divide  the  660,000  tons  by 
the  $32,000  we  find  Iliat  20  tons  went  to  $1,  or  that  the  yield  of  the  gravel  per 
ton  was  five  cents.  This  amount  is  so  small  that  it  suggests  the  probability  of 
some  error.  It  appears  that  the  expense  of  washing  was  but  three  cents  and  a 
third  per  ton.  No  other  place  in  the  State  can  wash  dirt  so  cheap. 


166  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

The  number  of  days  spent  in  washing  this  area  was  about  100,  and  the  average 
amount  of  water  used  2,000  inches.  An  inch  is  100  tons  of  water  in  24  hours; 
and  2,000  inches  supplied  in  100  days  20,000,000  tons  of  water  to  move  660,000 
tons  of  gravel,  or  30  tons  of  water  to  1  ton  of  gravel. 

The  claim  of  Conly  &  Gowell  is  large  enough  to  last  for  20  years  longer. 

Gard  &  Orr  have  a  very  large  claim  alongside  of  Conly  &  Gowell,  use  2,000 
inches  of  water,  and  employ  50  men ;  arid  their  ground  will  last  20  years. 

It  is  said  that  across  both  of  these  claims  runs  a  perpendicular  dike  of  lava 
er  trap,  rising  out  of  the  bed-rock  and  passing  through  the  gravel  entirely  across 
the  channel.  This  dike  has  never  been  pierced  through,  and  its  size  is  unknown. 
A  similar  dike,  according  to  rumor,  was  found  at  Brown's  diggings,  15  miles 
northwest  of  La  Porte. 

The  two  claims  mentioned  are  the  only  ones  of  any  note  worked  at  La  Porte. 
Ten  years  ago  more  than  50  companies,  were  in  profitable  operation  there. 

The  yield  of  La  Porte  and  the  placers  which  sold  their  dust  there,  in  1857, 
was  $4,000,000  annually;  now  it  is  $1,000,000. 

SECRET  DIGGINGS. — Two  miles  south  of  La  Porte  is  Secret  Diggings,  on  the 
same  channel  and  with  similar  gravel.  The  chief  claim  there  is  that  of  King- 
dom &  Co.,  who  have  about  a  dozen  old  claims.  They  employ  50  men  and  use 
2,500  inches  of  water.  The  tunnel  through  which  they  wash  cost  $100,000,  and 
is  1,500  feet  long.  In  1866  they  took  out  $130,000  and  divided  $94,000,  and 
that  was  the  best  yield  the  place  ever  had/  This  year  the  company  have  done 
as  much  work,  but  have  not  divided  a  dollar.  The  pipe  used  by  Kingdom  & 
Co.  cost  them  $15,000.  The  claim  is  80  feet  deep,  and  will  last  many  years. 

Poverty  Hill,  a  mile  and  a  half  below  Secret  Diggings,  on  the  same  old  chan- 
nel, has  been  worked  on  a  small  scale  for  10  years,  but  the  place  is  now  to  be 
supplied  with  water,  and  will  probably  become  important.  There  is  gravel 
enough  there  to  last  for  50  years. 

PORT  WINE. — At  Port  Wine  the  old  channel  is  worked  by  drifting,  and  the 
principal  claims  are  those  of  the  Eagle,  Union,  Montecristo,  Indian  Queen,  Erie, 
Sailor,  Manzanita,  Bunker  Hill,  and  Pioneer  companies. 

The  Eagle  claim  employs  about  a  dozen  men,  all  shareholders,  and  used  to 
pay  very  largely. 

The  Indian  Queen  employs  15  men  and  has  a  tunnel  2,000  feet  long. 

The  Union  employs  40  men,  all  shareholders,  and  the  tunnel  is  to  be  3,000 
feet  long  when  finished. 

The  Montecristo  employs  40  men,  all  shareholders.  The  dirt  is  hoisted  through 
an  incline  by  an  engine,  and  water  for  washing  is  pumped  up. 

The  Erie  employs  10  or  12  men. 

The  Sailor  has  four  or  five  men  at  work. 

Nothing  is  done  in  the  Manzanita  claim. 

The  Bunker  Hill  employs  eight  men. 

The  Pioneer  has  four  men. 

LITTLE  GRASS  VALLEY. — The  first  place  north  of  La  Porte  where  there  is  any 
mining,  on  the  same  channel,  is  Little  Grass  Valley,  three  miles  distant  on  the 
north  "side  of  the  same  ridge,  between  Rabbit  creek  and  south  fork  of  Feather 
river.  The  claims  there  have  been  worked  on  a  small  scale  for  ten  years,  but 
the  ground  is  not  rich,  and  the  cutting  of  tunnels  is  very  expensive.  Most  of 
the  claims  are  worked  by  drifting.  It  is  probable  that  Little  Grass  Valley  will 
become  a  prominent  mining  town  in  time.  Most  of  the  gravel  is  covered  by  a 
bed  of  lava  300  feet  deep. 

Gibsonville,  seven  miles  from  La  Porte,  used  to  be  an  important  hydraulic  camp, 
but  now  the  claims  are  worked  by  drifting,  and  the  yield  has  fallen  off  very  much. 

Spanish  Ranch  is  25  miles  from  La  Porte,  on  the  ridge  between  the  South 
Feather  and  the  Middle  Feather  rivers.  The  gravel  is  100  feet  deep,  and  the 
claims  are  worked  by  piping. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  167 

North  of  Little  Grass  Valley  is  Union  Valley,  where  there  are  two  piping 
claims,  with  banks  40  feet  deep.  Washing  has  been  in  progress  four  years, 
but  there  arc  portions  of  the  bank  that  do  not  pay  well,  and,  as  water  is  not  to 
be  had  most  of  the  year,  the  companies  will  work  by  drifting  next  year,  and  see 
whether  a  better  result  can  be  obtained  in  that  way. 

Twelve  miles  west  of  Saw  Pit  Flat  is  Hungarian  Hill,  where  there  are  three 
piping  and  two  drifting  claims.  The  tunnels  run  400  feet  in  the  bed-rock,  to 
drain  the  pay  to  the  bottom.  Twenty-five  men  arc  employed,  and  the  average 
pay  is  about  $8  to  the  man  per  (Viy. 

Badger  Hill  is  three  miles  west  of  Hungarian  Hill,  and  has  four  piping  and 
five  drifting  companies;  the  yield  is  about  35  per  day  to  the  man. 

Four  miles  northwestward  from  Badger  Hill  is  Eagle  Gulch,  where  six  com- 
panies, with  six  men  in  each,  are  drifting,  and  all  in  pay.  It  is  supposed  that 
most  of  the  claims  will  be  worked  out  within  two  years. 

Forty  miles  north  of  Quincy  are  the  Grizzly  Creek  diggings,  where  40  men 
are  employed  in  piping.  The  claims  are  50  feet  deep,  and  the  gravel  is  all 
quartz.  The  width  of  the  channel  has  not  been  ascertained. 

SAW  PIT  FLAT. — Saw  Pit  Flat  is  on  a  ridge  running  down  from  Pilot  Peak. 
The  claims  are  all  worked  by  drifting,  and  the  place  has  no  ditch,  so  washing  is 
only  possible  from  April  to  June,  while  the  snow  is  melting.  The  extraction 
of  gold  was  commenced  hero  about  six  years  ago,  and  there  has  been  a  steady 
increase  in  the  production,  with  a  probability  that  it  will  continue  for  some  years. 
The  pay  dirt  is  reached  through  tunnels  that  cost  at  least  $20,000  and  three 
years'  time  to  complete  them. 

The  New  York  Company  has  been  taking  out  gravel  about  15  months,  and 
have  obtained  $30,000  from  it.  There  are  12  men  at  work,  all  shareholders. 

The  Eagle  Company  have  been  in  pay  four  years,  and  have  taken  out  $26,000. 
Eight  or  nine  men  are  employed. 

The  Union  claim  has  12  men,  and  has  been  yielding  pay  four  years. 

Those  arc  the  only  companies  that  have  taken  out  pay. 

The  Buckeye  Company  have  reached  pay,  but  have  not  taken  any  out  as  yet. 

Several  tunnels  are  being  cut  at  Washington  Hill,  a  mile  distant,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  ridge.  Two  companies,  the  American  and  the  Washington,  are  in 
pay. 

The  Eureka  mine,  in  American  valley,  is  1,800  feet  long,  on  a  vein  running 
northeast  and  southwest,  dipping  northeast  at  an  angle  of  45°,  and  varying  in 
width  from  5  to  25  feet.  The  main  pay  chimney  is  250  feet  long,  horizontally, 
and  it  dips  southwest  at  an  angle  of  52°;  but  at  a  depth  of  300  feet  it  seems  to 
bend  to  the  northeast.  There  are  many  varieties  of  quartz — some  white,  some 
blue,  some  rose-colored,  and  some  dark  brown.  All  the  rock  from  the  pay  chim- 
ney is  worked,  and  it  has  yielded  from  $10  to  $30,  except  near  the  surface,  where 
it  was  much  richer.  The  present  average  at  300  feet  from  the  surface  is  from 
S14  to  $!;>.  The  loot  wall  is  granite  and  the  hanging  wall  hard  slate.  There 
arc  seven  per  cent,  of  Bulphorets  in  the  rock. 

There  are  two  mills,  one  of  12  and  the  other  of  1G  stamps,  both  driven  by 
water  derived  from  an  artificial  lake,  and  they  are  situated  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  from  the  mine.  The  ore  is  transported  on  a  rail-track. 

The  gold  is  amalgamated  in  the  mortar  and  on  copper  aprons,  and  the  tailings 
are  caught  in  a  dam  and  saved  for  future  working.  There  are  not  less  than 
10,000  tons  collected. 

r.rsides  the  stamp  mills  there  are  three  Chile  mills  of  cut  stone,  each  wheel 
being  nine  feet  in  diameter  and  two  in  width,  of  granite.  The  bed-stones  are 
five  feet  in  diameter  and  a  foot  and  a  half  thick.  The  wheels  wear  down  so  as 
to  become  useless  in  three  years;  and,  in  proportion  to  the  power  used,  they  do 
not  grind  half  so  much  as'stamps.  About  once  in  three  months  the  bed-stone 
must  be  picked  down,  so  that  it  will  grind  well. 


168  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


The  snow  lies  seven  months  in  the  year  at  the  mills  and  on  the  track,  and  for 
five  months  the  mill  must  lie  idle  for  lack  of  rock.  The  mills  might  be  moved 
to  the  "mine  itself,  so  as  to  be  immediately  at  the  mouth  of  a  new  tunnel  that 
might  be  cat  to  strike  the  lode  400  feet  below  the  present  workings,  at  a  length 
of  1,800' feet.  The  mills  could  then  run  the  whole  year,  and  might  be  driven 
by  steam,  or  perhaps  by  the  waters  of  Jamison  creek. 

Not  less  than  §300,000  have  been  expended  in  improvements,  all  derived  from 
the  mine.  The  total  yield  is  variously  stated,  by  those  who  have  had  good  oppor- 
tunities for  knowing,  at  from  $1,400,000  to  $1,600,000. 

The  mine  was  discovered  by  a  party  of  adventurers  who,  in  1850,  were  on  the 
search  for  Gold  lake.  The  mountain  side  was  covered  with  float  quartz,  and 
the  prospectors  took  up  claims  20  feet  square.  The  Eureka  Company,  the  first 
one  incorporated  for  mining  purposes  in  California,  began  operations  in  the  spring 
of  1851,  and  since  then  the  mine  has  paid  continuously.  The  total  dividends 
previous  to  1865  were  $250,000. 

Besides  the  1,800  feet  on  the  Eureka  lode  there  arc  2,000  feet  on  other  lodes. 

In  early  days  much  of  the  mine  was  leased  to  Mexicans  and  others,  who 
worked  with  arrastras  and  paid  one-third  of  the  gross  yield.  At  one  time  100 
arrastras  were  running  on  the  Eureka  rock. 

MAMMOTH. — Adjoining  the  Eureka,  on  the  south,  is  the  Mammoth,  1,200  feet 
long.  The  vein  is  very  variable  in  size  and  quality  in  this  claim,  changing 
suddenly  from  a  few  inches  to  20  feet  in  thickness,  and  then  back  again,  and 
from  very  poor  to  very  rich.  The  quartz  is  white  and  brittle,  and  is  mixed  with 
slate,  so  that  much  assorting  is  necessary.  There  is  one  chimney,  20  feet  long 
horizontally,  and  10  feet  thick,  nearly  vertical,  and  it  goes  down  with  nearly 
uniform  size.  A  depth  of  200  feet  has  been  reached,  and  drifts  have  been  run 
200  feet  on  the  vein.  The  average  yield  has  been  about  $12,  and  the  total  yield 
$400,000. 

There  is  a  12-stamp  mill  driven  by  water.  The  gold  is  caught  by  amalga- 
mation in  the  mortar  and  on  copper  aprons,  and  the  blanket  tailings  are  worked 
in  Chile  mills. 

SEVENTY-SIX. — The  Seventy-six  Company  are  at  work  on  a  vein  or  branch 
vein,  varying  in  thickness  from  four  to  18  inches,  and  nearly  horizontal  for  a 
distance  of  150  feet  from  the  surface,  and  at  that  distance  it  turns  down.  The 
lode  is  supposed  to  be  the  Eureka,  or  a  branch  of  it.  The  assorted  rock  is  packed 
on  mules,  at  a  cost  of  $6  per  ton  from  the  mine  to  three  arrastras.  Nothing  is 
crushed  unless  it  will  yield  $40  per  ton.  The  average  value  of  the  rock  is 
probably  $18. 

CRESCENT. — The  Crescent  mine,  in  Indian  valley,  15  miles  from  Quincy,  and 
73  from  Owenville,  includes  claims  on  three  lodes  as  follows,  viz : 


Name. 

Length. 

Course. 

Dip. 

Crescent  .   

3,000 

East  and  west  

North  35°. 

Horseshoe 

3,200 

Northwest  and  southeast 

Southwest  60°. 

Pet 

2,  200 

North  80°  east         > 

South  COU 

The  walls  are  of  feldspathic  granite,  according  to  Professor  Ashburner,  who 
made  a  report  on  it,  and  the  quartz,  so  far  as  the  work  has  advanced,  is  a  reddish 
brown,  with  occasional  masses  of  a  bluish  white  color,  enclosing  undecomposed 
sialphurets  of  iron  and  of  lead. 

The  Crescent  vein  varies  in  width  from  five  to  50  feet,  averages  about  15, 
and  appears  to  be  the  main  lode  of  the  cluster  on  which  this  mine  is  located. 
Six  pay  chimneys  have  been  found,  and  two  have  been  worked  on  this  vein. 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  169 

The  eastern  is  108  feet  long,  and  the  western  100  feet.  Both  have  been  stopped 
out  to  a,  depth  of  120  feet,  with  an  average  width  of  five  feet  of  pay,  yielding 
from  $13  to  $18  per  ton.  The  deepest  workings  on  this  vein  are  140  feet  from 
the  surface,  and  drifts  have  been  run  3GO  feet  long*. 

The  average  width  of  the  Horseshoe  vein  is  about  14  feet,  but  the  walls  are 
not  well  defined, 
varied 
the 

surface,  and  the  western  100  feet  long  at  the  first  level,  an<Tl25  feet  at  the  third. 
The  pay  chimneys  dip  a  little  to  the  east.  A  depth  of  280  feet  has  been  reached 
on  this  vein.  The  Pet  vein  has  a  pay  chimney  50  feet  long,  and  four  feet  thick, 
and  the  quartz  yields  $100  per  ton. 

The  Union  vein  runs  into  the  Horseshoe,  and  the  intersection  is  rich,  yielding 
$37  per  ton. 

The  yield  of  the  mine  from  November,  1862,  till  June  9, 18G7,  was  8667,213  59, 
obtained  from  40,000  tons,  showing  an  average  of  $16  68  per  ton. 

Dividends  have  been  paid  to  the  amount  of  $100,000,  and  $150,000  have  been 
spent  in  improvements. 

The  stock  of  ore  in  sight  is  estimated  at  14,000  tons,  to  average  $11  40  per 
ton,  arid  20,000  to  average  $7  or  $8. 

There  is  a  32-stamp  mill  driven  by  an  engine  with  an  18-inch  cylinder,  with 
40  inches  of  stroke. 

The  stamps  weigh  810  pounds,  make  60  blows  per  minute,  and  fall  10  inches. 

The  gold  is  amalgamated  in  the  mortar,  and  on  copper-plate,  and  the  blanket 
sands  are  ground  in  a  Wheeler  and  Randall  pan.  The  blankets  catch  one-seventh 
of  all  the  quartz  crushed,  and  the  blanket  sands  yield  one-twelfth  of  all  the  gold 
saved. 

There  is  a  hoisting  engine,  which  is  supplied  with  steam  from  the  mill  boiler. 

A  24-stamp  mill  was  built  in  1863,  but  was  sold  to  another  company.  The 
present  was  erected  in  1865.  Thirty-two  men  arc  employed,  eight  at  the  mill, 
and  24  at  the  mine.  There  are  14  underground  miners,  who  get  $3  per  day, 
and  board  themselves;  five  underground  carmen,  who  get  $2  75  without  board, 
or  $50  per  month  with  board  ;  two  rock  breakers,  and  four  feeders,  $2  75  per 
day ;  one  amalgamator,  $2  75,  and  another,  (a  boy,)  $2  25  per  day ;  one  engineer, 
$100  per  month  ;  another,  $4  12  per  day ;  another  $3  30  per  day,  without  board; 
and  a  fourth,  $45  per  month,  with  board. 

WHITNEY. — The  Whitney  mine  is  on  the  Crescent  lode,  one  mile  southeast 
of  the  Crescent  mine.  The  course  there  is  west  15°  north,  and  the  dip  about  80° 
south. 

The  foot  wall  is  granite,  arid  the  hanging  wall  slate.  The  vein  varies  in  width 
from  15  to  30  feet,  and  the  average  is  20  feet.  The  walls  are  smooth,  and  well 
defined  from  the  surface,  and  the  quartz  on  the  walls  is  in  places  polished  smooth. 

The  quartz  is  soft,  is  taken  out  without  blasting,  and  all  in  the  pay  chimneys 
is  crushed.  It  is  extracted  through  a  tunnel  100  feet  long,  and  the  extraction 
and  t  ran  spoliation  to  the  mill  do  not  cost  more  than  75  cents  per  ton.  The  average 
yield  is  ,s  I  :>  per  ton,  and  the  total  yield  has  been  $68,000.  There  is  a  24-stamp 
mill,  which  began  work  in  December,  1866. 

The  gold  is 'caught  by  amalgamation  in  the  mortar  and  on  the  copper  aprons, 
and  the  blanket  sands  are  ground  in  a  Wheeler  and  Randall  pan. 

GOLDEN  GATE.— The  Golden  Gate  mine  at  Round  valley  is  on  a  vein  four 
feet  wide,  running  northeast  and  southwest,  and  cutting  across  the  slates.  A 
depth  of  60  feet, 'has  been  reached,  and  drifts  have  been  run  70  feet  in  pay  all 
the  way.  The  average  yield  has  been  $22.  There  is  an  eight-stamp  mill,  driven 
by  wafer.  It  be^aii  to'nin  about  the  1st  of  June  of  this  year,  before  which  time 
the  quart/,  was  worked  in  a  custom  mill. 

Dixri;  A\I)  BULLFROG. — In  Dixie  canon  there  are  three  custom  mills,  one 


170  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

of  eight,  one  of  six,  and  one  of  four  stamps.    All  were  erected  to  work  claims 
which  did  not  pay. 

The  Bullfrog  inino  at  Rush  creek  is  on  a  vein  eight  feet  wide,  running  east 
and  west.  A  depth  of  130  feet  has  been  reached,  and  drifts  have  been  run  200 
feet  on  the  lode.  The  quartz  yields  $8  gross  and  $3  net.  The  mill  has  12  stamps, 
goes  by  steam,  and  was  built  in  1865. 

LIGIIT  AND  CALL AII AN. — Light's  mine,  in  Genesee  valley,  is  on  a  vein  two 
feet  and  a  half  wide,  running  cast  and  west.  The  quartz  is  taken  out  of  an  open 
cut,  40  feet,  long  and  30  feet  deep,  and  the  yield  is  $18  per  ton.  The  mill  has 
eight  stamps,  goes  by  water,  and  was  built  this  year. 

Callahan's  mine,  in  Indian  valley,  has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  100  feet,  and 
to  the  same  length,  in  pay  all  the  way.  Some  of  the  rock  crushed  at  Custom 
mills  lias  yielded  $12  50." 

PREMIUM  AND  SPARKS. — The  Premium  mine  has  been  opened  by  a  shaft  125 
feet  deep,  and  by  a  drift  of  50  feet.  Some  rich  specimens  have  been  obtained, 
and  rock  crushed  at  custom  mills  yielded  819. 

The  Sparks  and  Halsted  mine  at  Granite  Basin  is  on  a  vein  eight  feet  wide. 
A  12-stamp  steam  mill  is  going  up. 

INDIAN  VALLEY. — The  Indian  Valley  mine  is  on  a  vein  six  feet  wide,  running 
east  and  west,  and  dipping  to  the  south.  A  depth  of  220  feet  has  been  reached, 
and  drifts  have  been  run  200  feet  on  the  vein.  The  rock  is  hard,  and  yields 
$18  per  ton.  There  are  two  mills ;  one  of  16  stamps,  driven  by  water,  and  another 
of  12  stamps,  driven  by  steam.  The  mills  have  been  running  since  1864,  and 
the  general  yield  per  week  has  been  82,200. 

( >  KEEN  VILLE. — At  Greenville  the  Union  and  McClellan  Company  are  working 
a  vein  two  feet  and  a  half  wide.  They  have  gone  down  190  feet,  and  run  160 
on  the  vein.  There  arc  two  pay  chimneys,  each  about  30  feet  long,  dipping  to 
the  west.  The  company  has  two  mills,  each  of  eight  stamps,  but  the  supply  of 
quartz  is  not  sufficient  to  keep  them  running  more  than  half  the  time.  The 
company  are  building  a  mill  of  16  stamps  to  work  a  claim  on  the  Caledonian 
lode. 


SECTION    XIV. 

ALPINE    COUNTY. 

This  county,  situate  on  the  summit  and  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
and  on  spurs  .making  out  from  the  latter,  is,  as  its  name  denotes,  rugged,  moun- 
tainous, and  truly  Alpine  in  its  external  features  and  situation.  The  Sierra, 
along  its  western  border,  rises  to  an  elevation  of  nearly  10,000  feet.  Silver 
mountain,  a  short  range  running  north  and  south  across  its  centre,  is  nearly 
as  elevated.  Even  the  lowest  valleys  have  an  altitude  of  scarcely  less  than 
5,000  feet,  many  of  them  lying  much  higher.  As  a  consequence  the  climate 
in  the  winter  is  rigorous,  the  snow  falling  early  arid  lying  on  the  mountains, 
where  it  falls  to  a  great  depth,  until  midsummer.  Even  in  the  lowest  and 
most  sheltered  valleys  it  usually  falls  to  the  depth  of  several  inches,  lying  some- 
times for  two  or  three  months  in  the  winter.  The  weather  dining  the  summer, 
without  being  excessively  hot,  is  warm  j  that  of  the  later  spring  and  the  fall 
months  is  delightful.  Showers  are  more  frequent  here  dining  the  dry  season  than 
west  of  the  Sierra,  or  in  the  State  of  Nevada,  lying  to  the  east.  Owing  to  this, 
vegetation  keeps  green  until  a  later  period  in  the  summer.  The  grass,  of  which 
there  is  a  good  deal,  affords  by  its  succulence  excellent  pasturage.  There  is 
but  little  agricultural  land  in  the  county,  though  a  number  of  small  valleys  pro- 
duce line  crops  of  hay,  grain,  and  vegetables.  Almost  the  entire  region  is  cov- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  171 

ered  with  heavy  forests  of  pine  and  fir,  from  which  immense  quantities  of  lumber 
and  firewood  are  made  every  season.  Five  million  feet  of  saw-logs  and  6,000 
cords  of  wood  are  floated  down  the  Carson  river  annually  for  the  use  of  the 
Cornstock  mines.  On  the  Sierra  Nevada,  within  the  limits  of  this  county,  are  a 
number  of  small  lakes  of  the  greatest  purity  and  coldness,  the  waters  of  which 
are  supplied  by  the  melting  snows.  These  lakes  are  the  sources  of  several  con- 
siderable streams,  the  ("arson  river,  running  north  into  Nevada,  and  the  Stanislaus 
and  Mokelumne,  west  into  California,  heading  here.  Besides  these  there  are 
many  creeks,  tributaries  to  the  Carson,  which,  with  the  latter,  supply  a  very 
extensive  water  power  and  means  of  irrigation.  Alpine  contains  a  number  of 
small  towns,  of  which  Kongsburg,  the  county  seat,  Monitor,  and  Markleevillo 
are  the  principal.  The  population  of  the  county  is  about  2,000.  There  are 
three  quartz  mills  in  this  county,  carrying  26  stamps,  and  costing  in  the  aggre- 
gate about  8100,000;  13  saw-mills,  carrying  19  saws,  and  having  a  capacity  to 
cut  112,000  feet  daily;  aggregate  cost  about  $100,000.  Considering  its  small 
population  and  rugged  surface,  this  county  is  well  supplied  with  good  wagon 
roads,  having  one  leading  across  the  mountains  connecting  the  principal  towns 
with  the  Big  Tree  road  running  to  Stockton,  and  several  others,  built  at  heavy 
expense;  one  of  which  runs  to  Carson  valley,  there  uniting  with  the  road  to 
Virginia  City,  and  also  with  that  leading  over  the  Sierra  to  Sacramento  ma 
I'lacerville.  The  inhabitants  of  Alpine  have  displayed  much  enterprise  in  road 
building,  having,  for  their  means,  expended  more  money  and  labor  on  these 
improvements  than  any  other  community  in  the  State.  The  first  silver-bearing 
lodes  were  discovered  in  this  region  in  1861,  since  which  time  14  different  dis- 
tricts have  been  organized  within  the  limits  of  the  county,  in  some  of  which  a 
large  number  of  ledges  have  been  located  and  much  exploratory  work  done, 
while  in  others  the  reverse  is  the  case.  The  metalliferous  veins  here  are  usually 
of  good  size,  many  of  them  very  large,  being  from  20  to  80  feet  thick  on  the 
surface,  and  occasionally  much  larger.  The  most  of  them,  however,  range  from 
6  to  10  feet  in  thickness,  running  in  a  generally  north  and  south  direction,  with 
a  trend  to  the  southeast  in  conformity  with  the  longitudinal  axis  of  the  Sierra. 
The  vein-stone  consists  of  quartz  and  carbonate  of  lime.  The  country  rock  is 
composed  of  porphyry,  granite,  trap,  and  slate.  None  of  the  lodes  cany  rich 
ores  on  or  near  the  surface,  necessitating  deep  development  before  any  considera- 
ble bodies  of  a  sufficiently  high  grade  for  milling  can  be  obtained ;  a  circum- 
stance that  has  tended  greatly  to  retard  the  advancement  of  the  mining  interest 
in  this  county,  capitalists  overlooking  the  masterly  character  of  the  lodes  and 
the  unrivalled  advantages  for  the  cheap  reduction  of  the  ores  enjoyed  here,  and 
investing  in  mines  much  less  favorably  situated  simply  because  they  carried 
small  quantities  of  rich  ore  in  their  upper  portions.  Left  thus  without  aid,  the 
miners  of  this  county  have  not  been  able,  with  their  limited  means,  to  develop 
more  than  a  few  of  their  claims  to  a  productive  point,  although  a  number  of 
years  have  elapsed  since  operations  were  commenced  here.  Another  evil  has 
been  the  want  of  concentration  of  labor,  their  efforts  having  been  spent  in 
attempts  at  operating  too  great  a  number  of  lodes,  thereby  defeating  the  thor- 
ough development,  of  any.  l!ut  besides  these  superficial  and  ineffectual  labors, 
;;tl  works  looking  to  deep  exploration  have  been  planned,  some  of  which, 
though  involving  heavy  expenditures  of  labor  and  money,  have  ^been  earned 
almost  to  completion.  The  aggregate  amount  of  tunnelling  done  in  the  county 
is  very  large,  many  of  these  works  being  from  500  to  1,000  feet  long.  Owing 
to  the  precipitous  character  of  the  mountains  in  which  most  of  the  lodes  are 
situated,  the  method  of  their  exploration  by  tunnels  has  been  generally  adopted. 
Their  declivities  in  many  places  are  so  steep  that  a  depth  beneath  the  crop- 
pings  is  attained  equal  to  the  length  of  the  tunnel  when  it  reaches  the  ledge. 
This  is  frequently  the  case  in  the  Silver  Mountain  district,  where  a  number  of 
tunnels,  some  of  "them  well  advanced,  are  expected  to  tap  the  lodes  for  which 


172  RESOURCES     OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

tliey  are  being  driven  at  depths  varying  from  1,000  to  1,200  feet,  which  will  also 
be  about  their  horizontal  length.  The  mountains  near  Konigsburg,  in  which  a 
great  many  lodes  are  situated,  vary  in  height  from  2,000  to  3,000  feet.  The  main 
ranges  a  little  further  back  are  much  higher.  The  ores  of  this  county  are 
very  diversified,  carrying,  besides  the  precious  metals,  copper,  lead,  antimony, 
arsenic,  &c.,  a  combination  that  renders  them  refractory  and  costly  of  reduction: 
roasting  and  careful  amalgamation,  and,  in  some  cases,  smelting,  are  processes 
necessary  to  success.  The  croppings  generally  showr  by  assay  free  gold,  together 
with  gold  and  silver  in  combination  with  iron  pyrites,  which  latter  gives  place  to 
copper  as  depth  is  attained.  Some  veins  contain  so  large  a  percentage  of  this  metal 
as  to  justly  bring  their  contents  under  the  class  of  argentiferous  copper  ores, 
which  can  be  successfully  treated  only  by  smelting,  for  which  there  exist  here 
the  greatest  facilities,  wood  being  nearly  everywhere  abundant.  Much  of  this  ore, 
it  is  believed,  contains  enough  of  copper  to  defray  the  entire  cost  of  mining  and 
reduction.  After  much  experimenting  with  a  view  to  determining  the  best  mode 
for  treating  the  ores  of  this  county,  this  end  is  thought  to  have  been  recently 
attained,  and  the  product  of  bullion,  though  s^ill  small,  is  steady  and  constantly 
increasing,  amounting  at  the  present  to  between  $7,000  and  $8,000  monthly. 
From  the  energy  displayed  in  efforts  to  overcome  the  rebellious  elements  pres- 
ent in  these  ores,  and  to  further  the  development  of  the  mines,  there  is  reason 
for  believing  that  this  amount  will  be  increased  the  coming  year.  The  most  efficient 
plan,  and  that  at  present  adopted,  for  the  management  of  these  ores  is,  after  kiln- 
drying  and  crushing,  to  roast  and  then  amalgamate  them  by  the  Freiburg  barrel  pro- 
cess. The  following  prices  paid  by  mill  companies  for  ore  indicates  its  value  for  pur- 
poses of  reduction :  Kustel  &  Uznay  contracted  with  the  Morning  Star  Company 
last  year  to  pay  them  $17  50  for  10,000  tons  of  ore  from' their  mine  at  Mogul,  the 
purchasers  extracting  the  ore  at  their  own  cost.  The  Washington  Mill  Company 
have  contracted  to  pay  $100  per  ton  for  100  tons  of  first-class  ore  to  be  delivered 
from  the  IXL  mine,  in  the  Silver  Mountain  district.  The  ores  from  the  Tarshish 
mine,  near  the  town  of  Monitor,  are  found  to  yield,  with  careful  treatment,  over  $200 
per  ton ;  and  it  is  thought  there  are  other  lodes  here  the  ores  from  which,  by  a 
careful  selection,  will  turn  out  nearly  as  well.  The  Tarshish  lode  is  of  large 
dimensions,  the  tunnel  now  in  course  of  excavation  having  penetrated  it  90  feet 
without  reaching  the  back  wrall.  The  ores,  a  large  portion  of  which  are  of  high 
grade,  lie  in  bunches  or  chimneys,  and,  if  developed  to  its  fullest  capacity,  there 
is  no  doubt  but  this  mine  could  be  made  to  yield  ore  enough  to  keep  a  large- 
sized  mill  in  steady  supply.  There  is  at  present  much  activity  in  several 
mining  districts  in  this  county,  work  having  been  resumed  upon  a  number 
of  claims  for  some  time  neglected,  and  being  pushed  with  increased  energy 
upon  others  j  and  there  can  be  no  question  but  the  business  of  mining  will  make 
greater  progress  in .  future  than  it  has  heretofore  done  in  this  region.  In  the 
matter  of  wood  and  water  there  is  not  a  county  in  the  State  better  situated  than 
Alpine ;  the  facilities  for  the  cheap  exploitation  of  the  mineral  lodes  are  great ; 
while  freights,  owing  to  its  proximity  to  the  principal  points  of  supply,  are 
much  lower  than  in  almost  any  other  mining  district  east  of  the  Sierra.  The 
water  power  in  this  county  is  ample  for  the  propulsion  of  several  thousand  stamps, 
while  timber,  both  for  fuel  and  lumber,  is  present  in  inexhaustible  supply. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  173 

SECTION    XV. 

LASSEN    COUNTY. 

This  county,  erected  from  Plumas  in  1864,  lies  upon  and  to  the  east  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  mountains.  It  is  named  after  Peter  Lassen,  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  northeastern  California,  who  was  killed  by  the  Indians  in  1859  while 
exploring  the  northwestern  portions  of  Nevada  for  silver  mines,  then  supposed 
to  exist  in  that  region.  The  county  contains  but  a  small  population — only  about 
1,500.  It  was  organized  because  of  the  isolated  situation  of  the  inhabitants, 
separated  by  the  Sierra  from  the  county  seat  of  Plumas.  The  votes  polled  in 
ISO -4  numbered  554;  the  value  of  real  and  personal  property  now  in  the  county 
is  estimated  at  about  $800,000 — a  large  amount,  considering  the  limited  num- 
ber of  people  it  contains.  The  western  portion  of  the  county  is  covered  by  the 
Sierra  Nevada ;  the  remainder  consists  of  rugged  and  barren  hills,  sage  plains, 
and  alkali  flats,  with  a  small  extent  of  rich  valley  lands.  The  Sierra  is  heavily 
timbered  quite  to  its  base.  Heading  in  these  mountains  are  a  number  of  line 
streams,  of  which  Susan  river,  Willow,  and  Elision  creeks  are  the  principal.  They 
afford  extensive  propulsive  power  and  water  for  irrigation,  to  both  which  uses  they 
arc  largely  applied.  These  streams  run  into  Honey  lake,  a  shallow  body  of  water 
lying  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  county,  and  which,  though  it  covered  a  large  area 
sonic  \  cars  since,  is  now  nearly  dried  up.  It  has  no  outlet,  and  its  water,  or  what 
little  is  left,  is  slightly  alkaline  to  the  taste.  Along  its  shores  are  one  or  two  spots 
of  tule  marsh ;  the  rest  is  high  and  barren.  Nearly  all  the  valuable  land  in  the 
county  lies  in  Honey  Lake  valley,  a  fertile  and  well-watered  tract  of  some  50,000 
or  GO, 000  acres,  lying  between  the  base  of  the  Sierra  and  the  lake.  It  is  all 
taken  up  and  enclosed,  the  greater  part  being  under  cultivation  or  appropriated 
to  hay-making  and  pasturage.  Much  stock  is  kept  here,  besides  large  quantities 
of  grain  of  every  description  raised  annually.  Wheat,  barley,  rye,  and  corn  grew 
luxuriantly,  and,  with  irrigation,  yield  largely.  Vegetables  thrive  and  most  kinds 
of  fruits  mature  without  difficulty.  Cattle  here  require  neither  stabling  nor  fodder 
during  the  winter;  even  work  animals  keep  in  good  condition  feeding  on  the  rich 
succulent  grasses  of  the  valley.  Owing  to  the  abundance  of  good  timber  close 
at  hand,  the  most  of  the  fencing  is  made  of  posts  and  boards,  and  the  houses  of 
the  settlers  for  the  same  reason  are  large  and  substantial.  Good  lumber  can 
be  obtained  at  the  mills  here  at  about  $20  per  thousand.  In  Long  valley,  a 
small  portion  of  which  is  in  this  county,  there  is  also  a  little  good  agricultural  and 
pasture  land.  Honey  Lake  valley  received  its  name  from  the  quantity  of  honey 
dew,  a  sweet  and  viscid  substance  precipitated  from  the  atmosphere  during  the 
spring  and  early  summer  months.  The  climate  in  this  valley  is  extremely  mild 
and  agreeable  ;  the  heat  of  the  summer  is  moderate,  and  but  little  snow  falls 
during  the  winter.  There  is  a  group  of  hot  springs  near  the  head  of  the  valley, 
Borne  of  which  are  very  large,  and  one  so  deep  that  its  bottom  has  never  been 
reached-  by  sounding.  It  'boils  with  such  fury  that  the  water  leaps  several 
feet  high.  The  others  are  not  so  hot,  though  *all  are  impregnated  with  iron, 
alum,  soda,  or  other  mineral  substances.  The  only  town  of  any  size  in  the 
county  is  Susanville,  the  county  scat,  in  which  there  is  a  nourishing  school,  a 
church,  and  many  large  and  well-built  houses.  The  county  contains  seven  saw- 
mills, running  11  saws  and  capable  of  cutting  50,000  feet  of  lumber  daily. 
They  are  propelled  by  water,  and  cost  in  the  aggregate  over  $50,000.  There 
arc  also  two  Hour  mills,  having  three  run  of  stone  and  capacity  for  grinding  90 
barrels  of  ilour  dailv.  They  are  driven  by  water  and  cost  about  $12,000. 
There  arc  20  miles  of  water  ditches,  built  at  a  cost  of  $25,000,  and  several  wagon 
roads  within  the  limits  of  the  county,  leading  over  the  Sierra  into  California. 
•n  contains  no  quart/  mills,  though  there  arc  numerous  ore-bearing  veins  of 
both  the  useful  and  the  precious  metals  in  the  county.  The  most  of  these  are 


174  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

found  in  the  mountains  adjacent  to  and  west  of  Honey  Lake  valley,  where  placer 
diggings  and  auriferous  quartz  were  discovered  in  1863,  at  which  time  the  former 
were  quite  extensively  worked  and  paid  fair  wages.  Some  of  these  quartz  veins 
also  cany  silver,  and  various  working  tests  made  on  a  small  scale  tend  to  show 
that  these  veins  may  yet  be  profitably  worked  on  a  large  scale,  as  the  ores  can 
be  cheaply  reduced,  owing  to  an  abundance  of  wood  and  water  in  the  vicinitv  of 
the  mines. 


SECTION    XVI. 

STANISLAUS,  FRESNO,  TULARE,  MERCEDE,  AND  SAN  JOAQUIN  COUNTIES. 

STANISLAUS  has  a  sectional  area  of  1,228  square  miles,  consisting  chiefly  of 
agricultural  lands.  Population  in  1860,  2,245;  estimated  in  1866,  3,460; 
assessed  valuation  of  real  and  personal  property  in  1866,  $1,026,216.* 

The  principal  towns  are  Knight's  Ferry,  the  county  seat,  on  the  Stanislaus 
river,  where  it  debouches  on  the  main  San  Joaquin  valley,  and  Lagrange.  The 
business  of  the  county  is  mostly  centred  in  these  towns.  At  Knight's  Ferry 
there  are  valuable  quarries  of  sandstone.  The  freighting  business  of  this  county 
amounts  to  4,444j  tons.f 

FRESNO. — This  county,  to  the  south  of  Mariposa  and  Merced,  in  sectional 
area  is  one  of  the  largest  counties  in  the  State,  reaching  from  the  Coast  range  to 
the  eastern  boundaries  of  the  State,  containing  9,240  square  miles ;  of  this  about 
444,800  acres  are  agricultural  lands  of  superior  quality.  The  population  of 
Fresno  in  1860  was  4,605;  estimated  in  1866,  1,680;  assessed  valuation, 
$811,716,  in  1865;  in  1866,  $826,000. 

The  copper  mines  in  the  Hamilton  district,  near  the  ChowchUla  river,  are  no 
doubt  extensive.  The  lode  is  clearly  defined  for  ten  miles  with  croppings  of 
great  richness.  The  shipments  of  copper  from  this  district  will,  it  is  believed, 
in  time  rival  that  from  Copperopolis.  At  present  the  shipments  are  light,  as  the 
cost  of  transportation  to  San  Francisco  is  $80  per  ton,  which  makes  copper 
mining  in  this  county  unprofitable  at  present.  With  facilities  for  transportation 
by  way  of  Knight's  Ferry,  and  thence  by  the  proposed  Stockton  and  Copper- 
epolis  railroad  to  Stockton,  copper  ores  will  eventually  bear  shipment. 

The  down  freights  from  this  county,  principally  from  the  Chowchilla  mines, 
were,  in  1865,  1,800  tons.  Two  other  mines  shipped  by  way  of  the  San  Joaquin 
120  tons  per  month,  but  there  is  little  doing  now,  owing  to  the  depreciation  in 
the  business  of  copper  mining.  The  up  freights  to  Fort  Miller  are  875  tons  per 
annum ;  the  total  freights  to  and  from  this  county  probably  amount  to  2,675  tons. 

TULARE. — The  county  of  Tulare,  to  the  south  of  Fresno,  contained  in  I860 
a  population  of  4,638;  estimated  in  1866,  4,890;  an  assessed  valuation  in  1865 
of  $1,306,380;  in  1866,  $1,299,379;  agricultural  products  for  1865,  $616,890; 
a  sectional  area  of  7,181  square  miles,  of  which  about  200,604  acres  are  good 
agricultural  lands,  the  rest  mountain  and  tule  lands.  There  are  gold  veins  in 
this  county  which  are  now  being  developed,  and  which  wril]  increase  the  present 
freights  to  a  large  amount.  The  freights  for  1865  were  as  follows:  Up  freights, 
2;750  tons;  down  freights,  409  tons;  total,  3,159  tons. 

There  is  no  outlet  for  the  northern  portion. 

MERCEDE. — West  of  Mariposa  county  lies  Mercede,  mostly  an  agricultural 
county,  the  central  and  western  portion  of  which  has,  to  some  extent,  an  outlet 
on  the  San  Joaquin  river.  Sectional  area,  1,384  square  miles;  population  in 
1860,  1,141;  estimated  in  1866,  1,980;  real  and  personal  property,  $816,318; 

*  Pacific  Coast  Directory.  t  W.  C.  Watson's  report. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS      .  175 

principal  shipping  points  for  up  freight,  Merced  Falls  and  Snellingsville,  six 
miles  below.  Here,  as  well  as  at  Knight's  Ferry  and  Lagrange,  on  the  Tuo- 
luiniic,  is  a  large  amount  of  water  power,  capable  of  being  used  at  "a  little  expanse, 
and  which  will  at  no  distant  day  be  turned  to  good  account.  Freighting  business 
of  this  county,  562  tons.* 

SAN  JOAQUIN. — The  sectional  area  of  this  county  is  1,452  square  milas, 
(929,280  acres,)  about  one-third  of  which  is  agricultural,  the  rest  foot-hills 
and  tule  lands.}  The  agricultural  products  in  1864  amounted  to  $4,445,058; 
assessed  valuation  in  1865,  $14,986,615;  population  in  1860,  8,434;  estimated 
population  in  1866,  17,140;  real  and  personal  property  in  1866,  $5,275,OJ.64 


SECTION  XVII. 

INTO    COUNTY. 

This  county  was  erected  in  1866.  The  territory  was  taken  from  Tulare  and 
Mono  counties,  and  lies  on  the  border  of  the  Great  Mohave  Desert,  east  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  range  of  mountains.  With  the  exception  of  a  considerable  strip  of  arable 
land  along  Owen's  river,  and  some  fertile  spots  at  the  entrance  of  the  ravines 
that  make  up  into  the  Sierra,  the  country  is  arid  and  ban-en.  Except  the 
portion  lying  on  the  Sierra,  and  some  scattered  groves  of  pilion  on  the  range 
east  of  Owen's  valley,  the  country  is  also  destitute  of  timber.  The  only  water, 
save  a  few  small  springs,  consists  of  that  flowing  through  Owen's  river  and  the 
streams  that,  falling  from  the  mountains  to  the  west,  feed  it  or  run  into  the  lake 
that  receives  its  waters.  Owen's  valley,  over  a  hundred  miles  long  in  its  whole 
extent,  and  from  10  to  15  wide,  lies  along  the  western  border  of  the  county, 
having  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  on  the  west  and  the  Monadic  chain  on  the 
cast.  These  mountains  cover  three-fourths  of  its  area  and  give  to  the  county  a 
rugged  and  diversified  aspect.  The  tillable  land  along  the  river  is  not  more 
than  a  mile  and  a  half  wide,  but  as  it  reaches  the  entire  length  of  the  valley 
it  amounts  in  the  aggregate  to  60,000  or  70,000  acres,  the  most  of  it  very 
fertile  and  capable,  with  irrigation,  of  growing  every  kind  of  fruit,  grain,  and 
vegetal)! es  in  the  greatest  luxuriance.  This  strip  of  land  is  covered  in  its  natural 
state  with  a  coarse,  wiry  grass,  not  fit  for  making  first  quality  of  hay,  though  the 
cultivated  grasses  could  easily  be  domesticated  here.  They  are  found  to  grow 
readily  when  planted  after  the  manner  of  grain.  The  rest  of  the  valley,  like 
the  surrounding  country,  is  nothing  but  a  sage  barren,  producing,  besides  the 
artemesia,  only  a  little  bunch  grass,  with  a  few  shrubs  almost  as  worthless  as  the 
sage  itself.  The  river,  running  through  the  middle  of  the  valley,  is  deep,  nar- 
row, and  crooked,  and  has  a  swift  current,  which,  with  its  generally  marshy  banks, 
renders  fording  difficult.  In  the  summer,  during  the  melting  of  the  snow  on  the 
mountains,  it  overflows  its  banks  in  many  places,  particularly  the  tule  lands,  of 
which  there  are  good  deal  along  its  borders.  The  mountain  streams,  after  flowing 
out  into  the  valley  a  short  distance,  spread  out  over  the  surface,  irrigating  it  and 
producing  largo  patches  of  clover.  These  spots  were  the  favorite  abodes  of  the 
Indians,  who  planted  a  variety  of  roots,  grasses,  and  other  vegetable  comestibles, 
which  (hey  irrigated,  conveying  the  water  through  small  ditches  and  channels 
formed  with  mud,  often  quite  a'distance.  In  the  possession  of  the  whites  they 
will  soon  be  converted  into  luxuriant  gardens,  orchards,  and  grain  fields.  Along 
Owen's  valley  there  are  already  a  large  number  of  fine,  well  stocked,  and  culti- 
vated farms,  many  thousand  bushels  of  grain  having  been  raised  there,  besides 
butter  and  cheese  made  for  several  years  past.  Five  hundred  thousand  pounds 

'  Watson's  report.  t  W.  C.  Watson.  {  Pacific  Coast  Directory. 


176  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

of  grain  were  raised  last  year,  and  still  larger  quantities  this.  These  farms  with, 
proper  culture  produce  as  abundantly  as  the  richest  valley  lands  elsewhere  in  the 
State,  the  yield  of  wheat  and  barley  being  often  at  the  rate  of  40  and  50  bushels  to 
the  acre.  Cattle  keep  fat  here  running  in  the  pastures  the  year  round,  no  stabling 
or  fodder  being  required.  The  population  of  the  county,  for  several  years  greatly 
diminished  on  account  of  Indian  difficulties,  is  now  about  2,000,  having  increased 
largely  within  the  past  six  or  eight  months  on  account  of  the  very  flattering 
prospects  of  the  mines.  The  assessable  property  is  estimated  at  three-quarters 
of  a  million  dollars,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  both  the  population  and  wealth 
of  the  county  will  be  largely  augmented  hereafter.  A  number  of  towns  have 
been  laid  out,  some  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mines  and  others  in  Owen's  valley, 
but  none  of  them  have  yet  attained  any  great  size.  Bend  City,  San  Carlos, 
and  Independence  are  in  the  valley,  Kearsarge  City  being  10  miles  west  of 
Independence  and  near  the  famous  mines  of  that  name.  Lake  City,  laid  out  in 
1862,  is  at  the  south  end  of  Owen's  Big  Lake.  It  contained  quite  a  population 
at  one  time,  but  is  now  nearly  deserted.  Bend  City  and  San  Carlos  also  contain 
fewer  inhabitants  than  they  did  several  years  since.  The  late  accessions  to  the 
population  are  mostly  in  the  mining  districts.  Independence,  the  county  seat, 
is  a  growing  and  thrifty  town,  with  a  school  and  other  evidences  of  progress. 
Fort  Independence,  the  military  post  near  by,  adds  much  to  the  business  of  the 
place,  there  being  at  all  times  several  companies  of  troops  stationed  here.  The 
fort  is  a  well-built,  comfortable  structure,  with  well-improved  grounds  and  out- 
buildings about  it.  Mount  Whitne}- ,  the  highest  peak  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and 
claimed  to  be  the  most  elevated  land  in  the  United  States,  is  over  15,000  feet 
high,  and  lies  within  the  limits  of  Inyo  county.  There  are  several  other  peaks 
in  the  neighborhood  ranging  from  10,000  to  14,000  in  height.  Snow  lies  on 
some  of  these. peaks  all  summer.  The  whole  range  is  covered  nearly  to  its 
base  during  the  winter  season,  though  but  little  snow  lies  in  the  valley  during 
the  coldest  weather.  The  summers  here  are  hot,  the  thermometer  standing  much 
of  the  time  at  100°  in  the  shade,  but  throughout  the  rest  of  the  year  the 
weather  is  mild  and  pleasant.  But  little  rain  or  snow  falls,  except  on  the 
mountains,  rendering  the  county  extremely  arid  and  making  irrigation  necessary 
for  the  growth  of  the  crops.  For  introducing  wrater  upon  the  land  many  small 
ditches  have  been  dug,  also  some  of  larger  dimensions :  one,  the  San  Carlos, 
taking  water  from  Owen's  river,  is  15  miles  long  and  cost  $30,000.  There 
are  two  sawT-mills  and  nine  quartz  mills  in  the  county.  The  former  are  driven 
by  water,  are  capable  of  cutting  about  10,000  feet  of  lumber  daily,  and  cost 
$7,000.  Seven  of  the  quartz  mills  are  driven  by  steam  and  two  by  water 
power.  The  whole  cany  about  100  stamps  and  cost  nearly  $400,000.  Some 
of  these  mills  were  erected  several  years  ago,  at  a  time  when  the  proper  mode  of 
treating  the  ores  in  this  region  were  but  ill  understood,  and  as  a  consequence 
proved  failures.  Most  of  them  gave  up  after  a  few  ineffectual  efforts,  and  have 
remained  idle  ever  since.  Those  put  up  more  recently  are  supplied  with  the  neces- 
sary appliances  for  the  successful  management  of  the  ores,  and  have  mostly  been 
operated  with  satisfactory  results.  Besides  these  mills  there  are  about  20  arras- 
tras  running  in  the  county.  One  flour  mill  has  lately  been  built  in  the  valley, 
and  the  grain  crop  being  large,  will  no  doubt  do  a  prosperous  business.  This 
county  is  reached  from  California  by  several  good  roads ;  one  from  Los  Angeles, 
which  entering  Owen's  valley  from  the  south,  is  unimpeded  by  snow  at  all  sea- 
sons. With  the  exception  of  a  few  miles  of  desert  it  is  a  good  road,  nearly 
level,  and  the  one  over  which  most  of  the  freight  has  heretofore  been  taken  in. 
Another  coming  in  from  the  State  of  Nevada  enters  this  valley  at  its  northern 
extremity,  and,  though  most  employed  for  transporting  goods  intended  for  the 
northern  parts  of  the  county,  is  not  passable  for  teams  on  account  of  snow  during 
the  winter.  The  other  road,  via  Walker's  Pass,  enters  the  valley  centrally,  and 
though  never  seriously  obstructed  by  snow,  is  not  much  used  by  teams  on  account 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  177 

of  its  steepness  in  places  and  the  great  distance  goods  have  to  be  hauled  on  this 
route.  Eight  or  10  different  mining  districts  have  first  and  last  been  erected 
within  the  limits  of  this  county,  in  all  of  which  there  are  many  metalliferous  lodes 
of  value,  though  working  tests,  owing  to  the  extremely  rebellious  character  of 
the  ores,  have  not  as  yet  proved  wholly  satisfactory.  The  ores  hero  consist 
mostly  of  argentiferous  galena,  and  can  be  successfully  reduced  onjy  by  smelting, 
a  method  now  generally  adopted  in  most  of  the  districts.  The  mines  ar&  sit- 
uated in  the  two  main  ranges  of  mountains  running  in  a  northerly  and  south- 
erly course  across  the  county,  the  Sierra  on  the  west,  and  the  Monachi  or  Coso 
range  on  the  east.  In  the  latter  is  located  the  Lone  Pine  district,  abounding 
with  veins  varying  in  thickness  from  one  to  40  feet,  nearly  all  carrying  a  good 
grade  of  ore,  much  of  it  yielding,  by  the  rude  smelting  process  now  employed, 
from  $50  to  $100  per  ton.  At  present  only  the  richest  ores  are  worked  and  a 
large  percentage  of  the  metal  is  lost,  calling  for  more  economical  and  effectual 
modes  of  treatment.  That  these  will  soon  be  supplied  seems  probable,  as  the 
attention  of  scientific  miners  and  capitalists  is  now  being  directed  to  that  quarter. 
The  ores  here  are  to  be  had  in  great  quantity,  and  as  population  is  flowing  into 
the  district,  supplying  an  abundance  of  available  labor,  there  is  no  doubt  but 
the  product  of  bullion  will  be  large  within  a  few  years.  In  the  other  districts, 
except  Kearsarge,  and  one  or  two  others,  there  is  but  little  work  being  done, 
though,  as  stated,  they  all  contain  valuable  gold,  silver,  and  copper-bearing 
lodes.  The  Kearsarge  district  is  situate  on  the  eastern  declivity  of  the  Sierra, 
here  very  steep,  and  at  a  point  about  12  miles  west  from  Fort  Independence. 
The  lodes  here,  which  are  from  two  to  five  feet  thick,  carry  a  fair  percentage 
of  silver,  which  is  their  predominating  metal.  The  lode  of  the  Kearsarge 
Company,  the  most  thoroughly  explored,  contains  ore  of  good  average  grade. 
This  company,  after  erecting  a  10-stamp  mill,  met  with  difficulty  in  saving  the 
metal  known  to  exist  in  their  ore ;  hence  they  have  been  obliged  to  delay  running 
their  mill  until  by  varied  experimenting  they  have  determined  the  best  method 
for  its  treatment.  It  is  confidently  expected  that  liberal  returns  will  be  secured, 
as  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  richness  of  the  ore.  A  tunnel  100  feet  in 
length  has  been  run  to  the  ledge  of  this  company,  opening  it  to  a  depth  of  180 
feet  beneath  the  croppings,  the  side  of  the  mountain  here  approaching  so  near  the 
perpendicular.  Other  companies  are  at  work  near  the  Kearsarge  opening  their 
claims,  all  of  which  afford  encouraging  prospects,  and  as  there  are  here  wood  and 
water  in  abundance  this  may  in  time  become  a  prosperous  and  productive  dis- 
trict. In  addition  to  gold  and  silver,  this  county  contains  many  other  metals 
and  minerals,  such  as  iron,  copper,  sulphur,  and  salt,  the  latter  existing  about  a 
small  lake  in  Owen's  valley,  in  such  quantities  that  it  can  always  be  procured 
there  at  a  merely  nominal  cost. 


SECTION    XVIII. 

MONO    COUNTY. 

Tins  county,  like  Lassen  and  Alpine,  lies  upon  and  to  the  east  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada.  It  is  very  elevated,  and  constitutes  the  water-shed  between  the  basin  of 
( lareon  and  of  Owen's  rivers,  both  of  which  streams,  though  running  in  opposite 
directions,  have  their  sources  in  this  county.  As  a  consequence,  the  climate  is 
riirorous,  snow  falling  in  the  winter  to  a  great  depth,  even  in  the  valleys,  and  ice 
sometimes  forming  at  ni^ht  in  the  summer.  There  is  a  narrow  belt  of  alluvial 
land  alon--  several  of  the  creeks  falling  from  the  Sierra  into  Mono  lake,  and  a 
leu  thousand  acres  at  the  Big  Meadows  on  Walker  river,  with  some  small  patches 
elsewhere  in  the  county;  yet  the  amount  of  arable  land  it  contains  is  small. 

12 


178  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

Some  farming  is  done  at  each  of  these  places.  The  crops  planted  are  mostly 
potatoes  and  other  vegetables,  which,  with  careful  culture  and  irrigation,  gen- 
erally mature  and  yield  well.  A  large  amount  of  hay  is  cut  every  year  at  the 
Big  Meadows.  Aurora  and  the  most  of  the  mining  camps  in  the  county  get  a 
good  share  of  their  supply  there. 

Mono  contains  about  1,000  inhabitants,  scarcely  as  many  as  it  did  six  or  seven 
years  ago,  when  the  placer  mines  gave  employment  to  a  large  number  of  men. 
These  mines,  discovered  in  1857,  were  worked  for  four  or  five  years  thereafter 
with  much  profit  to  such  as  held  the  better  class  of  claims,  the  daily  earnings 
varying  from  $5  to  $20  to  the  hand.  The  working  seasons,  however,  were 
somewhat  contracted,  and  the  digging  in  many  places  deep,  while  the  cost  of 
living  was  high,  whereby  the  net  yearly  savings  were  reduced  to  moderate 
rates.  The  mines  lay  in  alluvium  washed  from  the  Sierra  and  lodged  in  a  field 
of  enormous  granite  boulders,  their  area  finally  proving  to  be  of  no  great  extent, 
which,  after  the  summer  of  1861,  led  to  their  gradual  abandonment.  A  town 
named  Monoville  grew  up  at  these  diggings,  which  by  the  census  of  1860  con- 
tained 900  inhabitants,  the  most  of  whom  on  the  discovery  of  the  silver  lodes  a", 
Aurora,  that  year,  removed  to  that  place,  to  which  also  most  of  the  buildings  at 
Monoville  were  afterwards  transferred.  For  several  years  after  some. placer 
mining  was  still  carried  on,  but  at  present  there  is  scarcely  anything  being  done 
at  these  diggings.  There  are,  however,  near  them  a  number  of  small  quartz  lodes 
containing  free  gold.  Some  of  these  were  worked  in  1860,  by  means  of  arrastras, 
driven  by  water,  and  for  a  time  good  results  were  obtained ;  but  the  pay  streak 
in  these  lodes  was  very  narrow,  rendering  it  expensive  to  get  out  sufficient  ore  to 
keep  the  arrastras  running,  which  led  to  a  final  cessation  of  work  upon  them. 
With  more  thorough  development  it  is  thought  these  veins  could  still  be  worked 
with  remunerative  results.  There  is  water  at  hand  for  driving  a  considerable 
number  of  stamps.  For  supplying  water  to  the  placers  a  ditch  20  miles  long 
was  built  in  1860,  at  an  expense  of  $75,000,  which  work  might  still  be  made 
available  as  a  power  for  driving  machinery. 

Mono  lake,  the  principal  body  of  water  in  this  county,  having  been  elsewhere 
described,  it  only  remains  here  to  speak  of  the  numerous  streams  falling  from  the 
Sierra,  some  flowing  into  the  lake,  and  others  uniting  in  the  Big  Meadows  and 
forming  the  east  fork  of  Walker  river.  Many  of  them  are  large,  and  by  their 
volume  and  fall  create  an  immense  water-power,  a  portion  of  which,  as  they  run 
through  the  finest  of  timber  lands,  has  been  applied  to  the  propulsion  of  machin- 
ery. Mono  contains  a  great  extent  of  pine  and  spruce  forests,  ranging  along  the 
Eastern  slope  and  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra.  Those  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Big 
Meadows  are  the  most  valuable.  The  trees  here,  though  not  extremely  large, 
are  straight  and  well  formed.  There  are  eight  saw-mills  in  the  county,  having 
an  average  capacity  to  cut  5,000  feet  of  lumber  daily.  They  are  mostly  driven 
by  steam,  and  cost  from  $2,000  to  $10,000  each,  or  an  aggregate  of  $35,000. 
A  large  quantity  of  lumber  is  made  here  every  year,  which  finds  a  market  at 
Aurora  and  in  the  adjacent  mining  districts.  There  are  three  quartz  mills  in 
the  county,  two  in  the  Bodie  district  driven  by  steam,  and  one  at  Hot  Springs 
driven  by  water.  The  former  cany,  the  one  16,  and  the  other  12  stamps,  and 
the  latter  four.  The  entire  cost  of  these  mills  has  been  about  $200,000. 

The  only  town  of  any  size  in  Mono  is  Bridgeport,  the  county  seat,  It  is  situate 
at  the  Big*  Meadows  on  the  east  fork  of  Walker  river,  and  is  surrounded  with 
fine  agricultural  and  hay  lands,  with  a  stretch  of  excellent  timber  a  short  dis- 
tance back  on  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra.  From  Bridgeport  to  Aurora  a  good 
wagon  road  has  been  built,  also  an  expensive  road  across  the  mountains  to  Stock- 
ton, California.  The  vote  in  this  county  numbers  a  little  over  300  ;  the  value 
of  real  and  personal  property  is  estimated  at  $400,000.  It  contains  a  number 
of  hot  springs,  one  group,  situate  in  the  foot-hills  on  the  road  to  Stockton,  dis- 
charges a  large  volume  of  boiling  water.  Mono  is  not  without  valuable  ore- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  179 

bearing  veins,  both  of  gold  and  silver.  Some  of  these  are  described  in  the 
chapter  on  Esmeralda  county,  Nevada,  being  situate  in  the  Blind  Spring  and 
other  districts  lying  partly  in  that  State,  and  partly  in  California.  In  the 
Bodie  district,  10  miles  east  of  the  county  seat,  are  some  gold  and  silver-bearing 
lodes,  several  of  which  are  explored  by  means  of  tunnels,  varying  from  300  to 
800  feet  in  length.  There  are  also  two  quartz  mills  in  this  district,  both  of 
which,  having,  as  is  supposed,  overcome,  after  many  ineffectual  and  costly  trials, 
the  difficulties  met  with  in  working  the  ores  here,  are  now  in  a  fair  way  of  "acliiev- 
ing  success.  That  there  is  some  fair  grade  ore  in  these  lodes  has  been  clearly 
shown,  the  only  trouble  having  been  to  hit  upon  a  proper  mode  for  their  reduction. 
This  having  now  been  attained,  and  two  well-appointed  mills  placed  upon  the 
ground,  it  may  reasonably  be  expected  that  some  bullion  will  be  sent  from  this 
district  the  incoming  year.  Within  the  present  year  a  new  district  named  Castle 
Peak,  lying  a  few  miles  southwest  of  Bridgeport,  has  been  erected,  a  large  and 
very  rich  gold-bearing  lode  having  been  found  there.  It  lies  immediately  under 
and  to  the  northeast  of  Castle  Peak,  one  of  the  highest  summits  along  this  portion 
of  the  Sierra.  Very  rich  float  rock  had  been  observed  here,  which  led  to  the 
prospecting  of  the  locality  and,  after  some  time  spent,  to  the  final  discovery  of 
the  lode  mentioned.  Placer  mining  had  for  some  years  been  carried  on  along 
the  streams  below,  with  success,  the  gold  found  having  been  released  from  this 
large  vein  and  earned  by  the  water  of  these  creeks,  and  deposited  along  their 
banks.  The  most  of  this  mining  has  been  done  by  Chinamen,  a  company  of 
whom  are  still  at  work,  realizing  wages  that  to  these  people  are  satisfactory.  The 
exploration  of  this  recently  discovered  lode  is  now  being  prosecuted,  and  it  gives 
promise  of  proving  a  good  vein.  It  is  situated  at  the  line  of  contact  between 
two  favorable  formations  for  the  production  of  metal,  granite  and  slate.  Gold 
predominates  in  value,  though  the  lode  is  also  well  charged  with  sulphursts  of 
silver,  and  from  assays  made  it  is  calculated  that  the  ore  will  yield  by  mill  pro- 
cess, under  the  most  inexpensive  mode  of  treatment,  from  $40  to  $60  per  ton. 
The  means  essential  to  an  economical  reduction  of  ores  prevail  here,  the  mines 
being  in  the  midst  of  stately  forests,  with  two  large  creeks — Virginia  and  Green 
— but  a  couple  of  miles  distant,  affording  sufficient  power  to  carry  several  hundred 
stamps.  A  large  number  of  claims  in  addition  to  the  original  location  have 'been 
taken  up  on  this  ledge,  and  as  some  of  the  owners  are  possessed  of  energy  and 
means,  it  is  thought  that  operations  will  bo  initiated  here  the  coming  season. 
The  erection  of  several  mills  has  been  determined  upon,  the  work  of  exploration 
to  go  on  meantime,  and  it  is  generally  believed  an  active  mining  camp  will  spring 
up  here  next  summer. 


SECTION  XIX. 

* 

MINING  DITCHES. 

Ditches  occupy  an  important  place  in  the  mining  of  California.  Indeed,  it 
may  be  said  that  without  them  the  mines  of  the  State  would  be  relatively  insig- 
nificant. At  least  four-fifths  of  the  gold  is  obtained  with  the  assistance,  direct 
or  indirect,  of  ditch  water.  There  are  very  few  springs  in  the  mining  regions,  the 
bed  rock  being  usually  slate  with  perpendicular  cleavage,  through  which  the  water 
soaks  down  to  the  lowest  levels.  The  permanent  streams  are  found  only  aUong 
intervals,  and  run  in  deep,  steep,  and  narrow  channels.  Nature  has  furnished 
no  adequate  supply  of  water  near  the  surface  for  towns  or  for  quartz  mills  j  so 
they,  as  well  as  th'e  livdraulic  pipes  and  sluices,  must  depend  upon  ditch  water, 
which  thus  is  an  indispensable  requisite  to  the  production  of  four-fifths,  perhaps 
nineteen-!  wentieths  of  the  gold.  It  is  fortunate  that  the  mountain  ridge  east  of 


180  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

the  mining  district  rises  high  into  the  region  of  snow,  where  the  moisture  that 
falls  from  the  atmosphere  in  winter  is  condensed  and  retained  until  summer  and 
fall.  But  without  the  ditches  this  moisture  would  do  little  good  to  the  miners, 
since  there  are  few  camps  near  springs  or  on  the  immediate  banks  of  constant 
streams. 

EXPENSIVE  CONSTRUCTION. — The  first  experiments  in  ditching  in  1850  were 
magnificently  successful.  The  canals  were  short  and  small,  and  the  water  was 
either  sold  at  a  very  high  price,  or  was  used  in  working  out  rich  claims.  It  was 
hot  uncommon  for  several  years  for  little  ditches  to  repay  the  cost  of  construction 
in  a  couple  of  months.  It  was  supposed  that  the  right  to  the  water  of  a  good 
stream  would  be  worth  a  fortune.  The  merchants  in  each  town  considered  it 
their  interest  to  encourage  and  assist  the  miners  to  bring  in  water,  so  as  to  increase 
the  population,  gold  production,  and  trade.  The  country  was  full  of  enterprise 
and  money,  for  which  there  was  not  much  other  use.  Numerous  ditch  companies 
were  formed  to  bring  water  from  the  elevated  regions  in  the  mountains,  and  many 
had  invested  too  much  to  withdraw  before  any  of  them  had  learned  the  business 
before  them  by  experience.  The  work  was  done  when  labor  was  very  high  j 
the  price  for  common  laborers  being  $8  per  day,  and  lumber  was  $100  per  thousand 
feet.  Before  the  canals  were  finished,  wages  had  fallen  50  per  cent,  or  more,  and 
the  work  done  was  worth  in  the  market  only  half  its  cost.  Besides,  in  1851  and 
1852  the  common  price  for  water  was  50  cents  or  $1  an  inch,  and  the  ditch  com- 
panies made  their  calculations  upon  charging  those  figures,  but  before  the  com- 
pletion of  the  ditches  the  best  claims  in  the  ravines  had  been  exhausted,  and  there 
was  not  enough  rich  ground  left  to  pay  high  prices  for  all  the  water. 

BAD  ENGINEERING. — The  ditch  companies  did  not  find  good  hydraulic  engi- 
neers. Many  of  the  canals  were  constructed  under  the  influence  of  carpenters 
who  wanted  to  turn  their  skill  in  wood-work  to  account,  and  wherever  it  was 
possible  they  constructed  wooden  flumes,  even  in  places  peculiarly  favorable  for 
ditching,  and  where  the  latter  would  have  cost  less  than  fluming.  The  flume 
loses  value  every  year,  while  the  ditch,  by  getting  more  solid,  gains.  The  flume 
must  be  rebuilt  about  once  in  six,  eight,  or  at  most  ten  years,  and  the  ditch, 
never.  The  flume  soon  leaks,  and  the  ditch  after  a  time  loses  very  little  by 
leakage. 

HIGH  FLUMES. — But  the  mistake  in  constructing  flumes  resting  on  the  ground 
was  little  compared  with  the  loss  suffered  by  constructing  high  flumes,  which 
were  wronderful  specimens  of  engineering  skill,  and  still  more  wonderful  samples 
of  bad  investments.  It  was  common  to  see  flumes  100  and  200  feet  high,  and 
there  is  one  now  standing  near  Big  Oak  Flat,  in  Tuolumne  county,  256  feet  high. 
These  high  flumes  are  very  costly,  and  are  frequently  blown  down.  The  water 
could,  in  most  cases,  have  been  conveyed  in  iron  pipe,  which  is  much  cheaper, 
and  far  more  durable,  and  in  many  instances  it  could  be  and  has  been  conveyed 
in  ditches,  constructed  at  small  cost  round  the  head  of  a  ravine.  As  the  yield 
of  the  mines  decreased,  the  charge  fo»  water  became  onerous,  and  the  miners  formed 
combinations  to  compel  a  reduction  of  rates,  and  these  strikes  were  accompanied 
sometimes  by  malicious  injuries  to  ditches  and  flumes. 

UNPROFITABLE  INVESTMENTS. — The  big  ditches,  almost  without  exception, 
proved  unprofitable.  Some  of  them  have  paid  more  than  their  cost,  but  not  near 
so  much  as  the  same  money  would  have  paid  at  the  current  rates  of  interest.  It 
is  estimated  by  competent  men  that  not  less  than  $20,000,000  have  been  invested 
in  the  mining  ditches  of  California,  and  that  their  present  cash  value  is  not  more 
than  $2,000,000.  In  many  cases  they  broke  the  men  who  undertook  them.  Most 
qf  them  have  been  sold  by  the  sheriff',  some  of  them  several  times  over ;  breaking 
the  first  purchaser,  as  well  as  the  builders.  Bean's  "  History  of  Nevada  County," 
speaking  of  the  South  Yuba  ditch  as  a  remarkable  work,  says :  "  While  nearly  all 
the  canal  enterprises  of  the  country  have  passed  from  the  control  of  the  men  who 
conceived  and  executed  them,  the  South  Yuba  canal  remains  a  triumph,  as  well  of 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  181 

the  engineering  as  of  the  financial  ability  of  its  managers,  still  remaining  in 
possession  of  the  fathers  of  the  enterprise,  and  owned  without  an  incumbrancc  or 
enemy,  all  the  men  who  assisted  in  any  degree  in  the  construction  of  the  works 
having  long  ago  been  paid  to  the  uttermost  farthing." 

DECLINE  IN  VALUE. — There  is  a  steady  decline  in  the  value  of  the  ditches, 
as  there  is  a  steady  decrease  in  the  yield  of  the  placer  mines,  which  consume 
nine-tenths  of  the  water.  The  Truckee  ditch,  which  was  completed  in  1858,  at 
a  cost  of  $1,000,000,  to  supply  the  towns  on  the  Blue  lead,  near  the  southern 
border  of  Sierra  county,  has  gone  to  rain.  Forty  miles  of  the  new  ditch,  at 
Columbia,  have  been  abandoned,  and  11  miles  of  the  Amador  ditch  are  abandoned. 
Besides  these  costly  main  trunks  of  large  canals  there  are  hundreds  of  miles  of 
branches,  each  large  enough  to  carry  100  inches  or  more,  that  once  supplied 
water  to  thousands  of  miners,  who  have  now  left  their  camp,  and  the  ditches  are 
dry  and  broken.  The  Mokclumne  Hill  Ditch  Company  is  now  constructing  a 
branch  ditch  to  Cat  Camp ;  the  Sears  Union  Ditch  Company,  in  Sierra  county, 
are  constructing  a  branch  to  Poverty  Hill  and  Scales's  Diggings,  and  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  South  Fork  canal,  in  Eldorado  county,  is  talking  of  building  a 
new  ditch,  to  be  50  miles  long,  and  to  carry  5,000  inches  of  water ;  but  it  is 
probable  that  more  miles  will  be  abandoned  during  the  next  three  or  four  years 
than  will  be  built.  The  receipts  of  the  Bear  river  and  Auburn  canal  show  a 
steady  decline  from  $90,000  in  1863  to  $40,000  in  1866.  One  of  the  best-informed 
ditch  miners  in  Tuolumne  says  that  the  receipts  of  the  ditches  in  that  county 
decrease  six  per  cent,  every  year  on  an  average,  while  there  is  no  correspondent 
decrease  of  expenditures.  The  decrease  in  the  State  generally  is  probably  not 
less  than  10  per  cent. 

THE  SUPPLY  OF  WATEH  EXCEEDING  THE  DEMAND. — Many  of  the  companies 
are  seriously  troubled  by  inability  to  sell  all  their  water,  and  some  have  commenced 
to  buy  up  mining  ground  to  wash  on  their  own  account.  It  not  unfrequently 
happens  that  miners  finding  their  claims  will  not  pay,  after  having  run  in  debt 
to  the  water  company,  transfer  their  claims  in  payment,  and  the  company,  by 
hiring  Chinamen,  and  requiring  the  ditch  tenders  to  devote  their  spare  hours  to 
the  labor  of  superintendence,  and  using  water  for  which  there  is  no  sale,  manage 
to  make  a  good  profit  where  the  original  claim  owners  could  make  none. 

SMALL  DITCHES. — Although  the  large  ditches,  as  a  class,  are  unprofitable, 
many  of  the  small  ones  pay  very  well.  The  minor  ditches  are  short,  constructed 
on  favorable  ground,  have  no  high  flumes  to  be  blown  down  by  £ie  wind,  or  to  be 
broken  by  the  snow,  or  swept  away  by  avalanches,  and  not  unfrequently  they 
pick  up  water  that  escapes  from  a  ditch  higher  up,  so  they  avoid  many  of  the 
most  serious  expenses  of  the  larger  ditches.  They  usually  run  dry  easily  in  the 
summer,  and  supply  single  claims  or  little  camps  of  no  note,  and  so  they  are 
relatively  of  little  importance  to  the  mining  industry  of  the  country. 

FLUMES. — Flumes  arc  usually  made  with  boards,  an  inch  and  a  half  thick  for 
the  bottom,  and  an  inch  and  a  quarter  for  the  sides.  At  intervals  of  two  and  a 
half  feet  there  is  a  support  for  the  flume  box,  consisting  of  a  sill,  posts,  and  cap. 
The  sills  are  four  inches  square;  the  posts  three  by  four  inches,  and  the  caps  one 
and  a  half  by  four  inches.  To  erect  a  flume  25  feet  high,  costs  about  twice  as 
much  as  to  lay  one  on  the  level  of  the  ground,  and  at  60  feet  it  costs  four  times 
as  much.  The  annual  repair  of  a  flume  is  about  one-eighth  of  its  original  cost, 
in  favorable  circumstances.  If  the  flume  is  left  dry  several  months,  the^repairs 
may  be  more,  for  the  sun  warps  and  splits  the  boards,  and  draws  the  nails.  A 
flume  box,  40  inches  wide  by  20  inches  deep,  with  a  grade  of  13  feet  to  the  mile, 
will  carry  about  800  inches,  and  such  a  flume  built  on  the  surface  of  the  ground 
will  cost  now  at  the  rate  of  $4,000  per  mile,  near  a  saw-mill.  The  boards  are 
put  in  the  flume  rough,  but  are  always  battened,  and  sometimes  caulked.  The 
cheapest  flume  costs  twice  as  much  as  the  cheapest  ditch  of  the  same  capacity,  and 
the  repairs  of  a  flume  cost  00  per  cent,  more  than  those  of  a  ditch.  The  duration 


182  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

of  a  high  flume  is  on  an  average  about  six  years,  and  of  a  low  one  8  or  10. 
For  the  first  two  or  three  years  after  the  construction  of  a  ditch  there  is  much 
trouble  from  gopher  holes  and  slides. 

The  flumes  in  the  highest  portions  of  the  Sierra,  and  especially  about  Tlowland 
Flat  and  La  Porte  are  much  troubled  by  the  snow,  and  much  labor  is  spent 
on  them  every  winter.  The  weight  of  the  snow  is  so  great  that  after  every  snow- 
storm, or  while  it  is  in  progress,  a  man  must  go  along  and  clear  the  flume  with 
a  shovel.  In  cases  where  the  flume  is  on  a  hill-side  it  is  necessary  to  shovel 
away  the  snow  from  the  upper  side  of  the  flume,  for  the  mass  moves  down  hill 
with  tremendous  weight,  though  with  very  slow  motion,  and  no  flume  could 
resist  it. 

IRON  PIPE. — The  use  of  iron  pipe  in  the  form  of  an  inverted  siphon,  instead 
of  high  flume,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  water  across  ravines,  lias  been  a  great 
improvement  and  saving  in  the  ditch  business.  Near  Placerville,  water  is  carried 
across  a  depression  190  feet,  and  1,600  feet  long,  in  a  pipe  that  cost  $900,  whereas 
a  flume  would  have  cost  825,000.  Not  only  is  it  cheaper,  but  it  can  be  used  where 
fluming  is  peculiarly  impossible,  as  in  crossing  ravines  400  feet  deep. 

The  sheet-iron  used  in  making  pipe  comes  in  sheets  two  feet  wide  and  six  feet 
long.  The  common  sizes  of  pipe  are  7  inches  and  11  inches  in  diameter,  made 
in  joints  two  feet  long.  A  sheet  makes  two  joints  of  11-inch  pipe,  and  three  of 
seven-inch,  and  1 1  joints  are  riveted  together  to  make^i  section  20  J  feet  long.  At 
the  end  of  each  section,  as  pipes  are  usually  made,  there  is  an  ear  or  hook  riveted 
on  each  side,  and  when  the  foot  of  one  section  is  thrust  into  the  head  of  another, 
a  wire  is  wrapped  round  the  opposite  ears  or  hooks  to  tie  the  sections  together.  In 
case  the  pipe  is  laid  on  a  hill-side  running  down,  each  section  is  tied  at  the  head 
to  a  post  to  keep  it  in  place ;  and  the  post  may  be  supported  by  a  board  placed 
edgewise  and  crosswise  in  the  ground.  About  an  inch  and  a  half  of  space  is 
allowed  for  the  lap  at  the  end  of  the  sections.  The  ends  need  to  be  made  with 
precision,  so  that  they  will  be  water-tight,  without  packing.  The  pipe  should 
be  put  together  in  a  straight  line,  and  the  sections  should  be  driven  together 
with  a  sledge-hammer,  striking  a  board  laid  across  the  end  of  the  section.  The 
pipe  needs  to  be  coated  with  tar  to  preserve  it,  and  if  very  large  it  may  be  coated 
inside  as  well  as  out. 

The  cost  of  11-inch  pipe  made  of  No.  20  iron  is  about  75  cents  per  foot.  The 
thickness  of  the  iron  depends  upon  the  amount  of  pressure  and  the  size  of  the 
pipe.  The  larger  the  pipe  the  thicker  the  iron  should  be.  The  pressure  at  190 
feet  is  88  pounds  per  square  inch,  and  No.  20  iron  is  strong  enough  for  that,  if 
the  pipe  be  not  more  than  11  inches  in  diameter. 

The  capacity  of  an  inverted  siphon  depends  mainly  on  the  three  elements  of 
diameter,  head  and  depression.  The  deeper  the  depression  the  greater  the  friction 
and  the  slower  the  current.  A  straight  pipe  11  inches  in  diameter  will  carry 
five  times  as  much  water  as  an  inverted  siphon  of  the  same  size  and  head  with 
a  depression  of  200  feet. 

DITCH  LAW. — The  rules  of  the  common  law  relative  to  the  rights  to  water 
were  unsuited  to  the  wants  of  California,  and  therefore  the  courts  have,  by  their 
decision,  established  a  new  code,  which  was  original  here.  Among  the  principles 
of  the  California  water  code  are  the  following : 

The  water  of  a  stream  may  be  led  away  from  its  natural  bed  and  never  returned. 

Water  becomes  the  property  of  the  first  claimant ;  but  it  becomes  his  property 
only  for  the  purpose  for  which  he  claims  it,  and  to  the  amount  which  ho  appro- 
priates. 

The  holder  of  a  claim  has  a  right  to  use  the  water  without  any  obstruction 
from  later  claimants,  who  may,  nevertheless,  use  the  water,  if  they  return  it  clear 
and  uninjured  above  the  point  where  the  first  claimant  takes  it. 

If  a  miner  after  claiming  and  using  water  abandons  it,  and  allows  it  to  ran 
into  a  channel  claimed  by  another,  the  latter  becomes  the  owner. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  183 

If  a  ditch  is  cut  for  drainage  alone,  another  may  claim  the  water  for  minhijj. 

When  the  waters  of  an  artificial  ditch  are  turned  into  a  natural  stream  with 
the  intention  of  taking  out  the  same  amount  at  a  lower  point  on  the  stream,  they 
may  be  so  taken  out, 'though  the  stream  had  already  been  claimed  by  another  title. 

No  person  has  a  right  to  take  the  water  from  the  bed  of  a  stream  in  which 
there  is  a  prior  mining  claim  that  cannot  be  worked  without  the  water. 

Section  9  of  the  act  of  Congress  of  August,  1866,  relative  to  ditch  companies, 
makes  a  material  change  in  the  rights  of  ditch  companies.  It  provides: 

That  wherever,  by  priority  of  possession,  rights  to  the  use  of  water  for  mining,  agricultural, 
manufacturing,  or  other  purposes,  have  vested  and  accrued,  and  the  same  are  recognized  and 
acknowledged  by  the  local  customs,  laws,  and  the  decisions  of  courts,  the  possessors  and 
owners  of  such  vested  rights  shall  be  maintained  and  protected  in  the  same;  and  the  right 
of  way  for  the  construction  of  ditches  and  canals  for  the  purposes  aforesaid  is  hereby  acknowl- 
edged and  confirmed :  Provided,  however,  That  whenever,  after  the  passage  of  this  act,  any 
person  or  persons  shall,  in  the  construction  of  any  ditch  or  canal,  injure  or  damage  the  posses- 
sions of  any  settler  on  the  public  domain,  the  party  committing  such  injury  or  damage  shall 
be  liable  to  the  party  injured  for  such  injury  or  damage. 

Under  this  act  a  ditch  company  acquires  a  title  to  the  land  on  which  the  ditch 
is  made,  and  to  as  much  more  on  each  side  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  safety 
or  business  of  the  ditch.  The  company  has,  beside,  the  right  to  run  a  ditch  over 
mining  claims  and  farms  on  the  public  domain,  on  the  payment  of  the  actual 
damage  done.  Previous  to  the  passage  of  this  act,  if  a  ditch  was  located  over 
a  mining  claim  of  prior  date,  the  miner  had  a  right  to  wash  away  all  his  ground, 
and  if  the  ditch  was  damaged  the  ditch  company  had  to  bear  the  loss;  but  undei 
the  new  law7  the  ditch  company  has  a  better  title  than  the  mining  claims  of  prior 
location ;  and  if  the  miner  washes  away  the  ditch  or  injures  it,  he  becomes  respon- 
sible for  the  damage. 

CONFLICT  BETWEEN  DITCHERS  AND  MINERS. — The  first  conflict  or  case 
under  the  law  arose  at  Gold  Run,  in  Placer  county,  where  fchere  was  a  large 
extent  of  ground  suitable  for  hydraulic  washing,  but  it  remained  long  inaccessible/ 
for  want  of  w:ater  or  of  outlet.  Several  ditch  companies  ran  their  ditches  ovei 
mining  claims,  and  the  miners  notified  the  ditch  companies  that  the  ground  there 
would,  after  a  time,  be  washed  away.  The  ditch  companies  replied  that  they 
recognized  the  prior  right  of  the  miners  and  would  move  the  ditches  at  their  own 
expense  when  the  washing  should  get  near  to  the  line.  Before  that  time  came, 
the  act  of  1866  was  passed  giving  to  the  ditch  companies  superior  rights.  Early 
in  this  year  one  of  the  miners,  over  whose  claim  several  ditches  ran,  notified  the 
companies  that  he  was  rapidly  approaching  their  lines  with  his  pipe,  and  the  bank 
would  soon  be  wrashed  away.  One  company  replied  that  they  would  move  at 
their  own  expense;  another  gave  him  notice  not  to  come  within  50  feet,  or  they 
would  hold  him  responsible  for  all  damage  done.  He  has  been  compelled  to 
stop  because  his  profits  would  not  have  been  large  enough  to  cover  the  damage. 

PROPOSED  GRANT  or  LAND  ALONG  DITCHES. — The  ditch  companies  have 
solicited  from  Congress  a  grant  of  at  least  100  feet  on  each  side  of  their  lines; 
and  their  wish  upon  this  point  deserves  attentive  consideration.  If  such  a  grant, 
at  least  along  the  main  trunks  where  not  less  than  500  inches  of  water  are  carried 
for  six  months  in  the  year  without  disturbing  the  claims  of  miners  located  pre- 
vious to  the  location  of  the  ditch,  would  encourage  the  construction  of  new  ditches, 
or  would  irivo  longer  life  or  greater  size  to  those  now  in  existence,  it  would  be 
politic.  These  companies,  by  whose  assistance  $700,000,000  have  been  taken 
from  the  ground,  at  a  loss  of  $10,000,000  to  themselves,  deserve  to  receive  some 
favors,  which  will  cost  nothing  to  the  government,  do  no  injustice  to  individual 
mines,  and  increase  or  keep  up  the  supply  of  water. 

Before  the  passage  of  the  act  of  1866,  granting  the  right  of  way  to  the  ditches, 
the  Pacific  Railroad  act  had  been  passed,  giving  to  that  road  alternate  sections 
of  public  laud  for  a  width  of  five  miles  on  each  side  of  the  line,  and  thus  the 
Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company  has  become  the  owner  of  many  miles  of 


184  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

ditch  belonging  to  different  companies  along  its  line ;  and  although  it  has  not 
seen  fit  to  demand  anything  from  them,  still  it  is  very  unpleasant  to  the  ditch 
companies  to  know  that  they  are  at  the  mercy  of  another  association  of  later 
date.  The  act  of  1866  giving  a  right  of  way  for  the  ditch  companies  secures 
them  against  losing  their  lines  by  future  railroad  grants,  but  it  leaves  them  sub- 
ject to  fears  that  the  land  immediately  alongside  may  be  taken  in  such  a  way 
as  to  prevent  changes  and  improvements  that  might  be  required.  In  some 
places  where  there  are  high  flumes  a  strip  100  feet  on  each  side  of  the  line  would 
not  be  too  much  to  be  granted  to  the  ditch  companies  j  but  in  those  places  where 
there  is  a  plain  ditch  or  iron  pipe  on  a  plain  surface,  there  would  seem  to  be 
no  good  reason  for  granting  more  than  room  enough  to  drive  a  wagon  along. 

MEASUREMENT  OF  WATER. — Water  is  sold  by  the  inch,  and  usually  an 
inch  is  the  amount  which  escapes  through  an  orifice  an  inch  square,  with  the 
water  six  inches  deep  above  the  top  of  the  orifice.  That  is  called  a  six-inch 
pressure.  If  a  large  quantity  is  sold,  the  orifice  may  be  two  or  three  inches 
high.  The  mode  of  measurement,  however,  is  not  uniform.  In  some  places 
the  pressure  is  nine  or  ten  inches  5  in  others  there  is  no  pressure  but  the  quantity 
that  escapes  through  an  orifice  an  inch  wide,  and  three  inches  high,  without 
pressure,  is  called  an  inch. 

In  calculations  made  by  machinists  it  is  often  necessary  to  use  the  term  "an 
inch  of  water,"  and  by  common  consent  that  phrase  is  accepted  now  to  mean 
a  supply  of  4.032  cubic  inches,  or  145.86-100  pounds  per  minute  5  3,360^  cubic 
feet,  10,656  gallons  in  24  hours  j  and  1,226,400  cubic  feet,  30,410  tons  of  40 
cubic  feet  each,  or  6,020,540  gallons  in  365  days  of  24  hours  each.  If  an  inch 
of  water  pass  200  feet  fall  it  supplies  an  amount  of  power  about  one-tenth  less 
than  one-horse  power. 

At  the  last  session  of  the  legislature  of  California  a  bill  was  introduced  to 
provide  that  "  where  the  question  shall  be  involved  as  to  the  quantity  of  running 
water  sold,  purchased,  delivered,  or  used,  and  described  by  "  miner's  inch,"  it 
shall  be  held  and  declared  that  a  'miner's  inch'  of  water  shall  consist  of  two 
and  one-third  cubic  feet  of  water  passing  a  given  point  in  one  minute  of  time,  or 
seven  and  -^Vo^  gallons  of  water  passing  a  given  point  in  a  minute,  or  145T8^ 
pounds  of  water  passing  a  given  point  in  a  minute."  The  bill  was  referred  to 
the  committee  on  mines,  which  reported  a  substitute,  providing  that  "  a  legal  inch 
of  water  sold  for  mining,  agricultural,  or  other  purpose,  is  hereby  declared  to  be 
what  water  may  pass  through  an  orifice  of  one  inch  square,  through  plank  of  one 
inch  in  thickness,  with  a  pressure  of  seven  inches  measured  from  the  centre  of 
the  orifice  to  the  surface  of  the  water :  Provided,  the  water  shall  be  delivered 
from  a  box  in  which  the  water  has  no  motion  except  that  caused  by  the  flow  of 
the  water  to  be  delivered  from  that  particular  box."  Both  the  original  bill  and 
the  substitute  were  indefinitely  postponed.  The  objections  to  the  substitute  were 
that  it  might  be  as  well  to  let  the  miners  and  ditch  companies  agree  upon  their 
measurements  as  well  as  upon  their  prices,  and  that  some  companies  which  had 
long  adopted  other  modes  of  measurement  would  be  inconvenienced. 

EUREKA  LAKE  AND  YUBA  CANAL  COMPANY'S  DITCHES. — The  property  of 
this  company,  under  the  present  organization,  is  a  consolidation  of  the  ditch  and 
mining  property  formerly  owned  by  a  number  of  different  companies.  It  extends 
over  a  vast  range  of  country,  and  embraces  many  valuable  mines.  The  main 
ditches  were  constructed  during  the  years  1855  to  1859,  inclusive.  Purchases 
of  the  smaller  ditches  and  consolidation  of  the  larger  have  taken  place  at  different 
times  during  the  last  eight  years ;  that  between  the  Eureka  Lake  Water  Com- 
pany and  the  Middle  Yuba  Canal  and  Water  Company  was  on  the  1st  of  August, 
1865.  All  the  property  of  this  company  has  since  been  transferred  to  a  corpora- 
tion organized  for  the  purpose  in  the  city  of  New  York,  the  transfer  having  taken 
effect  on  the  1st  of  January,  1866.  The  following  statement  is  derived  from  the 
superintendent,  Mr.  Richard  Abbey :  Capital  stock,  $2,250,000.  The  first  cost 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  185 

of  construction  of  all  the  works  would  be  difficult  to  estimate,  but  would  prob- 
ably not  fall  far  short  of  $2,000,000.  The  cost  of  the  Eureka  Lake  Water  Com- 
pany and  Middle  Yuba  Canal  and  Water  Company's  property  was  $1,600,000; 
length  of  main  ditches  and  flumes,  100  miles;  supplemental,  60;  capacity,  5,000 
inches.  Estimated  amount  of  gold  taken  out  by  the  miners  supplied  with  water 
by  this  company  during  the  last  five  years,  $2,000,000  per  year. 

Mr.  George  Black,  civil  engineer,  thus  describes  the  district  of  country  through 
which  these  remarkable  ditches  run,  the  prevailing  systems  of  mining,  and  the 
costs  and  profits: 

The  mining  section  of  country  supplied  by  the  Middle  Yuba  canal  is  situated  in  the  north- 
west of  Nevada  county,  and  commences  at  North  San  Juan  ;  it  thence  extends,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Middle  Yuba  river,  to  its  junction  with  the  Main  Yuba ;  thence,  on  the  south- 
easterly side  of  the  Main  Yuba,  by  Sebastopol,  Manzanita  Hill,  Sweetlands,  Buckeye,  Birch- 
ville,  and  French  Corral,  a  distance  of  about  six  miles. 

At  Junction  Bluff,  a  spur  from  Manzanita  Hill,  the  Middle  and  North  Yuba  rivers  join 
together  and  flow  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  for  a  distance  of  about  eight  miles,  to  the  junc- 
tion of  the  South  Yuba,  at  Point  Defiance,  three  miles  below  French  Corral. 

From  San  Juan  to  a  point  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  Junction  Bluff,  the  north  edge 
of  the  mining  ground  is  at  a  distance  of  about  half  a  mile  from  the  river,  and  at  an  elevation 
of  about  800  feet  above  it,  having  ar  gradual  inclination  to  the  water's  edge.  From  this  point 
to  French  Corral  a  slate  ridge  of  hills  extends  between  the  northwest  side  of  the  mining 
ground  and  the  river.  On  the  south  it  is  bounded  by  a  low  ridge  of  hills,  which  extend  to 
the  South  Yuba.  Along  the  north  and  west  sides  of  these  hills,  and  in  the  intervening  val- 
leys, part  of  the  company's  main  canal  is  situated,  together  with  the  branches  and  reservoirs 
belonging  to  it. 

The  mining  ground  from  San  Juan  to  French  Corral  is  composed  of  a  succession  of  gently 
rounded  gravel  hills,  in  length  from  one  mile  to  one  mile  and  a  half  each,  separated  by  ravines ; 
the  width  is  more  contrasted  in  some  places  than  in  others ;  on  an  average,  it  may  be  taken 
at  1,500  feet.  The  depth  along  the  centre  varies  from  150  to  200  feet,  diminishing  towards 
the  sides.  The  deposit  rests  on  a  basin-shaped  depression  in  the  bed  rock,  which  is  composed 
in  some  places  of  granite,  in  others  of  either  trap  or  transition  slate.  In  those  places  where 
the  superincumbent  gravel  has  been  washed  away  the  bed  rock  is  exposed  to  view,  and  pre- 
sents a  similar  appearance  to  that  of  the  present  river,  which  flows  several  hundred  feet 
beneath.  The  water-worn  appearance  of  the  rocks,  all  the  angles  and  projecting  points  of 
which  have  been  rounded  off,  show  very  plainly  that  at  one  time  a  powerful  current  of  water 
must  have  swept  over  them. 

The  gravel  hills  are  composed  of  layers  (in  some  places  almost  horizontal)  of  sand  and 
gravel,  intermixed  here  and  there  with  streaks  of  clay.  The  upper  layers  are  composed  of 
sand  and  fine  gravel ;  the  gravel  becomes  coarser  as  the  depth  increases.  The  lower  portion 
is  composed  of  boulders  and  gravel  cemented  together  into  a  hard  and  compact  mass,  resting 
on  the  bed  rock.  Gold  is  found  throughout  the  whole  of  this  deposit ;  the  upper  50  or  60 
feet  contain  it  only  in  very  small  quantities;  it  increases  with  the  depth,  the  lower  20  to  30 
feet  lying^  above  the  bed  rock  being  invariably  the  richest.  The  gold  is  what  is  usually 
termed  "  fine,"  being  in  very  minute  scales,  in  some  cases  almost  resembling  the  fineness  of 
dust.  Large  and  coarse  gold  is  rarely  met  with  iii  this  locality. 

********* 

Gold  mining  was  at  first  only  carried  on  in  the  beds  of  rivers  and  ravines  or  along  their 
banks,  where  coarse  gold  was  found,  with  comparatively  little  labor  or  expense  in  the  extrac- 
tion of  it.  When  these  places  were  partially  exhausted  the  attention  of  miners  was  turned 
to  deposits  such  ag  these  under  notice,  which  could  only  be  made  available  by  a  large  supply 
of  water,  brought  in  over  the  mining  ground  at  a  high  elevation.  It  was  to  attain  this  object 
that  a  number  of  miners  joined  together  in  1853  and  organized  the  Middle  Yuba  Canal  Com- 
pany, and  commenced  tho  construction  of  their  works.  When  they  were  completed,  a  new 
system  of  working  was  inaugurated  here,  by  which  water  was  made  to  replace  the  labor  of 
men.  Practical  experience  nas  since  then  proved  that  the  more  water  is  used  the  more  eco- 
nomically and  effectually  can  the  deposits  be  worked.  The  water  is  conducted  from  the  flume 
or  ditch  into  the  measuring  box,  12  to  14  feet  square,  in  the  side  of  which  openings  are  left 
two  inches  in  depth,  and  extending  along  all  the  sides.  The  water  is  allowed  to  attain  a 
depth  of  six  inches  above  the  centre  of  these  orifices.  The  measurements  are  made  accord- 
ing to  the  sectional  area  through  which  the  water  flows  ;  for  instance,  20  inches  in  length  by 
2  inches  in  depth  is  called  40  inches  in  miners'  measurement ;  50x2=100,  and  so  on.  The 
discharge  is  regulated  according  to  the  demand,  and  is  allowed  to  flow  during  a  working  day 
of  JO  hours  A  cubic  foot,  or  7. 41)  U.  S.  gallons,  equals  38  miners'  inches. 

Tho  water  from  the  main  canal,  or  from  the  reservoir,  is  carried  over  high  flumes  and  in 
branch  ditches  to  the  different  hills,  where  measuring  boxes  are  fixed  to  receive  it;  from  these 
boxes  it  flows  through  pipes  to  the  different  companies  at  work.  The  main  pipes  at  present 


186  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

used  arc  made  of  sheet  iron  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  firmly  riveted  together; 
(8,000  feet  of  pipe  are  in  use  on  the  different  hills. )  The  lengths  are  usually  about  12  feet ;  the 
diameter  from  11  to  18  inches.  The  main  pipe  is  connected  to  a  cast-iron  box.  placed  as  low 
down  as  circumstances  will  admit ;  to  this  box  pipes  of  a  lesser  diameter  are  attached,  at 
different  sides,  so  that  the  water  can  be  thrown  on  different  points.  At  the  extremities  of 
these  pipes  flexible  tubes  are  fixed,  to  which  are  attached  nozzles  with  metallic  ends.  The 
diameter  of  their  orifices  is  two  to  three  inches.  The  nozzles  are  pointed  against  the  bank 
which  has  to  be  removed.  The  water  used  varies  from  200  to  1,000  inches  ;  1,000  inches, 
miners'  measurement,  equals  26£  cubic  feet,  or  197  U.  S.  gallons ;  in  weight,  1,630  pounds ; 
being  a  constant  discharge,  under  pressures  varying  from  140  to  200  feet.  This  colossal 
force  brought  to  bear  against  the  banks  cuts  and  breaks  them  away  to  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  bed  rock.  Blasting  is  resorted  to  to  break  up  the  cemented  gravel ;  sometimes  long  drills 
and  sand  blasts  are  used,  with  only  a  small  quantity  of  powder.  Where  the  crust  to  be 
removed  is  too  thick  for  this  a  drift  is  run  in  a  little  further  than  the  height  of  the  bank,  and 
from  1  to  20  kegs  of  powder  are  used,  according  to  the  depth  of  the  bank  to  be  lifted. 

In  the  centre  of  the  hills  the  hard  gravel  is  generally  from  20  to  50  feet  in  depth.  A  drift 
is  run  in  on  the  bed  rock,  and  from  50  to  175  kegs  of  powder  are  used  at  one  blast. 

Some  miners  think  it  more  economical  and  profitable  to  drift.  They  construct  parallel 
tunnels  100  feet  apart  on  the  bed  rock,  six  to  seven  feet  in  height,  running  into  the  cliffs, 
and  connect  them  together  with  cross-drifts.  The  connecting  walls  are  washed  away  by 
hydraulic  power,  which  causes  the  entire  cliff  to  settle  down  and  break  to  pieces  in  its  fall. 
The  water  is  then  brought  to  bear  on  this  mass  with  such  force  that  it  sweeps  everything 
away  through  tunnels  constructed  in  the  bed  rock.  Timber  sluices  are  laid  through  these 
tunnels,  varying  in  width  from  two  and  a  half  to  four  feet,  and  18  inches  in  depth.  The 
grade  is  usually  1  foot  in  15.  Two  sluices  are  sometimes  used  in  the  same  tunnel  by  different 
companies,  from  two  to  two  and  a  half  feet  in  width  each.  Larger  sluices  and  heads  of 
water,  with  a  smaller  grade,  seem  latterly  to  be  preferred  as  more  efficient, 

Several  methods  are  in  use  for  the  effectual  saving  of  the  gold.  In  some  places  the  bottoms 
of  the  sluices  are  paved  with  rounded  stones  of  oblong  shape,  the  lesser  diameter  being  about 
three  inches.  The  gold,  as  it  is  carried  along,  is  deposited  in  the  interstices  between  them. 
A  "  clean  up  "  is  made  in  every  10  or  20  days.  In  other  places  blocks  are  used,  sawn  across 
the  grain,  and  about  two  feet  square  and  six  inches  in  depth ;  a  ba  ten  two  inches  wide  and 
two  inches  in  depth  is  placed  between  them  across  tho  flume,  which  forms  a  hollow  of  four 
inches  in  every  two  feet ;  in  these  crevices  the  gold  is  deposited.  These  blocks,  of  course, 
wear  out  very  rapidly,  and  have,  about  once  in  every  two  months,  to  be  replaced.  The 
velocity  of  the  water  is  so  great  that  rocks  weighing  from  100  to  150  pounds  are  often  carried 
along  by  the  current  through  the  tunnels.  The  entire  mass  is  precipitated  over  falls  from  12 
to  20  feet  in  height,  which  breaks  up  the  boulders  and  cement ;  the  fragments  are  taken  up 
anew  by  other  sluices,  again  precipitated  over  falls,  which  operation  is  repeated  several  times 
before  the  river  is  reached,  several  hundred  feet  below.  In  several  places  under-current 
sluices  are  used.  At  the  end  of  and  in  the  bottom  of  the  last  sluice-box  a  grating  is  con- 
structed of  iron  bars,  through  which  a  portion  of  the  fine  gravel,  clay,  sand,  and  water  is 
separated  from  the  larger  particles,  and  drops  into  a  set  of  more  gently-graded  sluices  under- 
neath, varying  in  width  from  six  to  eight  feet,  through  which  they  are  carried  off  by  the  cur- 
rent in  one  direction,  while  the  main  body  of  gravel  and  boulders  is  dashed  over  the  falls,  to 
be  again  taken  up  by  other  sluices,  along  with  the  tailings  from  the  under  current,  and  sub- 
jected anew  to  the  same  operation,  which  is  thus  repeated  several  times  before  the  river  is 
reached. 

To  show  the  enormous  advantages  gained  by  the  present  system  of  working,  compared 
with  those  formerly  in  use,  I  may  add  that,  taking  a  miner's  wages  at  $4  per  day,  the  cost 
of  extraction  of  a  cubic  yard  of  deposit  will  be  as  follows : 

With  the  pan $20  00 

With  the  rocker 5  00 

With  theLongTom 1  0 

While  with  the  powerful  means  now  employed  it  is  only 

A  considerably  greater  quantity  of  gold  is  retained  by  this  operation  than  by  any  other 
hitherto  employed.  Quicksilver  is  used  more  by  some'  miners  than  by  others,  distributed 
through  their  sluices  so  as  to  form  an  amalgam  with  the  gold.  They  have  no  fixed  rule  to 
guide  them  in  its  use. 

The  works  of  the  Middle  Yuba  Canal  Company  were  commenced  by  the  construction  of  a 
small  ditch  from  Grizzly  canon  (a  small  stream  which  falls  into  the  Middle  Yuba)  to  San 
Juan.  The  water  supply  not  being  sufficient,  the  ditch  was  enlarged  in  1855  to  its  present 
size,  while  the  works  were  extended  from  Grizzly  canon  to  the  river,  across  which  a  small 
dam  was  built.  It  is  situated  about  three  miles  below  Moore's  Flat,  the  latter  place  being, 
in  altitude,  about  1,500  feet  above  it.  The  distance  from  the  dam  to  San  Juan  is  22  miles, 
and  four  miles  further  to  the  termination  of  the  main  canal,  at  the  Sweetlands  creek  reser- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


187 


t'our  receiving-  reservoirs  hold  the  water  which  flows  at  night  and  on  Sundays 

San  Juan  reservoir,  having  a  capacity  of  discharge  of    2,300  inches. 

Manzanita  Hill  reservoir,  having  a  capacity  of  discharge  of 2,000       " 

Northrup  reservoir,  having  a  capacity  of  discharge  of 2,500      " 

Garden  reservoir,  having  a  capacity  of  discharge  of 2,000      " 

Total ..  8,800      " 


The  various  hills  are  supplied  either  by  branch  ditches  from  these  reservoirs,  or  directly 
from  the  main  canal. 

The  branch  ditches  are  connected  with  high  flumes  which  span  the  low  ground  intervening 
between  the  ridge  and  the  mining  ground.  At  San  Juan  a  high  flume  connects  with  the 
main  canal. 

The  length  and  greatest  height  of  these  flumes  are  as  follows  : 


Length. 

Height. 

San  Juan  aqueduct  ......      ....................   ..  ..           .... 

Feet. 
1  200 

Feet. 

48 

Mazanita  Hill  aqueduct    "                                         ... 

2  000 

54 

Buckeye  Hill  aqueduct     ..   . 

400 

3.5 

Birchville  Hill 

1  000 

40 

The  aggregate  length  of  the  branch  ditches  is  about  12  miles. 

The  dimensions  of  the  excavated  part  of  the  main  canal  is  as  follows :  bottom,  four  feet ; 
top,  seven  feet ;  depth,  three  feet;  the  grade  from  the  dam  to  Grizzly  canon  is  10  feet  per 
mile,  and  from  there  to  San  Juan,  12  feet  per  mile. 

The  dimensions  of  the  ditch  from  San  Juan  to  Garden  reservoir  are  :  bottom,  three  and 
one-half  feet ;  top,  six  feet ;  depth,  two  and  one-half  feet ;  grade,  12  feet  per  mile. 

The  main  flume  is  of  the  following  dimensions :  bottom,  four  feet ;  depth,  three  feet,  with 
same  grade  as  ditch. 

The  branch  ditches  are  :  bottom,  two  and  one-half  feet ;  top,  four  feet ;  depth,  two  feet ; 
grade,  12  feet  per  mile. 

The  safe  capacity  of  the  canal,  as  it  is  at  present,  is  equal  to  a  constant  stream  of  1,500 
inches  for  10  hours,  miners'  measurement,  or  3,600  for  24  hours  =  38  cubic  feet  per  second. 

The  cost  of  the  works  has  been  as  follows  : 

Construction  of  canal  from  river  to  Mazanita  Hill — $261,765  83 

Construction  of  canal  from  Mazanita  Hill  to  Birchville  Hill,  together  with  pur- 
chase from  Sweetlands,  &c 31,237  50 

Expenses  and  improvements,  to  May,  1857 70, 954  29 

San  Juan,  Mazanita,  and  Jones's  reservoirs 18,099  29 

Purchase  of  Grizzly  Company's  works,  at  San  Juan 10,000  00 

Purchase  of  Pollard's,  at  Buckeye  Hill 1,500  00 

Saudy  creek  extension 3,625  00 

Total  cost  to  June,  1858...    397,201  91 


Water  sales,  receipts  and  expenses  of  the  Middle  Yuba  Canal  Company,  from  Jan- 
uary 20,  1856,  to  July  1,  1864. 


Sales. 

Receipts. 

tTanuary 

20   1856  to  December  1    1857          

$164,834  45 

$142,615  48 

Dec6mbc 

167,113  58 

148,689  74 

172,  432  54 

144,  375  39 

378,  940  78 

369,577  81 

123,  153  80 

109,  480  87 

January 

1,  1864,  to  July  1,  1864  

68,726  01 

62,283  43 

1,075,201  16 

968,  022  72 

Expended  in  construction  of  extension  ditches,  reservoirs,  and  other  improvements,  and 
working  expenses  in  three  years,  ending  January  1,  Ib63,  $132,535  70. 


188 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


Statement  of  water  sales,  receipts  and  expenses  from  January  1,  1863,  to  June 

30,  1864. 


Date. 

Sales. 

Receipts. 

Working  expenses. 

Officers  and  water 
agents'  salaries. 

Ditch  tenders'  wages. 

Wages  for  repairs  and 
improvements. 

Lumber  and  nails. 

Sundry  expenses. 

Total  expenses. 

186-J. 

$10,  819  40 
7,  497  20 
11,  522  40 
10,  998  00 
14,  124  CO 
10,  333  80 
8,  352  30 
12,941  20 
20,  144  30 
10,351  60 
5,  926  20 
10,  142  80 

11,  Oil  80 
7,  863  20 
10,200  60 
16,  165  30 
10,  666  45 
12,818  66 

$9,  204  04 
8,  358  76 
6.981  96 
7,  963  02 
6,  077  40 
9,  358  70 
6,  198  93 
7,  895  48 
8,  159  41 
8,  900  45 
9,  025  66 
12,  347  06 

10,  615  92 
5,  678  24 
5,  955  87 
22,  882  05 
8,  429  63 
8,  721  72 

$650 
650 
600 
625 
650 
600 
650 
650 
550 
575 
650 
615 

650 
650 
650 
650 
625 
650 

$700  00 
700  00 
700  00 
625  00 
607  00 
535  00 
457  50 
415  00 
415  00 
700  00 
415  00 
415  00 

415  00 
415  00 
405  00 
405  00 
405  00 
405  00 

$242  75 
2)2  50 
243  87 
130  75 
467  63 
226  75 
97  31 
334  65 
69  00 
7  50 
267  63 
52  00 

247  77 
710  62 
539  62 
234  80 
157  74 
87  75 

$915  46 
48  04 
5  61 
81  87 
69  72 
20  75 
164  40 
745  75 
102  17 
30  75 
567  48 
44  30 

113  76 
169  05 
29  06 
250  64 
69  28 
169  57 

$34  25 
114  00 
8  00 
39  50 

$2,  542  46 
1,724  54 
1,  557  48 
1,  502  12 
1,  794  35 
1,  382  50 
1,  545  46 
2,  209  40 
1,588  67 
1,  333  25 
5,  980  29 
1,  128  30 

1,  836  25 
2,  400  57 
1,  633  43 
1,512  44 
1,  308  52 
1,  435  07 

February  

April 

S*av 

June   .-  

J-jlv 

176  25 
64  00 
452  50 
20  00 
4,  280  18 
2  00 

409  72 
515  90 
9  75 
2  00 
51  50 
122  75 

August  .  

October  

December  

1864. 
January  .  ...... 

March  

A  pril 

Hay    .  . 

June  

Total  

191,  879  81 

162,  764  30 

11,  340 

9,  134  50 

4,  330  64 

3,  397  66 

6,  302  20 

34,  505  10 

The  expense  of  $5,980  29,  in  November,  1863,  includes  State  and  county  taxes. 
It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  statements  that  the  actual  receipts  for  the  sales  of  water, 
from  1856  to  July  1, 1864,  a  period  of  eight  and  one- half  years,  have  amounted  to  $968, 022  72. 

The  receipts  from  January  1,  1860,  to  January  1,  1863,  (three  years,)  have 

amounted  to .* $369,577  81 

While  the  expenses  have  been 132, 535  00 

Net  receipts 237,042  81 

And  the  receipts  from  January  1, 1863,  to  July  1, 1864,  (one  and  one-half  year, ) 

have  amounted  to $162,764  30 

Expenses 34,505  10 

Net  receipts 128,259  20 


In  addition  to  the  supply  derived  from  the  Middle  Yuba,  the  canal  also  receives  part  of  the 
water  from  the  reservoir  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  Lake  Company,  which,  after  being  used  on 
American  Hill,  Chips,  Alleghany,  and  Minesota,  falls  into  the  river  or  its  branches,  and 
fl  ws  from  thence  into  the  flume 

In  like  manner  the  water  in  Eureka  Lake  Company's  reservoir,  after  being  used  at  Snow 
Point,  Moore's,  Orleans,  Woolsey's  Flats,  and  at  other  points  along  the  north  side  of  the 
ridge,  falls  into  the  river,  and  also  flows  into  the  flume. 

Very  extensive  mining  operations  have  been  carried  on  for  some  years  on  this  section. 
Tunnels,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  thousands  of  feet  in  length,  have  been  driven  through 
the  bed  rock  to  insure  the  fall  necessary  for  the  sluices.  These  tunnels  have  cost  from  $15 
to  $25  per  foot  run  :  some  have  taken  years  to  complete,  while  others  are  still  in  course  of 
construction. 

SAN  JUAN  HILL.— The  Eureka  Claim  embraces  80  claims  of  180  feet  by  80  feet — conse- 
quently an  area  of  26|  acres.  The  depth  of  the  gold-bearing  deposit  is  100  feet  to  175  feet.  The 
north  edge  of  the  granite  basin  on  which  it  rests  is  at  an  elevation  of  850  feet  over  the  Middle 
Yuba,  which  flows  beneath.  500  to  1,000  inches  of  water  per  day,  supplied  by  the  Eureka 
Lake  Company,  are  used  through  three  iron  pipes  12  inches  to  14  inches  in  diameter. 

Upwards  of  five  years— from  August,  1855,  to  October,  1860— were  taken  to  construct  a 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  189 

tunnel  so  that  the  gravel  could  be  worked  to  the  bed  rock.     The  expenses  incurred  before  a 
dividend  was  declared  were  $142,000. 

The  expenses  of  working  this  claim  from  July  24,  1860,  to  December  21,  1862 two  and 

one-third  years — were  as  follows : 

Canvas  and  hose $4,654 

Purchase  of  claims 22*  800 

Witter 67,' 800 

Labor,  quicksilver,  tools,  &c 51,952 

Lowering  tunnel go'  000 

Lumber (/,  409 

Powder 20, 000 

193,600 
Proceeds  from  claims 287,200 

Net  profits 93,600 


During  the  period  of  two  and  one- third  years,  eight  months  were  lost  in  lowering  the  exist- 
ing tunnel,  so  as  to  obtain  the  requisite  fall  for  the  flumes. 

December  21,  1862,  to  April  1,  1863— three  and  one-fourth  months  : 

Expenses  for  water $11,  000 

Labor,  quicksilver,  &c 8,000 

19,000 
Proceeds  from  claims , 50,000 


Net  profits 31,000 


In  Juno,  1863,  this  company  was  regularly  incorporated,  and  the  office  established  in  San 
Francisco.     The  following  is  a  detailed  account  of  expenses  and  receipts  since  then  : 

Receipts  and  expenditures  of  the  Eureka  Gold  Mining  Company's  Claim  from  June  5,  1863, 

to  August  11,  1864. 
August  11,  1864: 

Cash,  labor  account $24,986  56 

Expense,  lumber,  candles,  coal,  merchandise,  incidentals 4,568  42 

Claims  account 602  50 

Hose 1,488  10 

Powder 9,642  17 

Water , 35,782  49 

Quicksilver 272  81 

Taxes 108  40 

Dividend  account 66,000  00 

Balance 4,07845 


147, 529  90 


August  11,  1864: 

Cash  received  from  claims  from  June  5,  1863,  to  date $147,529  90 

SAN  JUAN  HILL. 

Deadman  Cut  Mining  Claims— superficial  area,  square  feet 94. 623 

Average  depth,  feet 100 

Cubic  contents,  cubic  yards 350,455 

April  29,  J855,  to  February  4,  1859: 

Water... . $23,565  76 

Special  expense 20,017  78 

Labor..                                                                                             27,84975 


71,433  29 
Cash  received  from  claims 156,307  73 

Net  profits 84,874  44 

This  claim  was  entirely  worked  out  in  1859. 

The  average  quantity  of  gold  in  itwas,  per  cubic  yard 44 

The  total  cost  of  extracting,  including  water,  per  cubic  yard 20 


190  .RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

MANZANITA  HILL. 

McKeeby  &  Company's  Claims,  average  length  851  feet  by  315  feet,  square 

yards 28,240 

Average  depth,  feet 120 

Amount  of  gravel,  cubic  yards 1,191,  400 

Cash  received  from  claims $368, 932  78 

Construction  of  tunnel $18, 000  00 

Water 81,555  25 

Expenses 142,717  53 

Dividends  paid 126,660  00 

368,93278 


This  claim  has  been  in  operation  since  1855.  The  total  quantity  of  water  used  has  been 
339. 374  inches,  the  price  of  which  has  varied  from  50  cents  to  20  cents  per  inch.  The  aver- 
age quantity  of  gold,  30  cents  per  cubic  yard.  Cost  of  water,  7-£  cents  per  cubic  yard.  Total 
cost  of  extraction,  including  water,  20  cents.  The  shaft  sunk  from  the  surface  of  the  bed 
rock  to  the  sluice  is  169  feet  10  inches.  The  size  of  the  claims  is  180  feet  by  80,  or  one-third 
of  an  acre  in  area,  (each  company  owning  several  claims.)  The  average  quantity  of  water 
required  for  the  complete  working  of  each  has  been  18,614  inches ;  at  20  cents  per  inch, 
$3,722. 

The  Middle  Yuba  Company's  receipts  over  expenses  for  12  months  ending  July 

1,  1864 $85,506 

The  Eureka  Lake  Company's  receipts  over  expenses  for  12  months  ending  July 

],  1864,  were,  say ".  145,060 

Net  receipts 230,506 


The  safe  capacity  of  discharge  of  the  canals  of  both  companies,  being  a  constant  stream 
during  10  hours,  is  as  follows  : 

Minors'  inches. 

Eureka  Lake  canal 3,000 

Miners'  canal 750 

Other  districts 250 

4,000 

Middle  Yuba  canal \ 1,500 


5,500 

5,500  inches  for  ten  hours,  equal  for  24  hours 13,200 

20  per  cent,  deficiency  in  supply,  stoppages,  and  other  causes 2, 620 

10, 580 

Say  10,000  inches  per  day,  &c. 

********* 
In  reference  to  the  Eureka  Lake  canal,  Mr.  Black  makes  the  following  remarks: 
The  section  of  country  which  can  be  supplied  by  these  works  extends  over  a  large  portion  of 
Nevada  county,  commencing  at  the  junction  of  the  North  and  South  Yuba  rivers,  four  miles 
below  French  Corral ;  thence  it  extends  in  a  northeasterly  direction  between  these  rivers  toward 
the  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  A  main  ridge  between  these  rivers  gradual!)'  rises  from 
1,500  feet,  the  altitude  of  French  Corral  above  the  sea,  to  8,000  feet  on  the  summit.  Numer- 
ous lateral  spurs,  with  ravines  separating  them,  extend  from  the  main  ridge  on  each  side  to 
the  rivers.  In  most  cases  the  mining  ground  is  situated  on  benches  near  the  extremities  of 
these  spurs ;  in  some,  however,  it  is  situated  in  channels  between  them.  From  French  Corral 
to  Eureka,  a  distance  of  about  32  miles,  the  average  width  between  the  rivers  is  seven  miles; 
from  thence  the  width  gradually  increases  to  about  16  miles  on  the  summit  of  the  mountains. 
The  first  portion  is  that  in  which  the  mining  section  is  situated,  and  comprises  an  area  of 
about  175  square  miles.  The  area  of  the  different  places  where  gravel  deposits  have  been 
found  may  together  be  about  15  square  miles.  The  deposits  in  addition  to  those  from  French 
Corral  to  San  Juan,  already  described,  extend  on  the  north  side  of  the  ridge  by  Badger's 
Hill,  Grass  Valley,  Eurisko,  and  further  up  by  "VVoolsey's,  Moore's,  Orleans  Flat,  and  Snow 
Point  to  Eureka;  and  on  the  south  slope  of  the  ridge  from  Montezuma  to  Pleasant  Hill, 
Cherokee,  Chimney  Hill,  Columbia  Hill,  Lake  City,  Bloomfield,  Relief  Hill,  and  Mount 
Zion.  The  thickness  of  the  deposits  varies  from  60  to  200  feet,  nearly  similar  to  those  before 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


191 


described  at  San  Juan,  save  that  they  are  not  so  rich  in  gold,  and  are  more  intermixed  with 
seams  of  clay,  which  render  them  more  difficult  to  be  worked. 

From  Eureka  to  the  summit  of  the  mountains  no  deposits  have  been  found.  The  geologi- 
cal formation  is  mostly  granite  and  gneiss,  which  rise  into  high  and  rugged  peaks,  some  of 
which  attain  an  elevation  of  8,500  feet  above  the  sea.  The  Middle  and  South  Yubas,  with 
their  tributary  streams,  such  as  Canon  creek,  Pass  creek,  and  others,  take  their  rise  in  these 
mountains,  amongst  which  are  numerous  lakes  from  20  to  400  acres  in  area.  The  Canon 
Creek  lake,  situated  at  the  head  of  Canon  creek,  about  four  miles  west  of  the  summit,  is  the 
largest,  and  forms  the  company's  principal  reservoir.  A  substantial  dam  formed  of  blocks 
of  granite  has  been  erected  across  its  outlet.  The  transverse  width  at  bottom  is  120  feet,  its 
height  70  feet,  and  length  from  bank  to  bank  250  feet.  The  front  is  protected  with  two 
layers  of  2^-inch  lumber,  well  secured  to  the  face.  An  arched  sluice  is  constructed  through 
the  dam,  by  which  the  flow  of  water  is  regulated  from  the  interior.  When  full  of  water,  the 
area  of  the  reservoir  is  500  acres,  the  average  depth  of  water  42  feet,  and  its  contents 
935,000,000  cubic  feet  of  water. 

Sources  of  supply,  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the  middle  of  August,  are  derived  from  the 
mountain  streams,  which  become  swollen  from  the  rapid  melting  of  the  snow,  and  afford  a 
four  months'  plentiful  supply.  After  that  date  recourse  is  had  to  the  reservoirs. 

MINERS'   DITCH. 

Cor-t  of  purchases  of  ditches  and  water  rights $57,900 

Miners'  ditch  and  reservoirs  cost 180,000 


EUREKA  LAKE  DITCH. 


237, 900 


Cost  of  purchase  of  small  ditches,  water  rights,  &c 174,250 

Eureka  Lake  dam 35,000 

Lake  Fuucherie  dam.. 8,000 

Smaller  dams 2,000 

Magenta  and  National  aqueducts 23, 000 

Storage  reservoirs 51,000 

Iron  pipes  to  San  Juan » 12,uOO 

Main  canal  and  flume 256,000 

Saw-mill 7,000 


Management,  law  expenses,  &c.,  20  per  cent. 


806,150 
161,230 

966, 380 


The  following  is  a  list  of  the  storage  reservoirs  named  in  the  above  estimate,  with  their 
capacity  and  cost: 


Locality. 

No.  of 
reservoirs. 

Capacity 
in  inches. 

Cost. 

Eureka        

I 

50 

$300 

Snow  Point  ...                                              .... 

1 

2,500 

1,000 

Orleans                                                          .                 ... 

4 

500 

3,  000 

4 

800 

6,  000 

Woolsey's  

3 

1,000 

7,500 

ReliefHill  

1 

300 

1,500 

Bloomfield     .                                                        ...... 

3 

500 

1,500 

Lake  City                                                                     .  

2 

2,000 

5,  000 

250 

1,500 

Grizzly  Hill  

1 

100 

1,000 

3 

4,500 

15,  000 

Grizzly  Hill  

1 

4,000 

10,  000 

Cherokee      .     .....                 .         .         ...... 

2 

500 

4,000 

Lone  Kidge                                                                      .... 

1 

700 

2,  500 

2 

3,000 

10,  000 

1 

250 

1,000 

Montezuma  

2 

200 

1,000 

33 

21,  150 

71,  800 

192 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 


The  average  annual  water  sales  of  the  Eureka  Lake  Water  Company,  according  to  tho 
annexed  statements,  amount  to  $l(il,369,  over  and  above  expenses  of  management,  repairs, 
&c.  Deducting  10  per  cent,  from  this  for  bad  debts  will  leave  a  net  income  of  $145,233. 

Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  with  which  mining  operations  are  carried  on  along  tliis  ridge 
may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  since  1850  the  annual  quantity  of  gold  transmitted  to  San 
Francisco  has  amounted  to  from  $1,500,000  to  $2,000,000. 

So  great  has  been  the  quantity  of  ground  washed  away,  that  many  of  the  ravines  are  cov- 
ered with  a  depth  of  20  feet,  and  upwards  of  tailings  from  the  sluices,  composed  of  sand  and 
gravel.  The  fall,  therefore  considered  necessary  for  the  sluices,  of  one  foot  in  15,  can  only 
be  obtained  in  those  places  that  are  situated  above  the  rivers,  such  as  those  in  the  San  Juan 
district,  and  higher  up  the  ridge  at  Badger  Hill,  Grizzly  Hill,  Woolsey's,  Moore'??,  and 
Orleans  Flat. 

In  order  to  obviate  this  difficulty  of  want  of  fall,  tunnels  are  being  constructed  at  different 
points,  which  take  from  two  to  five  years  to  complete.  Some  of  those  I  visited  are  through 
granite  or  trap,  and  cost  at  the  rate  of  from  $20  to  $00  per  running  foot.  They  are  six  to 
eight  feet  in  width,  and  seven  feet  in  height ;  when  completed  a  flume  will  be  laid  through 
them  and  extended  a  long  distance  down  the  ravine.  All  the  tailings  with  which  a  ravine  is 
incumbered  will  be  carried  away  through  the  flume  by  the  current  of  water.  After  the  present 
year,  many  of  those  tunnels  now  being  constructed  will  be  finished,  when  numerous  com- 
panies will  be  enabled  to  work,  which  are  now  precluded  from  doing  so  on  account  ef  insuf- 
ficiency of  fall  in  the  creeks. 

I  annex  a  detailed  statement  of  the  localities  supplied  by  the  Eureka  Lake  Water  Com- 
pany, and  the  amounts  realized  during  one  week ;  it  is  a  fair  average  statement  of  the  weekly 
sales  during  the  year. 

Water  sales  of  the  Eureka  Lake  Water  Company  for  the  week  ending  Ju/t/5,  1862. 

Lake  City,  Grizzly  Hill,  and  Kennebec $175  00 

Snow  Point . 

Woolsey's 

Moore's 

Orlean  s 

Pleasant  Hill 

Cherokee 

Bloomfield 


62  16 
407  09 
243  84 
169  14 
32  50 
208  02 
10  50 

San  Juan 1,  305  67 

Columbia  Hill ' 853  83 

Chimney  Hill 484  35 

Relief  Hill 212  17 

Eureka 61  50 

4, 189  77 


Abstract  of  monthly  reports  by  secretary  of  the  Eureka  Lake  and  Yula  Canal  Company. 


Water  sales. 

Receipts. 

Expenses  of 
regularem- 
ploy6s. 

Expenses  of 
repairs,  &c. 

Due  for  water. 

Cash,  net  re- 
ceipts. 

1866  —  January  

$10  079  51 

$4,  856  71 

$3.  142  17 

$895  36 

$5  235  01 

25  965  33 

13  740  97 

3  107  58 

976  71 

12  242  11 

j$l  0,476  86 

March  

30  173  51 

27,  109  38 

3,  615  92 

1.019  05 

3  065  76 

22  474  41 

April 

24  866  78 

26  496  69 

3  479  15 

2  855  27 

18  946  37 

20  162  27 

May  . 

21,823  65 

17  898  09 

3,  563  49 

4  086  87 

22  871  93 

10  247  73 

27  715  34 

30  537  58 

3  575  66 

2  416  20 

20  049  69 

24  551  72 

July  .. 

23,  885  24 

14,259  98 

3  366  30 

3  802  05 

29  674  95 

7  1°8  63 

20  392  41 

19  705  42 

3  462  29 

2  740  31 

30  361  94 

13  612  47 

September  

26,  093  80 

20,  873  18 

3,358  55 

3  103  99 

35  582  36 

14  581  01 

October 

21  836  95 

95  692  60 

3  317  49 

6  966  90 

31  7°6  71 

15  945  97 

18,474  98 

17,  028  62 

3  392  99 

9  700  96 

33  173  07 

4  .366  78 

19  590  32 

21  812  66 

3  592  97 

3  059  87 

30  950  73 

15  44°  78 

270,  897  82 

240,  Oil  88 

40,954  56 

41,623  54 

158  989  23 

]gfi7  —  January...  .... 

17  615  69 

16,611  30 

3  633  74 

387  04 

22  705  36 

13  112  87 

February  

16,  989  64 

12,  995  83 

3  187  32 

1,  427  68 

26  699  17 

S  956  81 

March  

20  524  74 

17,  104  16 

3  155  96 

338  93 

30  119  75 

1°  166  89 

April 

23  027  48 

22  791  20 

3  361  01 

1  78°  76 

30  356  03 

17  647  43 

May  

19,475  72 
25  353  35 

22,375  81 
23  944  15 

3,  559  99 

3  5<it)  8^ 

3,  04U  33 
3  276  65 

27,498  gl 
29  19'}  97 

15,775  49 
17  100  68 

July  

18  138  69 

15,518  00 

3  515  49 

2,237  11 

31  813  66 

8  765  40 

25  114  14 

22  935  76 

3  463  50 

2  374  10 

33  992  64 

17  098  16 

166,239  45 

154,  276  21 

27,  443  83 

15,864  60 

110,  623  73 

WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  193 

FREXCH  CORRAL. — The  Nevada  Water  Company  was  organized  and  incor- 
porated in  New  York  in  November,  1858.  It  then  purchased  the  Shady  Creek 
and  Grizzly  ditches,  and  now  owns,  in  addition  to  these  ditches,  a  large  extent 
of  minim,'  ground.  The  Shady  Creek  ditch  was  located  in  January,  1851,  and 
the  Grizzly  ditch  in  1852.  Both  were  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  conveying 
water  from  Shady  creek  (a  tributary  of  the  Yuba  river)  to  French  Corral. 

The  Shady  Creek  ditch,  the  only  one  in  present  repair  and  use,  has  a  runnin^ 
capacity  of  about  2,500  inches,  miner's  measure.  Its  width  is  eight  feet  at  the 
top  and  six  feet  at  the  bottom,  and  its  depth  three  feet,  having  a  grade  of  about 
14  feet  per  mile.  Its  length  is  about  12  miles,  and  with  the  exception  of  some 
4,000  feet  of  fluming  is  excavated  wholly  in  earth.  The  cost  of  construction  of 
ditches  and  reservoirs  owned  by  the  Nevada  Company  has  been  about  $150,000. 
They  pass  through  Birchville  mining  district,  but  at  present  only  supply  water 
to  the  French  Corral  district.  Six  or  eight  sets  of  claims  in  this  district  besides 
the  claims  owned  wholly  or  in  part  by  the  Nevada  Company  are  supplied  from 
their  ditches. 

Another  ditch  from  Shady  creek  to  French  Corral,  built  in  1855,  at  a  cost  of 
some  $50,000,  including  reservoirs,  having  a  capacity  of  about  500  inches,  is 
owned  by  the  Empire  Tunnel  Company  of  this  place.  The  principal  claims  in 
the  French  Corral  district  arc  the  Kate  Hayes  Company,  Bird  &  Smith,  Black 
&  Brother,  Empire  Tunnel  Company,  Empire  Flat  Company,  Dockum  Company, 
French's,  Glaister's,  Burke  &  Company,  and  the  Nevada  Water  Company  claims. 

The  price  paid  for  water  is  15  cents  per  inch,  and  the  quantity  used  by  different 
companies  varies  from  200  to  1,000  inches  per  day. 

The  gold  range  of  this  district  is  a  deposit  of  washed  gravel  filling  a  well- 
defined  old  river  channel  to  the  average  depth  of  about  150  feet,  varying  in 
width  from  1,000  to  3,000  feet.  This  deposit  is  continuous  from  French  Corral 
to  San  Juan,  a  distance  of  six  miles,  broken  only  by  ravines,  but  below  French 
Corral  and  above  San  Juan  it  is  cut  off  by  the  deep  caiions  of  the  South  and 
Middle  Yuba  rivers.  This  deposit  is  composed  of  wliat  the  miners  call  blue  and 
red  dirt — the  bine  gravel  or  cement  underlying  the  red  or  gray.  Both  strata  have 
until  recently  been  worked  by  blasting  with  powder  and  washirfg  by  the  hydraulic 
process.  Hereafter  it  is  believed  that  the  blue  cement  will  be  crushed  with  greater 
profit,  besides  saving  a  larger  percentage  of  gold  lost  by  the  ordinary  washing. 

The  Empire  Tunnel  Company  have  built  and  are  running  very  successfully 
a  10-stamp  mill,  crushing  the  blue  cement.  The  American  Company,  at  Sebas- 
topol,  are  also  realizing  profits  from  their  eight-stamp  mill,  working  the  same 
blue  gravel. 

The  English  or  "Truckee  Ditch  Company,"  some  10  or  more  years  ago, 
expended  nearly  $1,000,000  in  a  ditch  from  the  Middle  Yuba  to  the^  mines  on 
the  dividing  ridge  between  the  Middle  and  North  Yubas.  The  enterprise  proved 
disastrous  for  the  reason  that  paying  hydraulic  mines  could  not  be  found.  The 
gold  deposits  of  that  region  were  generally  found  in  a  thin  stratum  of  gravel 
lying  on  the  bed  rock,  while  the  mass  of  earth  above  contained  little  or  no  gold. 

The  paying  lead  could  be  most  readily  worked  by  "drifting  out,"  and  required 
but  :i  small  amount  of  water  to  wash  it.  *  Under  such  circumstances  an  extensive 
and  expensive  ditch  like  the  Truckee  Company's  would  not  pay,  and  has  fallen 
into  disuse.  Their  water  right  has  recently  been  purchased  by  some  San  Fran- 
cisco capitalists. 

TroLUMNE  DITCH. — Most  of  the  ditch  water  used  in  Tuolumne  county  is 
supplied  by  the  Tuolumne  County  Water  Company,  which  takes  its  water  from 
the  Stanislaus  river  about  20  miles  in  a  direct  line  above  Columbia.  The  com- 
pany own  two  ditches  known  as  "the  old"  and  "the  new."  The  former  cost 
'.(>()(),  and  the  latter  $1,000,000.  The  old  ditch  was  commenced  on  the  1st 
July,  1851,  and  it  began  to  supply  water  in  May,  1852,  but  the  price  of  water, 
introduced  at  such  great  cost,  was  necessarily  high,  and  the  miners  formed  a 
13 


194  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

combination  to  compel  a  reduction  of  prices  and  afterwards  to  construct  a  new 
ditch.  The  ditch  was  made,  but  in  a  very  expensive  manner,  and  when  com- 
pleted it  was  burdened  with  debt,  so  that  it  soon  fell  into  the  hands  of  those  who 
owned  the  old  ditch,  leaving  many  of  the  creditors  unpaid.  A  bitter  feeling 
ensued  and  many  threats  of  assassination  were  made,  and  the  ditch  and  flumes 
were  maliciously  injured  in  numerous  places.  Although  the  new  ditch  was  pur- 
chased at  a  small  percentage  on  its  cost,  it  did  not  pay  much  profit.  Part  of  it 
was  built  on  the  side  of  a  mountain  which  is  swept  nearly  every  winter  by  snow 
avalanches,  and  the  repairs  were  very  expensive.  Forty  miles  of  the  ditch  near 
the  head  are  now  abandoned.  The  company  has  75  miles  of  main  ditch  and 
branches.  The  river  supplies  an  abundance  of  water  till  the  1st  July,  and  after 
that  time  the  reservoirs  are  drained  gradually.  One  of  them  covers  84  acres, 
and  another  is  a  mile  long,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  and  40  feet  deep.  The 
total  capacity  of  the  reservoirs  is  1,800  inches  for  four  months,  in  which  time 
they  are  exhausted,  so  that  there  is  usually  a  month  or  two  at  the  end  of  the  dry 
season  when  the  company  cannot  supply  water.  The  ditch  has  a  grade  of  18 
feet  to  the  mile,  and  the  flume  is  seven  and  one-half  feet  wide,  four  feet  deep, 
and  has  a  grade  of  16  feet  to  the  mile.  The  price  for  a  12-inch  stream  is  $3 
per  day;  of  15  inches  $3  50;  of  18  inches  $4 5  of  21  inches  $4  50;  of  24 
inches  $5  ;  of  more  than  24  and  less  than  48,  20  cents  per  inch  ;  of  more  than 
48  inches  IS  cents  per  inch.  The  capacity  of  the  flume  is  3,600  inches.  In 
many  places  flumes  were  constructed  where  it  would  have  been  much  cheaper  to 
have  had  iron  pipe,  and  this  is  being  substituted  now  as  the  flumes  give  way. 
Not  less  than  $100,000  might  have  been  saved  by  using  pipe  at  first.  The  com- 
pany supplies  Columbia,  Yankee  Hill,  Gold  Springs,  Mormon  Gulch,  Saw  Mill 
Flat,  Martinez,  Jamestown,  Montezuma,  Chinese  Camp,  and  their  vicinities.  The 
amount  paid  by  the  company  as  dividends  in  1866  was  $35,750. 

PHOENIX  DITCH. — The  Phoenix  Ditch  Company  obtains  its  water  from  the 
Tuolunme  river  in  two  ditches,  known  as  the  Phoenix  and  Hydraulic,  and  sup- 
plies Sugar  Pine,  Soulsbyville,  Sonora,  Shaw's  Flat,  Poverty  Hill,  Algerine, 
Cherokee,  and  Somerville.  The  company  has  84  miles  of  ditching  and  16  miles 
of  flume.  Both  ilitches  were  started  in  1850  and  supplied  water  in  small 
quantity  the  next  year,  but  the  Hydraulic  did  not  get  water  from  the  Tuolumne 
river  till  1853,  nor  the  Phoenix  till  1854.  The  highest  flume  is  65  feet  high 
and  360  feet  long,  and  it  has  been  blown  down  once.  The  flume  at  Shaw's 
Flat,  300  feet  hi^h  and  600  feet  long,  has  been  blown  down  twice.  The  flume 
of  the  Phoanix  line  is  five  feet  wide  by  two  and  one-half  deep ;  that  of  the 
Hydraulic  four  feet  wide  by  two  deep.  There  are  two  reservoirs  which  hold  a 
supply  for  two  months  and  a  half.  The  price  for  a  15-inch  sluice  is  $2  per  day 
of  12  hours.  The  Phoenix  ditch  cost  $380,000,  and  the  Hydraulic  $500,000. 
Both  have  been  sold  twice  at  sheriffs'  sale.  The  receipts  of  the  ditch  company 
were  $38,000  in  1860,  and  $22,000  in  1866,  and  the  annual  expenses  are  about 
$9,600.  There  are  nine  ditch  tenders  and  collectors,  who  are  paid  $70  and  $80 
per  month.  In  1855  the  price  of  water  was  $6  per  day  for  nine  inches.  The 
water  is  delivered  through  an  orifice  three  inches  high  and  under  a  pressure  of 
four  inches  over  the  orifice.  There  are  near  Cherokee  and  Somerville  some  high 
gravel  hills,  which  may  require  a  large  supply  of  water  when  they  are  opened 
and  their  wealth  demonstrated.  About  one-fourth  of  the  water  is  sold  to  China- 
men, and  one-twentieth  for  irrigation. 

The  Golden  Rock  ditch,  south  of  the  Tuolumne  river,  from  which  it  obtains 
its  water,  supplies  Gravel  Range,  Big  Humbug,  First  Garrote,  Second  Garrote, 
Deer  Flat,  Big  Oak  Flat,  Moccasin  Creek,  Spring  Gulch,  Boneyard,  Peiion 
Blanco,  and  Horseshoe  Bend.  This  ditch  cost  $300,000,  and  is  very  unprofitable. 
There  is  a  flume  1,300  feet  long,  and  part  of  it  is  256  feet  high,  supported  by 
wooden  towers.  The  main  ditch  is  38  miles  long.  The  price  is  $2  per  day  for 
a  stream  of  20  inches. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS  195 

MURPHY- s  DITCH. — The  Murphy's  ditch  was  commenced  in  1851  and  finished 
in  1856.  The  total  cost  was  6260,000,  of  which  sum  $180,000  was  obtained 
by  the  sale  of  water.  Five  years  after  the  work  was  commenced  dividends  began 
to  come  in,  and  twice  as  much  was  received  by  the  shareholders  as  they  had  paid 
out  lour  years  before.  In  1866  $10,000  were  paid  as  dividends,  and*  the  Cala- 
veras  ditch  was  bought  for  $20,000.  The  present  market  value  of  the  ditch  is 
probably  not  more  than  one-sixth  of  its  original  cost.  The  Caleveras  ditch 
obtains  its  water  from  the  Stanislaus  river,  and  supplies  Douglas  Flat,  Vallecito, 
French  Flat,  and  Jenny  Lind  and  Quail  Hill.  It  was  finished  in  1858,  and  cost 
$10,000.  Connected  with  this  ditch  is  the  Salt  Spring  reservoir,  which  covers 
2,000  acres  and  is  30  feet  deep,  and  is  the  largest  reservoir  in  the  foot  hills  of 
California. 

MOKELUMXE  DITCH. — The  Mokelumne  Hill  and  Campo  Seco  ditch  has  50 
miles  of  main  ditch,  and  cost,  when  constructed,  $500,000.  The  present  assessed 
value  is  $25,000..  The  flume  is  40  inches  wide  and  20  deep,  and  has  a  grade 
of  13  feet  to  the  mile.  Originally  it  was  all  flume,  but  the  fluming  has  been 
replaced  by  ditching,  except  for  six  miles,  and  most  of  that  distance  will  be 
ditch.  The  water  is  obtained  from  the  south  fork  of  the  Mokelumne  river.  The 
places  supplied  are  Mokelumne  Hill,  Campo  Seco,  Chile  Camp,  Rich  Gulch, 
and  Oomanche  Camp,  and  Cat  Camp  is  to  be  supplied  soon.  In  the  extension 
of  the  ditch  to  the-  last-named  place  a  depression  5,000  feet  long  and  80  feet 
deep  is  to  be  crossed  by  iron  pipe  two  feet  in  diameter,  with  30  feet  head.  It  is 
expected  that  the  pipe  will  carry  1,000  inches  of  water.  The  charge  per  inch 
is  25  cents  for  12  hours  to  placer  miners,  and  15  cents  per  inch  to  quartz  miners 
and  millers.  The  water  is  discharged  under  four  inches  of  pressure. 

The  Union  Water  Company's  ditch  is  35  miles  long  and  takes  water  from  the 
Stanislaus  river  to  supply  the  placers'  mining  district  between  that  river  and 
the  Calaveras,  an  area  of  20  miles  square.  There  are  reservoirs  large  enough 
to  hold  a  supply  of  600  inches  of  water  for  three  months. 

AMADOR  DITCH.— The  Amador  Canal  Company  has  two  ditches,  the  Amador 
and  the  Pioneer  ;  the  main  trunk  of  the  Amador  is  20  miles  long,  all  of  it  flume. 
The  water  is  obtained  from  the  Mokelumne  river.  The  original  length  was  31 
miles,  but  the  upper  part  was  so  much  injured  in  1862  that  11  miles  were  aban- 
doned and  will  probably  not  be  rebuilt,  or  at  least  there  is  no  thought  now  of 
rebuilding.  Ditch  might  be  substituted  for  flume  for  at  least  half  the  distance, 
and  the  substitution  is  to  be  commenced  soon,  since  portions  of  the  flume  will  not 
last  long.  The  ditch  carries  400  inches  of  water  during  eight  or  nine  months 
of  the  year,  but  previous  to  1862  that  quantity  was  furnished  the  year  round. 
There  are  parts  of  the  ditch  on  which  the  charge  for  water  is  10  cents  per  inch 
in  winter  and  15  in  summer,  and  on  the  other  parts  the  price  is  16§  cents 
throughout  the  year.  The  gross  income  in  1866  was  $28,000  ;  and  the  ordinary 
expenses  $20,000 ;  and  the  extraordinary  improvements  $8,000,  leaving  nothing 
for  dividend. 

The  VOLCANO  ditch  has  35  miles  of  main  trunk,  and  obtains  its  water  from 
its  tributaries  of  the  Mokelumne  river.  It  carries  450  inches  of  water,  but  the 
supply  ceases  in  July.  The  price  for  water  is  12J  cents  per  inch  per  day.  The 
cost  Jf  the  ditch  was  $140,000.  The  gross  receipts  in  1866  were  $5;000,  and 
the  ordinary  expenses  $3,000. 

As  the  mines  at  Volcano  were  in  a  basin  to  which  there  was  no  sufficient  out- 
let, the  company  cut  a  channel  in  the  bed  rock  15  feet  deep  and  a  mile  and  a 
half  long,  at  a  cost  of  $80,000,  into  which  a  tail  sluice  was  put.  The  company 
charges  50  cents  per  day  for  the  privilege  of  running  a  sluice-head  into  the  drain, 
and  the  company  have,  besides,  all  the  gold  which  they  can  catch  in  it;  and  it 
amounts  t<>  about  $3,000  per  year,  leaving  $2,000  net. 

EUREKA  DITCH,  (EL  DORADO  COUNTY.)— The  Eureka  Canal  Company  owns 
two  ditches,  which  were  made  as  rivals  to  take  water  from  the  north  fork  of  the 


19G  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Cosumnes.  They  supply  Pleasant  Valley,  Diamond  Springs,  El  Dorado,  Mis- 
souri Flat,  Logtown,  Buckeye  Flat,  Shingle  Springs,  Clarksville,  Western  Dig- 
gings, and  the  divide  north  of  the  Cosumnes  to  within  12  miles  of  Sacramento 
city.  The  main  trunks  of  the  two  ditches  are  170  miles  long,  and  the  trenches, 
which  cany  not  less  than  100  inches  each,  are  180  miles  more ;  making  350 
miles  of  ditching  owned  by  the  company  and  tended  by  its  17  employes.  The 
length  of  small  ditches  made  by  the  miners  to  cany  the  water  from  the  company's 
lines  to  their  claims  is  not  less  than  450  miles.  The  original  cost  of  the  two 
ditches  and  their  branches  was  $700,000,  and  they  are  assessed  at  $30,000. 
There  are  16  miles  of  flume  belonging  to  the  company,  and  there  is  one  reser- 
voir that  covers  160  acres.  Along  the  higher  lines  of  ditch  the  charge  for  water 
is  16  cents  per  inch  for  10  hours  for  mining,  and  on  the  lower  lines  from  10  to 
12  cents ;  but  farmers  pay  33  cents,  because  the  water  is  worked  up  and  lost  to 
the  company,  whereas  the  miners'  water  runs  down  into  the  lower  ditches,  and  is 
sold  from  them  again  perhaps  three  or  four  times  over.  This  company  sells  for 
an  inch  the  amount  of  water  that  escapes  through  an  orifice  three  inches  high 
and  an  inch  wide  without  pressure. 

IXDIAN  DIGGINGS  DITCHES. — Three  ditches  from  the  south  and  middle 
branches  of  the  middle  fork  of  the  American  river  to  supply  Indian  Diggings, 
Brownsville,  Fairplay,  Slug  Gulch,  and  Cedarville,  carrying  1,000  inches  in  all 
in  the  spring,  and  declining  to  150  inches  in  September.  One  of  these  ditches 
wras  finished  in  3853,  and  the  other  in  1854  and  1855.  The  three  are  owned 
now  by  one  man.  The  original  cost  of  the  three  was  $125,000,  and  they  are 
now  assessed  at  $15,000.  There  is  a  mile  and  a  half  of  flume.  The  charge  is 
12^  cents  per  inch  for  12  hours,  and  18 J  cents  for  24  hours.  The  inch  is  deliv- 
ered under  six  inches  of  pressure.  There  has  been  sale  for  all  the  water  pre- 
vious to  1867.  The  expenses  of  the  ditches  while  full  are  about  one-fourth  of 
the  receipts. 

NATOEXA  DITCH. — The  Natorna  ditch  takes  its  water  from  the  south  fork  of 
the  American  river,  14  miles  above  Folsom,  and  supplies  Red  Banks,  Mormon 
Island,  Willow  Springs,  Rhodes  Diggings,  Texas  Hill,  Alder  Creek,  Rebel  Hill, 
Prairie  City,  and  Tates's  Flat,  which  together  contain  about  500  miners.  The 
ditch  was  constructed  in  1852  and  1853,  and  the  total  cost  of  the  main  trunk 
and  branches  has  been  $200,000.  The  present  assessed  value  is  $75,000.  The 
main  trunk  is  16  miles  long,  eight  feet  wide  on  top,  five  feet  wide  at  the  bottom, 
and  three  deep.  There  is  also  one  mile  of  flume.  The  price  of  water  varies  at 
different  places,  but  the  average  is  20  cents  per  inch  per  day,  and  the  inch  is 
delivered  under  six  inches  of  pressure.  The  net  annual  profits  since  I860  have 
been  $30,800,  and  the  gross  receipts  were  twice  as  much.  Previous  to  1861  the 
gross  receipts  were  about  $75,000  annually. 

In  1857  the  company  purchased  9,000  acres  of  land,  most  of  it  auriferous 
ground  covered  by  their  ditches.  Having  thus  a  large  amount  of  land  which  it 
becomes  important  to  improve,  the  company  have  undertaken  to  build  up  a  large 
manufacturing  town  at  Folsom,  to  which  they  are  about  to  bring  250,000  inches 
of  water,  with  a  fall  of  80  feet.  A  canal  is  being  cut  a  mile  and  a  half  long, 
40  feet  wide  at  the  top,  25  at  the  bottom,  and  seven  feet  deep,  with  a  grade  of 
four  feet  to  the  mile ;  and  a  dam  is  to  be  built  in  the  American  river,  of  granite 
laid  in  cement,  400  feet  long,  60  feet  wide,  and  57  feet  high.  The  whole  work 
will  be  finished  in  1868,  and  with  its  assistance  Folsom  will  become  the  most 
important  manufacturing  town  of  the  coast,  next  to  San  Francisco.  Water  power 
can  be  furnished  here  at  one-third  the  cost  of  steam,  and  no  other  town  on  the 
State  coast  can  have  power  so  cheap  or  so  much  of  it,  or  so  near  San  Francisco. 

SOUTH  FORK  DITCH. — The  South  Fork  canal,  in  El  Dorado  county,  has  a 
main  trunk  34  miles  long,  and  carries  600  inches  of  water,  which  is  taken  from 
the  south  fork  of  the  American  river  to  supply  Placerville  and  vicinity.  The 
original  cost  was  $500,000,  and  the  present  value  is  about  one-tenth  of  that  sum. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  197 

The  total  length  of  the  main  flume,  laterals,  and  branches  is  142J  miles.  The 
length  of  the  ditch  from  the  dam  on  the  south  fork  of  the  American  river  to  the 
reservoir  near  Placerville  is  24  miles  •  from  the  reservoir  to  Coon  Hollow,  nine 
and  three-fourth  miles,  and  from  Hangtown  Creek  to  Buckeye  Flat  32  miles. 
The  Poverty  Point  branch  is  four  and  one-eighth  miles  long;  the  Indian  Hill 
branch,  four  and  a  half;  the  Clay  Hill  branch,  two  ;  the  Shober  Hill  branch, 
five ;  the  Hangtown  Hill  branch,  one  and  one-eighth ;  the  Texas  Hill  branch, 
one  and  a  half.  The  Gold  Hill  canal  is  10  miles  long;  its  branches  and  later- 
als, 12J;  the  Weber  canal,  13J;  the  Iowa  canal,  21,  and  the  Red  Hill  brand), 
one  and  a  half.  The  South  Fork  ditch  has  three  reservoirs :  the  Silver  lake, 
which  holds  170,000,000  cubic  feet;  the  Red  lake,  which  holds  115,000,000; 
and  the  Willow  valley,  which  holds  56,000,000  cubic  feet.  The  Gold  Hill 
ditch  has  very  muddy  water,  and  sells  for  an  inch  the  water  which  runs  through 
an  orifice  two  inches  high  and  an  inch  wide  under  a  four-inch  pressure.  The 
South  Fork  canal  sells  for  an  inch  the  amount  that  escapes  from  a  hole  an  inch 
square  under  six  inches  of  pressure.  The  charge  for  water  is  25  cents  per  inch 
for  mining  purposes  at  all  seasons.  Water  for  irrigation  has  been  supplied  in 
some  cases  for  $7  per  acre  of  vineyard  in  its  second  year,  when  the  vines  need 
water  once  or  twice  a  week.  The  grade  of  the  South  Fork  flume  is  four  and  a 
half  feet  to  the  mile.  In  one  place  iron  pipe  is  used  to  cany  50  inches  of  water 
across  a  depression  1,600  feet  long  and  190  feet  deep.  The  pipe  has  a  diameter 
of  10  inches,  and  the  head  of  the  inverted  siphon  is  20  feet  higher  than  the  foot. 
The  iron  is  about  a  sixteenth  of  an  inch  thick.  The  proprietor,  Mr.  T.  B.  Hunt, 
expresses  the  intention  of  constructing  a  ditch  to  supersede  the  present  flume,  to 
be  27  miles  longer,  to  have  a  grade  of  10  or  13  inches  per  mile,  to  carry  not 
less  than  5,000  inches  of  water,  and  to  supply  many  places  above  the  level  of 
the  present  flume. 

PILOT  CREEK  DITCH. — The  Pilot  Creek  ditch  takes  its  water  from  Pilot, 
Little  Silver,  and*  Rock  creeks,  and  supplies  Georgetown,  Volcanoville,  Bottle 
Hill,  Faii-play,  Kelsey,  Johntown,  Spanish  Dry  Diggings,  Spanish  Flat,  Green- 
wood, Pilot  Hill,  and  Wild  Goose.  The  main  ditch  is  60  miles  long,  and  cost 
$180,000,  and  there  are  65  miles  of  branches  which  cost  $320,000,  making  the 
total  cost  $500,000 ;  and  the  present  market  value  is  $18,000.  The  ditch  is 
considered  one  of  the  best  in  the  State,  on  account  of  the  small  proportion  of 
flume  and  the  solidit}'  of  the  banks,  which  are  seldom  broken.  The  largest 
piece  of  flume  is  300  feet  long  and  95  feet  high.  The  capacity  of  the  ditch  is 
1,500  inches,  but  it  is  seldom  full.  It  carries  1,000  inches  about  nine  months 
of  the  year,  and  300  inches  at  the  close  of  the  dry  season  for  three  months.  The 
length  of  the  main  ditch  terminating  at  Wild  Goose  flat  is  60  miles ;  the  Bottle 
Hill  branch,  10  miles ;  the  Volcanoville  branch,  5  miles ;  the  Kelsey's  branch, 
10  miles;  the  Fairplay  branch,  7  miles;  the  Spanish  Dry  Diggings  branch, 
three  miles ;  the  Rock  creek  feeder,  7  miles ;  the  Rock  Canon  feeder,  three 
miles,  and  the  El  Dorado  ditch  20  miles.  The  price  for  water  is  12  J  cents  per 
inch. 

MICHIGAN  FLAT  DITCH. — The  Michigan  Flat  miners'  ditch,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  south  fork  of  the  American  river,  was  commenced  in  1858  and  com- 
pleted in  1860,  at  a  cost  of  $65,000.  It  is  now  assessed  at  $3,000,  but  since 
January,  1865,  the  expenses  have  been  greater  than  the  receipts  by  $3,019. 
From  July,  1862,  till  January,  1865,  the  net  profit  was  $13,673.  Much  of  the 
flume  was"  washed  away  last  winter.  The  water  is  sold  at  20  cents  per  inch  for 
12  hours  to  placer  miners ;  at  20  cents  per  inch  to  quartz  miners  for  24  hours ; 
and  to  farmers  at  $10  per  acre  for  the  season,  on  an  average.  The  amount 
received  in  a  year  for  irrigation  water  is  $1,200. 

COLOMA  DITCHES.— Two  companies  supply  Coloma  on  the  south  side  of  the 
south  fork  of  the  American  river,  with  ditches  which  carry  about  500  inches  of 
water  and  are  13  miles  long.  They  supply  Coloma  and  Uniontown,  charge  the 


198  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

same  rates  as  the  Michigan  Flat  miners'  ditch,  and  sell  about  one-third  of  their 
water  for  irrigation. 

BEAR  RIVER  DITCH. — The  Bear  river  and  Auburn  Water  and  Mining  Com 
pany  has  75  miles  of  main  trunk  and  250  miles  of  branches,  constructed  at  a 
cost  of  $1,000,000,  and  now  assessed  at  $25,000.  In  1863  the  receipts  were 
890,000 ;  in  1864,  $75,000 ;  in  1865,  $55,000 ;  and  in  1866,  $40,000.  The 
ditch  takes  its  water  from  Bear  river,  anfl  supplies  Auburn,  Illinoistown,  New 
Castle,  Pine  Grove,  Virginiatown,  Clover  Valley,  Antelope  Ravine,  Secret  Ravine, 
Miners'  Ravine,  Mississippi  Bar,  Rattlesnake  Bar,  Horseshoe  Bar,  Doten's  Bar, 
Rose  Flat,  Millertown,  Doty's  Ravine,  Doty's  Flat,  and  Whiskey  Diggings — in 
fact,  the  whole  country  between  the  American  river  and  Bear  river,  extending  25 
miles  from  north  to  south,  and  as  many  more  from  east  to  west.  It  is  estimated 
that  $50,000,000  have  been  washed  out  by  means  of  the  water  of  this  ditch,  and 
could  not  have  been  obtained  without  it.  The  Bear  River  ditch  carries  3,000 
inches  when  full,  and  the  Gold  Hill  ditch  1,500  j  but  in  September  the  two  do 
not  carry  more  than  2,000  inches.  The  Bear  River  ditch  had  13  miles  of  flume 
on  the  line  when  first  made,  but  since  then  ditch  has  been  substituted  for  all  save 
half  a  mile.  In  one  place  there  was  a  flume  139  feet  high  and  900  feet  long, 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $22,000,  and  ditch  has  been  substituted  for  it.  This  com- 
pany has  been  notable  for  its  litigation,  in  which  it  has  expended  $250,000,  and 
some  of  the  judgments  rendered  against  it  have  been  notorious  for  their  injustice. 

MICHIGAN  BLUFF  DITCH. — The  El  Dorado  Water  Company  obtains  its  water 
from  El  Dorado  canon,  and  supplies  Michigan  Bluff  and  vicinity.  The  main 
ditch  is  20  miles  long,  and  the  total  length  of  ditch  and  branches  35  miles.  The 
amount  of  water  carried  is  400  inches  during  the  rainy  season,  but  the  ditch  is 
dry  after  the  middle  of  July.  The  ditch  was  commenced  in  1853  and  finished 
in  1855,  at  a  cost  of  $100,000.  It  is  now  assessed  at  $8,000.  In  the  spring 
the  demand  for  the  water  is  not  equal  to  the  supply.  The  price  is  15  cents  per 
inch,  delivered  under  a  six-inch  pressure. 

DUTCH  FLAT  DITCH. — The  Dutch  Flat  Ditch  Water  Company's  ditch  has 
a  capacity  of  3,000  inches,  takes  its  water  from  the  north  fork  of  the  American 
river  and  from  Little  Bear  river,  and  supplies  Dutch  Flat,  Gold  Run,  Nary  Red, 
and  Lost  Camp,  and  formerly  it  supplied  Blue  Bluff.  'The  length  of  the  ditch 
and  branches  is  60  miles,  the  original  cost  $100,000,  and  the  present  assessed 
value  $40,000.  For  three  months  4,000  inches  are  sold  per  day;  but  for  the 
last  four  months  of  the  dry  season  the  amount  is  not  more  than  400  inches.  The 
water  is  sold  under  six  inches  of  pressure,  at  12^  cents  per  inch.  The  Central 
Pacific  railroad  runs  for  portion  of  its  route  very  near  the  ditch,  and  has  done 
very  serious  damage  to  it.  The  direct  loss  so  far  has  been  not  less  than  $60,000. 
The  railroad  has  become  owner  of  the  ditch  itself,  where  it  crosses  the  sections 
belonging  to  the  road ;  but  has  not  charged  the  water  company  anything  for  the 
privilege  of  using  the  land.  But  in  consequence  of  the  near  proximity  of  the 
railroad  cutting  and  embankment  the  ditch  was  ruined  for  about  a  mile  and  a 
half,  and  it  was  necessary  to  erect  3,000  feet  of  flume,  and  to  lay  down  3,500  feet 
of  31-inch  iron  pipe,  and  837  feet  of  32-inch  pipe.  The  ditch  began  to  supply 
water  in  1851. 

SOUTH  YUBA  DITCH. — The  South  Yuba  Canal  Company  takes  water  from 
the  South  Yuba,  Deer  creek,  Rock  creek,  Meadow  lake,  and  other  lakes  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Meadow  lake,  and  supplies  Nevada,  Chalk  Bluff,  You  Bet, 
Omega,  Alpha,  Blue  Tent,  Quaker  Hill,  Scotch  Flat,  and  Grass  Valley,  in 
Nevada  county,  and  Dutch  Flat  and  Gold  Run,  in  Placer  county.  The  company 
owns  several  ditches,  which  measure  in  all  275  miles  in  length,  and  cost 
$1,000,000.  Bean's  History  and  Directory  of  Nevada  County  saysf  "In  12 
years  the  expense  account  of  the  company  reaches  $1,130,000,  and  its  receipts 
81,400,000."  A  dam  42  feet  high  and  1,150  feet  long  was  built  across  the  outlet 
of  Meadow  lake,  which  when  full  is  a  mile  and  a  quarter  long  and  half  a  mile  wide. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  199 

There  is  a  tunnel  3,800  feet  long,  cut  at  a  cost  of  $112,000  through  a  divide  be- 
tween the  South  Yuba  and  Deer  creek.  The  company  control  about  12,000  inches. 

The  South  Yuba  ditch,  in  Placer  county,  is  26  miles  long,  beginning  at  the 
lower  end  of  Bear  valley,  and  supplying  Gold  Run,  India  Hill,  Cafion  creek, 
and  Nary  Red.  The  ditch  was  completed  in  1865,  and  it  runs  2,500  inches. 
There  is  usually  demand  for  all  the  water.  The  assessed  value  is  -$20,000.  The 
grade  of  the  ditch  is  13  feet  to  the  mile.  The  largest  flume  is  48  feet  high,  and 
100  feet  long.  The  head  of  the  ditch  is  so  elevated  that  the  water  is  sometimes 
full  of  snow,  and  is  unfit  for  hydraulic  washing  or  for  any  other  kind  of  mining. 
The  cost  of  the  ditch  was  $108,000. 

TRUCKEE  DITCH. — The  Truckee  ditch,  to  supply  Minnesota  and  other  points 
in  the  vicinity  on  the  Blue  lead,  near  the  southern  line  of  Sierra  county,  was 
constructed  in  1858,  and  was  abandoned  and  went  to  ruin  in  1865.  It  is 
said  the  cost  of  the  ditch  was  $1,000,000.  As  the  diggings  grew  poor,  the  ditch 
ceased  to  pay  for  the  expense  of  repairs.  There  were  13  miles  of  flume,  eight 
feet  wide  and  four  feet  deep,  hung  on  the  side  of  a  steep  canon.  An  artificial 
lake  was  made  for  a  reservoir.  The  capacity  of  the  ditch  was  3,000  inches. 

SEARS'S  DITCH. — Sears's  Union  Ditch  is,  with  its  branches,  18  miles  long, 
and  supplies  Rowland  Flat,  Pine  Grove,  Potosi,  St.  Louis,  and  Cedar  Grove.  It 
carries  2,000  inches  for  four  months  in  the  wet  season,  and  about  200  inches  in 
October.  There  are  two  miles  of  fluming.  An  extension  of  the  ditches  has  been 
commenced,  to  be  20  miles  long,  and  to  cost  $50,000.  The  charge  is  30  cents 
per  inch  for  24  hours  for  piping  companies,  and  50  cents  for  drifting  companies. 
The  water  is  sold  under  a  pressure  of  10  inches,  measured  from  the  middle  of 
the  orifice.  There  is  a  demand  for  all  the  water,  except  in  the  spring.  The 
extension  is  to  supply  Scales's  Diggings  and  Poverty  Hill.  At  the  latter  point 
the  company  is  also  cutting  a  bed  rock  tunnel  six  feet  high,  six  feet  wide,  and 
500  feet  long  to  drain  a  basin  nearly  a  mile  square  of  rich  ground.  The  tunnel 
is  to  be  finished  next  year. 

NEVADA  RESERVOIR  DITCH. — The  Nevada  Reservoir  Ditch  Company  takes 
1,000  inches  of  water  from  Wolf  creek,  and  supplies  Sucker  Flat  and  Mooney 
Flat.  The  main  ditch  is  28  miles  long,  and  in  that  distance  there  are  not  more 
than  600  feet  of  flume,  the  highest  12  feet.  The  ditch  was  commenced  in  1857, 
and  finished  in  1860,  at  a  cost  of  $116,000.  The  company  does  not  sell  any  water, 
but  uses  it  all  on  Sucker  Flat,  in  its  own  claims.  There  has  been  no  washing 
at  Mooney  Flat  for  two  years. 

EXCELSIOR  DITCH. — The  Excelsior  Canal  Company  owns  the  Excelsior,  the 
BovVer,  the  Tunnel,  and  the  Onsley  Bar  ditches.  The  first  named  takes  1,500 
inches  from  the  South  Yuba.  It  was  commenced  in  1854,  and  finished  in  1858. 
The  supply  is  constant,  and  the  length  is  28  miles.  The  Bovyer  is  20  miles 
long,  and  takes  2,000  inches  from  Deer  creek,  opposite  Rough  and  Ready  j  but 
the  supply  fails  in  the  summer.  The  work  was  commenced  in  1858,  and  finished 
in  1859.  The  Tunnel  ditch,  commenced  in  1851,  and  finished  in  1852,  is  20 
miles  long,  and  takes  1,000  inches  from  Deer  creek.  It  fails  in  the  summer. 
The  Ousley  Bar  ditch  is  10  miles  long,  and  starts  at  Smartsville,  where  it  is  fed 
with  800  inches  of  fresh  water  from  other  ditches.  It  was  commenced  in  1852, 
and  finished  in  1853.  On  the  Excelsior  ditch  there  are  five  miles  of  low  flume, 
and  half  a  mile  of  40-inch  iron  pipe,  a  mile  of  20-inch  pipe,  and  half  a  mile  of 
38"-iuch  pipe.  The  40-inch  pipe  crosses  a  depression  150  feet  deep,  and  with  a 
head  of  32  feet,  carries  2,500  inches  of  water.  The  original  cost  of  the  four 
ditches  was  $1,000,000.  The  water  is  discharged  under  10  inches  of  pressure, 
measured  from  the  centre  of  the  orifice.  The  price  is  20  cents  per  inch  for  less 
than  100  inches;  15  cents  per  inch  for  more,  and  for  irrigation  there  is  no  fixed 
price ;  but  a  field  of  10  or  15  acres  pays  $50  for  a  season.  The  amount  of  water 
is  about  5,000  inches  for  eight  months,  3,500  for  two  months,  and  2,500  for  the 
last  two  months  before  the  rains  come. 


200 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


. — The  South  Feather  Water  Company  gets  water  from  the 
south  fork  of  Feather  river,  and  supplies  Forbestown,  Brownsville,  Hansonville, 
Evansville,  Wyandotte,  Bangor,  and  Brown's  valley,  and,  in  fact,  the  entire  divide 
between  the  South  Feather  and  the  North  Yuba.  The  main  ditch  is  30  miles  long, 
and  the  branches  30  miles  more.  The  work  was  commenced  in  1855,  and  finished 
in  1857.  There  is  one  mile  of  flume  on  the  main  ditch.  The  highest  part_  is 
60  feet  high,  but  very  little  of  that.  The  original  cost  of  the  ditch  was  $300,000, 
and  its  present  assessed  value  is  $25,000.  The  ordinary  charge  per  inch  for  24 
hours  is  30  cents,  and  for  12  hours  20  cents;  but  there  are  places  where  the  water, 
after  being  sold,  can  be  picked  up  and  sold  again,  and  there  the  price  is  10  cents 
for  12  hours.  It  is  probable  that  a  branch  will  be  constructed  to  Indiana  Ranch 
and  Oregon  Hill,  at  which  latter  place  there  is  a  large  body  of  rich  ground. 

OROVILLE  DITCH. — The  Oroville  ditch  has  a  main  trunk  22  miles  long,  and 
was  finished  in  1856.  The  original  cost  was  $250,000,  and  the  present  assessed 
value  is  $20,000.  The  capacity  is  800  inches,  and  the  supply  exceeds  the  demand. 
The  price  is  50  cents  per  inch  for  drift  claims,  10  cents  for  hydraulic  and  sluice 
claims,  and  $1  25  per  acre  per  week  for  irrigation. 

TABLE  OF  CABALS  AND  WATER  DITCHES. — The  following  complete  table 
of  all  the  canals  and  water  ditches  for  mining  purposes  in  the  State  is  taken  from 
Langley's  Pacific  Coast  Directory,  a  valuable  work  published  biennially  in  San 
Francisco.  As  many  of  these  properties  have  been  consolidated  or  changed  hands 
since  the  table  was  prepared,  the  names  of  the  owners  are  omitted.  Mr.  Langley 
says : 

There  are  5,328  miles  of  artificial  water  courses,  for  mining  purposes,  constructed  in  this 
State,  at  a  cost  of  $15,575,400.  In  addition  to  the  length  here  stated,  there  are  numerous 
subsidiary  branches,  the  aggregate  length  of  which  is  estimated  at  over  800  miles,  and  seve- 
ral hundred  miles  of  new  ditches  in  the  course  of  construction. 

In  addition  to  those  enumerated  above,  there  are  numerous  enterprises  organized  to  furnish 
water  for  municipal  and  agricultural  purposes.  Twenty-seven  cities  and  towns  in  the  inte- 
rior are  thus  supplied,  and  the  capital  employed  amounts  to  several  millions  of  dollars.  The 
Spring  Valley  Water  Works,  of  San  Francisco,  is  an  extensive  and  costly  undertaking,  with 
a  capital  of  $6,000,000.  The  county  of  Los  Angeles  has  nearly  300  miles  of  ditches,  and 
extensive  works  for  the  supply  of  water  have  been  completed  in  San  Bernardino,  Yolo,  and 
several  other  agricultural  counties  of  the  State. 

Table  of  canals  and  water  ditches  for  mining  purposes  in  the  State,  with  the  loca- 
tion^ source  of  water,  length,  cost,  &c.,  of  each. 


Name  of  ditch. 

Source  of  water. 

A* 

jg-& 

Sfjs 

Cost. 

AMADOR  COUNTY. 
Am  ad  or                   ....  ......  ...... 

Sutter  creek  

13 

$20  000 

Amador  Co  Canal 

Mokelumne  river  north  fork 

66 

400  000 

Boyle           

1 

3,500 

Sutter  creek,  north  fork  

5 

3  000 

Buena  Vista                   »--       ... 

Sutter  creek,  north  fork 

15 

18  000 

Butte  Canal 

Mokelumne  river  north  fork 

50 

125  000 

Cosumnes  river.  south  fork  .  .. 

22 

40  000 

Dry  Creek                            ....  ....  . 

Dry  creek  .    . 

4 

6  000 

Indian  Gulch                             ...... 

Jackson  creek,  middle-  fork 

10 

]0  000 

Rancheria  creek  

3 

2,000 

Kellum  Ditches  (3)  

Jackson  creek  ,  middle,  fork  ...... 

22 

22  000 

Lancha  Plana 

Jackson  creek  middle  fork 

30 

30  000 

Lorees 

Rancheria  creek  south  fork 

5 

2  000 

Jackson  creek,  south  fork  ..... 

2 

1,500 

Mile  Gulch  

Rancheria  creek......          ....... 

4 

2  000 

Open  Cut  Flume  . 

Sutter  creek                   .       ... 

li 

90  000 

Pardees                    ... 

Jackson  creek  south  fork 

Purinton's  .. 

Sutter  creek,  middle  fork.. 

25 

15,000 

WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 

Talk  of  canals  and  water  ditches,  &c. — Continued. 


201 


Name  of  ditch. 

Source  of  water. 

d   . 

ll 
;q  « 
S3 

Cost. 

AMADOR  COUNTY—  Continued. 
Phelps  &  Co  

Dry  creek 

6 
7 
5 
14 
8 
15 
5 
25 
7 
43 

U 
10 
10 
11 

$6,  000 
8,000 
2,500 
16,  000 
]  0,000 
10,  000 
4,000 
150,  000 
38,000 
140,  000 

700 
10,000 
5,000 
20,  000 

Pigeon  Creek 

Cosumnes  river  south  fork 

Potosi 

Dry  creek 

Jackson  creek 

Reichling  &  Alt  (2)  

Sutter  creek  south  fork 

Richtmyer  . 

Dry  creek 

Rich  &  Co.'s  

Bi°"  Bar  canon 

Ritter 

Cosumnes  river 

Sutter  creek 

Mokelumne  river  tributaries 

BUTTE  COUNTY. 

Abbott  &  Co  

Butte  Creek  

Butte  creek 

Cherokee  Co  .     ... 

Table  mountain 

Deweys  .   . 

Feather  river  west  branch 

South  Feather  river  ... 

2 
]4 
3 
3 
4 
4 
2 

36 
36 
25 
8 
15 
20 
7 
12 
10 
12 
7 
15 
28 
10 
50 

4i 

2 
3 
2 
1 
3 
4 
2 
2 
2 
H 

1 

1,000 
8,000 
3,000 
1,200 
4,000 
6,000 
2,000 

150,  000 

Little  Butte  

Butte  creek  ....  . 

Oregon  Gulch  .   .. 

Oregon  gulch  .  . 

Rock  Creek 

Rock  creek 

Spring  Valley 

Spring  valley 

Table  Mountain 

Table  mountain            » 

Williams  

CALAVERAS    COUNTY. 

Calaveras  County  Ditch  Co 

Stanislaus  river 

Campo  Seco  &  Mok.  Hill  Canal  Co 
Clark  &  Co.'s  

Mokelumne  river 

Mokelumne,  south  fork  .  .  

80,  000 
20,  000 
15,  000 
20,  000 
10,  000 
11,000 
15,  000 
10,000 
8,000 
15,000 
40,  000 
10,  000 
350,  000 

18,  000 
1,000 
3,000 
1,500 
4,000 
3,500 
8,000 
600 
1,000 
2,000 
400 
15,  000 
2,OuO 

Conrad's             ............  ..... 

Mokelumne,  forks  .  .         ... 

Fisher's 

Mokelumue,  middle  fork 

Fisher's 

Mokelumne  north  fork 

Harris  .  .  . 

Kadish  

Mokelumne,  middle  fork  ...... 

Old  Gulch  

Pillsbury's     . 

Lincoln  Fork,  Mokelumne  river..  . 
\Villow  creek  .       ...       ...... 

Pope 

San  Antonio  creek        ... 

Table  Mountain.......  ..     ... 

Union 

Union  \Vatcr  Co 

Stanislaus,  north  fork  .. 

DEL  NORTE  COUNTY. 
Bunker  Hill 

Cox  &  FraxiBr 

Patrirlc'ft 

Stevens  W  M  &  M  Co 

Coon  creek  and  Craig's  creek  
Oak  Flat  creek  

Winerato  Bar...                           

202  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Table  of  canals  and  water  ditches,  &c. — Continued. 


Name  of  ditc"h. 

Source  of  water. 

|f 

3* 

Cost. 

EL  DORADO  COUNTY. 

Cosutnnes  river,  south  fork  . 

8 

$15,000 

Catavact                                   - 

Cosumnes  river,  south  fork 

6 

10,000 

Clay  Hill                                       -   .  . 

Hangtown  creek 

2 

500 

Eao-le 

Cosumnes  river 

Q 

500 

El  Dorado  &  Tunnel  Hill  

American  river  south  fork 

10 

15,000 

Eureka  Canal  Co                         

Cosumnes  river  north  fork 

450 

500  000 

Foster 

Hangtown  creek 

2 

1  200 

Gold  Hill                

Hangtown  creek  .  

12 

12,000 

Granite  Creek 

American  river  south  fork 

3 

9  000 

Iowa 

Iowa  and  13rush  canons 

21 

20  000 

Italian 

Chunk  canon 

3 

3  000 

Jones's  Hill                           .    .     ... 

Otter  creek 

15 

10  000 

Michigan  Bar 

Cosumnes  river  middle  fork 

20 

60  000 

Montezuina                        -  . 

10 

6  000 

Parker  ,  

"Webber  creek          .             ... 

10 

30,  000 

Pilot  Creek    

Pilot  ftnd  Rock  creek 

150 

300  000 

Mull's  (3) 

Hangtown  creek 

13 

4  000 

Rock  Creek  &  Michigan  Flat  

Am.  river  S   F.    and  Rock  creek 

150,  000 

Rossiugton          .... 

\Vebber  creek  and  Chunk  canon 

10 

30  000 

Roush  &/  Simpus 

Canon  creek 

10 

6  000 

Shanghae  

Cosumnes  river  middle  fork  ...... 

JO 

12,  000 

Shober                              

jjjrr  canon 

5 

5  000 

South  Fork  Canal 

<m 

300  000 

Texas  

Hangtown  creek    ..... 

1A 

300 

Webber 

Chunk  canon 

m 

16  000 

INYO  COUNTY. 

San  Carlos 

Owen's  river 

15 

30  000 

KJ.AMATH  COUNTY. 

Camp  Creek               ... 

Camp  creek  .        .       .... 

1 

2,  000 

Salmon  river  east  fork 

7-}- 

7  500 

2* 

2  600 

5 

7  000 

Salmon  river  north  fork 

3 

5  000 

Sundry  other  ditches  .  ....... 

73 

LASSEN  COUNTY. 

Adams  .. 

Susan  river 

5 

7,000 

4 

5,000 

Willow  creek     

8 

12,  000 

fSusanville    .  .......  . 

Piute  creek                .       .  *       .  . 

1± 

2,000 

MARIPOSA  COUNTY. 

Mortons                                  . 

Maxwell's  creek      . 

15 

10,000 

Snow  creek  .  .  ......... 

10 

800 

MONO  COUNTY. 

Virginia  creek        ......  .  

20 

75,  000 

NEVADA  COUNTY. 
Buckman  &  Cuirans  .           * 

13 

20,  000 

E  Williams  

16 

40,  000 

Shadv  creek  .. 

13 

50,000 

WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 

Table  of  canals  and  ivater  ditcJies,  &c. — Continued. 


203 


Name  of  ditch. 

Source  of  water. 

.SJ 
Jlf 
3* 

Cost. 

NEVADA  COUNTY  —  Continued. 
Eureka  Water  Co  

Middle  and  South  Yuba  rivers  
South  Yuba  and  Deer  creek 

150 
69 
22 
13 
16 
56 
200 
4 
5 

22 

90 
220 
3 
60 

31 

40 

•ft 

13 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
2 
15 
25 
20 
7 
12 
16 
25 
12 
8 
12 
10 

4 
15 
14 
4 
4 
2 
3 
3 
10 
6 
10 
8 
4 
5 
30 
4 
4 
2 
2 
2 

1 

Gardner's  

Bear  river 

$30,000 
40,  000 
40,  000 
30,  500 
1,  500,  000 
4,500 
12,  000 

100,000 
650,000 
65,  000 
2,  000 
100,  000 

100,000 
110,000 
5,000 
50,  000 
15,  000 
10,  000 
10,  000 
10,  000 
10,000 
4,000 
23,000 
9,000 
35,  000 
15,  000 
25,  000 
100,  000 
50,  000 
32,  000 
9,000 
128,000 
15,000 

5,000 
30,  000 
20,000 
5,000 
6,000 
2,000 
3,000 
4,000 
30,  000 
30,  000 
10,000 
25,  000 
12,  000 
15,  000 
15,  000 
4,000 
8,000 
1,500 
1,000 
2,550 

Nevada  Water  Co  

Shady  creek  . 

Remington  Hill 

Steep  Hollow  creek 

Greenhorn  creek  .  .     .... 

South  Yuba  Canal  Co  

South  Yuba  river  

Stehr's  

Greenhorn  creek 

do... 

PLACER  COUNTY. 

American  River  W.  &  M.  Co  . 

American  river  

Auburn  &  Bear  River  ...  ...... 

Bear  river  

Bartlett  &  Thomas  

do  

Byrd's  Valley   .     . 

Volcano  canon 

Dutch  Flat  Water  Co 

American  river,  north  fork,  and 
Little  Bear  river. 
El  Dorado  canon  ............ 

El  Dorado  Water  Co  

Gold  Hill  and  branches     

Bear  river                  ......  .. 

Grizzly   .   ...          ..     ..... 

Shirt  Tail  canon 

Hall  &  Hubbard's 

Bear  river 

Hancock         .. 

Volcano  canon 

Hills  

Independent  ........  ............ 

Volcano  canon  .............  

Indian......                 ......  ..     .. 

Ind  ian  canon         ......  ......  .... 

Indiana  Water  Co............ 

Canon  creek  ...  .  .... 

Jamison          . 

Indian  canon.  . 

McKee 

Shirt  Tail  canon 

Shirt  Tail  canon   south  fork 

Mountain...   ..........   ......... 

Deep  c;i  1  1  o  ii  ......  ......  ....  .... 

North  Shirt  Tail        

Shirt  Tail  canon         ...  ...... 

Secret  Canon 

Secret  canon                           ...... 

South  Yuba 

South  Yuba  river 

Todd's  Valley      

Union                         .   ..... 

Shirt  Tail  canon  

do  

Volcano  canon     ....  ....  ....  .... 

PLUMAS  COUNTY. 

Burton  Gulch          .           ... 

Cascade  Water  Co 

.  do                    

Grub  Flat               

Butte  creek  

Hungarian  Hill              •     ......... 

Indian  Bar 

Silver  lake                   

Pioneer          .       ......... 

Richmond   Hill 

Saw  Mill  &r  Tftvlor  Hill 

Mill  creek                  

Twelve-Mile  Bar 

do  

Do 

do  

Do.., 

..do  

204  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Table  of  canals  and  water  ditches,  &c. — Continued. 


Name  of  ditch. 

Source  of  water. 

.g^ 

^ 

§^ 

Cost. 

• 

SACRAMENTO    COUNTY. 

American  River  ^V^  &  M  Co...... 

American  river.... 

30 

$300  000 

Deer  Creek  W  &  M  Co 

Cosumnes  river 

6 

133  000 

NatomaW.  &  M.  Co  

American  river     ..     ..... 

16 

390  000 

Sacramento  &  Amador  Canal  Co 

Cosumnes  river.  ..... 

6 

125  000 

SHASTA  COUNTY. 

Arbuckle 

Cottonwood    middle  fork 

12 

10  000 

Bald  Hill  

Cottonwood  creek  .  . 

8 

15  000 

Cedar  Flat  

^Vhiskey  creek 

3 

3  000 

Clear  Creek          

Clear  creek 

53 

140  000 

Cottonwood  creek  ...  . 

18 

10  000 

Davis            ..  ..............  

Clear  creek 

8 

12  000 

Do  

do  

2 

10,  000 

Eagle  

16 

10  000 

Know  Mucket  ................ 

Clear  creek 

4 

5  000 

Prairie     ...          ..         ..     . 

Cottonwood  north  fork 

17 

15  000 

Quartz  Hill 

Churn  creek 

8 

4  000 

Sacramento  creek 

22 

25  000 

Spring  Creek.     ..     ..... 

Spring  creek 

10 

16  000 

Toson  

Clear  creek  ....... 

3 

4  000 

Watson  

Jerusalem      . 

17 

18  000 

SIERRA  COUNTY. 

Little  Grizzly  creek  ........ 

7 

50,  000 

Fiddle  creek 

7 

12  000 

Council  Hill  

Rock  creek 

3 

4  000 

Cox  Bar          

Yuba  river 

I 

2  500 

Indian  creek             . 

11 

3  000 

Feather  River  .'  ..   . 

Feather  river  south  branch 

y 

4  000 

Fiddle  Creek 

Fiddle  creek 

n 

1  500 

Fisk 

4 

18  000 

Goodyear's  Bar.  ............ 

Yuba  river 

2 

5  000 

Grass  Flat  

Grass  flat  ..........   .  . 

3 

2,500 

Green  &  Purdy 

13  000 

Grizzly  Hill     

Cherokee  creek 

2 

3  000 

Hosier          .      ..... 

Cannon  creek 

H 

50  000 

Humbu^1 

Q 

2  000 

Indian  Hill  

do 

3 

6  000 

Irish......        ....... 

Yuba  river 

3 

5  000 

Jim  Crow 

a 

12  000 

14  000 

Kimball          

Bunker  Hill 

6 

40  000 

Rock  Creek        

Rock  creek 

3 

10  000 

Said  &.  Reese  

Sardine  lake       .     .  .   ... 

7 

34  000 

Sailor        ..  ...........   ......... 

Shower  branch 

6 

10  000 

Sayer's  Union  (4) 

Slate  creek  and  tributaries 

15 

150  000 

Slate  Creek  &  Gibsonville  

Slate  creek,  west  branch    .  .  . 

3 

10  000 

Snow  Creek  ...............  

Snow  creek 

4 

9  000 

Truckee  

Truckee  lake  ........... 

\Vaukegan                                ...... 

Slate  creek  west  branch 

3 

7  000 

SISK1YOU  COUNTY. 

Kidder's  creek                   ......... 

16 

3,000 

do. 

15 

4  000 

Barker,  Oro  Fino  

do  

12 

4,000 

Barkhouse 

5 

2  000 

Brown  , 

9 

3,500 

WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 
TaUe  of  canals  and  water  ditches,  &c. — Continued. 


205 


Name  of  ditch. 

Source  of  water. 

•Sj 

jg  to 

11 

Cost. 

SISKIYOU  COUNTY—  Continued. 
Callahan's  Ranch  

Scott  river  south  fork 

3 

gtonn 

Cottonwood  

Cottonwood  creek  

10  500 

Craw  ford  's  

do  

8 

8  000 

French  Flats                             . 

Scott  river  south  fork 

4 

ftflO 

Fort  Goff 

Turner  creek 

5 

Q  000 

Havvkiusville       t 

Q 

4000 

Jackson's  Bar  

McKinney  creek 

3 

2  500 

McKinney's  Creek  

do  

4 

3  000 

Muggins  ville          .... 

Howard  creek 

5 

2  800 

Quartz  Hill  

Mill  creek 

4 

2  500 

Quartz  Valley 

7 

2  ^00 

Scott  Bar  

Mill  creek 

5 

4  000 

Scott  River  

Scott  river 

20 

40  000 

Shasta  River  Canal  

Shasta  river  . 

85 

300  000 

Siad  Valley 

Klaixiath  river 

4 

2  000 

Whiting  Hill  

Lake  Whiting 

3 

2  500 

STANISLAUS  COUNTY. 

10 

60,  000 

Knight's  Ferry  &  Table  Alt  

Stanislaus  river 

7 

25,  000 

La  Gran  ^e  

Tuolumne  river  ......  ......  ...... 

7 

40,  000 

Mountain  Brow  .       ..   . 

Littlejohn's  creek.  ..... 

4 

5  000 

San  Joaciuin 

Stanislaus  river           •          . 

15 

40  000 

TRINITY  COUNTY. 

2 

3,500 

Canyon  Creek  

Guzner  gulch  .......  ......  ..  .... 

2 

3,000 

Canyon  Creek  W.  Co.'s  

Canyon  creek        ..     .....  ...... 

4 

12  000 

Carder's  .       ..........   ...           . 

Eastman  gulch 

j 

1  500 

Carrier  Gulch 

Carrier  gulch 

2 

2  000 

2 

4,000 

Franklin  creek  .... 

2 

4,000 

Depinett's  ......    .  . 

Canyon  creek  east  fork.  .  .   ...... 

5 

8,000 

Dunham's     ....                        . 

Mooney  gulch      .... 

2 

3,000 

East  Fork 

East  Fork 

5 

6,000 

East  Fork 

East  Fork  of  north  fork 

2 

3,000 

Eastman's  .............  .......... 

3 

6,000 

2 

2,000 

Fegan's 

3 

4,000 

Fenning's 

Grizzly  gulch          .            ...     ... 

2 

2,000 

Gold  Bluff 

McKinley  gulch                      .  . 

2 

2,000 

Hatchet  Creek  

3 

5,000 

Honest  Bar 

3 

6,000 

Junction  City 

Canyon  creek           ......  ....  .... 

3 

5,000 

Junction  City 

Canyon  creek             ..     .   .     .... 

3 

10,  000 

Dcadwood  creek              .     ....... 

2 

2,  ,500 

Mooney's  Gulch  .......         ...   ... 

2 

3,500 

North  Fork 

2 

2,000 

North  Fork 

2 

2,000 

Ohio  Flat 

2 

2,000 

Pettijohn  &  Co    (3) 

5 

5,000 

Poverty  Flat 

H 

1,500 

Red  Flat 

1 

1,000 

Red  Hill 

2 

6,000 

Red  Hill 

H 

1,500 

8 

10,000 

Rush  Creek 

5 

8,000 

Steiner's  Flat 

8 

10,  000 

Straits  >ii's 

2 

2,000 

Swift  Creek 

3 

4,000 

Tavlor  Flat.. 

8 

10.000 

206 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

Table  of  canals  and  water  ditches,  &c. — Continued. 


Name  of  ditch. 

Source  of  water. 

£j 

11° 

S.S 

Cost. 

TRINITY  COUNTY—  Continued. 
Trinity  Centre 

Swift  creek  .  .  .  . 

2 

$2  000 

Turner  Bar  Co  's 

4 

0  000 

Wares  (3)                    

East  &  West  Weaver  creeks  

11 

1'2,  000 

"Weaver  Creek                .   .......... 

Weaver  creek  

2 

2,000 

"Weaver  Creek                  * 

Weaver  creek  .. 

4 

6  000 

\Veaverville  Basin 

•*    8 

10  000 

TULARE  COUNTY. 
Broder  &  Van  Gordan  

Kawiah  

5 

1  000 

Brown's  Mill 

3 

4  000 

Campbell  &  Martins  

Tule  river 

4 

1  500 

Sand  creek  

2 

1  500 

Everton's  

Kawiah.       ..... 

2 

3  000 

Fisher's  

Sand  creek 

3 

800 

Jenning's 

Mill  creek 

4 

1  000 

Deep  creek  . 

.     7 

1  500 

Long  Ditch  .. 

Kawiah 

3 

800 

Lovvr  v,  Worthley  &,  Co  

Sand  creek  ...  ..  . 

2 

700 

Owen's  .  ..  .... 

Sand  creek 

4 

1  000 

People's  ... 

Kawiah 

10 

8  000 

Tule  river  .       .          ..     ... 

4 

2  000 

Rice's  .  .  ..     

Kawiah 

5 

2  000 

Town  Ditch 

Brown's  Mill  ditch 

4 

2  000 

Townsend's  

Sand  creek 

500 

Union  Vineyard  &  Farming  Co  

7 

1  500 

TUOLUMNE  COUNTY. 

Big  Oak  Flat  

40 

600  000 

Hydraulic  Co. 

Tuolumne  river,  north  fork 

60 

300  000 

Jamestown  &  Chinese  Camp..   

Wood  creek  

7 

15,000 

Phoenix  Water  Co 

Tuolumne  river,  north  fork  . 

100 

300  000 

Sonora  and  York  town  D   Co 

Tuolumne  river,  north  fork  . 

10 

Tuolumne  County  Water  Co  .  . 

Stanislaus  river,  south  fork  

35 

550,  000 

YUBA  COUNTY 
Birmingham  .  '.  

Strawberry  creek  ...... 

1  500 

Brown's  .  .  .   

Oregon  creek  

500 

Burnett's 

Dry  creek 

10  000 

3  000 

Collyer  

Dry  creek 

600 

Deaver's  . 

Oregon  gulch 

900 

500 

Dunn's  .  ... 

Sleighville  gulch 

1  500 

Deer  creek  

150 

500  000 

Feather  river  .  .  . 

10  000 

Little  \Villow         ...    . 

\Villow  creek 

1  200 

Dry  creek  .. 

8  000 

Monroe  &  Cornell  .. 

New  York  ravine          . 

12  000 

Dry  creek 

600 

Mullan's  

Dry  creek  

1  000 

Indian  creek 

2  000 

New  York    

Oregon  creek 

600 

New  York  ravine.  ..         ...... 

500 

Oregon  Creek.     .         .     ...  

Oregon  creek 

6  000 

Peacock 

Yuba  river 

1  000 

Pine  Hill  

Bear  river  

1  600 

Sleighville  

Sleighville  gulch 

2  000 

Dry  creek 

3  000 

Oregon  creek 

10  000 

Indian  creek                 ......  ...... 

6,000 

Turffrey's           

Dry  creek 

8  000 

WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  207 

t 

SECTION    XX. 

THE  MISCELLANEOUS  MINERALS  OF  THE  PACIFIC  COAST. 

In  referring  to  the  nature,  extent,  and  development  of  the  miscellaneous  min- 
erals found  on  the  Pacific  coast,  exclusive  of  gold,  silver,  and  quicksilver,  the 
materials  are  so  abundant,  and  the  details  so  interesting,  as  to  render  it  dif- 
ficult to  select  such  portions  as  will  convey  the  desired  information  within  the 
limits  prescribed.  When  it  is  remembered  that  there  is  scarcely  a  metal  or  min- 
eral used  in  the  arts,  or  known  to  science,  but  is  represented  on  this  coast — gen- 
erally in  greater  proportion  than  in  any  other  country — it  will  be  perceived  that 
a  mere  list  of  their  names,  and  of  the  localities  in  which  they  are  found,  would 
occupy  more  space  than  would  be  desirable  in  an  official  document.  This  branch 
of  the  report  is,  therefore,  confined  to  a  few  facts  relating  to  the  best  known  and 
most  important  of  these  products.  The  details,  though  necessarily  incomplete,  con- 
tain sufficient  data  upon  which  to  base  an  opinion  of  the  extent  and  variety  of 
the  miscellaneous  mineral  resources  of  the  Pacific  slope. 

COPPER. — This  branch  of  mining,  which  was  in  process  of  development  last 
year,  is  at  present  in  a  depressed  condition.  Various  circumstances,  briefly  referred 
to  hereafter,  have  caused  a  reduction  in  the  value  of  metallic  copper  in  the  mar- 
kets of  the  world.  The  depression  has  been  felt  more  severely  by  the  miners  on 
this  coast  than  by  those  of  any  other  part  of  the  Union,  because  copper  mining 
being  in  its  infancy  here,  was  struggling  to  secure  the  aid  of  capital  for  its  exten- 
sion ;  an  object  the  attainment  of  which  is  hopeless  under  existing  circumstances. 
Another  drawback  has  been  the  increased  cost  of  freight,  consequent  on  the 
demand  for  vessels  to  carry  wheat,  flour,  and  other  produce  to  the  ports  to  which 
it  has  been  usual  heretofore  to  ship  ores  and  metals.  This  increase  has  been 
equal  to  a  reduction  of  $5  per  ton  in  the  value  of  the  ores ;  because  they  must  be 
shipped  in  order  to  reach  smelters  and  consumers,  as  there  are  no  regular  pur- 
chasers here,  except  such  as  buy  for  export. 

Reference  to  some  of  the  causes  which  have  thus  crippled  the  development 
of  this  source  of  wealth  affords  the  best  means  for  judging  whether  such  reduc- 
tion is  likely  to  be  permanent,  or  of  merely  temporary  duration.  India,  for  the 
past  quarter  of  a  century,  has  absorbed  all  the  ingot  copper  sent  there  from  all 
parts  of  the  world.  Many  of  the  wealthy  natives  in  the  distant  interior  of  that 
country  hoarded  these  ingots  as  treasure,  and  they  passed  as  currency  among 
them.  The  importations  of  gold  and  silver  since  the  discovery  of  these  metals 
in  California  and  Australia,  together  with  the  extension  of  railroads  and  other 
features  of  European  civilization  in  Asia,  have  almost  entirely  abolished  this 
custom.  The  precious  metals  have  superseded  copper  in  the  business  of  its 
semi-barbarous  people.  This  change  has  not  only  caused  a  stoppage  in  the 
demand  for  copper  in  what  was  formerly  the  best  market  for  its  disposal,  but 
thousands  of  tons,  the  accumulations  of  years,  have  been  brought  out  from  hiding 
places  to  be  exchanged  for  the  precious  me'tals.  It  will  require  years  to  absorb 
the  present  supply  of  copper  in  India  by  the  manufacturers  of  that  country,  par- 
ticularly as  most  of  the  utensils  and  ornaments  made  of  that  metal  used  by  the 
people  are  imported  from  Kurope  or  the  United  States. 

Tlie  increasing  supply  of  ores  from  Australia,  Cuba,  Chili,  Africa,  Europe, and 
the  United  States,  before  the  revulsion  in  India  was  severely  felt,  had  already 
bo-run  to  exceed  the  demand;  and,  of  course,  this  excess  has  greatly  increased 
sin<v,  giving  the  control  of  every  open  market  to  those  countries  where  it  can 
bo  mined  and  melted  at  the  lowest  cost. 

The  increase  in  the  number  of  vessels  built  of  iron  in  Europe,  and  the  decline 
in  ship-building  in  the  United  States,  have  curtailed  the  demand  for  sheathing, 
which  a  few  years  since  was  the  chief  use  to  which  copper  was  applied  in  this 
country. 


208 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


Another  cause  for  the  decrease  in  the  demand  for  copper  arises  from  the  sub- 
stitution of  cheaper  metals  in  the  manufacture  of  articles  formerly  made  of  copper, 
and  the  introduction  of  processes  for  depositing  copper  on  other  metals  by  elec- 
tricity, by  which  a  mere  film  of  the  dearer  metal  gives  the  cheaper  one  the  appear- 
ance, and  causes  it  to  serve  most  of  the  purposes  of  the  other. 

The  above  are  among  the  leading  causes  of  the  present  depression  in  the  value 
of  copper,  and  springing,  as  they  do,  from  circumstances  not  likely  to  change 
for  the  better,  the  prospects  of  the  copper  mines  on  this  coast  are  not  very  flat- 
tering. 

The  mines  of.  Bolivia  and  Chili,  owned  by  European  capitalists,  worked  at  less 
cost,  and  more  convenient  to  the  English  and  French  markets  than  those  of  Cali 
forma,  can  drive  the  ores  from  this  coast  out  of  those  markets.  The  imports  of 
South  American  ores  into  England  in  1866  reached  35,336  tons,  while  but  4,591 
tons  were  received  from  California,  and  the  disproportion  will  be  still  greater 
during  the  present  year.  During  the  past  six  months  only  1,211  tons  have  been 
shipped  from  San  Francisco  to  England,  while  the  receipts  from  South  America 
during  the  same  period  exceeded  482,000  quintals  of  96  pounds  each.  The 
present  prices  of  freight  and  ores  forbid  any  increase  of  shipments  hence  during 
this  year.  South  America,  in  1866,  also  sent  86,440  tons  of  ore  to  France,  a 
market  to  which  our  ores  cannot  be  sent  with  profit,  unless  a  great  reduction  can 
be  effected  in  the  expenses  of  mining  and  exportation. 

The  copper  mines  of  the  United  States  have  formidable  competitors  in  the 
European  markets  in  the  mines  of  Africa  and  Cuba.  The  richest  ores  on  the 
English  market  for  some  time  past  have  been  brought  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  Africa.  These  ores  average  from  30  to  50  per  cent.  The  mines  of  Cuba 
have  also  yielded  a  large  quantity  of  rich  ores.  The  product  of  fine  copper  in 
Europe  and  America,  during  1867,  is  estimated  at  90,000  tons,  of  which  Bolivia 
and  Chili  will  produce  two-thirds. 

The  following  tables,  showing  the  value  of  ores  in  England  during  the  past 
three  years,  and  the  cost  of  their  production  on  this  coast,  explain  the  causes  why 
California  cannot  compete  with  Chili  in  supplying  the  European  markets.  As 
the  prices  at  Swansea,  Wales,  regulate  the  whole  European  market,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  give  the  rates  at  that  place. 

Price  of  copper  ores  at  Swansea-in  1865,  1866,  and  1867. 


Grade. 

1865. 

1866. 

1867. 

$41  50 

$33  87 

$36  50 

]  7  per  cent.  . 

..do 

66  62 

58  75 

66  50 

21  per  cent  .  .  ...  .  . 

do 

91  62 

67  62 

69  75 

Cost  of  extracting  and  delivering  ores  at  Swansea. 
Mining... „ per  ton.     $14  00 


do. 


Sorting do. 

Wear  and  tear  of  machinery ..do. 

Interest  on  capital.. do. 

Freight  to  San  Francisco do. 

Freight  to  Swansea ...do. 

Commissions,  &c , do. 

Insurance do. 

Cartage,  wharfage,  &c — do. 


Total  expenses do. 


4  00 
1  00 
]  50 
1  50 

10  00 
35  00 

5  00 
1  50 

50 

54  00 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  209 

By  comparing  these  expenses  with  the  list  of  prices  above,  it  will  readily  be 
perceived  that  ores  under  15  per  cent,  do  not  cover  expenses.  As  seven-eighths 
of  the  ores  obtained  on  this  coast  do  not  reach  that  standard,  it  is  unprofitable  to 
extract  them.  The  same  figures  apply  to  the  markets  at  New  York  and  Boston. 
As  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  ores  smelted  in  Europe  and  the  Atlantic  States 
do  not  average  15  per  cent.,  it  is  clear  that  the  mines  whence  such  ore  is  obtained 
possess  a  great  advantage  over  those  on  the  Pacific  coast,  entirely  through  the' 
saving  in  cost  of  labor  and  transportation. 

The  statistics  relating  to  the  copper  mines  of  England,  published  by  authority 
of  the  government  of  that  country  in  1866,  show  that  during  that  year  198,298 
tons  of  ore  were  obtained  from  the  English  mines,  which  yielded  11,888  tons  of 
fine  copper,  or  an  average  of  but  5  .9  per  cent.  This  ore,  estimated  at  $25  per 
ton,  was  valued  at  $4,967,450.  As  the  mines  on  this  coast  could  be  made  to 
produce  annually  an  equal  quantity  of  ore  of  greater  value,  the  proportions  of 
the  loss  the  country  sustains  by  their  remaining  undeveloped  deserves  considera- 
tion. 

The  establishment  of  comprehensive  smelting  works  at  some  suitable  place, 
with  ample  capital  to  conduct  operations  on  a  liberal  scale,  would  be  a  great 
advantage  to  the  country  by  encouraging  the  development  of  this  interest,  and 
would  doubtless  in  time  yield  fair  returns  for  the  amount  i  ivested. 

The  present  plan  of  erecting  temporary  smelting  works  near  each  mine,  for 
the  purpose  of  operating  on  the  richest  ores,  is  an  injury  to  the  copper  interest, 
because  it  exhausts  materials  which  might  be  more  advantageously  employed. 
These  temporary  works  can  only  operate  on  the  richest  oxides,  carbonates,  and 
silicates,  which  form  but  a  small  proportion  of  the  ores.  The  great  mass  of  them 
consists  of  sulphtirets,  in  the  reduction  of  which  the  oxygen,  carbon,  and  silica 
of  the  richer  ores  serve  an  important  purpose.  It  is  the  opportunity  of  selecting 
suitable  ores  for  combining,  which  the  smelters  of  Wales  possess,  with  a  market 
for  every  kind  and  grade  offered,  that  enables  them  to  operate  so  successfully. 
The  ores  from  the  Cornish  mines  are  sulphides,  and  would  be  too  poor  to  work, 
but  for  this  arrangement.  Lime  and  silica  being  essential  elements  in  the  reduc- 
tion of  copper  from  its  ores,  common  sense  teaches  that  it  is  more  economical  to 
employ  these  elements  when  combined  by  nature  with  the  metal,  than  to  collect 
them  from  other  sources  and  mix  them  artificially,  at  additional  cost.  It  was  to 
secure  this  advantage  that  the  Boston  smelters,  during  the  past  year,  sent  to 
AVales  to  purchase  a  cargo  of  carbonates  to  mix  the  sulphides  received  from  this 
coast,  because  the  miners  here,  who  have  large  quantities  of  carbonates,  prefer 
converting  them  into  matte. 

None  of  the  English  copper  miners  ever  smelt  their  ores.  They  are  all  sent 
to  the  public  market ;  smelting  and  mining  being  considered  separate  and  distinct 
operations  in  that  country. 

The  method  of  transacting  business  in  the  Welsh  ore  market  is  peculiar,  but 
gives  satisfaction,  owing  to  its  fairness  to  buyer  and  seller.  All  the  ores  intended 
for  sale  are  piled  and  sampled  ten  days  before  the  sale  takes  place.  During  that 
time  the  smelters  desiring  to  do  so  can  take  samples  to  estimate  the  value  of 
such  parcels  as  they  want.  Each  sends  in  his  bid  in  writing,  sealed,  directed  to 
the  agent  having  the  particular  parcel  for  sale.  The  highest  bidder  for  any  lot 
has  it  awarded  to  him.  This  is  a  better  plan  than  for  miners  to  be  obliged  to 
seek  purchasers,  without  knowing  the  value  of  the  ore  in  the  market. 

NEW  DISCOVERIES. — The  circumstances  above  stated  have  had  the  effect  of 
preventing  prospecting  for  copper  to  a  great  extent.  But  some  discoveries  have 
been  made  within  the  present  year,  though  few  of  them  have  been  much  developed. 
Among  the  most  important  are  the  following  : 

The  Sierra  Buttes  copper  mine,  located  near  Kurd's  ranch,  Sierra  county.    The 
Kxlc  on  this  discovery,  which  may  be  traced  by  its  outcrop  for  nearly  a  mile, 
differs  from  that  in  any  of  the  copper  mines,  in  several  material  respects.     It  is 
14 


210  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

the  only  body  of  copper  ores  of  any  importance  thus  far  found  in  the  granite  on 
this  coast,  except  at  Meadow  lake,  Nevada  county,  hereafter  referred  to. 

The  ore  is  contained  in  a  quartzose  gangue  rock,  the  lode  having  a  well-defined 
fluccan  (as  the  miners  term  the  soft  clay  which  usually  accompanies  true  veins 
of  ore)  on  the  foot  wall ;  the  hanging  wall  being  a  hard,  compact,  feldspathic 
granite,  which  also  constitutes  the  "  country"  in  which  the  lode  is  enclosed.  There 
are  considerable  quantites  of  molybdenum  in  the  vein-stone,  in  the  form  of  both 
the  sulphite  and  oxide  of  that  metal.  There  are  other  lodes  of  copper  ores  in 
the  same  locality  contained  in  the  granite;  but  each  differs  somewhat  in  compo- 
sition and  appearance  from  all  the  others,  forming  an  interesting  field  for  scientific 
investigation.  The  Sierra  Buttes  -is  the  only  one  of  these  lodes  that  has  been 
worked  to  any  extent,  owing  to  its  containing  sufficient  gold  in  the  gangue  rock 
to  pay  for  extraction,  though  the  ore  will  average  10  per  cent,  of  copper.  The 
cost  of  transportation  from  that  distance  to  a  market  over  such  roads  as  exist, 
under  the  present  condition  of  affairs,  causes  such  a  grade  of  ores  to  be  valueless. 
A  tunnel  is  in  course  of  construction  on  this  mine,  which  when  completed  will 
strike  the  lode  at  a  depth  of  1,000  feet  below  the  surface.  In  a  shaft  sunk  on  it 
to  the  depth  of  60  feet,  the  lode  was  found  to  be  seven  feet  wide. 

A  promising  outcrop  of  copper  ore  has  been  found  near  Marango  Pass,  San 
Bernardino  county,  California. 

A  company  was  incorporated  at  San  Francisco  in  July,  1867,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $240,000,  for  the  purpose  of  working  a  copper  mine  in  the  JMoro  district, 
San  Luis  Obispo  county,  California. 

In  the  California  mine,  at  Meadow  lake,  Nevada  county,  the  highest  inhabited 
portion  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  at  an  altitude  of  8,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  metallic  copper  is  found  in  the  quartz,  the  gold  and  copper  in  which,  though 
intimately  mixed,  are  never  alloyed  with  each  other. 

The  vein-stone  of  the  lodes  in  this  elevated  district  carries  a  percentage  of 
copper,  generally  in  the  form  of  sulphurets,  combined  with  those  of  iron,  lead, 
zinc,  cobalt,  nickel,  and  arsenic.  In  the  Shooting  Star  mine,  at  the  depth  of  40 
feet,  the  lode  contains  an  ore  which  yields  15  per  cent,  of  copper,  $40  per  ton 
of  silver,  and  $20  per  ton  of  gold.  It  is  proposed  to  erect  furnaces  to  smelt  the 
rich  but  complex  ores  of  this  district. 

The  Lyons  Company's  mine,  located  about  three  miles  from  the  town  of 
Ashton,  Colusa  county,  in  the  Coast  range,  contains  a  body  of  oxides  and  car- 
bonates. A  temporary*  furnace  was  erected  to  work  these  ores,  but  being  unfit 
for  the  purpose,  one  of  Haskell's  water-lined  furnaces  is  now  being  built.  This, 
though  not  a  new  discovery,  had  not  been  of  much  importance  till  smelting 
operations  were  commenced. 

Persons  who  have  visited  the  new  Territory  of  Alaska  report  it  as  being  rich 
in  copper.  M.  Foucoult,  a  French  gentleman,  who  spent  several  months  in  the 
Territory  among  the  Indians,  states  that  they  Value  copper  as  much  as  civilized 
men  value  gold.  The  chiefs  wear  masses  of  it  suspended  round  their  necks,  as 
highly  prized  ornaments.  Some  of  the  higher  chiefs  have  lumps  of  the  metal 
that  weigh  several  hundred  pounds  each,  which  are  heir-looms  of  the  tribe,  and 
are  kept  in  the  great  wigwam.  This  gentleman  states,  that  in  order  to  obtain 
these  nuggets  of  copper,  the  Indians  keep  up  large  fires  for  weeks  on  the  out- 
eroppiugs  of  the  lodes,  which  melts  the  carbonates  and  oxides  near  the  surface. 
It  is  a  well-known  fact,  mentioned  in  the  writings  of  the  earlier  visitors  to  this 
coast,  that  the  natives  of  that  Territory,  and  those  immediately  adjoining,  were 
the  only  tribes  that  possessed  copper  weapons  and  ornaments  when  first  discovered. 

In  August,  1866,  a  discovery  of  copper  ore  was  made  in  the  mountains,  on 
the  south  branch  of  King's  river,  Tulare  county,  about  68  miles  from  Fresno 
City.  There  are  four  distinct  and  parallel  lodes,  a  few  feet  apart  from  each 
other,  in  the  locality,  each  containing  a  percentage  of  " horseflesh"  ore,  or 
erubescitc,  in  a  quartzose  gangue  rock.  The  lodes  are  from  two  to  eight  foot 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  211 

wide,  and  arc  traceable  for  several  miles,  cresting  a  high  hill  and  across  a  steep 
canon.  An  analysis  of  the  ore  shows  it  to  contain  60  per  cent,  copper,  $20  per 
ton  in  gold,  and  nearly  $60  per  ton  in  silver.  Owing  to  the  mountainous 
character  of  the  country  where  this  discovery  was  made,  but  little  can  be  done 
towards  its  development  till  a  road  can  be  made  to  convey  materials.  This  will 
involve  an  expense,  which  capitalists  are  not  disposed  to  incur  in  prospecting 
copper  mines  at  present.  If  there  were  no  copper  in  the  ledges,  there  would  be 
less  difficulty  in  obtaining  funds  to  prospect  them  for  the  gold  and  silver  they 
contain ;  but  the  disasters  which  have  befallen  the  copper  interest  within  the  past 
year  have  cast  a  feeling  of  distrust  over  everything  bearing  the  name  or  nature  of 
copper.  There  is  abundance  of  wood  and  water  in  the  vicinity  of  the  discovery; 
and  could  one  of  Haskell's  furnaces  be  erected  there,  the  parties  who  own  the 
lodes  would  probably  realize  something  for  their  labor  and  enterprise. 

Several  discoveries  have  been"  made  within  the  past  few  months  in  the  moun- 
tains bordering  the  Tule  river,  in  Tulare  county,  which  have  been  prospected 
sufficiently  to  demonstrate  their  value.  The  lodes  are  generally  similar  in 
character  to  those  found  on  the  south  fork  of  King's  river,  in  the  same  county, 
and  described  above.  The  localities  of  the  two  discoveries  are  about  50  miles 
apart.  The  lodes  on  the  Tulare  are  contained  in  the  metamorphic  slate,  near 
its  junction  with  the  granite. 

A  body  of  ore  has  been  partially  developed  near  Copper  City,  Shasta  county, 
en  which  a  company  of  English  capitalists  have  offered  to  erect  smelting  works, 
provided  the  parties  owning  the  mine  will  grant  them  a  lease  on  terms  they 
propose. 

It  is  stated  by  parties  who  have  been  prospecting  in  Utah  during  the  past 
season  that  the  croppings  of  copper  ore  are  abundant  in  the  south  and  southeast 
sections  of  that  Territory.  Copper  ores  are  reported  to  have  been  found  in  the 
Battle  Mountain  district,  Humboldt  county,  Nevada,  about  90  miles  north-north- 
west from  Austin. 

The  surveyors  employed  by  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company  report 
the  existence  of  copper-bearing  lodes  in  the  Trinity  mountains,  Humboldt  county, 
Nevada. 

HECENT  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  COPPER  MINES. — The  condition  of  affairs, 
resulting  from  the  caifjes  stated,  will  be  best  exhibited  by  showing  the  extent  of 
the  development  of  i^e  mines  described  in  the  previous  report.  This  will  also 
afford  a  means  for  comparison. 

THE  COPPEROPOLIS  MINES. — These  mines,  owing  to  their  extent,  the  capital 
expended  in  their  development,  the  value  of  the  ores  extracted  from  them,  and 
the  quantity  at  present  available  for  extraction,  place  them  at  the  head  of  the 
copper  mines  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

The  Union  mine  has  been  but  partially  worked  during  1867.  Its  owners 
find  it  more  profitable  to  place  it  in  a  condition  for  future  operations,  than  to 
extract  ore  for  sale  at  present  prices.  But  little  ore  has  consequently  been  taken 
out — only  such  as  it  was  necessary  to  move  in  making  explorations.  The  number 
of  men  employed  has  been  reduced  to  150;  in  1865  and  1866  nearly  400  were 
employed.  The  chief  work  doing  at  the  mine  at  present  is  keeping  it  free  from 
water  and  making  the  necessary  repairs  to  the  works  above  and  below  ground. 

The  explorations  in  the  main  shaft  have  extended  to  500  feet  in  perpendicular 
depth,  where  the  lode  on  the  north,  near  the  line  of  the  Keystone  ground,  is  15 
feet  wide.  At  the;  400-feet  level -in  the  same  shaft,  100  feet  above,  the  lode  has 
decreased  to  six  feet  in  width.  This  increase  in  its  proportions  is  a  favorable 
symptom  of  permanence,  and  proves  the  correctness  of  the  opinion  that  the  con- 
traction of  the  lode  at  the  400-feet  level  would  not  be  permanent.  The  total 
quantity  of  ore  tal.cn  from  this  mine  from  January  1  till  July  15,  1867,  was 
8,382,855  pounds;  total  quantity  since  it  was  opened  in  1861,  108,731,678 
pounds;  all  of  which  has  been  exported  to  the  Atlantic  States  and  Europe, 


212  RESOURCES     OF    STATES   AtfD   TERRITORIES 

except  about  2,376,000  pounds,  or  1,000  tons, -portions  of  which  remain  at  the 
mine,  at  Stockton,  and  San  Francisco,  ready  for  shipment. 

THE  KEYSTONE  MINE. — Explorations  in  this  mine  have  been  extensive  and 
costly  during  the  past  year.  The  cross-cut  toward 'the  south  line,  in  the  sixth 
levef,  at  a  depth  of  350  feet,  running  from  the  south' or  Houghton  shaft,  struck 
the  main  lode  where  it  was  10  feet  wide,  of  15  per  cant.  ore.  It  was  deemed 
best  to  sink  the  main  shaft  200  feet,  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  working  by  a 
winze  at  so  great  a  distance  from  the  shaft,  as  it  was  calculated  the  shaft  would 
strike  thi-  :odo  at  that  depth.  At  the  depth  of  552  feet  a  cross-cut  was  made  43 
feet  in  length  before  the  lode  was  reached.  Its  width  at  that  depth  could  not 
be  ascertained,  owing  to  the  great  increase  of  water,  which)  prevented  the  men 
drifting  till  a  sufficiently  large  sump-hole  could  be  made. 

The  company  have  taken  out  but  little  ore  during  the  past  »ear,  having  ceased 
operations,  except  for  exploration,  early  in  April.  At  present  they  only  employ 
a  few  men  to  attend  the  machinery  and  pumps,  to 'keep  the  mine  from  filling  with 
water.  The  total  receipts  from  the  sale  of  ores  taken  from  this  mine  amount  to 
$375,000.  The  amount  of  assessments  collected  exceed  $100,000,  the  whole  of 
which  has  been  expended  in  developing  the  mine  and  purchasing  machinery. 
The  company  has  never  declared  a  dividend. 

THE  OTHER  COPPEEOPOLIS  MINES. — The  Empire.  Consolidated,  and  Inim 
itable  were  worked  to  some  extent  in  the  spring;  but  have  been  idle  for  several 
months.  The  owners  of  the  latter  mine  (which  is  parallel  and  immediately 
adjoining  the  Union)  had  sued  that  company  for  taking  out  ore  from  their 
ground.  The  case  attracted  considerable  attention  from  its  novelty  and  the 
value  of  the  interests  involved.  It  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  Union  Company. 

THE  NAPOLEON  MINE. — The  newr  shaft  on  this  mine  was  sunk  to  the  depth 
of  195  feet,  when  work  was  suspended.  No  ore  has  been  taken  from  it  during  1867. 

THE  CAMPO  SECO  MINE. — This  mine  has  been  partially  worked  for  a  few 
months  during  the  present  year.  Smelting  works  were  erected  by  the  company 
as  early  as  November,  1865,  and  arrangements  made  for  working  economically. 
A  railroad  a  mile  in  length  was  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  the  ores 
from  the  mine  to  the  furnace.  By  a  judicious  arrangement  in  the  location  of  the 
works,  the  ore,  after  reaching  the  surface  through  the  shaft,  is  earned  down  to 
the  furnaces  by  its  own  weight,  and  these  being  locate^on  the  banks  of  the 
Mokelumne  river,  the  slag  and  other  waste  is  dumped  inro  that  river  at  trifling 
cost  for  labor. 

The  smelting  works  consist  of  two  cupola  furnaces  and  a  McKenzio  blast, 
moved  by  a  water  wheel,  and  a  roasting  kiln.  The  furnaces  are  built  of  sand- 
stone and  lined  with  steatite,  both  of  which  materials  are  abundant  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  works,  and  appear  to  bo  tolerably  well  adapted  for  the  purpose. 
The  object  of  the  company  in  erecting  these  works  was  not  to  make  copper  or 
matte  of  a  high  standard,  but  to  concentrate  the  ores  obtained  below  10  per 
cent,  into  about  35  per  cent,  regains.  The  experience  of  the  persons  in  charge 
confirms  the  remarks  heretofore  made  in  relation  to  the  impolicy  of  each  mine 
smelting  its  own  ores.  The  ores  here,  like  the  bulk  of  all  obtained  from  the 
mines  on  the  cupriferous  belt  which  traverses  the  State  from  north  to  south,  are 
nearly  pure  sulphides  of  iron  and  copper,  rarely  containing  more  than  five  per 
cent  of  silica,  and  consequently  difficult  to  reduce  alone.  The  average  assay  of 
20  samples  shows  45  per  cent,  sulphur,  40  per  cent,  iron,  6  to  10  per  cent,  copper, 
the  remainder  being  silica,  water,  &c.  To  reduce  such  an  ore  to  regains  it  \\-AS 
found  necessary  to  add  20  per  cent,  of  quartz,  in  order  to  supply  sufficient  silica 
to  combine  with  the  iron  after  the  liberation  of  that  metal  from  the  sulphur.  Had 
silicates  of  copper  or  ores  containing  a  considerable  percentage  of  quartzosc 
irangue  rock  been  available,  a  much  larger  product  of  copper  would  have  boen 
obtained  at  the  same  cost  of  fuel,  flux,  and  labor. 

Even  in  the  processes  for  roasting  the  ores  in  kilns  the  absence  of  silica  is 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  213 

a  great  disadvantage  and  source  of  loss.  The  sulphur,  when  in  sucn  excess,  as 
in  this  class  of  ores,  when  heated,  coats  the  ores,  forming  a  refractory  material 
for  future  operations. 

The  two  furnaces  on  this  mine,  when  in  full  operation,  smelted  about  ei"*ht 
tons  of  ore  and  20  per  cent,  of  quartz  in  24  hours.  To  do  this  it  required  250 
bushels  of  charcoal  daily,  which  cost  about  20  cents  per  bushel;  two  men  to 
attend  the  furnace  as  smelters,  two  to  supply  materials,  two  to  carry  off  the  slasr, 
which,  owing  to  the  large  proportion  of  iron  and  the  nature  of  tho  flux,  was 
large,  and  two  others  to  prepare  the  materials  for  the  furnace  feeders.  Most  of 
the  work  was  performed  by  Chinese  labor. 

THE  LAXCHA  PLAXA  MIXES. — These  mines  being  under  the  control  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  Union,  have  not  been  worked  during  the  year. 

THE  MINES  r&^VMADOR  COUNTY. — The  Newton,  Cosumnes,  and  Pioneer 
mines,  in  this  coftMp,  ceased  operations  in  April,  18G7. 

THE  MIXES  ix  MAKIPOSA  COUNTY. — The  principal  mine  in  this  county,  La 
Victorie,  owing  as  much  to  disagreements  among  its  stockholders  as  to  tho  depre- 
ciation in  the  value  of  ores,  has  been  idle  nearly  the  whole  of  the  present  year. 

Having  given  a  description  of  this  mine  in  previous  report,  tho  following 
particulars  relating  to  its  working  will  be  interesting  for  reference :  After  an 
examination  made  by  order  of  the  company,  the  engineer  in  his  report  states  that 
tho  mine  from  the  tunnel  has  been  well  opened.  The  foot-wall,  where  the  tun- 
nel enters  the  vein,  is  well  defined;  but,  as  yet,  the  hanging  wall  had  not  been 
found,  although  the  vein  had  been  pierced  about  70  feet.  Two  thousand  tons 
of  ore  had  been  token  out  of  the  mine,  chiefly  from  pockets  or  smaller  veins, 
mixed  with  the  materials  which  had  been  thrown  into  the  larger  vein.  A  series 
of  deposits  of  ore  exists  above  the  foot-wall,  more  or  less  connected,  containing 
quantities  of  black  oxide,  and  until  the  works  are  carried  below  the  surface  dis- 
turbances tho  size,  value,  or  permanency  of  tho  lode  cannot  be  determined. 
From  the  indications  in  the  present  workings  there  is  reason  to  believe  the  mine 
will  prove  permanent  and  valuable.  The  company  not  having  the  means  to 
obtain  proper  machinery,  had  done  the  best  they  could  under  the  circumstances. 
The  mine  is  well  timbered,  and  is  in  good  condition  for  future  operations. 

A  shaft  had  been  sunk  about  90  feet,  on  an  incline  which  it  was  supposed 
would  intersect  the  lode.  But  by  a  cross-cut  run  from  the  bottom  it  was  found 
that  the  lode  had  changed  in  clip"  The  shaft  was  therefore  sunk  nearly  vertical, 
so  as  to  strike  it  about  80  feet  below,  or  on  a  level  with  the  tunnel.  While  run- 
ning this  cross-cut,  seams  and  deposits  of  black  oxide  were  met  with. 

The  extraction  of  ores  while  the  mine  was  worked  was  slow  and  costly,  owing 
to  the  broken  nature  of  the  country  rock.  The  difficulties  that  beset  the  com- 
pany are  in  part  due  to  tho  isolated  locality  of  the  mine.  It  is  too  far  from  any 
travelled  road  to  obtain  the  advantage  of  cheap  transportation  by  teams  return- 
ing empty  from  the  mountains.  The  nearest  point  of  shipment  is  84  miles,  over 
a  rough  country.  The  cost  of  transportation  swallowed  up  the  value  of  the 
ore.  In  addition  to  this,  the  company  conducted  its  business  on  the  same  extrav- 
agant scale  as  the  richest  of  the  "Washoe  companies.  Its  officers,  salaries, 
office  rent  in  San  Francisco,  and  incidental  expenses  outside  the  mine  amounted 
to  816,000  per  annum.  There  are  few  undeveloped  mines  that  could  stand  such 
a  drain.  Under  more  economical  management,  and  with  cheaper  transportation, 
this  mine  might  add  something  to  the  wealth  of  the  State,  even  at  the  present 
low  price  of  copper.  Its  ores  are  abundant,  and  of  a  higher  grade  than  the 
average. 

Tin;  BUCUAXAX  MINE  is  located  in  Hunter's  valley,  Mariposa  county,  and 
has  been  worked  at  intervals  during  the  past  year.  The  shaft,  in  June,  had 
reached  150  feet  in  depth,  where  the  lode  was  found  to  be  seven  feet  wide,  of 
tolerably  compact  sulphurets.  Having  oxides,  silicates,  and  carbonates  conve- 
nient to* the  smelting  works,  this  company,  during  the  year,  has  made  100  tons  of 


214  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

60  per  cent,  matte,  most  of  which  has  been  forwarded  to  San  Francisco,  where 
it  remains  at  present  for  want  of  a  market.  There  can  bo  no  better  illustration 
of  the  reduction  in  the  value  of  copper  than  is  afforded  by  the  working  of  this 
mine.  The  matte  made  from  its  ores  in  1865,  averaging  60  per  cent,  of  copper, 
sold  at  San  Francisco  for  16  cents  per  pound.  The  same  grade  of  matte  cannot 
be  sold  at  present  at  nine  cents  per  pound. 

At  James's  ranch  the  Green  Mountain  Company  have  erected  smelting  works 
and  made  a  few  tons  of  matte. 

None  of  the  other  copper  mines  in  this  county  have  been  worked  during  the 
present  year. 

THE  'MIXES  IN  SAX  Luis  OBISPO  COUNTY. — But  little  having  been  done 
towards  developing  the  mines  in  this  county  during  the  present  year,  there  are 
no  new  facts  to  report  concerning  them. 

THE  MINES  IN  Los  ANGELES  COUNTY. — With  the  exception  of  prospecting 
among  the  claims  near  the  Soiidad  pass,  nothing  has  been  done  in  this  county 
during  the  past  year. 

THE  MINES  IN  PLUMAS  COUNTY. — The  Genesee  Valley  smelting  works  had 
to  cease  operations  during  the  winter  owing  to  the  weather,  and  work  has  not 
been  resumed  since,  the  price  of  copper  offering  no  inducements  to  the  proprie- 
tors to  incur  -the  expense  of  refitting  furnaces  and  mine. 

THE  MINES  IN  DEL  NORTE  COUNTY. — With  the  exception  of  the  Alta  none 
of  the  copper  mines  in  this  county  have  been  worked  this  year.  The  Alta  com- 
pany have  been  engaged  in  developing  their  mine.  They  have  sunk  their  main 
shaft  to  the  depth  of  500  feet,  run  their  tunnel  200  feet,  and  drifted  at  several 
levels,  finding  bodies  of  ore  which  appear  to  improve  in  quality  as  the  workings 
progress.  The  disturbed  and  broken  character  of  the  formation  ceases  at  200 
feet  from  the  surface.  The  company  has  sent  400  tons  of  ore  to  San  Francisco 
since  January,  1867,  which  has  been  reshipped  to  New  York.  The  average  of 
ore  has  been  about  16  per  cent,  j  but  the  costs  attending  its  transportation  to  San 
Francisco,  and  reshipment  thence  to  New  York,  absorbs  the  value  in  expenses. 

THE  MINES  IN  CONTRA  COSTA  COUNTY. — None  of  the  copper  mines  in  this 
county  have  been  worked  this  year. 

THE  MINES  IN  NEVADA  COUNTY. — Capital  and  labor  have  been  expended 
in  prospecting  the  copper  mines  in  the  western  part  of  this  county,  where  there 
is  a  copper-bearing  formation  extending  across  it  from  north  to  south,  on  which 
many  claims  have  been  located  and  to  some  extent  explored.  The  lodes  are 
f«ncrally  large,  but  the  ores  are  of  too  low  a  grade  to  cover  the  costs  of  trans- 
portation. Of  several  hundred  tons  sent  to  New  York  and  Swansea  the  average 
returns  did  not  exceed  nine  per  cent,  of  metal.  Under  more  favorable  condi- 
tions, with  cheap  labor  and  transportation,  these  mines  might  be  made  to  pay. 
At  present  they  can  only  be  worked  at  a  loss. 

The  first  shaft  in  the  district,  called  the  Well,  because  sunk  for  the  purpose 
of  obtaining  a  supply  of  water,  is  near  Spenceville,  in  Rough  and  Ready  town- 
ship. It  was  used  as  a  well  for  five  years,  till  the  excitement  about  copper  in 
1862,  when,  on  cleaning  it  out,  a  deposit  of  sulphurets  was  exposed  70  feet  wide, 
and  extending  to  an  indefinite  length  in  the  direction  of  the  stratification  of  the 
enclosing  metamorphosed  clay  slate,  with  a  foot-wall  and  fluccan.  But  the  ore, 
only  ranging  from  eight  to  nine  per  cent.,  did  not  pay  for  extraction  and  transport. 

The  Last  Chance,  the  only  mine  worked  for  copper  in  this  county,  is  located 
on  this  belt,  near  the  Empire  ranch.  It  was  discovered  in  1863,  and  has  since 
been  explored  with  such  satisfactory  results  as  to  warrant  its  owners,  who  are 
among  the  most  enterprising  citizens  in  the  State,  (D.  O.  Mills,  of  San  Francisco, 
A.  Delano,  S.  D.  Bosworth,  and  E.  W.  Roberts,  of  Grass  Valley,)  to  make 
application  if  procure  title  from  the  federal  government  to  the  land  on  which 
the  mine  is  located,  the  first  application  of  the  kind  made.  A  shaft  has  been 
sunk  to  the  depth  of  200  feet,  where  the  lode  is  found  12  feet  wide,  of  sulnjiur- 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  215 

cts,  averaging  from  12  to  20  per  cent,  of  metal.  Before  the  rise  in  price  of 
freight  a  shipment  of  this  ore  to  Swansea  returned  a  profit  of  $35  per  ton.  The 
company  own  2,400  feet  on  this  lode. 

Considerable  excitement  was  created  in  this  county  towards  the  close  of  18G6 
by  the  discovery  of  ores  in  the  Fox  mine,  from  which  about  40  tons  of  oxides 
and  carbonates  were  shipped  to  Swansea  in  October  of  that  year.  But  the  excite- 
ment ceased  as  the  price  of  copper  declined,  though  nearly  100  claims  were 
recorded  during  the  last  quarter  of  1866. 

Several  small  parcels  of  ores  have  been  received  at  San  Francisco  during  the 
present  year  from  the  Western  Star  and  Green  mines,  located  near  the  Last  Chance 
and  on  the  same  lode ;  but  at  present  and  for  several  months  past  none  of  the 
mines  have  been  worked. 

OTHER  CALIFORNIA  COPPER  MINES. — With  the  exception  of  the  Union 
Company,  who  own  a  mine  in  Marin  county  which  they  prospected  for  a  few 
months  in  the  spring,  the  above  is  a  full  statement  of  tfie  progress  made  in  cop- 
per mining  in  California  during  the  year  1867. 

THE  OREGON  COPPER  MINES. — The  Queen  of  Bronze  and  other  mines  in 
this  State  have  been  idle  during  the  past  year.  New  discoveries  have  been 
made,  but  none  of  them  have  been  developed  sufficiently  to  prove  their  value. 
They  are  referred  to  merely  to  show  the  extent  of  country  on  this  coast  in  which 
copper  has  been  discovered. 

The  most  important  of  the  discoveries  have  been  made  in  the  southern  part 
of  Douglas  county,  where  croppings  of  ore  exist,  not  in  the  form  of  gossan,  as  in 
California,  but  as  masses  of  oxides  and  carbonates,  which  will  be  of  importance 
if  extensive  smelting  works  should  be  erected. 

The  mines  on  Eagle  creek,  Baker  county,  have  been  explored  with  such  results 
as  to  have  induced  the  owners  to  enter  into  a  contract  with  the  Oregon  Steam 
Navigation  Company  to  carry  their  ores  to  San  Francisco,  at  a  stipulated  price, 
for  a  year. 

THE  LOWER  CALIFORNIA  COPPER  MIXES. — The  Sauce  mine,  at  Loretto,  has 
not  been  worked  during  the  past  year.  The  shaft  oh  this  mine  has  reached  the 
depth  of  114  feet,  where  the  lode  is  seven  feet  wide,  the  ore  said  to  average  12 
per  cent. 

A  few  tons  of  ore  were  received  occasional!}'  at  San  Francisco  from  mines 
along  the  lower  coast,  during  the  past  spring,  but  such  shipments  have  entirely 
ceased  for  several  months. 

THE  COPPER  MINES  OF  NEVADA.* — Most  of  the  ores  found  in  the  district  of 
Pahrai-iagat,  though  generally  famous  for  the  silver  they  contain,  are  more  pi  ^- 
crly  described  as  copper  ores.  They  consist  chiefly  of  gvay  copper,  copper 
pyrites,  erubescite,  and  other  familiar  ores  of  copper,  combined  with  sulphites  of 
silver,  lead,  iron,  zinc,  &c.  No  gold  has  yet  been  found  in  the  district.  These 
ores  are  contained  in  a  quartzose  veinstone  in  some  ledges  j  in  others  the  gangue 
rock  is  calcspar,  (a  carbonate  of  lime.)  Some  of  the  ores  contain  as  high  as  50 
per  cent,  of  copper.  This  district  lies  in  the  extreme  southeast  corner  of  Nevada, 
where  it  joins  Utah  and  Arizona,  in  37°  37'  north  latitude  and  112°  longitude 
west  from  Greenwich.  The  mineral  wealth  of  the  district  is  contained  in  a  range 
of  mountains  about  six  miles  long  and  four  miles  wide,  running  nearly  north  and 
south,  the  general  name  for  which  is  Mount  Irish,  though  each  peak  has  a  sepa- 
rate name.  Some  of  the  crests  of  the  range  tower  to  the  height  of  11,000  feet, 
and  are,  covered  with  perpetual  snow.  The  lodes  present  the  characteristics  of 
true  fissure  veins,  and  appear  to  consist  of  several  series,  crossing  each  other  in 
M.mr  places  at  right  angles,  the  whole  being  contained  in  a  metamorphosed .lime- 
si  one  formation.  In  any  other  locality  they  would  be  valuable  for  copper  mining. 

*  Described  more  fully  in  the  section  on  Nevada. 


216  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Similar  ores  are  obtained  in  the  mines  of  Inyo  and  Mono  counties,  California. 
These,  however,  contain  a  per  cent,  of  gold.  These  ores  are  refractory  when 
worked  by  the  ordinary  mill  processes.  Some  of  this  class  of  ore  taken  from 
the  Camanche  mine,  in  Mono  county,  and  sent  to  Swansea  for  reduction,  returned 
$1,000  per  ton  in  gold,  silver,  and  copper.  The  mines  in  Kearsarge,  Fish  Springs, 
Aurora,  and  other  districts  among  the  higher  divisions  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  pro- 
duce similar  ores.  The  completion  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad  will  be  of 
great  benefit  to  the  miners  of  this  extensive  mineral  region,  particularly  if  a 
process  shall  be  discovered  by  which  the  gold  and  silver  can  be  extracted  with- 
out wasting  the  copper  they  contain — a  contingency  quite  possible.  If  such  an 
establishment  for  smelting  as  the  interests  of  the  coast  demand  were  erected  at 
some  point  convenient  to  water  and  railroad  carriage,  the  refractory  ores  of  the 
Sierras  would  become  valuable. 

THE  PEAVINE  MINES. — In  November,  186G,  several  tons  of  ores  from  this 
district  were  brought  to  Sacramento  by  the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  which  passes 
within  three  miles  of  it,  being  the  first  shipment  from  the  Sierras  by  railroad. 
The  total  cost  for  freight  by  railroad  and  steamboat  was  $12  per  ton. 

Two  of  Haskell's  water-lined  furnaces  have  since  been  erected  in  the  district, 
one  to  operate  for  silver,  the  other  for  copper,  but  neither  has  yet  been  completed. 
The  ores  are  chiefly  carbonates  and  silicates,  and  the  furnaces  will  probably  be 
able  to  reduce  them  to  a  portable  form  for  transportation.  As  they  contain  a 
per  centum  of  gold  and  silver  it  may  be  found  profitable  to  ship  them  to  Europe 
for  separation,  till  suitable  works  shall  be  erected  here. 

An  excellent  map  of  this  district  has  been  published  by  A.  J.  Hatch,  deputy 
United 'States  surveyor,  which  will  be  found  useful  for  reference. 

THE  MINES  IN  ARIZONA. — The  copper  mines  on  Williams  fork  of  the  Colo- 
rado have  been  partially  worked  this  year.  The  developments  have  been  satis- 
factory so  far  as  the  extent  of  the  lodes  and  the  grade  of  the  ores  are  concerned, 
but  the  difficulties  attending  smelting  operations  for  want  of  furnace  materials 
and  fuel,  the  scarcity  of  means  for  transport,  the  high  cost  of  freights  from  the 
mines  to  market,  and  the  low  prices  paid  for  ores  have  caused  a  cessation  of  work 
or  confined  operations  to  a  limited  scale.  In  March  there  wore  100  men  employed 
at  the  Central  and  Planet  mines,  and  about  150  about  the  works  at  Aubrey  City, 
nearly  all  of  whom  have  since  been  discharged. 

The  receipts  of  ores  from  these  mines  since  January  1,  1867,  have  amounted 
to  1,156  tons,  600  of  which  were  from  the  Planet  mine.  The  whole  quantity 
ranged  between  20  and  60  per  cent,  of  metal. 

The  ores  in  this  district  would  be  valuable  if  suitable  smelting  works  were 
erected  anywhere  on  this  coast,  as  they  are  chiefly  carbonates,  silicates,  and 
oxides. 

THE  GREAT  CENTRAL  MINE  contains  3,600  feet  on  two  parallel  lodes,  and 
several  hundred  feet  on  other  lodes  adjacent.  The  ore  is  abundant  and  of  good 
grade,  and  contains  some  gold  and  silver.  In  May  last,  the  company  had  about 
200  tons,  averaging  25  per  cent.,  and  50  tons  of  selected,  averaging  60  per  cent., 
lying  on  the  river  bank  awaiting  transportation.  One  of  the  smaller  lodes,  the 
"  Marion,"  at  the  depth  of  75  feet  from  the  surface,  is  five  feet  wide,  composed 
of  oxides  of  iron  and  copper.  At  the  depth  of  125  feet  from  the  surface  the 
main  lode  exhibits  symptoms  of  sulphur.  This,  while  affording  evidence  of  the 
permanence  of  the  lode,  is  not  favorable  to  smelting  operations.  For  200  feet 
on  each  side  of  the  shaft  on  the  main  lode  (which  is  the  extent  of  its  explora- 
tion) it  is  found  to  be  from  five  to  seven  feet  wide. 

In  April  last  the  company  completed  a  furnace  capable  of  reducing  16  tons  of  ore 
in  24  hours,  and  made  about  50  tons  of  coarse  copper,  ranging  from  60  to  70  per 
cent.,  which  has  been  sent  to  New  York.  But  operations  ceased  in  June. 

THE  PLANET  MINE,  though  located  near  the  Great  Central,  contains  several 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  217 

loaes  anci  deposits  of  ore  separate  from  those  worked  by  that  company,  and  yields 
ores  of  a  different  character.  In  one-  of  the  drifts  a  body  of  red,  ferruginous,  cal- 
careous cement  was  found,  about  18  inches  thick,  but  otherwise  of  unknown 
extent,  which  contains  a  per  cent,  of  metallic  copper  in  the  form  of  line  spangles 
and  flakes,  beautifully  crystallized,  imparting  a  peculiar  brilliancy  to  each  frac- 
ture as  the  lights  of  the  miners  are  reflected  upon  the  grains.  It  differs  entirely 
from  other  copper  ores  found  on  the  coast.  There  are  no  traces  of  sulphur. 

At  the  depth  of  80  feet,  in  the  main  shaft,  the  lode  is  composed  of  a  coarse 
Malachite,  or  carbonate  of  copper,  nearly  eight  feet  wide,  quite  compact,  and 
pencilled  with  dark  shadings  like  green  marble.  Along  the  foot  wall  there  are 
masses  of  chrysocolla,  or  silicate  of  copper — much  of  it  possessing  great  beauty — 
appearing  like  bright  green  jasper,  elegantly  marbled  with  darker  green  and  blue 
pencillings.  Some  of  these  masses,  which  are  susceptible  of  a  high  and  perma- 
nent polish,  would  bo  valuable  for  ornamental  purposes. 

It  is  estimated  that  $100,000  worth  of  ores  have  been  sold  from  this  mine 
since  1862. 

MINERAL  HILL  MINE. — This  and  the  Empire  Flat  mine  are  owned  by  Green- 
man  &  Martin,  of  San  Francisco,  a  firm  long  engaged  in  the  purchase  of  copper 
ores  on  this  coast.  They  have  erected  two  furnaces  and  other  works,  with  a  30 
horse-power  steam  engine  to  run  the  necessary  machinery,  at  Aubrey  City,  a  town 
which  has  sprung  up  on  the  banks  of  the  river  since  the  opening  of  the  mines, 
having  expended  nearly  $100,000  in  opening  the  mines,  building  a  wharf,  making 
roads,  &c. 

The  Springfield  Company  own  the  Punta  del  Cobro  mine,  and  several  lodes 
near  the  Great  Central  Company's  mine,  and  there  are  other  mines  of  probable 
value  in  the  district. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  these  mines,  after  having  been  brought  to  their  present 
stage  of  development  at  so  great  an  expense,  have  been  compelled  to  cease  ope- 
rations. Only  a  few  hands  are  now  employed  to  keep  the  property  in  order. 
The  furnaces  are  idle. 

The  following  details  of  the  expenses  of  transportation  from  the  Aubrey  mines 
may  be  useful  in  showing  that  some  of  the  causes  which  prevent  their  develop- 
ment may  bo  removed. 

The  expenses  in  bringing  ores  from  the  mines  to  San  Francisco  sum  up  about 
$25  per  ton ;  this,  coupled  with  $15  per  ton  freight  to  Liverpool  or  New  York, 
makes  $40  per  ton,  without  calculating  insurance,  commission,  interest  on  capital, 
or  costs  for  mining,  which  swell  the  actual  cost  of  the  ore  to  $70  per  ton,  nearly 
equal  to  the  present  market  value  of  25  per  cent.  ore.  No  further  explanation 
is  necessary  to  show  why  it  is  unprofitable  to  ship  even  rich  ores  from  this  dis- 
trict. 

The  difficulties  in  the  way  of  smelting  are  as  discouraging  as  those  attending 
the  exportation  of  the  ores.  No  suitable  materials  so  far  as  known  can  be  had 
in  the  Territory  of  which  to  construct  the  furnaces.  All  material  has  to  be 
brought  from  California  at  a  great  expense ;  steatite  from  El  Dorado  county  and 
sandstone  from  Catalina  island,  &c.  Owing  to  the  depredations  of  the  Indians 
the  wood-cutters  were  unable  to  "o  out  of  sight  of  the  settlement  to  obtain  wood 
for  charcoal,  the  supply  of  which  was  consequently  deficient,  the  quality  bad, 
and  the  expense  enormous ;  charcoal  made  of  iron  wood,  musquete,  and  cotton- 
wood  costs  $50  per  ton.  The  total  product  of  copper  made  under  these  circum- 
stances did  not  exceed  40  tons. 

Under  more  favorable  conditions  the  mines  might  be  made  profitable.  There 
are  places  along  the  river  banks  where  100,000  tons  of  carbonates  and  oxides 
of  copper,  averaging  18  per  cent,  of  that  metal,  could  be  quarried  like  marble  j 
but  such  ores  are  valueless  at  present. 


218 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


The  following  table  gives  the  exports  of  copper  regulus  and  ores  from  San 
Francisco  since  1862 : 

Exports  of  copper  and  ores  since  1862. 


Year. 

To  New  York. 

To  Boston. 

To  England. 

Total. 

Ores. 

Copper 
regnlus 

Ores. 

Copper 
reguluH. 

Ores. 

Copper 
regulus. 

Ores. 

Copper 
regulus. 

1862 

Tons. 
86 
1,  3H7 
4,  905  16-20 
4,  146  3-20 
9,  962  8-20 
2,633 

Tons, 

Tons. 
3.  574  16-20 
4,  208  15-16 
5,064 
9,050 
4,  536  13-20 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 
3,66016-20 
5,  553  10-20 
10,  234  3-20 
17,787  19-20 
26,  883  16-20 
4,511 

Toiis. 

1863 



7  15-20 
264  7-20 
2,  591  16-20 
12,  384  15-20 
1,878 



"25"" 
502  10-20 
31918-20 

1864 

1865. 

25 

422 
178 

1866 

80  10-20 
141  18-20 

1867  

Total  

| 

23,  070  7-20 

625 

26,  434  4-20 

17,  126  13-20 

2228-20 

68,  631  4-20 

847  8-20 

The  above  table  exhibits  the  decline  in  the  exports  during  the  present  year. 
A  considerable  portion  of  that  which  has  been  shipped  has  not  paid  expenses, 
but  was  sent  under  contracts  previously  made. 

COPPER-SMELTING  WORKS  ERECTED  ox  THE  PACIFIC  COAST. — The  follow- 
ing list  of  copper-smelting  works  erected  on  the  Pacific  coast,  though  not  com- 
plete, shows  the  extent  of  the  business  and  the  amount  of  capital  invested  in  its 
development : 

List  of  copper -smelting  worlts  erected  on  tJic  Pacific  coast. 


Where  located. 

Mine. 

County. 

State. 

Plan. 

COBt. 

Welsh 

$°5  000 

do 

75  000 

Waldo             

Queen  Bronze  .... 

Oregon 

do 

40  000 

GeneHHee  Valley  

Cosmopolitan  

Plumas  

California  . 

Local  

30  000 

do 

HaskeH's 

20  000 

1  1  ear  Valley  ... 

La  Victorie  

do  

do  

...  do  ... 

20  000 

Near  Placerville 

do 

do 

]0  000 

Hunter's  Valley............ 

Buchanan  ....  .... 

Mariposa  .......... 

...  do  

do  .. 

20  000 

do 

do 

6  000 

1'eavine  Hill 

Peavine  

Storey 

Nevada  . 

do 

10  000 

"Josephine  ........ 

Oregon.  .  .  . 

German  .  .  . 

20  000 

Several 

Wflsh 

100  COO 

Campo  Seco  

Campo  Seco  

Calaveras  

California 

...  do  

30  000 

Total  





406,000 

*  Completed  June,  1867. 

Several  concentrating  and  roasting  works  have  also  been  erected  near  some 
of  the  copper  mines  at  considerable  expense.  The  concentrating  works  on  the 
Keystone  mine?  at  Copperopolis,  cost  $50,000.  It  is  quite  fair  to  calculate  that 
$500,000  have  been  expended  in  the  construction  of  smelting  and  concentrating 
works  on  this  coast  during  the  past  four  y ears,  nearly  all  of  which  has  proved  a 
loss  for  the  reasons  stated. 

IMPORTATION  OF  METALLIC  COPPER. — The  increase  in  ship-building  on  this 
coast,  and  the  facilities  for  repairing  large  vessels  by  the  construction  of  docks, 
&c.,  at  San  Francisco,  create  a  demand  for  sheathing-metal  and  nails.  The 
general  use  of  copper  plates  in  the  quartz  mills  requires  a  large  supply  of  this 
rnetal,  as  much  of  it  is  destroyed  by  the  chemicals  used  in  the  processes  for  amal- 
gamating the  precious  metals.  The  increase  in  the  manufacture  of  machinery, 
in  the  construction  of  which  brass  forms  a  considerable  item,  and  of  articles 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  '219 

wholly  composed  of  copper  or  brass,  a  branch  of  business  which  gives  employ- 
ment to  several  factories  and  foundries,  requires  a  constantly  increasing  supply 
of  this  metal. 

The  following  statement,  showing  the  imports  of  copper  during  1866  and  for  the 
first  six  months  of  1867,  embraces  only  the  rough  metal  and  sheets.  All  other 
forms  in  which  it  is  imported  are  included  under  the  head  of  general  merchan- 
dise. Though  very  incomplete,  and  confined  to  the  imports  received  at  San 
Francisco,  this  table  shows  that  there  is  a  field  for  the  manufacture  of  copper  on 
the  Pacific  coast  which  deserves  the  consideration  of  capitalists. 

Imports  of  copper  at  San  Francisco  from  January  1,  1866,  to  July  1,  1867. 

Bars  and  packages  :  In  1866,  1,245;  in  180T,  242;  total,  1,487.  Cases  of  sheathing:  In 
I860,  1,203;  in  18(57,380;  total,  1,580.  The  weight  and  value  of  the  packages  are  not 
returned  at  the  custom-house. 

TIIK  MANUFACTURE  OF  SULPHATE  OF  COPPER  IN  CALIFORNIA. — The  annual 
consumption  of  the  sulphate  of  copper  on  the  Pacific  coast  amounts  to  nearly 
500  tons.  The  present  wholesale  price  is  $200  per  ton.  About  four-fifths  of 
total  quantity  imported  is  used  in  the  processes  of  amalgamation.  The  greater 
part  of  the  other  fifth,  or  about  100  tons,  is  used  by  farmers  for  soaking  wheat, 
&c. ;  sulphate  of  copper,  or  blue-stone,  as  it  is  generally  called,  being  the  best 
known  preventive  of  rust  in  that  grain.  Till  recently  all  the  sulphate  of  cop- 
per used  here  was  imported,  chiefly  from  England.  At  present  there  is  sufficient 
made  in  San  Francisco  to  supply  the  demand.  Crane  &  Brigham,  a  firm  in  the 
drug  business,  have  been  engaged  for  several  years  in  perfecting  a  plan  for  the 
manufacture  of  this  article  from  the  snlplmrcts,  which  were  too  poor  to  pay  for 
export  or  concent-ration.  They  expended  nearly  850,000  in  apparatus  and  exper- 
iments, and  obtained  a  patent  for  a  process  which  they  discovered  in  1864.  But 
the  costs  of  labor  and  strong  opposition  from  importers  made  it  an  unprofitable 
investment.  In  the  spring  of  1867,  a  method  was  discovered  by  them  of  making 
this  article  from  the  carbonates  and  oxides  brought  from  the  Williams  fork  of 
the  Colorado,  Arizona,  by  which  it  is  prepared  in  the  greatest  purity  at  a  cost 
bolow  that  for  which  it  can  be  profitably  imported.  The  San  Francisco  Refinery 
Works,  and  other  establishments  in  that  business,  of  which  there  are  several, 
also  make  quantities  of  the  sulphate  of  copper  as  a  by-product  of  their  chemical 
operations.  Under  these  circumstances  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  importation 
of  this  article  will  soon  cease. 

IKON. — The  failure,  till  recently,  to  discover  a  deposit  of  coal  on  this  coast 
suitable  for  smelting  purposes,  has  prevented  much  attention  being  paid  to  the 
bodies  of  iron  ores  which  are  scattered  throughout  California  and  Oregon.  But 
the  discovery  of  good  coal  in  Washington  Territory,  and  in  the  late  Russian  pos- 
sessions on  this  coast,  within  the  past  year  or  two,  has  brought  the  subject  of 
iron  smelting  into  notice.  The  consumption  of  pig,  bar,  plate,  and  every  other 
description  of  iron,  already  considerable,  must  increase  with  the  progress  of  the 
States  and  Territories  on  this  side  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  the  importance 
of  this  metal  in  manufactures  and  arts  imparts  to  the  subject  an  interest  scarcely 
second  to  that  attached  to  the  production  of  the  precious  metals. 

With  an  abundance  of  material  necessary  for  the  manufacture  of  iron  at  their 
doors,  as  it  were,  it  is  scarcely  probable  the  people  of  this  coast  will  be  much 
longer  content  to  import  so  essential  an  element  of  prosperity  from  foreign 
countries. 

Tins  FIRST  IRON-SMELTING  WORKS  ON  THE  PACIFIC.— Oregon  i-s  entitled  to 
the  credit  of  having  erected  the  first  iron-smelting  works  on  the  Pacific  coast, 
though  several  of  the  heaviest  stockholders  in  the  enterprise  are  citizen*  of, 
California. 


220  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

The  Oregon  Iron  Works  arc  located  at  Oswogo,  about  nine  miles  south  of 
Portland,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Willamette  river.  They  are  the  property  of 
an  incorporated  company,  having  a  capital  of  $500,000.  The  operations  of  this 
company  were  commenced  in  September,  1865.  In  1866  the  erection  of  the 
furnace  and  necessary  buildings  was  commenced,  and  completed  in  June,  1SG7. 
But  smelting  was  not  immediately  commenced,  in  consequence  of  an  insufficient 
quantity  of  charcoal,  the  fuel  intended  to  be  used.  The  destruction  of  the  com- 
pany's foundry  and  machine  shop  by  fire  on  the  night  of  July  2,  which  involved 
a  loss  of  nearly  $100,000,  further  delayed  operations. 

The  furnaces  were  erected  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  G.  D.  Wilbur,  of  Con- 
necticut, and  are  constructed  on  the  same  plan  as  those  in  general  use  in  that 
State.  They  arc  built  of  the  basaltic  rock  which  underlies  the  ore.  This  mate- 
rial is  found  to  be  adapted  to  the  purpose.  The  cupola  is  32  feet  high,  and  the 
bosher  or  hearth  nine  feet  six  inches  in  diameter.  The  blast  (hot)  is  applied 
through  three  tuyeres,  under  a  pressure  of  two  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  gene- 
rated by  suitable  machinery  driven  by  water  power. 

The  charcoal  used  is  prepared  from  the  Oregon  fir,  which  has  been  found  by 
experiment  to  be  adapted  to  smelting  purposes,  and  is  very  compact,  weighing 
about  16  pounds  to  the  bushel.  Contractors  supply  it  to  the  company  at  eigltt 
cents  per  bushel,  delivered  at  the  works.  It  is  calculated  the  furnace  will  reduce 
nine  tons  of  ore  daily,  (24  hours,)  each  two  and  one-half  tons  of  which  being 
estimated  to  produce  one  ton  of  metal  in  pigs. 

The  first  pigs  cast  at  these  works,  and  consequently  on  the  Pacific  coast,  were 
made  on  the  24th  August,  1867,  when  about  six  tons  of  very  good  metal  were 
run  out.  The  ore  used  ranged  from  GO  to  65  per  cent.  The  furnace  has  been 
running  continuously  since,  producing  from  six  to  eight  tons  of  metal  per  day. 
About  80  men  are  employed  about  the  works  as  miners,  furnace  men,  teauir 
bters,  &c. 

On  the  1st  day  of  October  the  Oregon  Iron  Company  had  produced  224  tons 
of  pig  iron,  2,240  pounds  to  the  ton,  at  an  expense  as  follows : 

For  each  ton  (2,240  pounds)  iron  produced  there  were  used — 

166  bushels  charcoal,  costing  at  furnace  8  cents 813  28 

884  pounds  lime,  costing  at  furnace  40  cents 3  53 

4,970  pounds  ore,  costing  at  furnace  $2  50  per  ton 5  50 

Labor  reducing  each  ton 6  67 

Total  cost  of  the  pig  on  bank  of  river 28  98 

This  does  not  include  interest  on  capital,  or  State  and  county  taxes. 

A  sample  of  this  metal  was  received  at  San  Francisco  August  30,  1867, 
which,  after  thorough  tests  by  the  various  foundries  ki  that  city,  was  .pronounced 
a  superior  article. 

The  average  cost  of  importing  pig  iron  from  Europe  to  San  Francisco  is  about 
$40  per  ton,  ranging  from  $35  to  845  j  the  fluctuation  arising  from  the  rates  of 
freight,  which  is  usually  from  $12  50  to  $15  per  ton.  Occasionally  it  is  brought 
(l>y  French  and  German  vessels  at  a  lower  price,  as  these  vessels  generally  carry 
cargoes  of  light  mercliandisc,  which  require  heavy  freight  as  ballast.  The  usual 
freight  from  Atlantic  ports  is  from  $12  to  $16  per  ton  in  currency. 

Within  the  past  year  small  parcels  of  pig  iron  have  been  received  from  Aus- 
tralia. The  Australian  iron  costs  about  $40  per  ton  in  gold,  delivered  on  the 
wharf. 

The  following  particulars  concerning  the  cost  of  producing  iron,  copied  from 
the  report  of  the  United  States  Revenue  Commissioners  for  1865  and  1866,  will 
be  found  of  interest  in  this  connection.  It  will  be  seen  by  these  figures  that 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  22  f 

while  it  is  quite  possible  to  make  iron  on  the  Pacific  coast  as  cheaply  as  in  any 
other  portion  of  the  United  States,  it  cannot  be  made  as  cheaply  as  in  England: 

An  establishment  capable  of  producing  in  the  United  States  10,000  tons  of  finished 
iron  per  annum  would  cost  for  ore,  leu.se*,  lands,  blast  furnaces,  mills,  houses, 
and  appurtenances  necessary  for  the  full  equipment,  from  the  ore  to  the  lin- 
i.shed  iron,  ut  i  he  present  time  ..........................................  $1,250,000 

Capital  to  carry  it  <m  ....................................................         7$g  Q^Q 


Total  .............................................................  2,000,000 

A  similar  one  in  Great  Britain  would  cost  ..................................  $.">CO,000 

Capital  to  carry  it  oil  ....................................................  300,000 

Total  ............................................................  800,000 

Interest  on  $2,000,000  capital   invested  in  American  establishment  at  8  per 

cent  ..................................................................  $160,000 

Oa  800,  000  in  England  at  5  percent  .......................................  40,000 

Leaving  a  balance  of  interest  against  American  manufactures  of  ........  120,  OCO 


In  the  United  States  a  fair  average  cost  of  producing  pig  iron  is  not  less  than  $35  per  ton. 
In  England  or  Wales  the  cost  of  producing  a  ton  of  pig  iron  averages  $14.  To  the  difference 
shown  by  the  figures  given,  it  is  just  to  add  the  difference  per  ton  caused  by  larger  interest 
on  the  greater  capital  invested  in  the  United  States.  (Vidt  report,  pages  -J27  and  328. ) 

This  question  of  interest  on  capital  is  felt  more  severely  on  the  Pacific  coast 
than  in  any  other  State  in  the  Union,  and  forms  an  impediment  to  all  rnanufao 
tur<\s. 

In  the  vicinity  of  the  Oswego  works  are  numerous  beds  of  hydrous  scsqui- 
oxidc,  which,  according  to  estimates  based  on  careful  measurement,  contain  50,000 
tons.  This  ore  by  analysis  is  found  to  contain  from  46  to  56  per  cent,  metal. 
Nearly  one-fourth  of  these  beds  consists  of  solid  masses  of  ore,  the  remainder 
consisting  of  the  same  deposit  very  much  disintegrated  and  broken,  but  equally 
rich  in  metal. 

At  the  distance  of  two  and  one-half  miles  from  the  works  a  similar  body  of 
ore  has  been  found,  which  measures  100  acres  superficially,  and  of  a  thickness 
varying  from  six  to  12  feet.  This  body  of  u  c  is  estimated  to  contain  several 
millions  of  tons.  Similar  bodies  of  ore  have  been  found  at  several  places  within 
an  area  of  twenty  miles  of  the  works,  extending  as  far  as  St.  Helen's,  on  the 
Columbia  river.  In  every  case  where  these  deposits  of  ore  have  been  examined 
they  arc  found  to  bo  underlaid  by  volcanic  lava  and  ashes,  beneath  which  are 
heavy  beds  of  basaltic  rocks.  No  vein  or  deposit  of  the  ore  has  been  found  in 
this  Inusalt,  but  in  many  places  the  crevices  and  fissures  in  that  formation  are 
filled  with  scales  and  fragments  of  the  overlying  ore. 

These  bodies  of  ore  present  all  the  appearances  of  having  been  deposited  in 
,1  liquid  state,  in  indentations  that  existed  at  the  time  of  the  surface  of  the  basalt, 
The  whole  formation  luus  subsequently  been  tilted  up  so  as  to  dip  to  the  east  at 
an  angle  of  about  10  degrees.  The  present  surface  of  the  ore  beds  is  covered 
with  a  deposit  of  sand,  gravel,  and  clay,  from  a  few  inches  to  10  feet  in  depth. 

Similar  bodies  of  ore  exist  in  the  vicinity  of  Mount  Vesuvius,  Italy,  whi<4  are 
known  to  have  been  ejected  from  that  volcano  in  the  form  of  chloride  of  iron 
and  subsequently  metamorphosed  to  its  present  form. 

Liuionite  is  never  found  except  in  recent  or  secondary  geological  formations. 
It  is  the  most  valuable  of  all  the  ores  of  iron,  being  readily  convertible  into  steel. 
The  difference  between  lirnonite  and  hematite  consists  in  the  former  containing 
from  l.r>  to  20  per  cent,  of  its  weight  of  water,  while  the  latter  contains  none. 
Limonite,  owing  to  this  difference,  melts  at  a  considerably  lower  temperature  than 
hematite,  a  most  important  matter  in  a  country  where  fuel  is  expensive. 


222  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

An  analysis  of  this  Oregon  limonite,  made  by  Kellogg,  Huesiou  &  Co.,  of 
San  Francisco,  gave  the  following  results : 

Sesqui-oxide  of  iron 77.66 

?.ioi.stnre 11.16 

Silica 1.08 

Sulphur  and  phosphorus .10 

100.00 

Its  specific  gravity  is  4.25.  By  actual  working,  on  the  large  scale,  it  yielded 
54.37  per  cent,  of  metal  in  pigs. 

The  extraction  of  the  ore  involves  but  little  expense,  as  it  is  all  near  the  sur- 
face. It  is  estimated  that  it  can  be  taken  out  and  delivered  at  the  furnace  at 
$1  50  per  ton. 

These  Oregon  iron  works  labor  under  a  disadvantage  in  having  no  limestone 
in  their  vicinity.  This  mineral  is  as  essential  in  smelting  operations  as  fuel  itself. 
All  the  limestone  used  has  to  bo  brought  from  San  Juan  island,  and  costs  $6  per 
ton  delivered.  As  it  requires  one-third  as  much  of  this  mineral  as  of  the  ore  for 
smelting,  this  disadvantage  is  serious  in  point  of  expense. 

IROX  IN  CALIFORNIA. — Every  description  of  iron  ores  is  known  to  exist  in 
California  in  abundance.  The  most  important  bodies  of  them  are  found  among 
the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  at  too  great  a  distance  from  the 
manufacturing  centres  to  admit  of  smelting  with  profit,  to  compete  with  imported 
iron  at  places  along  the  coast  having  the  advantage  of  cheaper  supplies  from 
abroad.  The  heavy  cost  of  inland  transportation  from  these  central  marts  is  an 
advantage,  however,  in  supplying  a  local  demand,  because  transportation  upwards 
to  the  mountains  is  always  dearer  than  it  is  downwards  to  the  plains.  The  cost 
of  castings  received  in  the  mountains  from  San  Francisco  rarely  falls  below  $200 
per  ton  ;  it  is  generally  much  higher.  The  consumption  of  cast  iron  among  the 
quartz,  lumber,  grist,  and  other  mills  located  among  the  foot  hills  reaches  nearly 
2,000  tons  annually,  and  the  demand  is  limited  by  the  difficulty  in  supplying  it. 

The  cost  of  erecting  smelting  works  on  a  scale  sufficiently  large  to  supply  the 
local  demand  need  not  exceed  a  few  thousand  dollars.  The  profits  of  such  an 
establishment  located  among  the  mines,  or  on  the  line  of  a  railroad  connected  with 
the  mining  districts,  if  properly  conducted,  would  be  remunerative.  It  is  strange 
that,  with  such  facts  patent  to  capitalists,  works  of  this  kind  have  not  been  estab- 
lished at  points  where  materials  and  facilities  are  known  to  exist  for  carrying 
them  on  to  advantage. 

The  following  particulars  concerning  bodies  of  iron  ores  found  in  this  State, 
which  have  been  examined  by  competent  persons,  will  be  useful  in  showing  the 
character,  importance,  and  location  of  these  deposits.  For  convenience  they  are 
divided  under  the  heads  of  specular,  hematite,  magnetic,  chromic,  titanic,  and 
mixed  ores. 

SPECULAR  IRON  ORE. — Deposits  of  this  ore  have  been  discovered  a  few  miles 
north  of  the  town  of  Santa  Cruz,  75  miles  from  San  Francisco,  near  the  sea,  in 
the  Coast  range.  There  is  abundance  of  wood  and  limestone  in  the  vicinity. 

Also  on  Utt's  ranch,  six  miles  from  Auburn,  Placer  county,  in  the  foot  hills, 
45  miles  from  Sacramento. 

In  the  Coast  range,  in  San  Bernardino  county,  about  600  miles  from  Sacra- 
mento, is  another  deposit  of  this  ore. 

Also  at  Four  Hills,  a  locality  about  10  miles  northeast  from  Downieville, 
Sierra  county,  among  the  summits  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The  ore  at  this  place 
is  very  pure  and  abundant,  in  a  densely  timbered  country,  with  limestone  close 
at  hand. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  223 

Plumas  county,  also,  contains  valuable  bodies  of  this  ore.  On  the  side  of  a 
broad  canon  in  the  southern  portion  of  this  county,  in  sight  of  the  high  peaks  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  about  16  miles  from  Downieville,  Sierra  county,  within  a 
couple  of  miles  of  the  line  of  the  proposed  Oroville  railroad,  there  is  an  iron 
mountain  composed  in  great  part  of  this  ore.  It  assays  from  40  to  70  per  cent, 
metal.  Parties  have  pre-empted  320  acres  of  the  land  embracing  the  mountain 
for  the  purpose  of  working  it  as  an  iron  mine.  It  is  intended  to  erect  smelting 
works  on  the  ground  during  the  present  fall.  Wood,  water,  and  limestone  are 
close  at  hand,  and  the  Beckwith  Pass  wagon  road  runs  within  a  mile  of  the  claim. 

There  are  deposits  at  other  places,  but  the  above  are  among  the  most  acces- 
sible. 

Specular  iron  ore  is  somewhat  similar  in  composition  to  red  hematite,  but  is 
readily  distinguished  from  that  ore  by  breaking  with  a  bright  metallic  fracture, 
almost  like  cast  iron,  to  which  peculiarity  it  owes  its  name.  Like  hematite,  it 
is  of  volcanic  origin.  The  ores  of  Pilot  Knob  and  Iron  Mountain,  Missouri, 
belong  to  this  class.  It  requires  a  much  greater  heat  to  smelt  specular  iron  ores 
than  any  others  of  that  metal;  this  trait  is  important  on  this  coast.  The  iron 
made  from  this  ore  is  the  best  known,  when  properly  made. 

MAGNETIC  IRON  ORES. — The  most  important,  because  the  most  convenient, 
body  of  this  ore  in  California  exists  on  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad, 
near  Clipper  Gap,  where  there  is  a  mountain  of  considerable  proportions  coin- 
posed  almost  wholly  of  the  variety  known  in  Germany  as  "  spiegelien,"  from 
which  steel  is  made  with  so  much  facility  in  that  country  by  the  Bessemer  pro- 
cess. 

The  advantages  of  having  a  plenty  of  wood,  water,  building  materials,  and 
fire-clay  for  furnace  purposes,  and  limestone  for  flux,  and  a  railroad  running  close 
by,  have  induced  an  attempt  to  erect  smelting  works  in  the  vicinity.  Robinson, 
Brown  &  Co.'s  iron  mines  are  located  here,  about  three  miles  from  the  rail- 
road and  three  miles  from  Bear  river.  These  mines  were  located  and  patents  for 
the  land  from  the  federal  government  applied  for  in  May,  1866.  The  company 
purchased  the  title  of  the  railroad  to  the  even  sections  of  the  land,  to  the  extent 
of  about  1,500  acres.  The  greater  portion  of  this  land  is  well  covered  with 
timber  suitable  for  charcoal.  The  ore  crops  out  from  the  mountain  in  many 
places.  There  are  two  qualities  in  the  deposit;  on  the  east  side  it  is  highly 
j Magnetic,  while  on  the  west  it  is  very  much  like  the  Oregon  limonitc.  Assays 
made  by  Kellogg  &  Ilueston,  of  San  Francisco,  in  March,  1866,  gave  the  fol- 
lowing results:  the  magnetic  ore,  64.37  per  cent,  metal;  the  hematite,  44.67 
per  cent,  metal.  A  specimen  sent  to  Professor  Jackson,  of  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts, was  analyzed  by  that  gentleman,  who  states  in  the  report  on  the  subject 
that  it  contains  no  phosphorus,  sulphur,  titanium,  or  other  substance  injurious 
to  the  manufacture  of  iron. 

A  trnmel  has  been  cut  in  the  side  of  the  mountain  to  test  the  thickness  of  the 
stratum.  At  the  time  of  our  visit,  in  June,  1867,  it  had  been  run  for  30  feet, 
with  no  signs  of  the  end.  On  the  opposite  side,  where  there  were  no  croppings 
ne.-ir  tin-  surface,  a  shaft  was  sunk  lf>  feet;  at  that  depth  thvy  struck  good  ore. 

Estimates  as  to  the  probable  expenses  of  making  pig  iron  at  this  locality  and 
delivering  it  at  San  Francisco  show  that  charcoal  can  be  made  and  delivered  at 
the  furnace  for  12 £  cents  per  bushel,  (the  Oregon  works  pay  8  cents;)  the  lime 
will  cost  8:2  per  t<in;  the  total  cost  for  labor,' materials,  and  interest  on  capital 
reaching  -VJO  per  ton,  to  which  must  be  added  $6  per  ton  for  transport  to  San 
Francisco  by  railroad  and  steamer.  The  average  cost  of  pig  iron  in  that  city 
<lurin<r  the  past  three  years  has  been  $41  50,  landed  on  the  wharf.  Its  price  at 
present  is  from  S  17  to*  $50  per  ton.  The  mines  are  40  miles  distant  from  Sacra- 
mento by  railroad. 

Arrangements  have  been  made  with  the  firm  of  Coffee,  .Risdo**  ^  Co.  to  erect 


224  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

one  of  Haskell'a  patent  water-lined  cupola  furnaces,  to  test  the  working  qualities 
of  the  ore.  This  furnace  was  to  have  been  completed  in  August. 

The  parties  interested  in  the  enterprise,  being  men  of  limited  capital,  are  not 
prepared  to  conduct  operations  on  a  scale  to  insure  success.  It  would  be  to  the 
benefit  of  the  State  if  capitalists  would  take  hold  of  the  business. 

Bodies  of  ore  of  a  similar  character  exist  near  Gold  lake,  Sierra  county,  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad. 

A  deposit  of  fine  magnetic  iron  ore  was  discovered  in  the  summer  of  180 7  on 
Grouse  ridge,  14  miles  from  Washington,  Nevada  county.  This  ore  is  energeti- 
cally magnetic — so  much  so  as  to  lift  knives  or  nails — and  is  said  to  contain  suffi- 
cient gold  to  pay  for  extracting  that  metal  from  it. 

In  the  summer  of  1867  a  body  of  magnetic  iron  was  discovered  near  Chap- 
paral  Hill,  Butte  county,  near  the  Grizzly,  a  tributary  of  the  Butte  creek,  about 
46  miles  from  Oroville,  on  the  Susanville  road.  The  ore  is  found  in  a  locality 
where  the  slate  and  granite  formations  unite.  Some  portions  of  it  are  so  mag- 
netic that  fragments  broken  off  can  be  lifted  by  the  larger  pieces.  It  was  this 
peculiarity  that  led  to  its  discovery.  An  analysis  made  by  Kellogg,  Hueston 
&  Co.,  of  San  Francisco,  yielded  65  per  cent,  of  metal.  The  deposit  is  in  the 
form  of  a  stratum  or  bed  of  unknown  thickness  and  extent.  In  July  a  shaft 
had  been  cut  to  the  depth  of  20  feet  without  passing  through  it.  It  had  been 
traced  300  feet  in  length  by  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  width.  Being  located 
on  a  densely  timbered  hill,  covered  with  broken  slate,  it  was  not  convenient  to 
trace  it  to  its  full  extent  There  is  abundance  of  wood,  water,  and  limestone  in 
the  vicinity. 

Bodies  of  similar  ores  are  found  in  the  Santa  Inez  valley,  in  the  San  Rafael 
district,  Santa  Barbara  county,  about  450  miles  from  Sacramento. 

Magnetic  iron  ore  or  magnetite  is  one  of  the  most  extensively  distributed  and 
valuable  of  that  metal  found  on  this  coast.  It  contains  a  larger  per  centum  of 
metal  than  any  of  the  other  ores ;  when  pure  it  generally  contains  from  60  to 
70  per  cent.  It  is  changed  in  many  places  into  specular  ore  by  the  addition  of 
oxygen,  which  it  absorbs  from  the  atmosphere. 

HKMATITE  ORES  OF  IROX. — There  are  large  bodies  of  simonite,  identical  in 
composition  with  the  ores  found  at  Oswego,  Oregon,  on  the  banks  of  Spring 
creek,  a  few  miles  west  of  Shasta  City — at  an  elevation  of  nearly  6,000  feet 
above  the  sea — among  the  granite  peaks  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  about  180  miles 
from  Sacramento. 

A  deposit  of  red  hematite  was  discovered  in  March  last  on  the  ranch  belong- 
ing to  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  about  16  miles  from  the  city  of  Los  Angeles.  The 
ore  presents  itself  on  the  surface  for  nearly  a  mile  in  a  stratum  averaging  15 
feet  thick,  enclosed  in  hard  metamorphosed  clay  slate. 

CHROMIC  IROX  ORES. — This  class  of  ores,  so  rare  and  valuable  in  the  Atlantic 
Suites,  is  abundant  on  this  coast,  being  found  in  the  Coast  range,  the  foot  hills, 
and  among  the  Sierra  Nevadas,  wherever  there  is  serpentine  in  the  country. 
Among  the  most  important  deposits  of  it  are  the  scattered  and  broken  masses 
which  cover  the  ground  for  miles  in  the  vicinity  of  the  New  Idria  Quicksilvei 
mine,  in  Santa  Clara  county.  There  is  another  body  of  it  cresting  the  ridge 
which  forms  the  boundary  line  between  Monterey  and  Fresno  counties.  In 
Tuolumnc  county,  near  the  Crimea  House,  are  deposits  which  are  found  between 
the  strata  of  talcose  slate,  lying  in  a  vertical  position,  the  weathered  portion* 
of  wkich  stand  out  from  the  surrounding  hills  like  tombstones  in  a  grave- 
yard. 

In  Del  Nortc  county  to  the  north  of  the  copper  mines  on  the  "  Low  Divide/7  there 
is  a  peculiar  deposit  of  chromic  iron  disseminated  through  the  serpentine,  which 
constitutes  the  greater  portion  of  the  country  thereabouts.  This  ore  weathers 
into  round  gr^-  *  ^  like  allot,  from  the  size  of  a  pin-head  to  a  four-pounder,  and  is 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  225 

appropriately  called  iron-shot  by  the  miners  in  the  vicinity,  who  find  abundance 
of  it  in  the  sluices  when  washing  up. 

There  is  another  body  of  chromic  iron  in  Del  Norte  county,  of  different  appear- 
ance, on  Smith's  river,  about  20  miles  from  Crescent  City.  'This  ore  is  compact, 
and  as  black  as  jet. 

In  San  Bernardino  county  there  are  extensive  deposits  of  this  ore  along  the 
coast,  some  of  which  contain  fine  specimens  of  vauquelinite  chromatc  of  lead  and 
copper. 

On  the  south  side  of  San  Diego  gulch,  Calaveras  county,  on  the  crest  of  the 
highest  hill,  opposite  the  Noble  Copper  mine,  there  is  an  isolated  mass  of  this  ore 
that  will  weigh  thousands  of  tons,  which  surmounts  a  rather  singular  formation. 
A  tunnel  run  in  the  hill  beneath,  in  search  of  copper,  cut  through  several  wide 
strata  of  serpentine,  brncite,  talc,  and  other  magnesian  minerals.  Chromic  iron, 
or  chromate  of  iron,  is  of  considerable  importance  in  the  arts,  but  not  as  a  source 
for  obtaining  the  metal.  Though  abundant  on  this  coast,  it  is  very  rare  in  tho 
Atlantic  States  and  Europe.  England  contains  scarcely  any;  that  country 
imports  about  o,000  tons  annually,  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  the  various 
Compounds  of  chromium,  used  in  calico  printing,  painting  porcelain,  making 
pigments,  chromic-  acid,  &c.  A  large  quantity  was  formerly  shipped  to  England 
from  the  Barehills,  near  Baltimore,  Maryland,  where  the  most  valuable  deposit 
r<n  the  Atlantic  side  exsits.  With  cheap  transportation  and  labor  this  ore  would 
pay  to  export. 

TITANIC  IRON  ORE  is  generally  found  on  this  coast  in  the  form  of  fine  grains, 
forming  the  greater  portion  of  the  "  black  sand,"  so  difficult  to  separate  from  the 
fine  gold  obtained  from  the  alluvial  washings.  All  volcanic  rocks  contain  titanic 
iron  in  the  form  of  grains.  As  these  rocks  disintegrate  the  grains  are  set  free. 
There  are  several  varieties  of  titaniferous  iron  in  the  grains,  most  of  which  arc  mag- 
netic. It  has  been  found  in  a  number  of  thin  seams  in  trap,  in  El  Dorado 
county,  near  Diamond  Springs. 

Some  excitement  was  created  in  San  Francisco,  about  a  year  since,  by  the 
discovery  of  titanic  iron  in  the  sand  on  the  beach  within  the  harbor.  Small 
quantities  of  it  were  collected,  and  some  of  it  smelted,  under  the  impression  that 
it  would  make  pig-iron,  and  that  there  was  a  "lead"  of  it  in  the  vicinity.  The 
above  explanation  of  its  source  shows'  how  unreasonable  such  conclusions  were. 

MIXED  ORES  OF  IRON. — There  is  a  body  of  iron  ore  on  Pratt's  Hill,  near  Ior*e, 
Amador  county,  on  the  border  of  the  Sacramento  valley,  which  does  not  belong 
to  any  of  the  varieties  above  described.  It  is  of  an  earthy  nature,  and  evidently 
of  sedimentary  origin,  forming  a  stratum  nearly  20  feet  thick,  extending  for  a 
mile  near  the  top  of  a  lode  bluff,  which  projects  into  the  valley.  It  contains  a 
large  per  centum  of  iron.  In  several  localities  along  the  margin  of  the  San 
Joaquin  and  Sacramento  valleys  there  are  deposits  of  iron  ores  in  the  form  of 
ochres.  It  is  not  necessary  to  give  details,  as  there  are  such  abundant  sources  for 
obtaining  better  ores ;  they  will  be  described  under  the  head  of  "  clays,"  &c. 

IRON  ORES  IN  NEVADA. — The  surveyors  employed  by  the  Central  Pacific 
Railroad  Company  report  the  discovery  of  extensive  beds  of  magnetic  iron  ore 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  line  of  that  road,  near  Crystal  Springs.  Also  at 
Ncilsburg,  within  a  mile  of  the  road,  and  at  Long  Valley.  There  are  many  other 
districts  in  Nevada  which  contain  iron  ore.  There  is  a  series  of  regular  veins  of 
specular  ore,  from  8  to  20  feet  thick,  near  the  east  fork  of  Walker's  river,  in 
Esmeralda  county. 

IRON  'ORES  IN" UTAH. — This  Territory  abounds  in  iron  ores.'  There  are  several 
deposits  of  carbonate  of  iron  within  20  miles  of  Salt  Lake  City. 

IRON  ORES  IN  ARIZONA. — The  abundance  of  nearly  all  kinds  of  iron  ores  in 
this  Territory  is  quite  remarkable.    Whole  ranges  of  mountains  along  the  Colorado 
<ire  in  great  part  composed  of  them.     The  copper  mines  at  Williams  fork  are 
15 


226  ,     RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

surrounded  with  beds  of  iron  ores.  In  the  Mineral  Hill  and  Planet  mines  the 
ores  are  pure  oxides  of  iron  and  copper.  Several  of  the  tunnels  run  in  working 
these  mines  have  been  cut  through  solid  beds  of  iron  ore.  The  wall  rock  enclosing 
nearly  all  the  copper  lodes  are  of  the  same  mineral. 

CONCLUDING  REMARKS  ON  ORES. — The  above  examples,  selected  from  a  great 
number  of  a  similar  character,  are  sufficient  to  show  the  abundance  of  the  ores  of 
iron  on  the  Pacific  coast,  particularly  in  California,  and  the  advantage  that  State 
possesses  in  having  furnace  materials  and  limestone  convenient  to  the  mines. 

It  will  be  observed  by  reference  to  the  analyses  that  the  "  lay,"  or  per  centum 
of  metal  in  the  ores  found  on  this  coast,  ranges  from  46  to  80,  or  an  average  of 
upwards  of  50.  This,  however,  is  applicable  only  to  the  higher  grades.  Accord- 
ing to  the  government  returns,  published  in  England,  the  ores  obtained  from  the 
mines  in  Wales  do  not  exceed  33  per  cent.,  and  those  from  the  mines  in  Stafford- 
shire, the  great  iron  district  of  England,  do  not  exceed  30  per  cent.  Most  of 
the  ores  found  in  that  country  require  roasting  as  a  preliminary  process,  owing  to 
their  containing  deleterious  elements.  The  ores  on  this  coast,  being  nearly  all 
oxide,  can  be  smelted  at  one  operation,  and  will  produce  a  very  pure  metal. 

THE  CONSUMPTION  OF  IRON  IN  CALIFORNIA. — The  consumption  of  iron  in 
this  State  is  large,  and  constantly  increasing.  The  imports  of  crude  metal,  given 
in  the  accompanying  table,  constitute  but  a  portion  of  the  total  quantity  used,  as 
much  of  it  is  obtained  by  remelting  worn-out  or  useless  machinery,  and  other 
articles,  of  which  there  are  many  thousands  of  tons  in  the  State. 

San  Francisco  is  the  centre  of  this  trade.  In  addition  to  supplying  California, 
as  the  following  table  will  show,  iron  and  machinery  are  exported  to  Nevada, 
and  the  adjoining  Tern  tones,  the  Sandwich  Islands,  Mexico,  British  Columbia, 
and  other  countries. 

The  following  list  of  foundries  and  machine  shops  in  San  Francisco  will  convey 
an  idea  of  the  proportions  of  this  business  there.  There  are  also  23  other  foundries 
in  California,  and  six  in  Nevada.  The  establishments  at  Sacramento,  Nevada 
City,  Marysville,  Stockton,  Sonora,  and  one  or  two  others,  are  able  to  make  almost 
any  description  of  machinery. 

IRON  FOUNDRIES  IN  SAN  FRANCISCO. — The  Vulcan  covers  the  block  embraced 
by  137  feet  on  Fremont  street,  and  running  275  feet  to  Beal  street,  and  extending 
thence  to  Mission  street.  On  this  block  there  are  brick  and  frame  buildings, 
suitable  for  an  extensive  business.  Every  description  of  machinery,  from  a  coffee- 
roaster  to  a  locomotive,  including  boilers,  and  everything  complete,  is  made 
here.  Many  improvements  in  the  manufacture  of  engines  and  boilers  have  been 
introduced  in  this  establishment.  Most  of  the  machinery  used  at  the  Mission 
woollen  mills  was  made  here,  as  was  also  the  machinery  for  the  mints  at  Mexico 
and  British  Columbia.  The  most  powerful  engines  in  use  on  the  Comstock 
lode,  Nevada,  were  also  made  here.  A  few  months  since  a  quartz  mill  was  made 
here  and  shipped  to  Nicaragua,  and  a  pumping  engine  for  use  on  a  mine  at 
Parquiqua,  Bolivia.  The  capacity  of  the  furnaces  at  this  foundry  is  sufficient  to 
melt  35  tons  of  metal.  Nearly  100  men  are  employed  on  the  premises. 

The  Fulton  is  located  on  First  street,  and  employs  about  50  moulders,  doing 
an  extensive  business  in  architectural  casting ;  machinery  of  all  kinds  is  also  made. 

The  Etna  is  a  similar  establishment  to  the  Vulcan,  but  on  a  somewhat  smaller 
scale. .  It  has  facilities  for  melting  six  tons  of  metal.  It  is  located  on  Fremont 
street. 

The  Franldin  is  also  located  on  Fremont  street.  The  engine  used  for  print- 
ing the  Evening  Bulletin  was  made  at  this  establishment.  It  has  conveniences 
for  melting  10  tons  of  metal,  and  employs  25  men. 

The  Golden  State  is  located  on  First  street,  and  is  of  about  the  same  capacity 
as  the  Franklin. 

The  Pacific  is  an  establishment  reaching  from  First  to  Fremont  street.     It  was 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  227 

Commenced  in  1850.  The  buildings,  chiefly  constructed  of  brick,  cover  two  50- 
\-urn  lots.  The  machinery  for  the  new  rolling  mills  was  made  here,  the  fly- wheel 
for  which  weighs  25  tons.  It  can  melt  20  tons,  and  employs  about  75  men. 

The  Miners'  is  also  on  First  street,  and  extends  through  to  Fremont.  It 
employs'  about  250  men,  and  can  turn  out  a  20-stamp  mill,  boiler  and  all  com- 
plete, in  30  days.  The  iron  castings  for  the  State  capitol,  at  Sacramento,  were 
made  here. 

The  San  Francisco  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Fremont  and  Mission  streets, 
where  it  covers  a  fifty-vara  lot.  All  descriptions  of  machinery  iu*e  made  here. 
It  can  melt  15  tons 'of -metal,  and  employs  about  40  men. 

The  City  Iron  Works  are  located  on  Fremont  street.  Employ  about  20 
bands.  Considerable  machinery  for  the  Sandwich  Island  sugar-mills  has  been 
made  here. 

The  California  Foundry  is  also  on  Fremont  street.  This  establishment  does 
in  extensive  business  in  architectural  castings,  which  it  makes  a  specialty.  The 
fronts  of  several  of  the  most  elegant  buildings  in  the  city  were  cast  here.  It  has 
facilities  for  melting  six  tons  of  metal,  and  employs  about  20  hands. 

The  Union  Foundry,  corner  First  and  Mission  streets,  is  the  oldest  and  largest 
establishment  of  the  kind  on  this  coast.  It  was  commenced  in  1849.  The 
buildings  include  a  three-story  brick,  having  a  frontage  of  187  feet  on  First  street, 
extending  275  feet,  and  fronting  120  feet  on  Mission,  the  whole  covering  nearly 
50,000  feet;  300  men  are  employed  here.  The  machinery  for  the  United  States 
steamer  Saginaw  was  made  at  this  foundry.  The  first  locomotive  made  on  this 
w>ast  was  cast  and  finished  here. 

The  Atlas  Iron  Works  are  located  on  Fremont  street.  They  are  chiefly 
engaged  in  casting  for  agricultural  purposes.  Can  melt  seven  tons  of  metal,  and 
employs  about  30  men. 

The  Jackson  Foundry  is  located  on  Jackson  street.  Its  operations  are  con- 
fined to  casting  stoves,  ornamental  railing,  and  other  light  and  fancy  goods. 
The  ranges  used  in  nearly  all  the  first-class  hotels  in  the  city  were  made  here. 
It  gives  employment  to  about  30  men. 

The  Empire  Foundry  is  on  Mission  street,  near  Beale.  All  descriptions  of 
machinery  and  castings  are  made  here.  It  employs  30  men. 

It  is  within  limits  to  estimate  the  consumption  of  iron  in  California  and  the  States 
and  Territories  dependent  on  it  for  supplies,  at  30,000  tons  annually.  The  busi- 
ness gives  employment  to  nearly  3,000  men.  There  are  30  machine-shops  in 
San  Francisco,  in  addition  to  those  connected  with  the  above-named  foundries. 

The  largest  iron  vessel  ever  cast  in  the  United  States  was  made  at  the  Union 
Foundry  in  1SG1.  It  was  a  shallow  pan,  capable  of  holding  1,316  gallons,  and 
weighed  8,114  pounds.  It  was  for  use  in  one  of  the  local  soap  factories. 

A  rolling-mill  and  steam  forging  establishment  has  recently  been  completed 
at  San  Francisco,  with  machinery  and  apparatus  for  making  every  description 
of  bar  and  rod  iron,  from  one-fourth  of  an  inch  diameter,  and  one-eighth  of  an 
inch  thick,  to  12  inches  wide,  of  any  shape  required  by  manufacturers,  including 
all  sizes  and  patterns  of  railroad  iron.  This  establishment  furnishes  a  market 
for  all  the  scrap  iron  that  can  be  obtained.  It  is  proposed  to  erect  puddling 
furnaces  for  converting  cast  into  malleable  iron,  as  the  supply  of  materials  is  not 
equal  to  the  demand. 

The  above  facts  are  sufficient  to  show  that  there  exist  on  the  Pacific  coast  a 
fair  demand  for  iron  and  some  facilities  for  its  manufacture. 


228 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


Imports' of  iron  (clmfly  railroad)  into  San  Francisco  during  1866,  and  first  six 

months  of  1867. 


Description. 

1866. 

1867. 

9,388 

2,063 

Bars  .                      

157,  ?58 

100,378 

40,  088 

30,  229 

18  278 

14  429 

14,  584 

7,451 

Hoops   &c  ,  bundles              .     ••  ..-.•.-------..--•----.--.---.. 

31  ,  985 

19,  607 

395 

394 

Sheets  bundles                                                       • 

21  604 

4  048 

331 

121 

Plates 

7  622 

10  134 

Exports  of  iron  and  machinery  frqm  San  Francisco  during  1866,  and  first  six 

months  of  1867. 


Articles. 

c 

c 

E- 

' 
: 

> 

To  Sandwich 

03 

•a 

1 

to 

To  British  Co- 

lumbia. 

To  other  coun- 

s 

1866. 

1867. 

1866. 

1867. 

1866. 

1867. 

1866. 

1887. 

Iron  bars 

1  577 

500 

2  012 

300 

77 

83 

138 

Iron,  bundles    ......  ......  ...... 

648 

229 

432 

12 

37 

167 

16 

18 

Iron   pisr  tons            .  .          ... 

10 

Sheets  packages 

33 

14 

177 

383 

Hoops  cases 

254 

23 

8 

Pipes  bundles 

120 

27 

5 

2 

Pipes,  pieces       ...  ......  ...... 

121 

12 

98 

30 

Castings  pieces 

«y> 

107 

Plates 

40 

14 

56 

Machinery  packages             ..... 

2  482 

2,  34-2 

47 

155 

54 

Machinery  pieces 

889 

1  108 

207 

7 

Machinery   ca^es 

396 

19 

COAL. — The  importance  of  coal  as  an  element  of  national  and  local  prosperity 
is  so  generally  recognized,  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  make  any  remarks  touching 
the  advantages  of  an  abundant  supply.  But  the  relative  value  of  the  several 
varieties  of  coal  for  domestic  and  manufacturing  purposes  not  being  so  generally 
understood,  may  render  some  explanations  on  this  point  appropriate. 

The  varieties  of  coal  to  which  England  owes  its  prosperity,  and  which  are  so 
abundant  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  Atlantic  States,  do  not  exist,  or  at  all  events 
have  not  been  found,  on  the  Pacific  coast.  But  there  are  extensive  beds  of  other 
varieties,  which  differ  as  much  in  their  composition  and  heating  qualities  as  the 
coals  of  other  countries  differ  from  each  other.  In  the  northern  parts  of  the  coast 
the  coal  is  as  superior  to  that  found  at  Mount  Diablo  and  further  south  as  the 
Welch  coal  is  to  the  Scotch,  or  the  Pennsylvania  anthracite  to  that  found  in 
Ireland. 

Modern  geologists  have  abandoned  the  idea  that  coal,  to  be  of  good  quality, 
must  be  found  in  one  particular  formation.  Experience,  the  most  reliable  guide; 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


229 


contradicts  such  a  theory.  Researches  in  India,  China,  Australia,  New  Zealand, 
Chili,  and  on  this  coast,  prove  that  good  coal,  adapted  to  nearly  all  purposes,  is 
found  outside  of  the  carboniferous  formation.  Science  has  failed  to  demonstrate 
that  good  coal  may  not  be  found  in  any  geological  formation.  There  are  many 
reasons  for  believing  that  when  the  mines  on  this  coast  shall  be  worked  to  a 
depth  approaching  that  of  the  mines  in  other  countries,  the  quality  of  the  coal 
"11  be  found  to  bear  a  favorable  comparison.  Analyses  made  by  Professor 
Blake  and  other  scientific  gentlemen,  of  coal  taken  at  a  greater  depth  than  the 
Dimples  tested  by  Professor  Whitney,  in  1861  and  1862,  shortly  after  the  Cali- 
fornia mines  were  opened,  exhibit  a  marked  improvement. 

The  following  reports  exhibit  the  change  in  composition  of  the  Mount  Diablo 
coal  as  the  depth  of  the  mines  increases  : 


Analysis  of  sample  of  coal  from  Pittsburg  mine,  taken  from  thick  seam,  600  feet 
from  surface,  in  1867,  by  Professor  W.  P.  Blake. 

Moisture 3. 28 

Bituminous  matter 47.  05 

Fixed  carbon 44. 90 

Ashes 4.71 


99.94 


There  was  no  trace  of  sulphur  in  the  sample. 


Analysis  of  coal  talcen  800  feet  Mow  surface  on  the  'incline  in  Slack  Diamond 
mine,  in  May,  1867,  by  Professor  Price,  superintending  chemist  to  Golden  City 
Chemical  Works,  and  to  San  Francisco  Refining  Works,  &c.,  &c. 

Moisture 9,54 

Ashes 8.25 

Sulphur 3.25 

Oxygen  and  nitrogen 20. 50 

Hydrogen 3. 75 

Carbon - 54.71 

100.  00 


Analysis  of  Mount  Diablo  coal,  taken  from  near  surface,  in  1861  and  1862, 
Professor  IVJiitiicy,  State  geologist  of  California. 


<o 
ft 

1 

03 

Si 
s 
5 

Black  Diamond 
mine. 

C  u  m  b  e  r  1  and 
mine. 

Peacock  mine. 

Corral  Hollow 
mine. 

Water 

13.47 

14.69 

13.84 

14.13 

20.53 

40.36 

33.  89 

40.27 

37.38 

35.62 

Fixed  carbon                        .         ............ 

40.  65 

46.84 

44.92 

44.  55 

36.  35 

Ash                                                           

5.52 

4.58 

0.97 

3.94 

7.50 

It  will  be  seen  by  comparing  these  reports  that  the  proportion  of  moisture  in 
this  conl  is  much  less  in  the  recently  examined  sample.  This  change  in  com- 
position increases  the  power  of  the  coal  for  generating  steam  and  other  purposes 
at  least  yf>  per  cent.  It  was  the  excess  of  moisture  in  the  coal  taken  from  near 
iiriarr  that  caused  it  to  crumble  on  exposure  to  the  air,  or  when  thrown  into 


230 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


the  fire.  These  defects  decreasing  with  increased  depth  of  the  mines,  the  value 
of  the  coal  increases  in  proportion.* 

,  There  is  a  very  material  difference,  however,  in  the  quality  of  the  coal  taken 
from  each  of  the  seams  in  the  Mount  Diablo  mines,  as  well  as  between  this  coal 
and  that  obtained  from  other  mines  on  the  coast,  leading  to  the  inference  that 
each  is  separate  in  origin. 

The  Clark  or  upper  seam  at  Mount  Diablo  is  enclosed  in  soft  sandstone  above 
and  below,  with  scarcely  any  shale  or  slate.  The  Bleach  Diamond,  or  lower 
seam,  is  overlaid  by  three  or  four  feet  of  slate  and  shale,  and  underlaid  by  two 
seams  of  tough  clay,  separated  by  slate  highly  charged  with  sulphur,  while  the 
coal  is  comparatively  free  from  that  element.  The  middle  seam  is  divided  by 
elate  and  contains  a  large  per  cent,  of  sulphur. 

The  following  are  the  prominent  traits  of  the  coal  found  on  this  coast :  The 
Mount  Diablo,  California,  is  an  inferior  quality  of  coal,  but  answers  tolerably 
well,  where  bulk  is  no  great  object,  for  generating  steam.  Being  cheap  it  is 
used  to  a  considerable  extent  for  domestic  purposes. 

The  Nanaimo,  Vancouver's  Island,  is  excellent  for  generating  gas.  It  is  also 
extensively  used  for  steam  and  domestic  purposes.  It  bums  with  less  smoke 
than  Mount  Diablo  coal,  but  leaves  more  ashes. 

The  Bellingham  Bay  coal  is  considered  the  best  on  this  coast  for  domestic 
purposes,  as  it  is  tolerably  free  from  odor,  and  burns  with  a  bright  cheerful  flame 
and  very  little  smoke.  It  may  be  compared  with  the  lower  grades  of  English 
coal.  The  mine  is  in  Washington  Territory. 

*  In  thh  connection  it  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  give  results  of  an  analysis  made  by 
Messrs.  Falkenan  &  Hanks,  San  Francisco  Chemical  Works,  of  some  Saghalien  coal  from 
East  Siberia,  with  a  comparative  table  of  the  results  obtained  from  different  kinds  of  coal,  as 
to  their  constituents,  and  the  effect  obtained  in  their  use: 


4 

CO 

8 

o> 

& 

s 

I 

"S  .2 

bfl 

r—t     </3 

1 

.2 

|f 

a 

.9 

Designation. 

1 

"^   PH 

l§ 

.2 

It 

|i 

1 

O 

-  J 

M 

o  d 

j_, 

•w 

"S   s-1 

.^ 

CO    ^ 

O 

*s 

|i 

o 
"O 

01 

t 

S   ® 
S   ^ 

"S. 

fS 

'o 

03 

» 

£ 

W 

0 

M 

« 

Lehigh,  (Pa.)  

.590 

5.28 

89.15 

5.56 

8.35 

792 

153 

Cumberland,  (Neff's)  

.337 

12.  67 

74.53 

11.34 

8.82 

877 

298 

Cumberland,  (A.  &  T.  )  .  .  . 

.333 

35.53 

76.69 

7.33 

10.00 

8-28 

505 

Sydney 

»>»>Q 

23.  81 

67.  57 

5.  49 

7.47 

764 

424 

Newcastle  

'  257 

35.  83 

5?!  00 

5^40 

8^09 

827 

595 

Coal  analysed  

!288 

35.70 

56.45 

6.05 

We  have  also  examined  the  sample  of  coal  forwarded  by  you,  with  a  view  of  determining 
its  commercial  value,  and  have  arrived  at  the  following  results  : 

Specific  gravity 1 . 2887. 9 

Volatile  combustible  matter 35. 70 

Moisture „, 1.8 

Fixed  carbon 56.  45 

Earthy  matter 6.  05 

Amount  of  gas  evolved  by  10  pounds  avoirdupois  of  coal,  32  cubic  feet. 

The  amount  of  sulphur  contained  in  the  sample  was  so  minute  as  not  to  warrant  a  quan- 
titative determination.  In  regard  to  its  constituents,  the  coal  examined  seems  almost  identi- 
cal with  that  of  Newcastle,  England. 

On  igniting  the  coal,  cakes  forming  a  light  solid  coke,  yielding  fine  reddish  gray  ashes, 
which  did  not  show  the  least  tendency  to  form  slag,  but  passed  freely  through  the  grate, 
were  produced. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  231 

The  Coos  Bay,  Oregon,  is  a  fair  coal  for  many  purposes.  When  first  taken 
from  the  mine  it  appears  as  compact  and  solid  as  ucannel,"  but  as  it  contains  a 
large  per  centum  of  moisture  it  soon  loses  this  appearance,  and  crumbles  when 
exposed  to  the  air.  It  leaves  but  little  ashes, 

The  Fuca  Straits,  Washington  Territory,  coal  is  moderately  well  adapted  to 
steam  or  manufacturing  purposes,  burning  with  a  bright,  clear  flame  and  but 
little  smoke,  leaving  but  a  small  quantity  of  dark  sandy  ashes.  This  coal 
"cakes"  a  good  deal,  which  is  its  chief  defect. 

The  coal  found  farther  north  not  being  much  used  in  California,  its  traits  are 
not  well  understood. 

It  is  found  by  experience  that  the  coal  of  this  coast  is  less  destructive  to  boilers 
and  grates  than  the  anthracite  imported  from  Pennsylvania  or  the  bituminous 
coals  of  Australia. 

The  article  on  the  geology  of  the  coal  formations  of  the  Pacific  coast,  furnished 
by  Mr.  W.  M.  Gabb;  of  the  California  State  Geological  Survey,  and  published 
in  the  previous  report,  gives  much  general  information  on  this  branch  of  the 
subject,  and  may  be  referred  to  for  geological  details  respecting  the  formations 
in  which  coal  is  found  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

NEW  DISCOVERIES  nsr  CALIFORNIA. — A  company  has  been  organized  within 
the  past  few  months  for  the  purpose  of  working  a  seam  of  coal  recently  discov- 
ered near  the  mouth  of  Bear  creek,  a  tributary  of  the  San  Lorenzo,  a  few  miles 
above  Santa  Cruz.  The  seam  is  stated  to  be  nearly  five  feet  thick,  and  the 
quality  good  for  surface  coal. 

It  may  be  well  here  to  state  that  coal  is  much  influenced  by  the  atmosphere. 
Experiments  made  by  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Steamship  Company  of  Eng- 
land, prove  that  coal  obtained  from  the  best  mines  in  that  country  loses  20  per 
cent,  of  its  heating  power  when  exposed  to  the  atmosphere  for  a  few  months  in 
hot  climates.  The  steamers  belonging  to  this  company,  when  in  the  tropics, 
consume  one-fourth  more  fuel  than  when  in  the  temperate  climate  of  Europe.  As 
the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  on  this  coast  ranges  as  high  on  land  during 
the  summer  months  as  in  the  tropics,  it  would  be  unreasonable  to  expect  the 
coal  found  near  the  surface  to  be  as  good  as  it  will  be  at  a  depth  out  of  reach 
of  atmospheric  influences. 

A  seam  of  coal  is  J)eing  worked  on  the  south  fork  of  Clear  creek,  Shasta 
county,  a  few  miles  west  of  Piety  Hill,  and  about  30  miles  from  the  silver  mines. 
It  was  discovered  in  1863,  but  was  not  worked  till  the  discovery  of  the  mines 
in  1865  afforded  a  market  for  the  coal,  which  is  used  to  generate  steam  for  the 
engines  since  erected.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  on  this  seam  about  60  feet  deep, 
at  the  bottom  of  which  the  coal  is  found,  about  four  feet  thick,  and  of  fail*  quality. 

In  this  part  of  Shasta  county  there  exists  a  belt  of  shales  nearly  a  mile  wide, 
tilted  to  an  angle  of  about  25  degrees,  which  contains  thin  seams  of  coal.  These 
might  be  made  to  yield  a  supply  of  fuel  for  local  use. 

Mr.  John  S.  Royal,  in  January,  1867,  discovered  an  outcrop  of  coal  in  Corral 
Hollow,  San  Joaquin  county,  about  30  miles  south  of  Mount  Diablo,  in  a  ravine 
from  which  the  previous  rains  had  washed  the  soil  to  the  depth  of  25  feet.  The 
seam,  where  exposed,  is  about  eight  feet  thick.  It  is  generally  believed  that 
the  beds  of  coal  worked  at  Mount  Diablo  pass  through  this  locality.  The  cost 
of  transportation  and  labor  has  heretofore  prevented  the  working  of  coal  with 
profit  in  this  vicinity.  The  projected  railroad  from  San  Jose  to  Stockton  passing 
within  four  miles,  and  the  San  Joaquin  river  being  accessible  by  a  wagon  road, 
it  is  probable  the  new  discovery  may  at  some  future  time  prove  valuable. 

Nearly  1,600  tons  of  coal  were  taken  from  mines  in  this  vicinity  in  1863—200 
tons  of  which  came  from  the  Commercial,  and  800  tons  from  the  O'Brien.  The 
quality  was  good  and  well  adapted  for  generating  gas. 

In  1866  a  company  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  distilling  oil  from  this 
coal,  of  which  it  is  said  to  contain  65  gallons  to  the  ton.  The  quantity  of  water 


232  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

that  entered  the  shaft,  and  the  want  of  proper  pumping1  machinery,  caused  a  sus- 
pension of  operations.  It  is  possible  that  with  proper  machinery  the  coal 
deposits  of  Corral  Hollow  might  be  profitably  worked. 

Clark,  Bruce  &  Company  have  recently  discovered  three  seams  of  coal  on  the 
west  side  of  Butte  mountains,  on  the  Colusa  road.  The  position  and  other  con- 
ditions lead  to  the  supposition  that  these  seams  may  be  continuations  of  those 
worked  at  Mount  Diablo.  Samples  of  the  coal  tested  at  Marysville  gave  satis- 
factory results.  The  work  of  prospecting  is  being  carried  on. 

Deposits  of  coal  have  been  discovered  in  San  Luis  Obispo  county,  in  the 
Salinas  valley,  about  70  miles  from  Monterey.  The  coal  crops  out  in  a  small 
oval  valley  about  a  mile  in  length,  at  the  head  of  the  Salinas.  There  are  six 
or  seven  distinct  seams  in  this  outcrop  within  the  distance  of  300  feet.  The  for- 
mation has  been  considerably  dislocated  and  the  strata  tilted  up,  but  the  outcrop 
may  be  traced  for  20  miles.  The  third  seam  from  the  top  is  nearly  seven  feet 
thick,  and  has  been  examined  to  some  extent.  The  coal  is  a  lignite.  The  lowest 
seam  in  the  series  is  about  five  feet  thick  and  has  also  been  examined  by  means 
of  a  short  tunnel.  The  other  seams  vary  from  10  inches  to. four  feet  in  thickness. 

THE  MOUNT  DIABLO  COAL  MINES  are  located  on  both  sides  of  a  high  ridge 
which  projects  from  the  north  side  of  Mount  Diablo.  They  are  favorably  situ- 
ated for  access  to  navigable  water,  being  in  Contra  Costa,  county,  about  five 
miles  south  from  the  San  Joaquin  river,  at  a  point  where  it  is  deep  enough  for 
vessels  of  1,000  tons  to  approach  the  bank. 

The  first  mine  in  the  district — the  Teutonia — was  located  in  1858.  Though 
coal  was  discovered  there  in  1852,  none  of  the  valuable  mines  were  located 
till  1859.  Several  of  the  most  productive  have  been  located  since  I860.  It 
will  be  perceived  by  these  dates  that  California  coal  mining  is  still  in  its 
infancy. 

The  majority  of  the  locations  have  been  made  on  the  outcrop  of  coal,  which  is 
traceable  for  several  miles,  trending  easterly  and  westerly.  The  Peacock  mine 
is  on  the  western  edge ;  the  Pacheco  and  San  Francisco  are  west  of  the  Peacock 
but  not  on  the  outcrop.  The  disturbed  condition  of  the  seams  has  caused  the 
abandonment  of  these  three  western  mines.  The  Cumberland,  or  Black  Diamond, 
one  of  the  most  valuable  mines  in  the  district,  is  located  about  three-quarters  or 
a  mile  to  the  north  of  the  Peacock.  Somersville,  a  small  town  created  by  the 
working  of  the  mines,  is  situated  about  a  mile  to  the  east  of  the  Black  Diamond, 
from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  high  ridge,  and  is  the  centre  of  operations  at 
present.  This  place  contains  about  200^  buildings,  including  hotels,  stores,  a 
temperance  hall,  and  a  school-house,  and  has  about  800  inhabitants.  Within 
half  a  mile  of  it  are  the  mouths  of  five  different  mines,  from  which  coal  is,  or  has 
been,  extracted.  On  the  northwest  is  the  Union,  a  short  distance  from  which 
xis  the  Manhattan;  a  few  hundred  yards  further  east,  and  somewhat  lower  down 
the  side  of  the  ridge,  is  the  Eureka;  southeast  of  this,  in.  a  ravine  at  the  base  of 
the  western  side  of  the  ridge,  is  the  Pittsburg;  about  1,000  yards  to  the  north 
of  this,  and  still  lower  down  in  the  ravine,  is  the  Independent.  All  these  mines 
thus  clustered  together  about  the  sides  of  a  steep,  rugged  mountain  present  a 
singular  appearance.  The  lofty  chimneys  of  the  steam  engines  belching  forth 
columns  of  dense  black  smoke;  the  dark,  dingy  dwellings  of  the  miners  and 
those  who  minister  to  their  wants;  the  tall  trellis-like  viaducts  across  the  ravines, 
over  which  the  locomotives  are  constantly  passing  between  the  mines  and  the 
wharves ;  the  clanking  of  machinery,  and  busy  hum  of  workmen  and  teamsters ; 
the  great  piles  of  black  waste  at  the  mouth  of  each  mine,  all  tend  to  give  a  pecu- 
liar interest,  if  they  do  not  impart  much  beauty,  to  the  scene.  The  distant  view 
of  the  surrounding  country,  as  seen  from  the  ridge,  embraces  stretches  cf  grassy 
-meadows  teeming  with  cattle  and  sheep ;  purple  hills  breaking  in  rugged  outline 
against  the  sky,  and  glimpses  of  the  San  Joaquin  meandering  through  its  tule 
banks,  dotted  with  the  white  sails  of  sloops  and  schooners,  while  here  and  there 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  233 

•* 

a  neat  cottage  embosomed  in  orchards  and  surrounded  by  yellow  orain  fields 
presents  u  scene  of  quiet  beauty,  suggestive  of  the  progress  of  civilization. 

The  Central  mine,  one  of  the  first  worked,  but  at  present  idle,  is  located  near 
the  base  of  the  hill,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  east  from  Somersville,  from 
which  place  it  is  separate!  by  the  hill.  The  Pacific,  the  most  recently  opened 
in  the  district,  is  located  near  Marsh's  creek,  seven  miles  east  of  Somersville. 

The  above  are  all  the  mines  at  present  in  a  state  of  development.  The  Mount 
Hope  is  on  the  Black  Diamond  Company's  ground,  of  which  that  company 
resumed  possession  in  August  last,  and  is  not  described  as  a  separate  mine. 

The  mines  now  producing  coal  are  the  Black  Diamond,  Union,  Pittsburg, 
Independent  and  Eureka.  The  workings  in. these  mines  are  extensive,  some 
of  the  levels  in  one  connecting  with  those  in  another,  so  that  a  person  may  travel 
a  mile  on  the  line  of  the  seam. 

It  is  estimated  that  during  the  six  years  ending  July,  1867,  500,000  tons  of 
coal  have  been  taken  from  these  mines.  The  quantity  received  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, as  -shown  by  the  following  table,  amounted  to  302,554  tons,  while  the 
consumption  on  the  ground,  the  waste  in  handling,  &e.,  and  the  quantity' sent 
to  the  interior  by  water  and  teams,  will  make  up  the  difference : 

Annual  receipts  of  Mount  Diablo  coal  at  San  Francisco. 

Tons. 

1861 -  6,6-20 

1862 23,400 

1863 43,200 

1864 37,450 

1835 59,559 

1866 79,110 

First  six  months  1867 53,215 


Total 302,554 

The  discovery  of  this  coal  has  caused  a  reduction  in  the  price  of  the  imported 
article.  In  1857  the  average  price  of  imported  coal  was  $35  per  ton.  In  1867 
the  average  price  is  about  $15  per  ton.  A  reduction  of  $20  per  ton. 

The  Mount  Diablo  coal  is  used  almost  exclusively  by  the  river,  ferry,  and 
coasting  steamers,  and  by  most  of  the  stationary  engines  at  San  Francisco,  and 
at  places  convenient  to  the  rivers.  The  flour  mills  at  Napa,  Suisun,  and  other 
places,  use  it,  and  considerable  quantities  are  consumed  at  Sacramento  and 
Stockton.  Shipments  are  occasionally  made  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  it 
is  used  for  running  the  engines  on  the  sugar  plantations.  During  the  first  six 
months  of  1867,  1,300  tons  were  shipped  to  Honolulu. 

The  working  of  the  mines  has  created  several  prosperous  villages  in  their 
vicinity,  among  which  may  be  named  Somersville,  Clayton,  Nortonville  or  Car- 
bondale,  and  Pittsburg  Landing,  the  terminus  of  the  Black  Diamond  railroad, 
about  two  miles  from  Antioch  and  four  miles  from  New  York. 

From  the  known  dimensions  of  this  coal  field  it  is  calculated  to  contain  about 
12,000,000  tons.  It  is  probable  its  extent  will  be  traced  beyond  the  present 
recognized  limits. 

THE  BLACK  DIAMOND. — The  company  owning  this  mine  was  incorporated 
in  1861,  and  have  worked  their  property  continuously  since.  In  August,  1867? 
the  mine  produced  about  4,000  tons,  which  was  its  average  monthly  product  for 
some  time  previously.  It  employs  about  150  men.  The  coal  is  extracted 
through  two  levels,  but  there  is  another  in  progress  which,  when  completed,  will 
Strike  the  vein  about  800  feet  below  both  the  present  adits. 

The  upper  level  is  run  on  what  is  known  as  the  Black  Diamond  seam,  and  is 
reached  by  a  tunnel  430  feet  in  length,  cut  through  the  sandstone  which  encloses 
the  coal.  '  Tho  workings  on  this  level  extend  three-quarters  of  a  mile  on  both 
sides  of  the  tunnel.  This  coal  seam  is  four  feet  four  inches  thick. 


2M  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

"The  second  level  is  about  550  feet  below  the  above,  passes  through  the  Clark 
seam,  which  is  three  feet  six  inches  thick,  and  extends  300  feet  beyond  to  the 
Black  Diamond  seam.  The  working  on  the  Clark  seam  extends  about  half  a 
mile  on  both  sides  of  the  tunnel  and  several  hundred  feet  on  the  Black  Diamond. 

The  third  opening  is  being  made  by  an  incline,  wl^ch  will  strike  the  coal 
about  five  hundred  feet  below  both  the  other  levels.  It  will  cut  the  Clark  and 
the  Black  Diamond  seams.  When  this  incline  shall  be  completed  this  company 
will  have  a  sheet  of  coal  to  work  about  2,000  feet  deep,  running  the  length  of 
their  claim,  nearly  a  mile.  They  also  own  the  Manhattan,  which  they  expect 
to  work  through  the  above  levels  by  means  of  a  drift  now  being  cut. 

In  working  the  Black  Diamond  the  miners  pass  through  several  bodies  of  coal 
of  fair  quality,  but  too  small  to  work  with  profit,  ranging  from  12  inches  to  18 
inches  in  thickness,  each  being  separated  by  a  stratum  of  hard  black  slate.  Two 
miles  south  of  the  tunnels  on  this  mine  the  Black  Diamond  seam  is  found  to  be 
divided  by  two  lenticular  beds  of  tough  clay,  each  from  10  to  12  feet  thick, 
divided  by  a  body  of  hard  clay  slate.  This  clay  furnishes  materials  for  the  pot- 
tery at  Antioch,  and  makes  good  lire  brick. 

The  mine  is  worked  by  s toping  and  drifting,  the  men  laboring  by  contract. 
Every  facility  is  afforded  by  the  company  to  take  the  coal  out  in  as  compact  a 
form  as  possible.  The  arrangements  for  conveying  it  from  the  pit  to  the  vessels 
on  the  river  afford  an  illustration  of  California  engineering  skill.  The  mouth 
of  the  main  ad^t  is  situated  nearly  midway  up  the  side  of  a  steep  mountain, 
several  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain.  To  overcome  this  obstacle, 
a  massive  incline  has  been  constructed  of  framed  timbers  900  feet  in  length,  the 
angle  of  which  is  15  degrees.  A  double  car  track  is  laid  on  the  incline.  By 
means  of  a  stout  wire  rope  passing  over  a  drum,  nine  feet  in  diameter,  the  loaded 
car  is  made  to  haul  up  the  empty  one.  A  car  carrying  20  tons  of  coal  descending 
pulls  up  10  tons  of  timbers  and  other  materials  used  in  the  mine.  The  foot  of 
the  incline  connects  with  a  railroad  over  which  the  cars  'are  hauled  by  a  locomo- 
tive to  New  York,  on  the  San  Joaquin  river,  where  the  arrangements  are  com- 
pleted for  loading  the  fleet  of  vessels  engaged  in  carrying  coal  to  San  Francisco 
and  other  places,  without  any  further  handling. 

The  railroad  used  by  this  company  has  no  connection  with  the  Pittsburg  road, 
to  be  described  hereafter ;  this  latter  is  the  property  of  another  corporation.  Its 
terminus  on  the  river  is  four  miles  distant  from  New  York. 

THE  PITTSBURG  is  worked  by  a  stope  cut  at  an  angle  of  30  degrees,  by  which 
the  coal  is  reached  at  a  distance  of  350  feet.  The  monthly  product  is  from  1,500 
to  1,800  tons.  The  coal  is  hoisted  by  a  horizontal  winding  engine  of  sufficient 
power  to  raise  200  tons  per  day. 

THE  PITTSBURG  COAL  RAILROAD. — In  1862  a  charter  was  granted  to  a 
company  by  the  State  legislature  to  construct  a  railroad  from  the  mines  to  the 
river.  But  little  was  done  towards  its  construction  till  the  summer  of  1865.  It 
was  not  completed  and  furnished  with  rolling  stock  till  February,  1866.  The 
road,  a  remarkable  specimen  of  engineering  skill,  is  only  five  and  a  half  miles 
in  length.  From  the  mines  to  the  plain,  a  distance  of  a  mile  and  a  half,  the 
grade  of  the  track  is  274.56  feet  to  the  mile.  The  four  miles  from  the  river  to 
the  base  of  the  mountain  is  constructed  on  a  gradient  of  40  to  '160  feet  to  the 
mile.  To  overcome  the  inequalities  of  the  surface  of  the  country  eight  trestle 
bridges  had  to  be  constructed,  the  most  extensive  of  which  is  340  feet  in  length ; 
a  tunnel  300  feet  long  had  to  be  cut,  and  a  number  of  heavy  banks  and  culverts 
built.  All  the  timber  used  in  making  the  bridges  is  selected  Oregon  pine  and 
California  redwood.  The  rails,  of  English  iron,  are  laid  on  square  redwood  ties. 
The  gauge  of  the  road  is  four  feet  eight  and  one-half  inches.  To  overcome  the 
friction  of  such  a  steep  grade,  two  locomotives  of  a  peculiar  construction  have 
been  made  at  San  Francisco.  They  have  powerful  engines  and  three  pairs  of 
36-inch  driving-wheels  each,  with  cylinders  14  by  18  inches.  Each  weighs 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  235 

about  17  tons  when  loaded  with  fuel  and  water,  which  they  cany  themselves 
having  no  tenders. 

The  total  cost  of  the  road  is  about  $145,000. 

All  the  mines  in  a  position  to  do  so  have  constructed  side  branches  to  con- 
nect with  this  road.  It  is  estimated  that  it  can  deliver  3,000  tons  of  coal  daily 
on  board  the  vessels  at  the  wharf.  The  coal  is  shipped  from  the  cars  to  the 
vessels  by  shutes. 

The  friction  on  the  brakes  when  the  locomotives  are  coming  down  the  incline 
is  tremendous,  but  thus  far  n®  serious  accidents  have  happened. 

The  coal  from  the  Union,  Pittsburg,  Independent,  and  Eureka  mines  is  car- 
ried by  this  road. 

TIIE  TEUTONIA,  the  pioneer  of  the  district,  has  been  explored  to  a  depth  of 
500  feet  by  means  of  an  incline  cut  at  an  angle  of  30  degrees.  At  this  depth 
the  upper  seam  of  coal,  two  feet  thick,  was  reached.  A  horizontal  drift  from  the 
bottom  of  this  incline  strikes  the  Clark  seam  where  it  is  3  feet  10  inches  thick. 
Another  drift,  run  in  an  opposite  direction,  strikes  the  lower  or  Black  Diamond 
seam.  It  is  known  that  there  are  two  other  seams  of  coal  in  this  mine,  the  low- 
est of  which  is  about  five  feet  thick.  The  want  of  cheap  facilities  for  conveying 
the  coal  to  market  prevents  the  owners  from  working  it  to  advantage.  The 
company  owns  640  acres  of  coal  land;  have  good  engines,  pumps,  and  hoisting 
gear.  The  mine  faces  the  property  of  the  Pacific  Company ;  the  ground  nearly 
four  miles  between  the  two  mines  is  almost  a  level  plain.  The  land  belonging  to 
the  Pacific  Company  extends  to  the  hills  bounding  the  Teutonia  Company's 
ground. 

TIIE  UNION. — Operations  on  this  mine  were  commenced  in  1861.  The  coal 
is  reached  by  a  stope,  which,  in  July,  1867,  was  500  feet  in  length,  having  a 
vertical  depth  of  230  feet.  The  seam  averages  three  feet  six  inches  in  thick- 
ness, and  is  on  the  Clark,  or  upper  seam.  The  monthly  product  ranges  from 
1,800  to  2,000  tons.  The  hoisting  is  done  by  a  horizontal  driving  engine. 

THE  INDEPENDENT. — Work  on  this  mine  was  commenced  in  1861,  though 
the  coal  was  not  reached  till  1866,  owing  to  the  quantity  of  water  that  entered 
the  shaft,  the  mine  being  the  lowest  in  the  district,  and  worked  by  a  perpen- 
dicular shaft  700  feet  deep.  Upwards  of  $180,000  was  expended  for  machinery, 
pumps,  labor,  &c.,  before  the  coal  was  reached.  The  pump  in  use  at  present, 
and  which  is  barely  sufficient  to  keep  the  mine  dry,  is  driven  by  a  75-horse 
power  horizontal  engine,  and  lifts  130,000  gallons  per  hour.  So  great  is  the 
influx  of  water  that  a  stoppage  of  the  pumps  for  24  hours  would  require  20  days7 
pumping  to  clear  it.  The  "hoisting  and  other  machinery  is  powerful.  The 
cages,  or  hoisting  cars,  each  holding  nearly  a  ton,  are  lifted  by  a  rope  four  inches 
in  circumference.  About  200  car-loads  are  hoisted  daily.  The  product  of  the 
mine  averages  about  1,500  tons  monthly. 

THE  EUREKA  is  owned  and  worked  by  the  Independent  Company.  About 
160  men  are  employed  in  both  mines.  This  produces  about  1,500  tons  per  month, 
but  could  produce 'more.  The  company,  in  March,  1867,  increased  their  capital 
from  $500,000  to  $3,000,000,  in  order  to  conduct  operations  on  a  larger  scale, 
and  have  since  made  improvements. 

The  coal  is  obtained  by  an  incline  600  feet  in  length,  at  an  angle  of  45°. 
1 1  .is  taken  from  three  seams.  The  upper,  or  Clark  seam,  is  three  feet  eight  inches 
thick;  the  middle,  two  feet  six  inches;  and  the  lower,  or  Black  Diamond,  four 
feet.  The  two  upper  seams  are  passed  through  in  reaching  the  lower  one.  The 
distance  bctwcm  the  upper  and  lower  varies  from  225  to  350  feet.  The  Eureka 
a  hori/ontal  winding  engine  for  hoisting. 

TIIK  CENTRAL,  which,  prior  to  the  construction  of  railroads  by  the  Pitsburg 
and  IMaek  Diamond  Companies,  furnished  a  large  portion  of  the  coal  sent  to 
market,  is  a,t  present  idle.  The  slow  and  expensive  transportation  by  teams 
places  it  out  of  the  field  in  competition  with  mines  having  the  advantage  of  rail- 


236  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

roads.  It  is  in  contemplation  to  construct  a  railroad  to  connect  it  and  tlie  Tcu- 
tonia  with  the  river.  Both  these  mines  are  located  on  the  same  side  of  the 
mountain,  and  suffer  alike  from  want  of  cheap  transportation ;  both  contain 
unbroken  scams  of  coal ;  have  been  well  opened,  and  have  powerful  machinery 
for  working  purposes. 

THE  PACIFIC,  the  property  of  a  wealthy  corporation  of  New  York  capitalists, 
is  located  about  six  miles  east  of  Somersville,  on  the  Rancho  de  los  Meganos,  or 
Marsh's  ranch,  as  it  is  now  called.  The  ranch  covers  three  square  leagues  of 
land,  embracing  a  portion  of  the  foot-hills  at  the  base  of  Mount  Diablo,  and 
extending  to  the  San  Joaquin  river.  Borings  and  other  explorations  have  sat- 
isfied the  engineers  and  agents  of  the  company  that  the  seams  of  coal  worked 
in  Mount  Diablo  pass  in  a  nearly  horizontal  position  under  this  ranch,  covering 
a  space  of  six  miles  square.  A  shaft  is  now  in  progress  at  a  point  near  the 
western  extremity  of  the  ranch,  several  miles  west  of  the  disturbed  formation  in 
the  Peacock,  Pacheco,  and  San  Francisco  Companies'  ground.  It  is  calculated 
that  this  shaft  will  strike  the  Black  Diamond  seam  at  a  depth  of  400  feet.  The 
calculation  is  based  on  the  dip  of  the  seam,  which  was  reached  by  an  incline 
sunk  about  1,200  feet,  from  which  the  seam  was  prospected  200  feet  laterally 
and  found  to  average  four  feet  four  inches  in  thicknesss.  The  Clark  and  middle 
seams  wrere  reached  in  July  last,  dipping  at  an  angle  of  30°,  leaving  little  room 
to  doubt  that  the  more  important  seam  will  be  reached  at  a  sufficient  depth. 
The  coal  taken  from  the  mine  at  present  is  used  in  running  the  machinery.  The 
shaft  in  progress  is  intended  to  serve  as  the  general  outlet  of  the  mine.  Its 
dimensions  are  16  feet  by  S  inside  the  timbers.  It  is  timbered  all  through  and 
divided  into  three  compartments,  two  of  which  are  fitted  for  hoisting  purposes. 
The  centre  serves  as  the  pump  shaft.  It  is  estimated  that  when  the  mine  is 
fairly  opened  and  the  machinery  in  operation,  20  tons  of  coal  can  be  raised  per 
hour.  In  July  last,  the  shaft  had  reached  150  feet  in  depth. 

The  machinery  was  made  at  the  Union  Iron  Works,  at  San  Francisco.  The 
pumping  engine  weighs  20  tons  and  is  of  175-horse  power,  with  three  boilers, 
each  35  feet  long  and  42  inches  in  diameter.  The  pump  is  what  is  known  as  a 
Cornish  "lift,"  having  a  six-feet  stroke  and  12^-inch  bore.  It  is  estimated  to 
be  capable  of  raising  a  body  of  water  the  size  of  the  bore  1,000  feet. 

The  company  have  a  lease  of  13,316  acres  of  coal  land.  A  railroad  from  the 
mine  to  the  river  is  projected. 

LAEOE,  WAGES,  &a — It  is  estimated  that  1,000  men  are  employed  in  and 
about  the  mines  at  Mount  Diablo.  The  miners  work  chiefly  by  contract.  The 
general  price  for  breaking  out  the  coal  is  $1  per  square  yard,.  The  men  who 
perform  this  labor  make  from  $4  to  $6  per  day.  The  unskilled  laborers  are 
paid  from  $40  to  $65  per  month,  in  gold.  Board  and  lodging  costs  from  $6  to 
$8  per  week.  No  Chinese  are  employed. 

The  monthly  wages  paid  by  the  several  mines  in  this  district  aggregates 
about  $50,000  or  $600,000  per  annum.  The  average  cost  to  the  companies  for 
extracting  and  delivering  the  coal  is  $6  per  ton,  divided  as  follows:  Miners' 
wages,  hoisting,  wear  and  tear,  and  interest  on  capital,  or  total  cost  of  coal  in 
the  bunkers  at  mouth  of  mine,  $3  50  per  ton ;  freight  by  railroad  to  Pittsburg, 
$1  per  ton;  shipping  from  thence  to  San  Francisco,  $1  per  ton;  commissions 
and  general  management,  50  cents  per  ton. 

The  present  market  value  of  Mount  Diablo  coal  suitable  for  domestic  purposes 
is  from  $8  to  $9  per  ton.  As  only  80  per  cent,  of  that  placed  in  the  bunkers  is 
marketable,  20  per  cent,  being  screenings,  which  are  sold  at  $5  per  ton,  the 
margin  of  profit,  after  all  expenses  are  paid,  is  very  limited. 

The  above  shows  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained  the  present  condition  and 
future  prospects  of  the  coal  mines  in  California.  It  has  not  been  a  remunera- 
tive business  to  the  capitalists  who  have  engaged  in  it,  owing  to  inexperience  in 
the  working  of  the  mines,  injudicious  management,  the  high  cost  of  roads  to 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  237 

navigable  waters,  and  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in  creating  a  market  where 
the  best  imported  coals  had  been  so  long  in  use.  All  these  obstacles  to  success 
are  gradually  disappearing,  and  it  is  believed  the  coal  interest  in  California  will, 
in  time,  pay  a  fair  percentage  upon  the  capital  invested  in  it.  Incidentally  it 
has  been  of  advantage  to  the  country,  having  furnished  employment  to  a  consid- 
erable number  of  laborers,  created  a  demand  for  machinery,  and  supplied  cheap 
fuel  for  domestic  use  and  for  purposes  of  manufacture  and  navigation. 

THE  COAL  MINES  OF  OREGON.— A  seam  of  coal  was  discovered  in  May, 
1867,  on  the  land  belonging  to  Mr.  Frank  Cooper,  in  Marion  county,  about  30 
miles  from  Salem.  Considerable  quantities  of  the  coal  have  been  sent  to  that 
city,  where  it  sells  readily.  A  wagon  road  is  being  constructed  thence  to  the 
mine,  in  order  to  supply  the  demand.  At  the  depth  of  65  feet  the  seam  is  about 
five  feet  thick,  and  the  quality  of  the  coal  better  than  at  the  surface.  Good  coal 
has  been  found  near  the  Premier  mills,  on  Bear  creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Yaquina 
river,  in  Ben  ton  county,  about  30  miles  west  from  Corvallis.  Five  separate 
seams  of  coal  have  been  found  in  this  locality,  varying  from  six  inches  to  four 
feet  in  thickness.  The  most  valuable  seam  is  within  five  miles  of  Yaquina  bay. 
This  is  about  four  feet  thick,  and  nearly  horizontal  in  position.  It  has  been 
prospected  over  a  considerable  extent  of  the  adjoining  country.  It  is  estimated 
that  coal  in  this  vicinity  can  be  delivered  at  S3  50  per  toil,  owing  to  natural 
facilities  for  working  and  transportation.  Most  of  the  mines  are  not  more  than 
five  miles  from  navigable  waters,  and  that  distance  over  an  almost  level  plain. 
A  railroad  could  be  cheaply  constructed  to  the  place  of  debarcation. 

Towards  the  close  of  1866  a  seam  of  coal  was  discovered  on  the  bank  of  Til- 
lamook  bay,  50  miles  south  of  Astoria  and  60  miles  northwest  from  Salem. 

There  is  another  coal  seam  of  a  similar  character  on  the  shore  of  Nehalem, 
about  25  miles  further  up  the  river. 

Extensive  beds  of  coal  are  in  progress  of  exploration  about  three  miles  from 
Farwell  bend,  on  the  Snake  river.  A  tunnel  has  been  ran  on  a  vertical  seam 
about  300  feet,  where  a  number  of  smaller  seams  connect  and  form  a  body  of 
coal  about  10  feet  thick.  The  mouth  of  the  tunnel  is  close  to  the  bank  of  the 
river.  Another  seam  of  coal  discovered,  200  feet  above  the  original  discovery, 
is  said  to  contain  good  coal,  and  to  be  five  feet  thick. 

Coal  has  been  found  in  the  Calapooya  mountains,  within  a  few  miles  of 
Barry's  survey  for  a  railroad  from  the  Columbia  river  to  California.  This  dis- 
covery is  considered  of  importance  in  that  part  of  Oregon. 

There  is  a  coal  field  on  both  sides  of  the  Coquille  river,  in  Coos  county.  The 
Coos  Bay  mines  are  in  the  northern  edge  of  this  field,  which  extends  into  Curry 
county.  The  seams,  of  which  there  are  three,  are  thicker  and  the  coal  of  a 
better  quality  on  the  Coquille  river  than  at  Coos  bay.  The  two  larger  seams 
unite  on  the  river  and  form  a  body  of  coal  nearly  13  feet  thick.  There  is  another 
field  between  the'  south  and  middle  forks  of  the  Coquiile,  which  is  1,600  feet 
higher  in  the  mountains  than  the  last  mentioned.  It  has  been  traced  for  22  miles 
in  length  by  eight  miles  in  width.  One  seam  is  10  feet  thick.  The  Coos  Bay 
deposit  extends  about  25  miles  north  and  south,  and  20  miles  east  and  west.  It 
is  most  valuable  on  the  south,  but  is  only  worked  on  the  north. 

Coos  BAY  COAL. — What  is  known  as  Coos  Bay  coal  bears  a  good  reputa- 
tion in  California.  It  is  found  in  a  number  of  seams  which  crop  out  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  ridge  that  divides  Coos  bay  on  the  south  from  the  Coquille  river. 

The  locality  of  the  best  mine  will  be  understood  from  a  brief  description  of 
the  bay.  Coos  bay  is  about  14  miles  in  length,  varying  from  one  and  a  half  to 
two  and  a  half  miles  wide.  The  main  part  of  it  has  a  direction  northeast  by 
soul  Invest.  At  the  upper  end  there,  is  a  sharp  bend  to  the  north.  The  Coos 
river  rises  some  30  miles  inland  and  enters  the  upper  end  of  the  bend.  Four 
miles  from  the  mouth,  in  a  densely  timbered  and  hilly  country,  is  Marshficld,  the 
centre  of  the  coal  mining.  The  facilities  for  working  the  mines  are  crude.  If 


238  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

the  arrangements  were  more  complete  the  supply  of  coal  could  be  increased. 
There  is  a  good  entrance  to  the  bay.  The  bar  at  its  mouth  has  14  feet  of  water 
at  high  tide,  and  there  is  a  government  light-house  convenient.  Four  miles  from 
the  entrance  of  the  bay,  on  the  south  shore,  is  Empire  City,  the  seat  of  Coos 
county,  a  thriving  little  place. 

The  supply  of  Coos  bay  coal  at  San  Francisco  has  increased  during  the  past 
three  years,  as  the  following  table  will  show.  The  consumption  has  increased 
in  Oregon  to  an  equal  extent.  t 

1865 500  tons. 

1866 2,120    " 

1867,  (first  six  months  only) 2,520    " 

COAL  IN  WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. — A  seam  of  coal  is  being  worked  on  the 
bank  of  the  Cowlitz  river,  six  or  eight  miles  from  where  it  unites  with  the  Colum- 
bia. The  Cowlitz  coal  differs  in  appearance  and  composition  from  other  coal 
found  on  this  coast.  It  is  light,  its  specific  gravity  scarcely  exceeding  1.  It 
breaks  with  a  bright  glassy  fracture,  burns  with  a  peculiar  white  flame  and  very 
little  smoke,  leaving  but  a  small  per  cent,  of  white,  powdery  ashes.  It  contains 
no  sulphur,  does  not  soil  the  fingers  in  handling,  makes  a  hot  fire,  which  continues 
longer  than  most  of  the  west  coast  coal.  It  cakes  in  burning  and  makes  a  con- 
siderable per  cent  of  coke.  Professor  W.  P.  Blake  has  made  an  examination 
of  this  mine  and  coal,  and  considers  them  valuable. 

A  coal  mine  of  some  reputation  is  at  Bellingham  bay,  near  the  northwest 
boundary  of  the  Territory.  About  two  years  since  it  became  the  property  of  a 
San  Francisco  corporation,  which  had  commenced  making  improvements  for 
mining  and  exporting  the  coal,  when,  from  some  cause  not  clearly  understood, 
the  mine  took  lire.  The  fire  could  not  be  subdued  till  the  underground  works 
were  flooded.  This  misfortune  prevented  operations  in  the  mine  for  nearly  a 
year,  and  caused  a  serious  loss  to  the  company.  It  was  reopened  in  February, 
1867.  The  first  cargo  of  coal  since  the  fire  was  received  in  May.  Since  that 
time  the  supply  has  steadily  increased.  The  following  table  gives,  the  quantity 
of  coal  from  this  mine  received  at  San  Francisco  during  the  past  three  years : 

1865 14,446  tons. 

1866 11,380    « 

1867,  (first  six  months  only) , 1,275    " 

THE  FUCA  STRAITS  COAL  MINES  are  situated  in  the  northern  part  of  Wash- 
ington Territory,  on  the  south  shore  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  about  45  miles  south- 
west from  Victoria  and  40  miles  southeast  from  the  Pacific  ocean.  The  company 
owning  the  mines  possess  2,080  acres  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  land 
embraces  the  shores  of  Clallam  bay  for  several  miles.  The  surface  of  the  coun- 
try is  exceedingly  hilly  and  broken,  and  is  covered  with  a  dense  forest  of  spruce, 
fir,  and  cedar  to  the  water's  edge.  Its  geological  formation  is  exposed  by  several 
landslides  of  recent  occurrence,  some  of  them  being  quite  close  to  the  mine.  It 
consists  of  sandstones  and  shales,  with  occasional  conglomerate,  the  whole  broken, 
divided,  and  tilted  up  in  Afferent  ejections  by  dikes  of  indurated  sandstone.  To 
such  an  extent  has  this  displacement  been  effected  that  it  is  difficult  to  trace  the 
continuity  of  the  stratification.  The  largest  bodies  of  the  exposed  strata  dip 
toward  the  land  at  angles  varying  from  15°  to  40°.  The  croppings  of  the  coal 
are  conspicuous  from  Clallam  bay  to  Pillar  Point,  eight  miles  to  the  southeast. 

The  lowest  seam  is  about  two  feet  thick,  and  is  seen  some  60  feet  above  the 
water  line  of  the  bay,  in  the  face  of  the  hill  where  the  mine  has  been  opened. 
It  dips  towards  the  land  at  an  angle  of  35°.  About  250  feet  higher  in  the  hill 
is  another  seam  about  15  inches  thick,  and  300  feet  still  higher  another  eight 
inches  thick.  The  mine  is  located  on  the  lowest  of  these  seams.  The  work 
done  by  the  company  includes  a  tunnel  run  into  the  face  of  the  hill  70  feet, 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  239 

where  it  reaches  the  coal,  at  a  convenient  level  for  shipping-.  From  this  point 
an  incline  250  feet  in  length  has  been  run  on  the  scam,  the  lower  part  of  which 
changes  its  dip  from  35°  to  25°.  Lateral  drifts  have  been  run  350  feet  to  the 
oast  and  180  feet  to  the  west,  the  latter  terminated  by  a  thick  sandstone  dyke. 
Two  dikes  of  similar  materials  were  met  in  the  other  drift,  one  four,  the  other 
nine  feet  thick. 

About  1,500  tons  of  coal  were  taken  from  this  mine  up  to  the  close  of  1866,  when 
operations  were  suspended  for  want  of  funds  to  carry  them  on.  In  1867  a  com- 
pany was  incorporated  for  the  purpose  of  working  this  mine,  under  the  title  of 
the  Phoenix  Coal  Mining-  Company.  Operations  now  give  better  promise  of 
success.  The  original  owners,  having  no  other  machinery  than  a  hand  pump  and 
windlass,  labored  under  disadvantages.  The  coal,  owing  to  the  expense  of  labor, 
cost  $7  50  per  ton,  delivered  at  San  Francisco.  The  new  company,  having 
pumps  and  hoisting  gear  worked  by  steam,  can  obtain  it  at  less  expense. 

The  first  cargo,  500  tons,  from  this  mine  since  it  has  been  reoponed,  was  received 
at  San  Francisco  in  August,  1867,  where  it  sold  at  $12  per  ton,  costing  the  com- 
pany $6  per  ton  to  deliver. 

The  English  government  steamer  Zealous  has  been  supplied  from  this  mine. 
The  engineers  of  that  vessel  speak  favorably  of  the  coal,  stating  that  it  makes 
less  soot  in  the  flues  and  less  ashes  than  any  other  obtained  on  the  coast. 

The  new  company  have  extended  the  workings  on  the  original  incline  to  1,300 
feet,  where  the  scam  is  nearly  four  feet  thick.  In  making  lateral  drifts  from  the 
bottom  of  the  incline,  the  dikes  mentioned  as  interfering  with  the  workings  on 
the  upper  levels  were  not  met  with,  though  these  lower  drifts  were  extended  300 
feet  northeast  and  nearly  700  feet  northwest. 

About  40  men  are  at  present  employed  at  the  mine,  who  take  out  100  tons  of 
coal  per  week. 

Investigations  by  experienced  mining  engineers  and  geologists  lead  to  the  con- 
clusion that  there  is  an  extensive  bed  of  coal  in  Clallam  valley,  of  which  the 
seams  above  described  are  but  the  margin. 

A  bore  292  feet  deep  was  sunk  in  this  valley  in  1866,  at  a  point  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  the  bay.  It  passed  througn  the  following  formations : 

Feet.  Inches. 

Sandstone 11  6 

Till 1  0 

Sandstone 5  0 

Till 7  0 

I  lard  sandstone 1  0 

Beds  of  hard  clay 5  0 

Sandstone 48  0 

Fire-clay 5  0 

Sandstone 4  6 

Till 1  6 

Sandstone,  in  beds 8  10 

Till 5  0 

Sandstone 1  6 

Till 6  6 

Sandstone 3  6 

Till 1  4 

(May,  in  beds 12 

I 1  aid  freestone 0        10 

Sandstone 13          6 

Coal 0         8 

Below  this  the  bore  passed  through  alternate  layers  of  sandstone,  shale,  and 
conglomorate,  till  work  was  stopped  for  want  of  machinery. 


240  RESOURCES    OP    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

It  is  a  matter  of  some  importance  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  the  deposit  in  this 
locality,  as  the  quality  of  the  coal  in  Fuca  Straits  mine  is  such  that  a  pood  surmlv 

/.  .,.-!.,-,  rr-  j 

ot  it  is  desirable. 

OTHER  COAL  MINES  IN  WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. — In  July,  1867,  the  Coal 
Creek  Road  Company,  of  Seattle,  Washington  Territory,  was  incorporated  under 
a  special  act  of  the  territorial  legislature,  with  a  capital  of  $30,000,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  constructing  a  road  and  making  other  improvements  for  developing  the 
coal  mines  opened  to  the  east  of  that  town.  These  mines  are  reported  to  con- 
tain excellent  coal. 

A  seam  of  coal  has  been  recently  opened  near  Monticello,  Cowlitz  county, 
about  740  miles  northeast  of  Mount  Diablo.  Some  of  it,  tested  on  board  the 
Oregon  Steam  Navigation  Company's  vessels,  was  found  to  be  good  for  steam 
purposes,  burning  with  a  clear  flame  and  but  little  smoke,  leaving  but  a  small 
residue  of  ashes. 

COAL  IN  NEVADA. — It  is  believed  by  persons  who  have  travelled  over  this 
State  that  good  coal  exists  near  its  northern  and  western  boundaries. 

A  seam  of  lignite  is  reported  to  have  been  found  during  the  past  summer  a 
few  miles  from  Hiko,  the  county  seat  of  Lincoln  county,  near  the  Pahranagat 
district. 

The  surveyors  employed  by  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company  report  the 
existence  of  coal  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  mountains  near  Crystal  Peak,  con- 
venient to  the  Truckee  river,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  line  of  that  rail- 
road. 

Parties  prospecting  for  gold  and  silver  among  the  Goose  Creek  mountains 
report  croppings  of  coal  at  several  places  in  that  part  of  the  State.  The  Goose 
Creek  mountains  are  on  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  above  the  valley 
of  the  Humboldt.  Coal  has  been  known  to  exist  in  these  mountains  for  many 
years.  The  early  emigrants  who  crossed  the  plains  in  1850  frequently  spoke  of 
having  seen  it. 

An  inferior  quality  of  coal  is  known  to  exist  in  the  mountain  ranges  of  western 
Nevada,  and  in  the  Walker  river  country. 

COAL  IN  UTAH. — A  seam  of  bituminous  coal,  about  six  feet  thick,  has  been 
explored  on  Webber  creek,  a  few  miles  from  Great  Salt  Lake  City.  It  is  nearly 
horizontal  in  position,  overlaid  by  strata  of  sandstone  and  a  deposit  of  conglome- 
rate. 

Coal  has  also  been  found  at  Beaver  creek,  about  300  miles  south  from  Salt 
Lake. 

THE  VANCOUVER  ISLAND  MINES  are  being  worked  to  some  extent.  Exports 
in  June  from  the  Nanaimo  mine  reached  3,636  tons,  and  July  4,676  tons. 

The  imports  of  this  coal  at  San  Francisco  during  the  past  three  years  has  been 
as  follows:  1865,  18,181  tons;  1866,  10,852  tons 5  1867,  9,160  tons,  for  first 
six  months  only. 

CONCLUDING  REMARKS. — The  existence  of  coal  along  the  northwest  coast 
of  the  Pacific  has  been  known  since  the  discovery  of  the  country.  The  seams 
cropping  out  in  the  face  of  nearly  every  bluff  and  promontory  from  Oregon  to 
Sitka  are  too  conspicuous  to  have  been  overlooked.  The  cost  of  and  difficulty 
in  procuring  labor  and  transportation,  as  well  as  the  lack  of  enterprise  on  the 
part  of  the  settlers  along  the  coast,  have  retarded  the  development  of  this  impor- 
tant resource.  The  condemnation  of  valuable  discoveries  by  pretended  experts 
on  account  of  presumed  subterranean  disturbances  in  the  vicinity  has  discouraged 
capitalists  from  testing  the  value  of  many  good  mines.  It  is  proper  here  to 
remark  that  the  subterraneous  disturbances  on  this  coast  arc  remarkably  local  in 
their  effects,  rarely  extending  for  any  considerable  distance.  The  developments 
in  the  Mount  Diablo  district  illustrate  this  fact.  The  section  in  this  district  on 
which  is  located  the  Peacock,  Pacheco,  and  San  Francisco  mines  is  found  to  be 
so  much  broken  and  disturbed  as  to  render  the  workings  of  these  mines  unprofit- 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS  241 

able,  while  to  the  north  and  south  the  coal  has  not  been  broken  or  displaced.  It 
is,  therefore,  probable  that  many  bodies  of  coal  which  are  now  considered  too 
much  broken  to  pay  for  development  will  be  found  valuable  on  more  thorough 
examination. 

The  extent  of  the  coal  formation  on  the  Pacific  coast  is  surprising.  Mr.  Fou- 
coult,  a  French  gentleman,  who  spent  several  years  examining  the  northern  coast 
from  Washington  Territory  to  the  newly-acquired  territory  of  Alaska,  states  that 
anthracite  exists  at  Skidegate  inlet,  Queen  Charlotte's  island,  and  that  a  seam 
of  the  same  kind  of  coal  is  seen  cropping  out  on  the  mainland  opposite,  about 
40  miles  distant  Specimens  have  been  sent  to  San  Francisco,  where  they  were 
examined  by  competent  persons,  who  pronounced  them  of  good  quality.  The 
extent  of  these  deposits  is  unknown,  but  they  establish  the  fact  of  the  existence 
of  anthracite  on  this  coast. 

Vancouver's  island  contains  sheets  of  coal,  which  may  be  seen  cropping  out  at 
various  points  along  its  shores  on  the  east  and  west.  From  Cape  Flattery  t" 
Admiralty  inlet,  in  Washington  Territory,  there  is  an  almost  continuous  outcrop 
of  coal.  The  Fuca  Straits  mine,  described  above,  is  only  16  miles  from  the 
croppings  on  Neah  bay.  Unfortunately  this  part  of  the  coast  is  destitute  of  a 
good  harbor,  or  doubtless  the  coal  would  have  been  developed  to  a  much  greater 
extent.  But  capital  and  engineering  skill  can  overcome  even  this  defect  if  the 
inducements  are  sufficient. 

From  the  above  data  it  will  be  seen  that  the  coal  deposits  west  of  the  Rocky 
mountains,  though  yielding  an  inferior  quality  of  coal,  are  quite  extensive,  and 
furnish  such  promise  of  improvement  as  to  justify  the  belief  that  the  supply  will 
be  sufficient  in  the  future  for  the  demands  of  all  branches  of  industry  on  the 
Pacific  coast. 

MARBLE,  LIMESTONE,  &c. — The  use  of  marble  for  domestic,  artistic,  and 
funeral  purposes  is  very  general  in  California,  especially  in  San  Francisco. 
Marble  mantels,  tables,  and  slabs  are  to  be  found  in  almost  every  residence, 
workshop,  and  store.  The  graves  of  all,  save  the  utterly  friendless  dead,  are 
adorned  with  marble  tablet  or  monument  of  some  kind.  This  taste  has  created 
an  important  branch  of  productive  industry. 

There  are  fourteen  factories  engaged  in  the  manufactures  of  marble  in  San 
Francisco,  some  of  which  employ  SO  OT  40  men.  One  has  steam  machinery  for 
cutting  and  polishing  the  marble,  and  turns  out  3,000  feet  of  slabs  per  month, 
in  addition  to  tombstones,  mantels,  and  other  ornamental  work.  There  are  mar- 
ble factories  at  Sacramento  and  Marysville,  and  one  at  each  of  the  following 
towns  in  the  interior:  Stockton,  Sonora,  Petaluma,  Santa  Cruz,  San  Jose,  Dow- 
nicville,  Folsom,  and  other  places.  Probably  1,000  persons  are  employed  in 
California  quarrying,  transporting,  and  working  marble. 

The  consumption  in  San  Francisco  averages  500  cubic  feet  per  month  5  the 
factories  in  the  interior  use  about  one-fourth  as  much ;  total  consumption  in  the 
State,  say  600  feet  per  month,  or  7,200  feet  per  annum.  The  average  price  of 
marble  at  present  is  $5  per  foot.  It  thus  appears  that  the  value  of  the  raw 
material  used  in  this  business  amounts  to  $36,000  annually.  The  value  of  manu- 
factured marble  in  the  State  is  estimated  at  $2,500,000. 

The  most  singular  and  suggestive  feature  in  this  business  is  presented  in  the 
fact  that,  although  California  contains  an  abundance  of  marble  of  great  beauty 
and  variety,  most  of  that  used  in  San  Francisco  is  imported  from  Italy  or  New 
York.  This  fact  may  be  attributed  to  the  want  of  good  roads  and  cheap  trans- 
portation. It  is  found  more  economical  to  bring  the  raw  material  from  Genoa, 
Italy,  including  transhipment  at  Bordeaux  or  Marseilles,  than  from  the  foot  hills 
in  the  State,  less  than  100  miles  from  Stockton  or  Sacramento. 

There  arc  two  firms  in  San  Francisco  engaged  in  the  importation  of  marble. 
Bii^i.lrlli  &  Co.  are  in  the  Italian  branch  of  the  business.     They  own  a  vessel 
oi'  300  tons  register,  sailing  between  San  Francisco  and  Genoa.     Largo  quanti- 
16 


242  RESOURCES     OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

ties  are  brought  by  French  vessels  from  French  ports.  From  June,  1866,  to 
June,  1867,  this  firm  imported  545  tons  of  Italian  marble  and  had  600  tons  more 
on  the  way,  the  whole  of  which  was  sold,  leaving  orders  still  unfilled.  The 
present  price  of  Italian  marble  is  50  cents  per  superficial  foot,  in  slabs  of  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch  thick ;  in  blocks  of  ordinary  dimensions,  $5  per  cubic  foot ; 
blocks  weighing  several  tons,  at  $6  per  cubic  foot.  California  marble  cannot  be 
laid  down  in  San  Francisco  at  these  rates.  Myers  &  Co.  import  Italian  marble 
from  New  York,  where  it  is  brought  in  vessels  from  Genoa.  This  firm  also 
imports  white  marble  from  Vermont,  which  sells  at  $15  per  cubic  foot,  being  used 
in  the  finer  kinds  of  work.  Some  of  the  ornamental  mantels  in  the  homes  of  the 
wealthy  cost  $750  to  $1,000  each. 

The  marble  dust  used  in  the  preparation  of  effervescing  beverages  is  imported 
from  New  York.  Five  hundred  tons  annually  are  consumed,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$30  per  ton. 

The  cost  of  transportation,  which  gives  the  imported  marble  a  monopoly  of  the 
markets  along  the  coast,  prohibits  its  introduction  in  the  interior.  All  the  facto- 
ries in  towns  above  Sacramento,  Marysville,  and  Stockton  use  the  native  marble, 
because  it  is  cheapest  at  these  places.  With  reference  to  the  quality  of  the 
Pacific  coast  marble,  as  compared  with  the  imported  article,  the  fact  should  be 
taken  into  consideration  that  it  is  excavated  from  near  the  surface.  None  of  the 
quarries  have  been  opened  to  any  considerable  depth ;  consequently  the  marble 
is  scarcely  as  fine  in  color  or  texture  as  it  will  be  found  at  a  greater  depth.  Much 
of  it,  nevertheless,  when  compared  with  the  Italian,  loses  nothing  by  the  contrast. 
Many  samples  of  the  California  marble  are  superior.  The  block  of  white  mar- 
ble, from  the  quarry  at  Columbia,  Tnolumno  county,  from  which  the  sculptor 
Devine  formed  the  bust  of  the  late  Senator  B:oderick,  compares  favorably  with 
the  Carrara  in  color,  texture,  and  purity. 

The  recently-discovered  quarries  of  black  and  white  marbles  near  Colfax, 
P  nicer  county,  on  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  will  probably  stop  the 
importations  from  Italy.  The  beauty  of  the  black  marble  from  this  Iocality,-the 
exquisite  polish  it  retains,  and  the  advantage  the  owners  of  the  quarry  possess  in 
railroad  communication,  which  enables  them  to  deliver  it  at  Sail  Francisco  cheaper 
than  the  Italian,  will  probably  give  it  the  control  of  the  market. 

There  are  many  localities  in  California  where  quarries  of  marble  are  knowrn  to 
exist,  but,  with  few  exceptions,  they  remain  undeveloped.  A  belt  of  limestone 
traverses  the  State  from  north  to  south,  between  the  foot  hills  and  the  Sierras, 
said  to  be  20  miles  wide,  forming  a  prominent  feature  in  the  topography  of  the 
counties  famous  for  placer  gold,  particularly  in  Tuolumne,  Calaveras,  Amador, 
Nevada,  El  Dorado,  and  Placer  counties.  This  belt  abounds  in  white  or  grayish 
marble ;  and  it  is  not  improbable  marble  of  variegated  colors  will  be  found  on 
more  thorough  examination,  as  local  causes  are  known  to  control  the  color.  In 
illustration,  it  may  be  stated  that  in  the  gulch  on  the  south  side  of  the  road 
between  Columbia  and  Gold  Springs,  Tuolumne  county,  there  are  bodies  of 
marble  of  a  jetty  blackness,  colored  by  manganese  j  on  Matelot  gulch,  about  a 
mile  to  the  east,  there  is  a  deposit  of  marble  which,  through  the  action  of  salts 
of  iron,  has  been  mottled  w:ith  red,  brown,  yellow7,  blue,  and  green  spots;  on 
Mormon  gulch,  about  three  miles  to  the  west,  are  masses  of  marble  of  very  fine 
texture  veined  with  pale  green  by  the  action  of  chlorine.  This  variety  of  color 
is  not  peculiar  to  that  locality,  but  may  be  observed  throughout  the  State.  The 
Suisun  marble,  of  Solano  county,  and  the  black  and  white  marbles  recently 
found  near  Colfax,  Placer  county,  are  cases  in  point. 

Little  attention  has  thus  far  been  paid  to  the  marble  quarries  of  the  State, 
because  the  working  of  them  has  not  been  profitable,  except  in  a  few  localities. 
As  soon  as  railroads  and  cheaper  labor  shall  remove  existing  impediments, 
they  will  probably  become  a  source  of  profit,  both  to  individuals  and  to  the 
State. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  243 

The  most  important  quarries  at  present  worked  are  the  following : 

INDIAN  DIGGINGS. — This  quarry  is  located  on  the  limestone  belt,  above 
referred,  to,  in  El  Dorado  county.  It  was  opened  in  1857.  A  considerable 
quantity  of  marble  has  been  taken  from  it,  darkly  and  coarsely  marked  with 
gray  and  black.  It  is  very  beautiful  in  large  masses,  but  has  ar  smeary  appear- 
ance in  small  pieces ;  it  is  susceptible  of  a  high  polish,  which  it  retains  well. 
Monuments,  after  exposure  for  10  years  to  the  heat  and  cold  peculiar  to  the  foot 
hills  of  California,  are  as  bright  and  glossy  on  the  surface  and  edges  as  when 
erected. 

The  COLUMBIA  is  located  on  the  same  limestone  belt,  on  the  Tuolumnc  county 
side  of  south  fork  of  Stanislaus  river,  near  Abbey's  Ferry,  70  miles  from  Stock- 
ton, the  head  of  navigation  on  the  San  Joaquin  river.  This  quarry  was  opened 
in  1860,  and  has  been  well  developed.  The  quality  of  the  marble  is  fine  in 
grain  and  nearly  white,  with  pale  gray  pencillings,  and  has  improved  with  the 
depth  of  the  workings.  Blocks  of  20  feet  square,  without  flaw  or  blemish,  may 
be  obtained  from  this  quarry.  Machinery  was  erected  for  working  it,  and  a  mill 
built  for  cutting  the  blocks  into  slabs  and  polishing  them.  The  works  consisted 
of  a  revolving  derrick  with  a  boom  60  feet  in  length,  by  means  of  which  two 
men  could  take  blocks  weighing  10  to  15  tons  from  any  part  of  the  quarry  and 
place  them  on  cars  which  ran  on  a  track  laid  around  it  and  connected  with  the 
mill.  This  mill  had  100  saws  and  four  polishing  machines,  moved  by  water 
power.  Many  thousands  of  tons  of  marble  were  cut  here  between  1862  and 
1866.  The  increase  of  importations,  erection  of  similar  machinery  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  the  impossibility  of  sending  the  product  to  market  during  the  winter, 
owing  to  the  want  of  good  roads,  has  caused  the  proprietors  to  cease  operations, 
except  during  the  summer.  Some  of  the  handsomest  monuments  in  the  State  are 
made  Of  this  marble;  that  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Senator  Broderick, 
in  the  Lone  Mountain  cemetery,  at  San  Francisco,  is  a  beautiful  specimen. 

THE  COLFAX  QtJAERiES. — The  most  noted  of  these  was  discovered  in  1866, 
in  the  mountains  bordering  the  Bear  river,  about  two  miles  to  the  east  of  the 
town  of  Colfax,  Placer  county,  near  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad. 
The  marble  difl'ers  from  all  others  found  on  the  coast,  being  a  dark  gray,  with 
jet  black  venation.  When  polished  it  is  very  beautiful.  The  mantels  in  the 
new  Bank  of  California  are  made  of  this  marble,  which  contributes  to  the  beauty 
of  the  interior  of  that  structure. 

The  proprietors  of  the  quarry  are  among  the  first  to  derive  direct  benefit  from 
the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  and  their  case  illustrates  how  great  an  advantage 
I  that  road  will  be  in  developing  the  resources  of  the  State.  Without  such  a 
means  of  transportation  the  marble  could  not  be  delivered  at  San  Francisco  for 
less  than  $20  per  ton;  with  it  freight  is  only  $8  per  ton.  The  owners  of  the 
I  quarry  at  Columbia  pay  $10  per  ton  for  hauling  their  marble  to  Stockton  when 
the  roads  are  good,  but  from  $12  to  $15  per  ton  during  the  winter,  with  an  addi- 
tion of  $2  per  ton  from  that  place  to  San  Francisco  by  water.  The  expenses 
Ifor  transportation  are  still  higher  from  the  Indian  Diggings  quarry.  Expense 
jof  transportation  alone  has  thus  far  prevented  the  development  of  this  valuable 
)urce,  and  cost  the  State  as  much  for  imported  marble  as  would  have  nearly 

lid  for  a  railroad  to  the  quarries. 

There  is  a  quarry  of  nearly  white  marble  recently  discovered  on  the  Appleton 

ich,  about  seven  miles  from  Colfax  and  two  miles  from  the  railroad.     Some 

10  blocks  have  been  sent  from  it  to  San  Francisco. 

Both  these  quarries  are  in  the  limestone  belt. 

The  SUISUN  marble  is  found  in  the  Peleoo  Hills,  a  short  distance  north  of 
10  city  of  Snisun,  Solano  county.  It  occurs  in  the  form  of  irregular  beds,  in  a 

mliar  sandstone  formation,  and  is  of  various  shades  of  brown  and  yellow, 

lutifully  blended  in  bands  and  threads,  similar  to  the  famous  stalagmites  of 
ribraltar,  which  it  resembles  in  origin  and  structure,  as  well  as  in  appearance. 


244  RESOURCES    OF   STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

It  has  been  formed  by  water,  holding  lime  and  iron  in  solution,  percolating 
through  the  sandstone  and  depositing  the  mineral  in  cavities;  consequently  it  is 
only  found  in  limited  quantity,  though  much  of  it,  of  an  impure  quality,  is 
burned  for  making  lime. 

OTHER  LOCALITIES  WHERE  MARBLE  HAS  BEEN  FOUND.T— A  quarry  of  marble 
has  been  opened  recently  on  Butte  creek,  about  40  miles  from  Oroville,  Butte 
county,  near  the  lately-discovered  iron  mines.  The  quality  is  good,  the  color 
gray  and  white,  and  the  deposit  extensive,  being  on  the  limestone  belt. 

There  are  other  localities  in  the  State  where  marble  has  been  found,  but  the 
explorations  have  been  too  limited  to  determine  their  value. 

In  May,  1867,  Mr.  J.  R.  Brown  discovered  and  located  a  quarry  of  marble  a 
few  miles  north  of  Auburn,  Placer  county,  of  a  nearly  white  color.  Samples 
sent  to  Saw  Francisco  are  considered  fine.  The  quantity  is  abundant. 

A  marble  quarry  has  also  been  found  to  the  south  of  the  Bay  of  Monterey,  in 
the  Coast  range. 

LIMESTONE  AND  LIME. — The  supply  of  these  materials  is  abundant  in  nearly 
all  parts  of  California.  The  great  belt  of  limestone  so  frequently  referred  to 
furnishes  materials  for  lime  for  the  towns  in  the  foot  hills  and  among  the  Sierras ; 
while  in  the  coast  range  there  are  other  calcareous  rocks,  which  supply  the 
demands  for  lime  in  the  towns  and  cities  along  the  coast  and  on  the  plains.  The 
consumption  of  lime  at  San  Francisco  averages  about  100,000  barrels  annually, 
three-fourths  of  which  is  obtained  from  the  vicinity  of  Santa  Cruz,  on  the  ranch 
of  the  Canada  del  Rincon,  where  there  is  a  supply  of  white  metamorphic  lime- 
stone, which  makes  good  lime.  Considerable  quantities  are  also  brought  from 
Sacramento.  Since  the  completion  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad  in  that  vicinity, 
lime  is  brought  to  San  Francisco  from  near  Auburn  and  Clipper  Gap,  Placer 
county.  About  5,000  barrels  are  brought  to  Sacramento  monthly  by  the  railroad, 
and  the  supply  is  increasing  with  the  facilities  for  its  preparation  and  transpor- 
tation. 

The  imports  of  lime  at  San  Francisco,  since  1864,  have  been  as  follows  : 

Barrels. 

1864 73,553 

1865 90,037 

1866  89,786 

1867  (for  first  six  months  only) !     67,840 


Total 321,216 

Average  price  during  this  time,  $2  25  per  barrel.  The  consumption  of  lime 
in  San  Francisco  during  the  past  three  and  a  half  years  has  cost  $722,736.  The 
increase  of  brick  and  stone  buildings  during  the  latter  half  of  1867  has  greatly 
augmented  the  consumption  of  lime. 

The  construction  of  railroads  and  increase  in  buildings  in  the  interior  towns 
has  also  increased  the  consumption.  The  lime  used  for  various  purposes  in  the 
State  annually  probably  exceeds  81,000,000  in  value. 

The  Golden  City  Chemical  Works,  at  San  Francisco,  have  made  a  few  tons  of 
chloride  of  lime  as  an  experiment,  but  the  demand  for  this  compound  is  so  small 
on  this  coast  that  its  manufacture  is  unimportant.  It  was  ascertained  in  making 
these  experiments  that  the  California  lime  will  not  absorb  as  much  chlorine  as 
that  made  in  the  Atlantic  States  or  Europe.  This  may  be  the  effect  of  a  variety 
</f  causes;  but  it  is  of  importance,  both  in  practice  and  to  science.  Somo  of  the 
English  lime  will  absorb  50  per  cent,  of  chlorine.  None  obtained  in  California 
would  take  up  30  per  cent.  The  general  per  cent,  of  chlorine  in  imported 
chloride  of  lime  does  not  exceed  10.  It  loses  its  strength  during  the  voyage. 

OTHER  CALCAREOUS  MINERALS — SULPHATE  or  LIME. — There  arc  deposits 
of  this  mineral  in  various  forms  in  all  the  States  and  Territories  on  this  coast.  It 
is  valuable  when  burned  as  a  fertilizer  on  heavy  clay  lauds,  such  as  constitute 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  245 

much  of  "tule"  and  "adobe"  bottoms  in  California.  It  is  abundant  in  the  coast 
range.  A  body  of  it  is  found  in  the  form  of  selenite  in  the  hills  near  Stockton, 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  San  Joaquin  river. 

Considerable  quantities  wf  the  same  mineral  are  known  to  exist  in  most  of  tho 
mountains  which  have  been  examined  for  silver  in  Alpine  county  amon**  the 
the  high  Sierras. 

Sulphate  of  lime,  in  the  form  of  alabaster,  is  found  in  Tuolumne,  Los  Angeles, 
Solano,  and  several  other  counties. 

Near  Silver  City,  Story  county,  Nevada,  alabaster  of  great  beauty  is  found, 
but  it  soon  crumbles  on  exposure  to  the  atmosphere.  In  1862  this  deposit  was 
quarried  as  marble.  It  was  soon  discovered  that  blocks  cut  from  it  fell  to  pieces, 
and  were  useless  for  building  and  ornamental  purposes  j  but  it  makes  good  plaster 
of  Paris. 

Beds  of  friable  sulphate  of  lime  exist  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Sulphur  Springs, 
near  Red  Bluffs,  Tehama  county,  in  the  fonii  of  loose  grains,  deposited  by  the 
waters  of  the  thermal  springs,  which  cover  acres  of  ground  in  the  vicinity.  All 
the  hot  springs  on  this  coast  deposit  sulphate  of  lime,  in  some  form  or  other. 

In  the  Granite  mountains,  between  Chico,  in  Tehama  county,  and  Idaho,  there 
are  numerous  deposits  of  gypsum.  Anhydrate,  or  dry  sulphate  of  lime,  is  found 
in  Flumas  and  Sierra  counties.  Professor  Whitney,  State  geologist  of  California, 
has  various  specimens. 

Excellent  materials  for  the  manufacture  of  plaster  of  Paris  exist  on  this  coast. 
Considering  the  simpleness  of  its  preparation  it  is  remarkable  that  its  manu- 
facture has  not  been  attempted.  The  imports  of  plaster  of  Paris  amount  to 
about  6,000  barrels  annually  at  San  Francisco,  at  an  average  cost  of  $4  per 
ban-el,  or  nearly  $25,000  per  annum.  Nearly  all  imported  is  from  New  York. 

DOLOMITE  OR  MAGXESIAI^  LIMESTONE. — This  mineral  has  been  found 
during  the  present  year,  on  tho  Merced  river,  between  Horseshoe  Bend  and  Don 
Pedro's  bar.  It  is  fine  grained,  of  a  j-ellowish  gray  color,  having  much  the 
appearance  of  "  Turkey  stone,"  and  is  prized  for  hones  for  sharpening  razors, 
penknives,  &c.  It  has  been  mistaken  for  lithographic  limestone.  The  deposits 
are  abundant,  and  it  may  ultimately  be  found  an  important  resource. 

HYDRAULIC  LIMESTONE. — California  contains  deposits  of  this  valuable  mineral, 
of  good  quality.  The  best  known  are  found  in  a  range  of  hills  at  the  back  of 
Benicia,  Solano  county.  Hydraulic,  or  Benicia  cement,  as  it  is  called,  is  made 
here  in  considerable  quantities,  a  company  having  been  incorporated  in  1860 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  its  manufacture.  The  company  has  good  machinery, 
kilns,  and  the  necessary  arrangement  for  making  several  thousand  barrels  per 
month.  An  impetus  has  been  given  to  this  business  by  the  action  of  the  State 
harbor  commissioners,  who  having  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  sea-wall,  in 
the  harbor  of  San  Francisco,  have  had  experiments  made  with  the  various  cements. 
The  Benicia  cement  proving  satisfactory,  has  been  selected  for  use  in  the  wall, 
which  will  be  several  miles  in  length,  and  of  great  depth  and  thickness,  and 
will  consequently  require  many  thousand  tons  of  cement.  This  action  of  the 
commissioners  has  had  a  tendency  to  remove  a  prejudice  that  had  been  cultivated 
by  interested  parties  against  the  California  cement.  The  imports  of  cement  have 
been  heavy  for  several  years  at  San  Francisco,  the  damp  nature  of  the  founda- 
tions in  the  business  portions  of  the  city  requiring  the  bricks  or  stones  to  be  laid 
in  cement  for  several  feet  in  extensive  buildings.  In  1866,  23,812  barrels  were 
imported,  at  a  cost  of  $91,648.  During  the  first  six  months  of  1867,  14,517 
barrels  were  imported,  at  a  cost  of  $50,000.  These  figures  show  the  importance 
of  this  business. 

The  mineral  in  the  vicinity  of  Benicia  is  found  in  a  series  of  deposits  extend- 
ing for  several  miles.  Though  there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  regular  stratum 
<.f'ir,  there  is  sufficient  to  last  for  many  years,  should  the  consumption  reach  100,000 
barrels  annually. 


246 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


Hydraulic  limestone  is  a  sub-carbonate  of  lime,  which  owes  its  value  to  its  prop- 
erty of  hardening  under  water,  to  a  certain  proportion  of  clay  in  its  composition. 
Too  much  clay  causes  it  to  set  too  slowly,  while  too  little  renders  it  unfit  for  use 
as  a  cement.  It  is  necessary  to  make  this  explanation  to. render  the  following 
statements  intelligible : 

There  are  two  varieties  of  this  mineral  at  Benicia,  the  one  making  a  cement 
which  hardens  very  rapidly,  the  other  very  slowly.  Experience  and  observation 
prove  that  a  combination  of  the  two  makes  a  hard,  durable  cement,  which  may  be 
regulated  to  harden  in  any  required  time.  Common  limestone  exists  near  the 
cement  rock.  The  workmen  first  employed  in  making  the  cement,  not -being 
aware  of  the  difference,  mixed  all  together  in  the  kilns  j  the  consequence  was  to 
spoil  the  whole,  and  give  the  product  a  bad  character  in  the  market.  But  the 
processes  for  its  preparation  are  now  better  understood,  and  the  workmen  more 
experienced.  Such  contaminations  are  avoided,  and  a  really  good  cement  is 
prepared. 

This  Benicia  cement  stone  is  of  a  dark  yellowish  color,  speckled  with  black, 
tolerably  soft;  breaks  with  a  dull,  earthy  fracture,  without  any  appearance  of 
crystalization. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  some  of  the  experiments  made  with 
various  kinds  of  cements,  to  test  the  time  each  requires  for  "setting"  in  the  air 
and  under  wrater : 


Composition. 

Time  setting 
in  air. 

Time  setting 
in  water. 

1st  quality  Benicia  cement  ......         .   ....   ........... 

3 
25 
50 
30 
1.00 
1.20 
1.50 

5 

30 
1.00 
50 
1.20 
1.50 
3.10 

8 
30 
1.20 
45 
1.50 
2.40 
4.10 

10 
50 
1.25 

1.00 
2.20 
3.10 
5.25 

2d  quality  Benicia  cement 

Mixture  of  both  ..  ...  ......  ..  ...  

Roman  cement  .                                                      . 

Eastern  cement 

Mixture  of  equal  parts  Benicia  cement  and  sand  ..  ... 

Mixture  of  one  part  of  Benicia  cement  and  two  parts  sand  

This  cement  is  much  used  in  the  manufacture  of  drainage  and  water  pipes. 
There  are  several  factories  of  these  articles  in  California.  Miles  of  such  pipe 
are  laid  down  in  San  Francisco.  Other  places  in  the  Coast  range  and  foot  hills 
have  been  found  where  cement  stone  is  known  to  exist.  On  the  banks  of  Hos- 
pital creek,  a  few  miles  south  of  Corral  Hollow,  San  Joaquin  county,  there  is  a 
deposit  of  it  similar  in  appearance  and  composition  to  that  worked  at  Benicia. 

Within  the  past  few  months  a  hydraulic  limestone  has  been  discovered  in 
Washington  Territory,  on  the  Columbia  river,  about  seven  miles  north  from 
Astoria.  Works  are  in  course  of  erection  to  manufacture  cement  at  this  place. 
There  can  be  but  little  doubt  that  this  mineral  will  be  found  abundantly  all 
along  this  coast  whenever  an  intelligent  search  shall  be  made  for  it.  The  meta- 
morphosis of  the  rocks  in  the  Coast  range  has  been  of  a  nature  to  form  it  exten- 
sively. 

OREGOX. — Limestone  and  marble  are  not  so  abundant  in  this  State  and  the 
Territories  north  and  west  as  in  California.  As  mentioned  in  the  report  on  iron, 
the  Oregon  smelting  works  have  to  import  the  limestone  used  in  that  establish- 
ment from  the  Island  of  San  Juan.  The  limestone  formation  extending  from 
Siskiyou  to  Los  Angeles,  in  California,  does  not  appear  to  extend  into  Oregon. 
At  all  events,  its  existence  has  not  been  reported. 

The  recent  discovery  of  a  bed  of  limestone  on  Beaver  "crook,  Clackamas  county, 
about  18  miles  from  the  Willamette,  is  considered  of  much  importance  by  the 
local  press.  It  is  presumable  this  mineral  is  scarce  in  that  part  of  Oregon. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  247 

NEVADA. — In  addition  to  the  alabaster  mentioned  above,  in  Story  county, 
cement  rock  has  been  found  in  the  Pinewood  district,  Humboldt  county,  and  at 
many  other  places.  No  marble  has  thus  far  been  found  in  tins'  State,  but  there 
is  sufficient  carbonate  of  lime  in  other  forms,  in  nearly  all  parts  of  it,  to  supply 
material  for  making  lime  for  building  purposes. 

BUILDING  MATERIALS. — The  mountainous  nature  of  the  Pacific  coast,  and 
the  geological  formations  to  which  the  rocks  composing  the  mountains  belong, 
suggest  the  existence  of  a  great  variety  of  building  materials.  Few  countries 
possess  greater  abundance  or  variety  of  these  materials  than  California,  and  there 
are  few  cities  in  the  United  States  where  equal  opportunities  are  afforded  for 
comparing  the  merits  of  the  materials  used  in  other  countries  with  those  obtained 
at  home,  than  are  presented  at  San  Francisco.  In  the  early  days  of  this  city 
everything  was  imported,  from  bread  and  clothing  for  its  inhabitants  to  lumber, 
brick  and  stone  for  their  houses.  The  city  hall  is  built  of  Australian  freestone, 
several  of  the  banks  and  other  large  edifices  are  built  of  China  granite,  and  there 
are  hundreds  of  steps,  pillars,  lintels,  and  other  portions  of  buildings,  of  sand- 
stone and  granite  imported  from  the  Atlantic  States  and  Europe.  The  founda- 
tions of  many  of  the  old  buildings  in  the  city  are  laid  on  imported  bricks.  None 
of  these  materials  are  found  to  be  as  durable  or  as  handsome  as  those  since  obtained 
in  California.  In  this,  as  in  other  mineral  resources,  the  cost  of  labor  and  trans- 
portation has  impeded  development.  It  is  only  under  favorable  conditions  that 
stone  for  building  will  pay  to  ship  to  San  Francisco  from  the  interior  of  the 
State;  while  the  cheapness,  excellence,  and  abundance  of  the  lumber,  and  the 


general  adaptability  of  the  soil  for  the  manufacture  of  bricks,  cause  these  materials 
to  be  used  for  building  almost  everywhere  throughout  the  State.  The  intro- 
duction of  iron  mouldings  for  the  decorative  portions  of  large  structures  prevents 
a  demand  for  stone  for  such  purposes.  The  Bank  of  California  building,  at 
San  Francisco,  is  the  only  structure  of  cut  stone  of  any  magnitude,  outside  of 
the  government  fortifications,  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Under  such  circumstances 
little  attention  is  paid  to  opening  quarries  to  test  the  quality  of  the  stone.  The 
consumption  of  stone  is  confined  to  granite  for  curbing  and  paving  the  streets, 
and  the  basements  and  steps  for  a  few  of  the  more  costly  buildings  at  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

The  following  details  concerning  the  supply  of  building  materials  will  show 
how  varied  and  valuable  they  are  in  California: 

GRANITE. — Quarries  of  this  rock  are  in  nearly  every  county,  including  portions 
of  the  foot-hills  or  sierras.  But  as  none  of  them  are  convenient  to  railroads  or 
rivers,  except  the  following,  only  these  will  be  referred  to : 

The  oldest  and  best  known  Is  located  near  Folsom,  Placer  county  ;  another 
quarry  worked  to  some  extent  exists  at  Natoma,  in  the  canon  of  the  American 
river,  a  few  miles  from  the  first;  another  at  Eocklin,  22  miles  from  Sacramento; 
and  a  fourth  at  Penryn,  28  miles  from  that  city.  The  last  two  are  on  the  line 
of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad. 

There  is  a  marked  difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  rock  from  these  several 
quarries.  That  from  Folsom  is  hard  and  dark,  containing  feathery  crystals  of 
black  hornblende  in  patches,  on  a  dark  bluish-gray  ground  of  quartz  and  feldspar. 
Very  little  mica  exists  in  any  of  the  California  granite.  That  from  Natoma  is 
as  dark  as  that  from  Folsom,  but  the  components  being  more  evenly  distributed 
gives  it  a  lighter  appearance.  The  stone-cutters  consider  this  the  best  rock  far 
smooth  blocks.  It  has  a  clean  and  fresh  appearance,  never  changing  color.  The 
granite  from  Rocklin  is  of  a  nearly  snowy  whiteness,  remarkably  fine  grained, 
and  free  from  stains  and  blotches,  and  is  susceptible  of  a  fine  finish.  The  upper 
portion  of  the  State  capitol  at  Sacramento  is  being  built  of  this  stone.  The 
mouldings  and  other  architectural  ornaments  are  cut  with  sharpness  and  elegance. 
The  lower  portion  of  the  structure  is  built  of  the  Folsom  stone,  which  has  a  dark 
and  dingy  appearance  in  comparison  with  the  lighter  and  marble-like  stone  above. 


248  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

The  fortifications  in  course  of  construction  near  San  Francisco  are  being  built 
of  Penryn  granite,  which  is  somewhat  darker  than  that  from  Rocklin,  but  lighter 
than  the  others  described  above.  The  basements  of  nearly  all  the  large  stores 
and  warehouses  in  San  Francisco  are  built  of  Folsom  rock.  The  quarries  at 
Rocklin  are  very  extensive.  It  is  possible  to  break  off  blocks  of  large  dimen- 
sions— masses  100  feet  long  by  100  feet  deep,  and  10  feet  thick,  have  been 
quarried  out  and  afterwards  split  into  smaller  blocks,  of  any  required  thickness, 
across  the  grain,  by  means  of  gads  and  sledges.  The  rock  splits  evenly.  There  is 
a  body  of  this  rock  several  miles  in  length  and  breadth  and  of  unknown  depth. 

In  Sari  Francisco  are  10  stone-yards,  at  which  about  350  men  are  employed 
dressing  and  trimming  granite  for  building  and  paving1  purposes.  These  yards 
use  about  400  tons  of  stone  per  month.  The  curbs  and  crossings  of  the  principal 
streets  are  made  of  this  rock.  There  are  20  miles  of  such  curbing  and  cross- 
walks. The  Central  Pacific  railroad  carries  about  5,000  tons  of  granite  from 
Rocklin  and  Penryn  to  Sacramento,  the  greater  portion  of  which  is  brought 
to  San  Francisco  by  schooners.  About  1,000  tons  per  month  are  brought  from 
the  quarries  at  Folsom  and  Natoma. 

The  price  of  granite  at  San  Francisco  is  $1  50  per  cubic  foot,  or  $21  per  ton 
in  blocks  delivered  at  the  wharf.  The  cost  of  trimming  it  is  high;  stone-cutters 
being  paid  $4  per  day  in  gold  for  nine  hours  work. 

SANDSTONES,  &c. — Brown  stone  of  good  quality  for  building  purposes  is 
quarried  near  Hayward's,  Alameda  county.  Some  of  this  stone  is  used  in  the 
city  cemeteries  as  bases  for  monuments  and  for  building  vaults.  Its  sombre 
appearance  is  considered  an  advantage. 

Greenish-gray  sandstone  is  obtained  from  Angel  island,  in  the  Bay  of  San 
Francisco.  "Of  this  beautiful  stone  the  new  building  of  the  Bank  of  California 
has  been  built.  The  scroll-work  and  sculpture  on  the  front  are  fine  and  smooth 
in  outline  as  if  cut  in  marble,  while  the  color  is  soft  and  pleasant  to  the  eye. 
Each  pillar,  lintel,  and  post  of  the  doors  and  windows  is  formed  of  a  single  block, 
some  of  them  10  feet  in  length.  The  wheels  used  in  the  linseed  oil  factory  at 
Steamboat  Point  are  also  made  of  Angel  Island  stone.  These  wheels  are  seven 
feet  in  diameter  and  18  inches  thick,  each  weighing  five  tons. 

In  several  of  the  interior  counties  are  deposits  of  a  variety  of  trachytes,  form- 
ing portions  of  table  mountain,  which  make  good  materials  for  buildings.  It 
is  generally  of  a  pinkish  or  gray  color,  fine  in  grain,  and  when  first  taken  from 
the  quarry  is  sufficiently  soft  to  be  trimmed  with  a  common  hatchet,  but  a  few 
months'  exposure  to  the  air  renders  it  quite  hard.  A  valuable  deposit  is  found 
near  Mokelumne  Hill,  Calaveras  county.  Wells  &  Fargo's  office,  several  hotels, 
and  other  buildings  in  that  town  are  made  of  it.  Some  of  these  buildings  are 
14  years  old,  and  the  stones  in  them  retain  the  marks  and  edges  as  when  first 
made, 

A  quarry  of  freestone,  of  a  pale  drab  color  and  fine  texture,  is  found  near 
Marsh's  creek,  six  miles  from  the  Mount  Diablo  coal  mines. 

Near  the  Merced  river,  in  Mariposa  county,  on  the  road  between  Bear  Valley 
and  Stockton,  there  are  beds  of  freestone  well  adapted  to  building  purposes. 
The  stone  is  of  a  pleasant  pinkish  tint,  with  wavy  linos  of  brown  and  purple, 
and  is  compact  and  stands  exposure  well.  With  cheap  transportation  it  would 
become  a  favorite  for  many  purposes,  as  it  can  be  cut  cheaper  than  granite,  and 
is  .better  adapted  to  building  than  marble,  and  is  more  elegant  and  durable  than 
brick. 

BRICKS. — The  manufacture  of  bricks  is  carried  on  extensively  in  nearly  every 
county  in  the  State.  The  tough  clay  of  the  Sacramento  valley  probably  makes 
the  best.  Some  of  the  earth  used  in  one  or  two  localities  along  the  coast  Li 
early  times,  contained  a  per  centum  of  soda  and  potash.  Such  bricks  are  ill- 
suited  for  a  climate  as  humid  as  that  of  San  Francisco.  The  moisture  causes 
the  alkali  to  exude,  injuring  the  paint  or  plaster  with  which  the  bricks  are  covered. 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  249 

The  consumption  of  bricks  at  San  Francisco  amounts  to  about  100,000,000 
annually.  The  average  price  is  $12  per  1,000.  About  20,000,000  are  used 
annually  in  the  interior  of  the  State,  at  an  average  cost  of  $16  per  1,000.  Until 
recently  the  bricks  made  were  the  product  of  hand  labor.  A  brick-makino- 
machine  was  introduced  in  July,  1867.  The  increase  of  building  consumes  afl 
that  arc  made.  The  city  corporation  uses  many  millions  annually  in  the  con- 
struction of  sewers,  of  which  there  are  10  miles  within  the  city  limits. 

ROOFING  SLATES. — Not  with  standing  the  abundance  of  slate  on  this  coast, 
but  little  of  it  lit  for  roofing  purposes  has  thus  far  been  found.  The  use  of 
shingles,  asphaltum,  and  tin  for  roofing,  which  are  so  much  cheaper  and  lighter 
than  slate,  is  almost  general,  so  that  but  little  inducement  is  held  out  to  furnish 
shite.  In  1865  a  company  was  organized  in  Amador  county  for  the  purpose  of 
working  a  slate  quarry  found  in  that  county.  Experienced'Welsh  slaters  were 
interested  in  the  enterprise.  They  say  the  Amador  slate  is  quite  equal  to  any 
found  in  Wales.  The  causes  above  stated,  together  with  the  cost  of  labor  and 
transportation,  rendered  the  enterprise  unprofitable,  and  it  was  abandoned.  No 
doubt  a  proper  search  would  result  in  the  discovery  of  an  abundant  supply  of  roof- 
ing slates  on  this  coast. 

STEATITE,  OR  SOAPSTONE,  though  not  strictly  a  building  material,  is  classed 
under  this  head  because  it  is  valuable  in  various  departments  of  arts  and  man- 
ufactures. There  are  localities  in  all  the  States  and  Territories  on  this  coast, 
except  Arizona,  where  this  mineral  is  known  to  exist  in  great  abundance,  but 
its  consumption  is  limited  at  present.  Only  one  or  two  deposits  are  found  pro- 
fitable to  work,  and  these  only  to  an  inconsiderable  extent.  There  is  but  one 
establishment  on  the  coast  for  the  manufacture  of  articles  from  soapstone.  This 
is  at  San  Francisco,  where  it  was  commenced  in  1866.  As  marble  can  bo  obtained 
cheaper  than  this  stone,  its  use  is  confined  to  blocks  for  lining  furnaces,  slabs 
for  the  chemical  work  s,  linings  for  stoves,  beds  for  ovens,  &c.  Its  peculiar  property 
of  standing  a  high  temperature,  and  retaining  the  heat  a  long  time,  makes  it  val- 
uable for  such  purposes.  About  200  tons  are  used  at  San  Francisco  annually ; 
part  of  it  in  the  form  of  powder  by  soap-makers,  chemists,  boot-makers,  and  others. 
Twenty  tons  of  this  powder  are  sold  annually  at  S3  per  100  pounds.  The  price 
of  the  stone,  in  blocks,  is  $4  80  per  cubic  foot,  or  $40  per  ton.  In  slabs  of  one 
inch  thick,  75  cents  per  superficial  foot. 

Most  of  that  used  at  San  Francisco  is  brought  from  near  Placerville,  El  Dorado 
county,  where  the  company  owning  the  factory  have  a  claim  containing  3,000 
feet  in  length  on  a  bed  of  this  material  363  feet  wide,  and  there  are  "extensions" 
on  the  same  "  lead"  for  miles  on  both  sides  of  the  original  claim.  Other  quarries 
are  worked  to  some  extent — one  near  Sonora,  Tuolumne  county;  another  on 
Santa  Catalina  island,  off  the  southern  coast,  near  Santa  Barbara;  another  on 
the  south  of  the  San  Jose  valley,  near  the  city  of  San  Jose,  in  Santa  Clara 
county  j  another  at  Oopperopolis,  in  Calaveras  county,  &c. 

The  cost  of  transportation  from  Placerville  amounts  to  $12  per  ton  for  freight 
alone,  divided  as  follows :  For  hauling  by  team  from  quarry  to  railroad,  nino 
and  a  half  miles,  $6  per  ton;  by  railroad  to  Sacramento,  40  miles,  $4  per  ton; 
to  San  Francisco  by  steamer,  $2  per  ton. 

The  California  steatite  is  superior  to  that  obtained  in  the  Atlantic  States  or 
Europe  for  many  important  purposes.  It  contains  neither  mica  nor  iron.  The 
Golden  City  Chemical  Works,  an  extensive  establishment,  uses  steatite  to  lino  the 
reiorts  for  distillation  of  nitric  and  sulphuric  acids.  When  commencing  opera- 
tions this  company  imported  steatite  from  New  York,  which,  owing  to  its  con- 
taining mica  and  iron,  was  soon  destroyed  by  the  fumes  of  the  acids.  Induced 
to  try  "some  of  the  California  stone,  it  was  found  to  last  for  a  long  time,  the  acids 
having  but  little  effect  on  it. 

Don  Abel  Stearns  states  that  when  he  came  to  California,  in  1825,  the  com- 
mon people  cooked  their  food  in  vessels  made  of  this  stone,  which  is  abundant 


250  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

in  all  the  southern  counties,  and  almost  as  soft  as  wood.  These  "crocks"  were 
made  of  various  sizes,  usually  about  an  inch  thick  on  the  sides  and  two  inches 
on  the  bottom.  Such  vessels  are  occasionally  found  by  the  surface  miners  in 
various  parts  of  the  State.  Parcels  of  California  steatite  have  been  exported  to 
China,  where  it  is  used  for  various  purposes. 

The  furnaces  at  the  copper-smelting  works  at  Aubrey  City,  Arizona,  are  lined 
with  steatite  taken  from  Santa  Catalina  island. 

CLAYS. — Under  this  heading  will  be  included  materials  used  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  pottery,  glass,  colors,  &c. 

As  already  stated,  reference  can  only  be  made  to  such  products  of  the  earth 
as  are  of  immediate  economical  importance.  Many  minerals  of  interest  and 
prospective  value  must  necessarily  be  passed  without  notice,  and  several  articles 
of  dissimilar  natures  aro  included  under  one  head,  for  the  purpose  of  securing 
conciseness. 

Clay,  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  'fire-bricks,  is  found  beneath  the  coal  in 
the  Mount  Diablo  coal  mines,  in  Contra  Costa  county ;  at  Grass  Valley,  Nevada 
county  ;  near  Colusa,  Colusa  county,  and  at  other  places  in  California,  Nevada, 
and  Oregon. 

Clay  suitable  for  pottery  is  found  near  Marsh's  creek,  six  miles  west  of  the 
Mount  Diablo  coal  mines  ;  also  at  Pratt's  Hill,  near  lone  City,  Amador  county, 
in  the  foot-hills. 

The  manufacture  of  pottery  is  carried  on  to  some  extent  in  all  the  Pacific 
States  and  Territories.  In  California  there  are  factories  of  earthenware  at  San 
Francisco  ;  Antioch,  Contra  Costa  county ;  San  Antonio,  Alameda  county ;  Mon- 
terey, Sacramento,  San  Jose,  Santa  Clara  county,  and  at  several  other  places. 
In  Nevada  there  is  a  pottery  near  Virginia  City,  at  which  brownstone  wrare  is 
made  from  clay  obtained  in  the  vicinity.  There  are  several  potteries  in  Oregon. 

The  establishment  at  Antioch  was  commenced  in  1867.  Various  kinds 
of  earthenware,  both  coarse  and  fine,  are  made  here.  It  gives  employment  to 
about  a  dozen  moulders  and  throwers,  and  a  number  of  laborers.  The  potters 
work  by  contract,  earning  from  $3  to  $7  per  day,  according  to  their  industry  and 
the  description  of  wares  made. 

The  cosmopolitan  character  of  the  population  of  California  is  singularly  illus- 
trated by  the  articles  made  at  this  pottery.  The  French,  German,  Mexican, 
Russian,  Chinese,  and  other  nationalities  represented  here,  each  require  differ- 
ently-shaped crocks  and  pots  in  their  culinary  and  other  domestic  arrangements. 
The  storehouse  of  the  pottery,  in  which  a  stock  of  these  goods  is  kept,  presents 
a  curious  medley  of  oddly-shaped  articles  made  from  designs  to  suit  the  tastes 
of  all  classes  of  customers. 

Some  of  the  moulded  teapots,  jugs,  and  water-pitchers,  made  in  imitation  of 
French  and  English  ware,  are  very  handsome,  and  exhibit  the  excellence  of  the 
material  used  as  well  as  the  skill  of  the  workmen.  Fancy  articles  of  many 
kinds,  cornices  and  mouldings,  crucibles,  muffles,  fire-bricks,  and  tiles,  drainage 
pipes,  and  a  variety  of  other  articles  used  by  the  local  manufactories,  are  made 
here. 

The  clay  is  obtained  from  the  deposit  which  underlies  the  coal  at  Mount  Diablo. 

The  pottery  at  San  Francisco  is  located  at  the  Mission.  Stoneware  and  utensils 
used  by  refiners,  assayers,  metallurgists,  artists,  and  manufacturers  are  made  here. 
The  clay  is  obtained  from  a  deposit  near  Michigan  Bar,  Sacramento  county. 

There  is  a  bed  of  good  fire-clay  near  Grass  Valley,  Nevada  county. 

KAOLIN. — Deposits  of  this  clay  are  found  in  Marin,  Amador,  Tuolumner 
Calaveras,  and  several  other  counties.  It  exists  in  many  places  in  the  coast 
range,  the  foot-hills,  and  the  high  Sierras.  One  of  the  most  noted  of  these 
deposits  is  at  Michigan  Bar,  Sacramento  county.  In  El  Dorado  county  there  is 
a  peculiar  deposit  of  pure  white  clay,  formed  by  the  decomposition  of  the  granite 
in  the  vicinity,  which  is  well  adapted  to  the  manufacture  of  porcelain. 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  25 1 

PIPE  CLAY. — This  material  has  been  found  near  Dutch  Flat,  Placer  county, 
and  at  San  Jose,  Contra  Costa  county ;  also  in  Tuolumne,  Amador,  and  Calaveras 
couuties,  and  at  several  other  localities  in  the  Coast  range  and  foot-hills. 

COLORING  EAIITHS,  &c. — Terra  do  sienna,  umber,  red,  yellow,  and  other 
ochreous  coloring  earths,  are  found  in  abundance  and  purity  in  many  places 
n  the  Coast  range  and  foot-hills  of  California.  Several  deposits  liavo  been 
opened.  The  colors  prepared  from  them  are  varied  and  excellent.  The  limited 
market  for  their  sale,  and  the  importations  from  the  Atlantic  States  and  Europe, 
render  their  manufacture  on  a  large  scale  unprofitable,  though  considerable  quan- 
tities are  used  by  the  local  painters  and  others. 

The  most  noted  of  these  ochreous  deposits  was  discovered  in  1860,  near  the 
;own  of  Martinez,  Contra  Costa  county.  Six  well-defined  beds  of  ochre  have 
Deen  found  in  this  locality,  which  range  from  10  to  20  feet  thick,  and  extend 
from  El  Humbre  creek  to  San  Pablo  bay,  a  distance  of  six  miles.  In  1862 
a  company  was  organized  to  make  colors  from  these  materials.  A  factory,  with 
a  20-horse  power  steam  engine,  for  grinding  the  colors,  was  erected,  and  about  100 
;ons,  of  as  many  as  84  tints,  from  white  to  black,  embracing  a  pale  buff  and 
>right  verrnillion,  were  prepared.  But  the  causes  above  mentioned  rendered  the 
enterprise  unprofitable,  and  it  was  abandoned  within  a  year  of  its  commencement. 
Some  of  the  colors  made  are  as  bright  to-day  as  when  first  prepared. 

In  1866  a  deposit  of  terra  de  sienna  was  found  on  Gold  gulch,  about  six  miles 
i'orn  San  Lorenzo,  Santa  Clara  county.  Yellow  ochre  is  found  in  the  same 
.ocality. 

There  are  bodies  of  coloring  earth,  red,  purple,  and  white,  about  five  miles 
west  of  lone  City,  Amador  county,  which  form  a  portion  of  what  is  known  as 
Pratt's  Hill,  a  promontory  extending  some  distance  into  the  Sacramento  valley 
:rom  the  foot-hills. 

Beds  of  sienna  and  nmber  exist  in  the  mountains  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Jose, 
Santa  Clara  count}-.  Fuller's  earth  is  found  in  the  same  locality. 

Red  ochre  is  found  on  Red  Rock,  in  the  harbor  of  San  Francisco,  and  at  other 
places  along  the  coast. 

The  above  localities  are  named  because  the  materials  found  in  them  have  been 
usx)d  and  are  known  to  be  valuable.  But  there  are  many  localities  where  color- 
ing earths,  clays,  &c.,  are  known  to  exist,  which  are  omitted  because  they  have 
not  been  developed. 

SANDS. — Since  the  introduction  of  the  manufacture  of  glass  at  San  Francisco, 
the  quality  of  the  sand  along  the  coast  has  been  tested  in  order  to  obtain  a  sup- 
ply of  such  as  is  best  adapted  to  this  business.  Much  of  the  sand  obtained  along 
Jie  shores  of  the  harbor  of  San  Francisco  contains  too  much  iron  to  bo  used  in 
making  glass.  Near  the  harbor  of  Monterey  there  is  an  exhaustless  supply,  free 
From  impurities.  The  sand  used  by  the  glass  factories  is  imported  chiefly  from 
this  place.  A  small  quantity  is  obtained  along  the  bay  shore  in  Alameda  county, 
near  Oakland.  Eight  miles  north  of  Santa  Cruz  there  is  a  hill  of  white  sand 
well  adapted  to  glass-making,  being  free  from  iron  and  manganese. 

The  sand  dunes,  which  form  a  peculiar  feature  in  the  scenery  at  some  points 
in  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  do  not  contain  materials  suitable  for  glass-making. 
The  pinky  hue  of  these  dunes  is  imparted  by  the  grains  of  iron  they  contain. 
They  are  riot  without  value  nevertheless.  Parties  owning  them  make  as  large 
a  revenue  from  their  product  as  is  derived  from  equal  quantities  of  fertile  soil. 
This  sand  is  adapted  to  building  purposes,  for  which  it  is  used.  Small  vessels 
are  employed  in  carrying  it  to^Napa  and  other  counties  where  suitable  sand 
is  scarce.  Such  vessels  are  charged  85  per  cargo.  It  sells  at  $1  50  per  ton  to 
brickmakers  and  builders  in  the  interior. 

Tli<;  consumption  of  sand  for  glaFS-making  is  considerable.  Two  glass  works 
at  ,S,MU  Francisco  make  $250,000  of  glassware  annually,  giving  employment  to 
about  150  men  and  boys.  These  works  make  nearly  all  the  wine  bottles,  carboys, 


252  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

demijohns,  pickle,  spice,  and  sauce  bottles,  &c.,  used  in  California.  They  also 
make  lamp  chimneys,  vials,  and  chemical  glasses.  The  Pacific  Glass  Works 
was  established  in  1860,  and  has  been  enlarged  during  1867.  It  recently  made 
12  retorts  of  white  glass  for  one  of  the  local  chemical  works,  each  of  which  holds 
20  gallons;  and  24  others  of  16  gallons  each,  for  another  chemical  establish- 
ment. These  operations  show  the  capacity  of  the  glass  works,  as  well  as  the 
extent  of  the  chemical  preparations  made  in  San  Francisco.  Glass  for  the  light- 
houses in  this  district  was  ihade  at  one  of  these  factories.  Preparations  are  nearly 
complete  for  manufacturing  window  and  plate-glass. 

PLUMBAGO,  OR  BLACKLEAD. — This  mineral  is  found  in  several  localities  in 
California  and  Nevada.  The  largest  deposit  exists  near  Sonora,  Tuolumne  county. 

As  the  exports  from  that  place  have  recently  assumed  some  commercial  import- 
ance, a  description  of  the  principal  mine  there,  and  of  the  processes  used  to  pre- 
pare the  lead  for  market,  may  be  interesting. 

THE  EUREKA  PLUMBAGO  MINE  was  discovered  by  its  present  owners  in 
1853,  while  they  were  working  a  placer  mine  in  the  vicinity.  Its  value  was 
not  ascertained,  however,  till  1865,  when  a  process  was  discovered  by  which  the 
earthy  matter  with  which  the  mineral  is  contaminated  near  the  surface  could  be 
separated.  Since  that  discovery,  several  hundred  tons  of  plumbago  have  been 
collected,  nearly  all  of  which  has  been  exported  to  England,  France,  and  Ger- 
many, the  demand  being  very  limited  in  California,  The  returns  from  the  shipments 
to  Europe  have  been  satisfactory.  The  work  of  development  has  since  been 
carried  on  successfully.  The  exports  to  Liverpool  amounted  to  300  tons  between 
July  and  September,  1867,  the  estimated  value  of  which  is  $100  per  ton.  There 
is  some  plumbago  at  present  in  course  of  shipment.  The  total  quantity  sent 
from  the  mine  up  to  1st  of  September,  1867,  was  about  500  tons. 

THE  MINE. — The  lode  or  vein  from  which  this  mineral  is  obtained  extends 
about  4,000  feet  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  conformable  to  the  general  stratifica- 
tion of  the  country,  and  ranges  from  20  to  40  feet  in  width.  It  is  considerably 
broken  up  and  mixed  with  the  surrounding  earth  and  rock  to  the  depth  of  30 
feet  from  the  surface.  Below  this  it  appears  to  be  well  defined  between  walls  of 
sandstone  and  claystone.  It  dips  irregularly  to  the  east,  in  some  places  being 
nearly  vertical,  at  others  lying  at  various  angles.  The  northern,  or  under  side, 
rests  on  a  stratum  of  coarse,  pliable,  yellow  sandstone,  which  is  much  broken 
near  the  surface,  but  is  compact  and  solid  at  a  depth  of  30  feet.  The  upper 
side  is  enclosed  in  a  soft  clay  slate,  which  rapidly  disintegrates  upon  exposure  to 
the  atmosphere,  but  is  sharply  defined  and  hard  below.  The  lode  is  frequently 
divided  by  lenticular  masses  of  this  clay  slate,  from  a  few  inches  to  several  feet 
in  thickness,  which  have  their  longer  axis  in  the  same  direction  as  the  lode.  It 
is  also  divided  by  lateral  dikes  of  sandstone,  similar  in  appearance  to  the  under- 
lying wall  rock,  but  harder.  The  whole  formation  abuts  on  the  eroded  carbon- 
iferous limestone,  which  forms  a  peculiar  feature  in  the  geology  and  topography 
of  that  section  of  the  foot-hills  which  embraces  Tuolumne,  Calaveras,  and  Ama- 
dor  counties. 

A  shaft  sunk  on  the  lode  to  the  depth  of  65  feet,  revealed  the  fact  that  the 
mineral  is  purer  and  more  solid  at  that  depth  than  near  the  surface.  At  the 
greatest  depth  reached  it  was  found  to  be  25  feet  wide,  and  much  of  it  sufficiently 
pure  to  be  shipped  without  any  preparation. 

PROCESSES  FOR  CLEANING  THE  ORE. — As  stated  above,  a  great  portion  of  the 
mineral  taken  out  below  the  surface  influences  is  shipped  without  any  prepara- 
tion whatever.  Two  laborers  extract  and  sack  about  two  tons  of  the  pure 
material  daily.  Such  of  it  as  is  contaminated  by  admixture  with  the  wall  rock  or 
the  enclosed  masses  of  clay  slate  is  wheeled  out,  washed,  and  dried  before  ship- 
ment. All  the  operations  in  the  mine  are  carried  on  in  open  cuts ;  everything 
token  out  from  the  surface  downwards  being  washed  that  is  not  pure  enough  to 
ship  without  such  preparation. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  253 

THE  SEPARATING  WORKS. — These  consist  of  reservoirs,  settling  vats,  and 
drying  frames.  Tho  chief  washing  apparatus  consists  of  a  sort  of  arrastra,  or 
puddling  machine,  having  a  bed  20  feet  in  diameter,  with  water-tight  sides  three 
feet  high.  In  the  centre  of  this  vat  is  a  stout  upright  post  with  four  arms  set  at 
right  angles,  to  which  are  attached,  by  chains,  four  wooden  frames  with  oaken 
teeth,  like  roughly  made  harrows.  The  teeth,  or  pegs,  are  only  intended  to  stir 
up  the  materials,  which  readily  separate  in  water.  To  grind  them  would  render 
the  separation  difficult.  A  small  water-wheel  sets  this  apparatus  in  motion,  and 
separates  about  50  tons  daily,  the  average  of  which  produces  30  per  cent,  of  pure 
graphite,  which  is  separated  by  passing  a  small  stream  of  water  through  the 
machine.  Tho  graphite,  being  finer  and  lighter  than  the  sand  and  slate,  is  held  sus- 


box  the  water  containing  the  fine  particles  of  graphite  is  conveyed  by  iron  pipes 
into  large  reservoirs  capable  of  holding  from  3  to  20  days'  production.  After 
remaining  in  these  reservoirs  for  about  24  hours,  the  graphite  subsides  to  the 
bottom  in  the  form  of  a  black  slum,  the  water  above  being  quite  clear ;  this  is 
let  off  by  means  of  suitable  arrangements  for  that  purpose,  till  the  sediment 
is  only  sufficiently  fluid  to  flow,  when  it  is  run  into  a  scries  of  shallow  vats 
arranged  conveniently  around  the  reservoirs.  An  exposure  to  the  sun  for  24 
hours  in  these  vats  is  sufficient  to  dry  it  to  the  consistence  of  tough  clay,  when 
it  is  cut  up  into  irregularly-shaped  blocks  and  placed  on  wooden  staging  for  a 
few  hours  and  becomes  hard  and  dry,  and  is  then  put  up  in  sacks  weighing  about 
300  pounds  each. 

The  capacity  of  the  works  at  present  is  sufficient  to  turn  out  500  tons  per 
month,  but  it  can  bo  indefinitely  extended  to  meet  the  demand.  In  addition  to 
the  puddling  machine  there  are  several  small  separating  apparatuses,  which  are 
worked  by  hand,  producing  about  five  tons  of  blacklead  per  week. 

The  labor  on  the  mine  is  performed  by  Chinamen,  of  whom  there  are  about 
30  employed,  who  are  each  paid  $8  per  week  without  board. 

A  great  waste  of  mato'al  occurs  from  the  want  of  experience  in  working ; 
still  the  mine  is  profitable. 

THE  COSTS  OF  PRODUCTION. — The  owners  estimate  the  costs  for  excavating, 
washing,  drying,  and  bagging  the  pure  material  at  $1  per  ton.  The  sacks  used 
cost  about  $2  for  each  ton.  Freight,  by  teams  to  Stockton,  the  head  of  naviga- 
tion on  the  San  Joaquin  river,  ranges  from  $8  to  $9  per  ton,  (the  distance  is 
about  65  miles;)  from  Stockton  to  San  Francisco,  by  steamer,  $1  50  per  ton; 
by  sailing  vessels,  SI  per  ton  j  from  San  Francisco  to  Liverpool,  whence  all  that 
can  be  prepared  is  sent,  the  freight  is  from  $12  50  to  $14  per  ton,  or  thus: 

Cost  of  preparation  per  ton - «...  $1  00 

Bags,  per  ton 2  00 

Freight  to  Stockton,  per  ton 9  00 

Freight  to  San  Francisco,  per  ton 

Freight  to  Liverpool,  per  ton 14  00 

Commissions,  insurance,  &c.,  per  ton 12  50 

Total  costs 40  00 

Its  market  price  is  about  $100  per  ton. 

OTHER  DEPOSITS  or  GRAPHITE. — Other  bodies  of  this  mineral  are  found  in 
California  and  Nevada,  but  they  are  all  insignificant  in  value  when  compared  to 
that  above  described.  Among  them  is  one  within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Sonora, 
about  a  mile  south  from  the  Eureka  mine.  This  has  been  worked  to  some 
extent  It  is  probably  part  of  the  main  lode.  There  is  another  body  of  it  on 
Jarvis's  ranch,  near  Gold  Springs,  about  four  miles  north  from  the  Eureka,  also 
supposed  to  be  a  portion  of  the  main  lode.  It  has  not  been  examined  sufficiently 


254  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

to  test  its  extent.  Small  deposits  of  this  mineral  are  found  in  Marin,  Plumas, 
and  Sierra  counties. 

A  body  of  metamorphosed  limestone  exists  on  the  border  of  Tomales  bay,  in 
the  Coast  range,  which  contains  graphite  in  thin  scales.  There  is  a  somewhat 
similar  deposit  near  Summit  City,  Alpine  county,  among  the  lofty  peaks  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada. 

Another  body  of  plumbago  is  found  near  Foil  Tejon;  at  the  junction  of  the 
Coast  range  and  Sierra  Nevada. 

The  surveyors  engaged  by  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company  report  the 
existence  of  this  mineral  in  the  Truckee  canon,  Nevada,  also  near  Crystal  peak. 
It  has  also  been  found  in  Storey,  Washoe,  Ormsby,  and  Lander  counties,  in  that 
State,  but  generally  of  an  inferior  quality,  though  but  little  effort  has  been  made 
to  test  the  quality  below  the  surface. 

IMPORTANCE  or  GRAPHITE  IN  THE  ARTS. — Reference  to  some  of  the  pur- 
poses for  which  this  mineral  is  used  in  the  arts  and  manv&ictures  will  exhibit  the 
influence  a  full  supply  of  it  will  have  on  these  important  branches  of  industry. 

The  manufacture  of  blacklead  pencils  gives  employment  to  thousands  of  per- 
sons in  Europe.  Millions  of  these  indispensable  articles  are  annually  imported. 
No  suitable  material  for  their  manufacture  has  heretofore  been  discovered  in  our 
own  dominion. 

Crucibles  made  of  this  material  are  indispensable  for  melting  gold  and  silver, 
because  they  withstand  the  high  temperature  necessary  to  melt  these  metals,  and 
do  not  absorb  the  metal.  It  is  also  used  in  tho  manufacture  of  gunpowder. 
By  coating  the  grains  with  graphite  they  are  not  only  polished,  but  their  explo- 
sive power  is  greatly  increased.  Good  blasting-powder  contains  nearly  one-tenth 
of  its  weight  in  graphite. 

It  is  also  of  importance  in  the  art  of  electrotyping,  being  one  of  the  best  known 
conductors  of  electricity  for  that  purpose. 

It  is  employed  as  an  anti-friction  for  the  bearings  of  heavy  machinery. 

Also,  for  covering  the  moulds  for  iron,  brass,  and  bronze  castings,  imparting 
a  smooth  surface  to  these  metals,  and  for  numerous  other  purposes  not  necessary 
to  particularize. 

So  much  importance  is  attached  to  the  supply  of  this  mineral  in  Europe,  that 
in  I860,  when  a  Mn  Brockedon  invented  a  process  by  which  the  powder  from 
the  European  mines  was  solidified  by  hydraulic  pressure,  he  was  hailed  as  a 
public  benefactor,  and  was  honored  by  special  marks  of  distinction  from  the 
highest  scientific  associations  and  many  of  the  crowned  heads  of  Europe. 

The  plumbago  obtained  in  California  is  so  much  finer  and  purer  than  that 
prepared  in  Europe,  that  a  demand  for  it  has  already  been  created. 

When  it  is  taken  into  consideration  that  the  same,  pressure  (50,000  tons)  used 
to  solidify  the  powder  of  graphite  will  also  solidify  iron  filings,  pulverized 
anthracite,  and  other  impurities,  it  will  be  perceived  that  such  a  process  affords 
a  convenient  means  for  adulteration  ;  while  the  simple  but  effective  process  used 
in  California  leaves  the  graphite  pure.  This  mineral  will  probably  become 
in  time  an  article  of  export. 

SALT. — Next  to  coal,  no  mineral  is  more  necessary  to  the  prosperity  of  a  State 
than  salt.  Of  this  article  the  States  and  Territories  on  the  Pacific  coast  possess 
an  abundance.  But  for  the  high  price  of  capital  and  labor,  and  the  difficulties 
of  transportation,  it  might  be  produced  as  cheaply  here  as  in  other  parts  of  the 
Union. 

The  following  statement  will  convey  an  idea  of  the  number  of  salt  deposits 
on  this  coast  and  the  extent  of  their  development. 

SALT  IN  CALIFORNIA. — The  product  at  present  reaches  about  25,000  tons 
annually,  about  three-fourths  of  which  is  made  in  Alameda  county,  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  where  there  are  works  for  concentrating  and 
evaporating  the  waters  which  cover  the  inarsh  land  in  that  locality.  These  works 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  255 

extend  from  Centreville  to  the  San  Lorenzo  creek,  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles. 
They  are  the  property  of  17  companies  and  some  individuals.  The  aggregate 
capital  invested  is  about  $1,200,000.  One  hundred  laborers  are  employed  in  the 
business  during  the  season.  The  works  are  such  as  are  usually  constructed  for 
obtaining  salt  from  sea  water,  and  do  not  require  special  description.  Till  recently 
the  salt  collected  was  of  an  inferior  quality,  but  experience  has  effected  an 
improvement.  There  are  six  steam  mills  in  San  Francisco,  chiefly  employed  in 
cleaning  and  preparing  it  for  domestic  purposes.  The  capital  invested  in  this 
branch  of  the  business  is  about  $250,000.  These  mills  during  1866  ground  and 
prepared  24,500  tons  of  bay  salt,  which' will  probably  bo  exceeded  during  1867. 

The  works  commenced  in  1860.  The  importation  of  foreign  salt  has  since 
fallen  off.  The  total  imports  for  1866  did  not  exceed  7,000  tons,  about  5,000 
of  which  were  from  Carmen  island,  Gulf  of  California,  and  2,000  from  Liverpool, 
which  consisted  of  a  refined  article  for  table  and  dairy  use.  The  quantity  imported 
from  England  in  1867  is  less  than  in  1866,  in  consequence  of  the  local  salt  makers 
preparing  a  better  article  which  they  sell  at  a  lower  price. 

Salt  works  are  established  in  San  Bernardino  county,  the  products  of  which 
were  formerly  sent  to  the  San  Francisco  market.  But  the  cheapness  of  the  bay 
salt  and  the  costs  of  transportation  from  so  great  a  distance  have  driven  it  out 
of  this  market,  though  it  is  used  in  the  southern  counties. 

In  1867  works  for  collecting  salt  were  erected  near  San  Rafael,  Santa  Clara 
county. 

Saline  springs  and  marshes  exist  in  various  parts  of  the  State,  from  which  salt 
is  obtained ;  but  as  it  is  consumed  in  .the  locality,  no  estimate,  of  the  amount  can 
be  made. 

A  spring  about  14  miles  from  Los  Angeles  yields  a  good  salt,  shipments  of 
which  were  formerly  sent  to  San  Francisco.  Five  hundred  tons  of  it  were  received 
in  1866,  but  for  the  reasons  given  in  the  case  of  San  Bernardino,  it  is  now 
unprofitable  to  transport  it  so  great  a  distance. 

A  deposit  of  salt  is  found  in  the  Tehachepi  valley,  Tulare  county,  from  which 
a  small  quantity  was  obtained  during  the  summer  of  1867. 

Salt  beds  and  saline  springs  are  found  in  the  valley  of  Kern  river,  Tular© 
county,  10  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Cauada  de  las  Uvas.  The  country  for 
miles  is  impregnated  with  salt.  Holes  dug  in  the  ground  during  the  wet  season 
fill  rapidly  with  brine,  which  deposits  a  coating  of  salt  when  dried  during  the 
summer. 

The  consumption  of  salt  has  increased  in  California  during  the  last  four  years, 
owing  to  the  demand  created  by  now  manufactures.  The  cod  fishery  in  the  Ochotsk 

•  sea,  commenced  in  1864,  requires  a  supply  of  the  coarse  article.     The  vessels 
engaged  in  this  fishery  in  1865  cured  587  tons  of  fish ;  in  1866,  960  tons,  and  in 

J1867  will  probably  cure  1,000  tons. 

The  increase  in  pork  and  beef  packing  has  increased  the  consumption  of  salt. 

The  success  of  the  chlorination  process  for  working  auriferous  sulphurets  has 
jalso  increased  the  consumption,  the  chlorine  used  being  generated  from  this  mine- 
Iral.  The  chlorination  works  in  the  vicinity  of  Grass  valley,  Nevada  county, 
(consume  about  1,000  tons  per  annum. 

Farmers  consume  it  as  a  fertilizer,  for  which  it  is  well  adapted  on  light,  gravelly, 
mr  heavy  loamy  soils  intended  for  wheat.  They  also  use  it  in  baling  hay,  &c. 

The  increased  production  of  butter  and  cheese  has  materially  increased  the 
memand  for  refined  salts.  The  returns  of  42  counties  for  1866  show  a  production 
[of  2,250,000  pounds  of  butter.  The  product  of  cheese  in  27  counties  amounted 
Ito  1,601,782  pounds.  The  product  of  both  butter  and  cheese  will  probably  be 

*  bne-half  larger  in  1867  than  in  1866.     These  figures  show  the  importance  of  the 
kilt  trade,  and  the  reasons  for  predicting  its  future  increase. 

SALT  IN  OREGON  is  prepared  from  brine  obtained  from  springs,  of  which  there 
vire  numbers  in  the  Willamette  and  Umpqua  valleys,  and  at  other  places.  Salt 


256  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

works  are  located  in  Douglas  county,  in  the  Umpqua  valley,  which  for  several 
years  past  have  produced  from  700  to  1,000  pounds  of  salt  daily  during  the  sum- 
mer season.  But  the  distance  from  Portland,  the  chief  market,  prevents  the 
owners  from  deriving  any  advantage  from  that  market.  A  cheaper  supply  is 
furnished  from  the  works  erected  in  the  lower  Willamette  valley. 

THE  WILLAMETTE  SALT  WORKS  are  located  about  13  miles  from  Portland, 
half  way  between  that  city  and  St.  Helens,  and  half  a  mile  from  the  banks  of 
the  Willamette  slough.  A  range  of  low  hills  at  this  locality  extend  nearly  east 
and  west  for  about  20  miles,  at  the  base  of  which  are  the  salt  springs.  From 
one  of  them  the  brine  used  by  the  works  is  obtained.  By  means  of  a  single  fur- 
nace this  spring  yielded  from  600  to  700  pounds  of  salt  daily  when  the  works 
were  commenced ;  but  for  several  months  past  it  has  yielded  4,000  pounds  per 
day. 

This  salt  is  pure  and  white.  Samples  of  it  analyzed  by  Professor  W.  P.  Blake 
were  found  to  be  free  from  lime  and  magnesia,  making  it  peculiarly  adapted  for 
use  in  preparing  butter,  fish,  and  meats. 

Mr.  Blake  took  samples  to  the  Paris  exhibition,  where  it  was  admired  for  its 
crystallization,  purity  and  color. 

Springs  in  Jackson  county  produce  about  10,000  pounds  annually  of  a  similar 
quality  of  salt. 

Beds  of  rock  salt  are  reported  to  exist  near  the  base  of  Mount  Jefferson,  in 
the  Cascade  range  of  mountains. 

SALT  IN  NEVADA. — There  is  probably  no  portion  of  the  globe  so  abundantly 
supplied  with  salt  as  the  State  of  Nevada.  Thousands  of  acres  of  its  surface 
are  covered  with  saline  marshes  and  beds  of  salt,  and  there  are  lofty  mountains 
within  her  borders  composed  of  rock  salt  of  the  purest  quality.  A  detailed 
account  of  these  deposits  will  be  found  in  that  part  of  the  report  relating  to  the 
miscellaneous  resources  of  Nevada. 

SALT  IN  ARIZONA,  somewhat  similar  to  that  at  Pahranagat,  has  been  discov- 
ered near  the  Muddy  river,  about  100  miles  from  the  Big  bend  of  the  Colorado. 
This  body  of  rock  salt  is  stated  to  be  nearly  a  mile  wide,  several  miles  in  length, 
and  nearly  400  feet  high. 

SALT  IN  UTAH. — The  Great  Salt  lake,  in  this  Territory,  is  a  prolific  source 
of  this  mineral.  Its  waters  are  more  saline  than  those  of  any  similar  lake  known. 

CARMEN  ISLAND  SALT  is  obtained  from  Carmen  island,  near  the  harbor  of 
Loreto,  Lower  California,  about  1,800  miles  from  San  Francisco.  This  bed  of 
salt  is  three  miles  in  length  by  half  a  mile  wide,  and  is  the  property  of  the  Mexi- 
can government,  who  supply  it  to  vessels  at  a  stipulated  price.  It  has  recently 
been  leased  or  purchased  by  the  Holliday  Steamship  Company.  It  is  similar  in 
quality  and  appearance  to  that  found  at  Sand  Springs,  Nevada.  Like  it  the 
supply  is  perpetual.  Every  excavation  fills  with  a  fresh  deposit  in  a  few  days. 
It  is  also  solid,  and  has  a  pinky  tint  when  taken  out  of  the  pits,  but  soon  crum- 
bles and  whitens.  California  imports  from  3,000  to  5,000  tons  per  annum. 

THE  PRICE  or  SALT  has  greatly  declined  since  the  establishment  of  the  works 
in  Alameda  county.  The  present  prices  are  :  Liverpool,  stored,  $25  to  $27  per 
ton ;  Carmen  island,  $12  to  $16  per  ton ;  Bay,  $8  to  $13  per  ton.  These  prices 
are  an  advance  of  20  per  cent,  on  Carmen  island  and  Bay  during  1866,  the 
falling  off  in  importations  and  increase  in  the  demand  having  enhanced  the  value. 

ASPHALTUM. — This  mineral  is  abundant  in  California,  but  has  not  been  found 
in  any  of  the  other  States  or  Territories  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Though  generally 
admitted  to  be  of  the  same  nature  and  of  the  same  origin  as  petroleum,  and 
usually  found  in  combination  with  that  substance,  it  is  different  in  appearance, 
and  is  applied  to  different  purposes.  As  one  of  the  mineral  products  of  the  coast, 
it  is  classed  under  a  separate  heading. 

The  principal  deposits  of  asphaltum  are  found  in  Santa  Barbara  county.  It 
is  seen  along  the  coast  from  the  Kayamos  river,  the  line  of  San  Luis  Obispo 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  257 

county,  to  tlie  boundary  line  of  Los  Angeles.  In  this  distance  it  assumes  a 
variety  of  forms — hard  as  rock,  soft  us  putiy,  oozing  from  the  cliffs  in  lazy  streams 
like  molten  pitch,  or  flowing  clear  and  liquid  like  oil.  There  are  reasons  for 
believing  that  a  deposit  underlies  the  country  embraced  within  bounds  above 
given,  and  extending  from  Buena  Vista  lake  to  the  sea.  A  spring  of  it  bubbles 
up  in  the  ocean  several  miles  from  the  shore,  opposite  the  northern  end  of  the 
island  of  Santa  Cruz. 

Near  Carpentaria  solid  blocks  of  it  lie  piled  up  on  the  sea  beach,  while  near 
the  Dos  Pueblos  ranch  it  is  found  as  glassy  and  brittle  as  rosin.  Near  the  mis- 
sion of  San  Buenaventura  the  earth  for  many  acres  is  covered  with  it  in  various 
stages  of  hardness.  Deposits  of  a  similar  character  arc  seen  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Santa  Inez  river,  and  in  the  valley  of  the  Kayamos,  to  the  eastward,  "and 
near  Buena  Vista  lake,  to  the  south. 

The  most  accessible  deposit  is  on  the  Galeta  ranch,  about  nine  miles  from 
Santa  Barbara.  The  residents  of  this  part  of  the  coast  have  supplied  themselves 
with  materials  for  roofing  their  houses  and  paving  their  streets  from  this  deposit 
for  the  past  50  years,  and  quantities  are  annually  sent  to  San  Francisco  for  the 
same  and  other  purposes. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  asphaltum  here  covers  300  acres,  and  extends  some 
distance  under  the  sea.  Masses  of  it  are  seen  enclosed  in  the  rocks  which  form 
the  cliffs  along  that  portion  of  the  coast.  In  some  places  it  is  quarried  and  car- 
ried in  boats  to  vessels  anchored  at  a  convenient  distance.  At  others  it  is  gath- 
up  along  the  beach,  when  it  is  loaded,  in  the  following  manner :  The  vessel 
waiting  for  a  cargo  is  anchored  some  300  feet  from  the  shore.  A  hawser  is  fast- 
ened to  the  land ;  on  this  a  large  block  is  riven,  by  means  of  which  a  Hat-bottomed 
boat  is  hauled  to  within  fifty  feet  of  the  shore,  just  far  enough  to  keep  it  out  of 
the  surf  which  breaks  continuously  on  the  open  coast.  The  party  on  shore, 
having  collected  two  or  three  tons, 'pile  it  on  a  cart  with  a  single  pair  of  high 
wheels,  when  three  or  four  yoke  of  oxen,  trained  for  the  purpose,  haul  it  through 
the  surf  to  the  boat,  into  which  it  is  shifted.  It  sometimes  happens  that  the 
cattle  employed  in  this  business  are  completely  submerged  by  the  rolling  bil- 
lows, but  they  appear  used  to  it,  and  stand  patiently  np  to  their  ears  in  the  salt 
water.  The  boat,  when  loaded,  is  drawn  to  the  vessel  by  means  of  the  block 
on  the  hawser.  This  is  a  crude  way  of  performing  such  work,  and  will  soon  be 
abandoned,  as  increase  of  business  has  induced  some  parties  to  construct  a  wharf 
of  sufficient  length  to  enable  vessels  to  come  alongside  to  load. 

There  are  deposits  of  hard  asphaltum  at  points  between  the  rivers  Gaviota  and 
Buenaventura,  a  mile  or  two  from  the  sea  beach ;  also  on  the  ranches  of  Laguna, 
Todos  Santos,  Los  Alamos,  and  others,  ranging  from  30  to  50  miles  from  the 
sea ;  but  none  of  these  are  used  as  a  source  of  supply  at  present. 

The  Pacific  Asphaltum  Company  have  a  quarry  oi'  this  mineral  six  miles  from 
Los  Angeles,  from  which  shipments  are  made  to  San  Francisco.     The  asph;: 
is  hard  and  black,  requiring  to  be  blasted  with  powder  to  break  out  sufficient  to 
supply  the  demand.     In  July,  18G7,  it  presented  a  face  30  feet  in  depth  by  75 
feet  in  length,  very  compact  and  of  good  quality. 

Previous  to  1867  most  of  the  asphaltum  used  at  San  Francisco  was  brought 
from  Santa  Barbara  county,  the  rest  from  Los  Angeles.     Recently  considerable 
quantities  have  been  received  from  San  Buenaventura,     The  latter  article  sells 
:  7  per  ton  when  that  from  other  places  is  offering  at  615  per  ton. 

About  2,000  tons  are  annually  used  in  San  Francisco  for  making  sidewalks 
and  root's  of  buildings,  purposes  for  which  it  is  well  adapted  when  properly  pre- 
1.     There  are  a  dn/.en  linns  in  Han  Francisco  engaged  in  this  business.     It 
ailonls  employment  to  about  120  men.     It  was  introduced  as  a  material  for  pave- 
ment in  San  Francisco  in  1855.     At  the  present  time  the  principal  thorough- 
ve  the  sidewalks   laid   with  it,     Sonic  of  if,  after  a  trial  of  10  years, 
-ed  to  a  variable  climate,  is  still  hard  and  smooth.     It  is  also  used  for  other 
17 


258  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

purposes,  and  its  consumption  is  increasing.  The  Spring  Valley  Water  Com- 
pany use  it  for  coating  their  pipes,  lining  their  reservoirs,  &c.,  for  which  it  is 
better  adapted  than  cement  or  paint. 

Many  of  the  springs  on  this  coast  deposit  asphaltum ;  others  exude  petroleum. 
None  of  the  petroleum  springs  or  lagoons  north  of  Cape  Mendocino  produce 
asphaltum.  Some  of  the  springs  in  Santa  Barbara  and  other  southern  counties 
do  not  deposit  asphaltum,  though  in  the  midst  of  those  that  do.  The  petroleum 
spring  on  the  Canada  Larga  is  an  illustration  of  this  latter  class. 

The  deposits  of  asphaltum  in  California  are  sufficient  to  supply  a  very  large 
demand.  The  present  price  (August,  1867)  for  asphaltum  delivered  at  San 
Francisco  is  from  $15  to  $20  per  ton.  At  the  quarries  and  along  the  coast  it 
may  be  had  from  $3  to  $5  per  ton. 

During  the  summer  of  1867  quarries  of  asphaltum  were  opened  near  Alviso, 
10  miles  north  of  San  Jose  and  three  miles  from  Santa  Clara,  in  Santa  Clara 
county.  Both  of  these  points  are  convenient  to  the  line  of  the  San  Francisco 
and  San  Jose  railroad. 

PETROLEUM. — Differences  of  opinion  between  scientific  authorities  respecting 
the  mode  of  occurrence,  quality,  and  quantity  of  petroleum  in  California  have 
impaired  public  confidence  in  this  resource.  Many  persons  have  invested  time 
and  money  in  searching  for  "oil"  in  localities  where  it  does  not  exist,  because 
experts  said  it  would  be  found  there ;  while  others  have  permitted  good  petro- 
leum to  run  to  waste  because  experts  said  it  would  not  yield  oil.  It  is  not 
intended  here  to  take  sides  with  either  the  "oil"  or  "no  oil"  party.  The  dis- 
cussion and  its  results  are  only  referred  to  in  order  to  show  wThy  this  product  has 
not  been  more  extensively  developed. 

Mr.  Gregory  Yale,  in  his  valuable  work  on  Titles  to  Mining  Claims  in  Cali- 
fornia, says: 

According  to  the  results  arrived  at  by  the  State  geological  survey,  there  are  two  questions 
settled  in  regard  to  bituminous  oils  :  first,  that  with  the  facilities  -and  conditions  which  now 
exist,  asphaltum  cannot  be  profitably  used  for  the  manufacture  of  burning  or  lubricating  oil ; 
and,  secondly,  that  no  fluid  oil  exists  on  the  surface  in  sufficient  quantity  to  pay  for  collect- 
ing in  a  large  way. 

Professor  Whitney  says  the  question  resolves  itself  into  this : 

"  It  is  probable  that  flowing  wells  will  be  struck  by  boring,  as  in  the  oil  regions  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  that  these  will  deliver  a  liquid  oil  or  petroleum  in  sufficient  quantities  to  take  up 
the  business  and  carry  it  on  in  a  large  way.  The  question,  then,  whether  the  geological 
structure  and  conditions  in  the  Coast  ranges  south  of  San  Francisco  bay  are  such  as  to  jus- 
tify a  large  expenditure  of  money,  in  the  expectation  of  striking  copiously-flowing  wells  by 
boring  to  a  considerable  depth,  is  discussed  and  answered  in  the  negative  upon  the  following 
geological  facts : 

"The  great  bituminous  slate  formation,  of  tertiary  age,  extends  through  California  from 
Los  Angeles  as  far  north  as  Cape  Mendociuo.  No  doubt  it  contains  bituminous  matter 
enough  to  supply  the  world  for  an  indefinite  period,  could  this  be  made  available  without 
expense.  But  it  will  be  observed  that  the  strata  of  this  formation,  all  through  the  region 
north  of  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  are  turned  up  at  a  high  angle  in  this  respect,  occupying 
a  very  different  position  from  the  oil-producing  beds  in  the  eastern  States.  There  the  strata 
in  which  the  petroleum  is  found  in  abundance,  and  in  which  all  the  wells  which  yield  any 
considerable  quantity  of  this  material  are  sunk,  are  horizontal  or  inclined  at  a  very  moderate 
angle.  Nowhere  is  oil  obtained  in  large  quantity  where  the  stratum  in  which  it  originates  is 
exposed  to  the  air  by  being  turned  up  on  edge,  or  is  only  covered  by  light  and  porous  accu- 
mulations of  detritus.  The  reason  of  this  is  very  evident :  the  oil  is  slowly  elaborated  or 
brought  together  in  a  certain  bed  or  set  of  beds,  and  unless  confined  in  some  way  so  that  it 
cannot  escape,  it  must  be  forced  to  the  surface  by  capillary  attraction,  hydrostatic  pressure, 
or  that  of  ga,s  generated  at  the  same  time,  when  it  escapes  and  is  lost ;  to  allow  it  to  accumu- 
late, there  must  be  an  impervious  covering  of  rock  over  the  oil  stratum  proper,  which  will 
confine  the  fluid  material  within  limits,  and  allow  it  to  accumulate  away  from  the  influence 
of  the  air.  For  this  reason  a  large  flow  of  oil  on  the  surface  cannot  be  considered  as  a  favor- 
able indication  for  boring  wells,  and  much  less  can  heavy  accumulations  of  asphaltum  be  so 
regarded.  If,  then,  flowing  wells  are  struck  in  California,  it  is  more  likely  to  be  in  those 
portions  of  the  region  north  of  the  bay  of  San  Francisco  where  the  bituminous  slates  are  less 
disturbed  and  not  set  upon  edge,  and  where  they  may  perhaps  be  covered  by  formations  of 
later  age,  which  will  act  as  covers  and  receptacles  for  the  elaborated  oil.  In  the  Coast  ranges 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  259 

south  of  the  bay  of  Monterey,  as  the  bituminous  shales  are  everywhere  turned  up  on  edge 
and  have  no  cover  of  impervious  rock,  the  inference  is  unavoidable  that  flowing  wells,  or  at 
least  those  delivering  any  considerable  quantity  of  liquid  petroleum,  cannot  be  expected  to 
be  got  by  boring  to  any  depth  ;  the  probabilities,  at  least,  are  decidedly  against  it.  While, 
therefore,  we  would  not  object  to  a  reasonable  and  prudent  expenditure  of  small  amounts  to 
test  the  question  whether  fluid  oil  can  be  obtained  in  California  in  sufficient  quantity  to  pay 
a  moderate  profit  on  a  bonafide  investment,  we  would  caution  all  against  paying  to  specu- 
lators an  immense  premium  for  the  privilege  of  making  these  experiments  on  lands  which 
they  have  secured  for  a  small  sum,  and  where  there  are  no  better,  if  as  good,  chances  of  suc- 
cess as  on  many  other  tracts  which  have  not  yet  fallen  into  the  hands  of  these  monster  stock 
companies. 

"  Whether  the  asphaltum  of  California  is  derived  from  thickening  or  oxidation,  by  exposure 
to  the  atmosphere  of  exactly  the  same  substance,  chemically  speaking,  as  that  which  is  called 
petroleum  in  Pennsylvania,  is  a  matter  of  chemical  investigation.  In  the  light  of  the  facts 
and  considerations  just  presented  it  does  not  appear  to  be  economically  important  that  it 
should  be  settled  at  once.  How  large  a  portion  of  the  numerous  hydrocarbons  which 
are  originally  contained  in  the  bituminous  slates  of  California  evaporate  on  exposure,  and 
how  many  of  them  become  oxidized  into  asphaltum,  is  a  delicate  subject  for  investigation. 
From  the  well-known  fact  that  there  are  few,  if  any,  deposits  of  asphaltum  or  asphaltic  mate- 
rial existing  on  the  surface  in  the  oil  region  of  Pennsylvania,  although  the  oil  itself  appears 
to  have  been  escaping  at  numerous  points  for  an  indefinite  period  of  time,  it  appears  to  be 
probable,  at  least,  that  the  original  chemical  constitution  of  the  mass  of  bituminous  matter 
in  the  oil-bearing  shales  of  palaeozoic  age  is  different  from  that  material  which  occurs  in  the 
tertiary  rocks  of  California,  and  of  which  at  least  much  the  largest  part  does,  on  exposure, 
become  consolidated  into  a  hard  and  brittle  material,  which  certainly  no  longer  contains 
more  than  a  very  small  percentage  of  light  oil." 

These  conclusions  have  met  with  some  opposition,  which  seems  to  resolve  itself  into  a 
question  of  fact  as  to  the  existence  of  petroleum  in  small  quantities,  which  is  not  denied, 
and  does  not  refute  the  conclusion  that  it  is  useless  to  pursue  an  enterprise  which  will  not 
prove  pecuniarily  profitable. 

That  petroleum  exists  in  California  is  no  longer  a  matter  of  doubt.  It  has 
been  obtained  at  various  places  from  Los  Angeles  to  Humboldt,  and  merchanta- 
ble oil  has  been  made  from  several  localities  within  this  range,  including  San 
Mateo,  "Santa  Clara,  Santa  Barbara,  San  Bernardino,  Colusa,  Lake,  Napa, Tulare, 
Ilnmboldt,  Kern,  and  so  vend  other  counties.  The  quantity  available  will  prob- 
ably be  sufficient  to  supply  the  demand  of  the  coast.  The  quality  undoubtedly 
differs  from  that  prepared  in  the  Atlantic  States;  also  the  means  for  obtaining 
the  crude  material.  Experiments  made  with  oil  from  different  sources  show  that 
it  differs  in  composition  from  the  eastern  oils  in  containing  a  larger  per  centum  of 
carl  »on.  It  burns  with  less  brilliancy  in  ordinary  lamps.  With  lamps  so  arranged 
as  to  give  an  increased  supply  of  oxj^gen  by  creating  a  larger  current  of  air 
through  the  chimney,  it  produces  as  bright  and  white  a  light  as  the  oils  from 
Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  or  Canada. 

The  excess  of  carbon  increases  the  value  of  petroleum  for  fuel,  a  use  for  which  it 
is  now  attracting  attention.  In  a  country  where  fuel  is  dear  an  abundant  supply 
of  petroleum  of  this  character  becomes  an  important  resource. 

THE  COMPOSITION  OF  CALIFORNIA  COAL  OIL. — In  1864,  20  gallons  of  crude 
|  oil  from  the  Buena  Vista  springs,  in  Tulare  county,  were  sent  to  Mr.  C.  Hum- 
Iphrey,  of  the  Chemical  College,  London,  to  be  analyzed.  In  his  report  Mr. 
Humphrey  stated  that  it  contained  a  small  per  cent,  of  illuminating  and  80  per 
cent,  of  lubricating  oil.  "  If  the  materials  sent/'  adds  the  report,  «  were  in  their 
natural  state,  (winch  they  were,)  they  are  a  most  extraordinary  product,  and 
unlike  anything  that  has  been  found  in  the  United  States  or  in  Europe." 

One  hundred  pounds  of  crude  material  analyzed  by  Mr.  Benoist,  a  French 
chemist,  gave  the  following  returns: 

Material  of  the  density  of  72°  Baum6,  or  naphtha • 7i 

Material  of  tin-  .leusity  of  G5°  Baum6,  or  benzine ?i 

Material  of  the  density  of  44°  Baume,  or  illuminating  oil gi 

Material  of  the  density  of  10°  Baum6,  or  lubricating  oil &* 

Asphaltum f 

100 


260  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

In  1866  the  crude  materials  obtained  from  the  Buena  Vista  springs  yielded  50 
per  cent,  lubricating  and  40  per  cent,  illuminating  oil.  When  obtained  from 
the  pits  it  was  of  tlie  specific  density  of  20°  to  25°  Baume. 

A  remarkable  difference  exists  in  the  density  of  this  material  when  obtained 
at  different  depths  from  the  surface.  On  the  surface  it  averages  18°;  at  20 -feet 
below,  22°;  at  30  feet,  26°.  The  residuum  in  the  stills  after  extracting  the  oil 
furnished  fuel  for  future  operations. 

A  sample  of  30  ounces  of  crude  oil  from  Mattole  valley,  Humboldt  county, 
analyzed  by  Professor  Rowlandson,  .a  member  of  the  English  Royal  Geograph- 
ical Society,  gave  the  following  result : 

Ounces. 

Illuminating  oil — '. 23 

Lubricating  oil 4. 25 

Residuum .- ... ^_~. .. 2.75 

30 

Upwards  of  90  per  cent,  of  merchantable  materials. 

There  is  a  marked  difference  in  the  composition  of  the  petroleum  found  in  the 
northern  and  southern  portions  of  California.  Under  the  head  of  asphaltum  it 
has  been  mentioned  that  the  northern  petroleum  deposits  no  asphaltum,  while 
the  latter  mineral  is  abundant  in  the  southern  counties.  So  also  under  the  head 
of  coal,  the  difference  in  the  quality  of  that  mineral  in  the  north  and  south  is 
referred  to.  Without  entering  into  speculations  as  to  the  cause,  the  subject  is 
of  some  interest  to  science.  It  is  generally  conceded  that  there  is  an  affinity 
between  coal  and  petroleum. 

All  the  crude  petroleum  found  in  the  coast  range  south  of  San  Francisco  is 
nearly  identical  in  composition,  though  varying  from  16°  to  30°  Baume,  and 
nearly  all  of  it  deposits  asphaltum. 

That  found  north  of  the  Golden  Gate  is  generally  of  a  higher  specific  gravity ! 
and  deposits  little  or  no  asphaltum. 

There  is  no  paraffine  in  most  of  the  southern  oil,  while  that  from  the  north  is 
prolific  in  this  substance.  The  oil  from  the  south  contains  a  per  centum  of  nitro- 
genous matter  which  is  unusual  in  hydrocarbons. .  Some  of  it,  when  kept  in 
open  vessels  in  a  warm  room  for  a  few  weeks,  generates  a  peculiar  kind  of  worm, 
which  would  be  remarkable  if  this  oil  be  of  a  purely  mineral  character,  as  stated 
by  the  French  chemist  Berthelot. 

Professor  Silliman,  in  an  article  on  this  subject,  read  before  the  California 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  in  April  1867,  stated  the  following  interesting 
particulars  on  the  subject : 

That  he  had  made  the  experiments  with  a  sample  of  surface  oil  obtained  in  Santa  Barbara 
county,  consisting  of  parcels  from  5  to  10  gallons  each,  of  dark,  almost  black  material,  which 
at  ordinary  temperatures  resembled  coal  tar.  Its  density  at  60°  Fahrenheit  was  13-J  Bamne, 
retaining  a  considerable  quantity  of  water  mechanically  entangled,  without  any  odor  of  sul- 
phohydric  acid,  usually  very  decided  in  such  surface  oils.  Distilled  todryuess,  it  produced: 

Oil  having  a  density  of  0. 890  to  0. 900 69.82 

Coke,  water,  and  loss , 30. 18 

100.00 

In  one  trial,  the  product  was  divided  as  follows : 

Oil  of  density  of  29°  BamnS,  at  52° 50.00 

Oil  of  a  density  of  24  Baume',  at58° 17.05 

Coke,  water,  and  loss 32.05 

100. 00 

The  coke  was  large  in  quantity,  strong,  and  would  make  good  fuel,  resembling  gas-house 
coke.  The  odor  of  ammonia  was  strong  towards  the  close  of  distillation. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  261 

The  illuminating  oils  obtained  by  these  experiments,  after  treatment  with  sulphuric  acid 
and  soda  in  the  usual  manner,  acquired  an  agreeable  odor,  a  light  straw  color,  and  burned  us 
well  in  a  lamp  as  good  commercial  oil. 

No  paraffine  could  be  detected  by  refrigerating  the  heavy  oils  in  a  mixture  of  salt  and  ice. 
It  is,  no  doubt,  the  absence  of  this  body  from  the  series  of  products  obtained  from  the  Cali- 
fornia oils  generally,  that  accounts  for  the  illuminating  oil  burning  well  at  a  density  consid- 
erably below  the  commercial  standard  for  oil  obtained  from  Pennsylvania  petroleum— a  dif- 
ference enhanced  also  by  the  absence  of  any  considerable  quantity  of  light  naphtha.  The 
lubricating  oils  of  this  series,  likewise  free  from  paraffine,  retain  on  this  account  their  flu- 
idity at  low  temperatures. 

The  light  oils,  obtained  in  these  experiments  corresponded  respectively  to  12. 96,  14.  56,  and 
18. 96  per  centum  of  the  crude  oil.  The  total  commercial  products  were  about  60  per  cent. 
of  the  crude  body,  which  likewise  yielded  sufficient  coke  to  supply  the  fuel  required  in  the 
distillations. 

The  excess  of  carbon  in  the  heavier  hydro-carbons  of  California  suggests  the  probability 
of  their  having  a  value  in  their  crude  state  as  fuel.  For  this  purpose  they  may  be  employed 
to  give  cohesion  to  coke,  or  fine  coal,  or  any  other  cheap  form  of  carbon,  as  has  already  been 
done  with  coal  tar  in  England. 

THE  MANUFACTURE  or  COAL  OIL  IN  CALIFORNIA. — Small  quantities  of 
coal  oil  have  been  made  in  this  State  for  many  years.  The  materials  in  some 
localities  require  but  little  preparation  for  illuminating  purposes.  Between  1865 
and  1867,  Hay  ward  &  Coleman,  a  firm  in  the  oil  business  in  San  Francisco, 
made  40,000  gallons  of  illuminating  oil  from  springs  of  petroleum  near  Santa 
Barbara ;  but  suspended  operations  in  Jane,  1867,  because  imported  oil  was  sell- 
ing at  54  to  55  cents  per  gallon,  a  price  so  low  as  to  render  the  manufacture 
unprofitable,  owing  to  the  high  price  of  cases  to  contain  it,  transportation,  and 
labor. 

These  gentlemen  have  expended  capital  and  labor  in  efforts  to  render  valuable 
the  California  petroleum.  After  many  experiments  to  test  its  adaptability  for 
fuel,  they  state  that,  although  it  costs  $5  per  barrel  to  bring  it  from  the  springs 
to  San  Francisco,  it  is  cheaper  as  fuel  than  coal  or  wood.  It  saves  expense  of 
hauling  and  splitting,  and  of  feeding  the  furnace ;  it  makes  no  ashes  to  be  carted 
away;  causes  no  waste  in  lighting  or  extinguishing  the  fire;  while  with  wood  or 
coal  there  is  waste  of  time  and  material  in  these  operations.  The  heat  is  under 
control,  and  may  be  easily  regulated.  The  operations  of  this  firm  have  been 
carried  on  for  a  year,  witli  petroleum  as  fuel,  for  distillation  and  driving  their 
engines,  thus  establishing  the  practicability  of  its  use. 

A  number  of  establishments  in  the  southern  counties  also  use  it  for  running 
machinery.  A  gentleman  interested  in  the  oil  business  has  recently  perfected  an 
apparatus  for  burning  it  for  domestic  purposes.  He  has  made  application  for  a 
patent.  This  invention  it  is  said  performs  the  duty  satisfactorily,  burning  the 
crude  material  without  smoke  or  offensive  odor. 

Stanford  Brothers  have  also  expended  capital  and  labor  in  efforts  to  manufac- 
ture oil  from  California  petroleum,  and  have  succeeded  so  far  as  to  make  oil ;  but 
not  with  profit.  Up  to  July,  1867,  this  firm  had  made  100,000  gallons  of  illu- 
minating oil,  and  a  nearly  e^ual  quantity  of  lubricating,  and  have  been  making 
about  20,000  gallons  of  illuminating  per  month,  since.  Their  works  are  still  in 
operation. 

For  reasons  stated,  much  of  this  oil  is  prepared  to  a  standard  density  of  35° 
BauiiH-,  which  causes  it  to  burn  better,  and  exempts  it  from  the  tax  of  20  cents 
PIT  gallon  levied  on  coal  oils  of  36°. 

This  firm  purchase  the  crude  oils  from  several  localities,  but  obtain  their  chief 
supply  from  tunnels  and  pits  near  San  Buenaventura.  The  high  cost  of  vessels 
to  contain  the  (.11  when  made;  of  transportation  and  interest  on  capital,  and  the 
low  prices  ruling  for  the  imported  article,  are  impediments  to  the  successful  devel- 
opment of  tliis  resource. 

It  costs  six  cents  per  gallon  for  second-hand  cans.  New  cans  would  cost  15 
cents  per  gallon.  Each  40-gallon  barrel  of  crude  material  costs  $3,  or  7j  cents 


262  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

per  gallon  for  transportation  from  the  springs  to  the  refining  works.  As  the  crude 
petroleum  only  averages  45  per  cent,  of  marketable  oil,  each  gallon  of  such  oil 
costs  21  cents  without  the  expense  of  refining,  or  the  20  cents  for  tax,  or  any 
allowance  for  commissions,  loss,  interest  on  capital,  or  other  incidental  expenses. 
For  these  reasons  the  interest  is  in  a  depressed  condition.  It  is  unprofitable  to 
make  oil  when  the  imported  article  is  less  than  60  cents  per  gallon. 

The  material  used  by  Stanford  Brothers,  in  addition  to  the  illuminating  oil, 
produces  about  25  per  cent,  of  lubricating  oil,  which  if  it  could  be  sold  at  25  cents 
per  gallon  would  make  the  other  branch  of  the  business  profitable.  But  there 
is  no  market  for  it,  owing  to  a  prejudice  against  its  use.  The  consumption  of 
lubricating  oil  in  California  amounts  to  500,000  gallons  annually,  including  castor 
and  China  nut  oils.  That  of  illuminating  oils  reaches  900,000  gallons  annually. 
Of  course  this  creates  an  important  trade  for  importers. 

The  Buena  Vista  Company  made  about  4,000  gallons  of  illuminating  oil  at  their 
works  near  the  springs,  and  other  companies  made  more  or  less.  Nearly  a  dozen 
companies  had  stills  in  operation  for  a  short  time.  Mr.  Stott  has  made  about  5,000 
gallons  at  San  Francisco.  Mr.  Williams,  of  the  same  place,  has  also  made  about 
the  same  quantity.  Altogether  it  is  safe  to  estimate  the  quantity  of  California 
made  coal  oil  at  175,000  gallons.  The  capacity  of  the  stills  for  making  it  is 
sufficient  to  turn  out  100,000  gallons  per  month. 

The  idea  that  the  manufacture  of  California  petroleum  may  yet  be  made  pro- 
fitable is  not  abandoned.  A  company  wras  organized  at  San  Francisco  as  recently 
as  September,  1867,  with  a  capital  of  $1,250,000,  for  the  purpose  of  working 
petroleum  and  asphaltum  deposits. 

THE  MODE  OF  OCCURRENCE. — The  oils  of  California  do  not  "  occur'7  in  the 
same  manner  as  those  found  in  the  Atlantic  States.  Here  there  are  no  flowing 
wells,  nor  is  it  probable  any  will  be  found.  Some  of  the  wells  sunk  in  the  Mat- 
tele  valley,  Humboldt  county,  reached  the  depth  of  1,166  feet  without  obtaining 
a  flow,  though  sunk  in  a  district  overflowing  with  oil  on  the  surface.  Other 
wells  of  nearly  equal  depth  have  been  sunk  in  other  counties,  through  various 
formations,  with  similar  results. 

Without  entering  into  speculations  as  to  the  cause  of  the  abundance  of  oil 
on  the  surface,  and  its  deficiency  below,  it  is  enough  to  know  that  oil  exists  in 
sufficient  quantity.  There  are  many  natural  wells  or  springs  of  it  in  the  Coast 
range,  some  forming  pools  of  oil 5  others  showing  but  little  more  than  "indica- 
tions" of  that  material.  From  some  of  these  springs  petroleum  fL>ws  in  a  black, 
viscid  stream,  like  tar  j  from  others,  clear,  colorless,  and  comparatively  pure.  In 
exceptional  instances  it  has  been  used  without  preparation  in  common  coal  oil 
lamps.  At  some  places  the  springs  are  widely  separated  ;  at  others,  scores  of 
them  are  found  within  the  space  of  an  acre.  Generally  the  single  springs  pro- 
duce the  most  petroleum.  About  some  are  large  deposits  of  asphaltum,  while 
none  of  this  mineral  is  seen  within  miles  of  others,  though  the  oil  has  been  flow- 
ing for  centuries,  and  its  course  can  be  traced  for  miles  along  the  surface. 

Where  a  record  has  been  kept  the  flow  of  petroleum  has  been  larger  during 
the  night  than  the  day,  and  more  abundant  in  winter  than  summer.  Usually 
where  petroleum  is  found  there  are  salt  springs  and  alkaline  waters. 

Reference  to  the  oil  wells  of  San  Fernando  district,  Los  Angeles  county,  will 
convey  a  general  idea  of  the  oil  formation  in  the  Coast  range. 

This  district  is  situated  30  miles  northwest  from  Los  Angeles.  The  forma- 
tion lies  in  a  range  of  mountains  extending  in  a  course  nearly  cast  and  west. 
The  central  stratum  is  shale,  which  seems  to  contain  the  most  oil,  and  inclines 
north  and  south  at  an  acute  angle,  the  top  being  from  150  to  200  feet  wide,  slightly 
depressed,  and  covered  by  a  stratum  of  sandstone  of  variable  thickness.  This 
shale  is  bounded  by  a  similar  sandstone,  alternating  with  thin  seams  of  limestone 
and  hard  conglomerate.  At  the  base  of  the  mountains  the  formation  is  hard 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  263 

sand  and  limestone,  Loth  containing  marine  fossils  of  a  recent  era.  These  moun- 
tains roach  a  height  of  about  700  i'eet  above  the  local  river  beds,  and  about  4,000 
or  5,000  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

The  oil  stratum  varies  in  width,  being  in  some  places  a  mile  or  more,  as  in 
Rice  canon,  in  others  only  a  few  hundred  feet ;  but  is  continuous  for  many  miles. 
In  the  gulches  and  canons,  where  the  water  has  eroded  the  formation  and  exposed 
the  shale  to  the  action  of  the  atmosphere,  the  oil  is  found  oozing  out.  The  water 
in  the  district  is  unfit  for  use.  Oil  is  also  found  on  the  summit  of  the  mountains, 
which  are  crested  with  shale,  being  carried  through  the  shale  by  capillary  attrac- 
tion. Att  some  places  beds  of  "  brea,"  or  asphaltum,  have  accumulated,  where  the 
oil  has  evaporated.  The  rocks,  forming  beds  of  streams  which  dry  up  during  the 
summer,  are  covered  with  a  complex  alkaline  efflorescence. 

The  manner  of  collecting  the  oil  in  this  district  is  by  sinking  pits  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  natural  springs,  in  which  oil  and  water  collect.  The  oil  is  skimmed  off 
by  hand,  each  pit  of  20  by  20  yielding  about  two  barrels  per  day.  When  col- 
lected it  is  dark  green  in  color,  and  about  as  thick  as  sirup  in  summer,  and  con- 
tains about  80  per  cent,  of  oily  matter,  mechanically  combined  with  20  per  cent. 
of  water,  from  which  it  is  difficult  to  separate  it. 

In  other  places  tunnels  are  run  into  the  mountain.  The  oil  drips  from  the 
slate  when  it  is  cut  through. 

The  Buena  Vista  oil  claim  is  located  on  a  belt  of  bituminous  shale  from  two 
to  three  miles  wide,  and  from  30  to  40  miles  long,  running  parallel  with  the  Coast 
range,  near  Buena  Vista  lake,  Tulare  county.  From  this  formation  petroleum 
exudes  at  a  number  of  places. 

The  oil  obtained  was  the  seepage  of  one  of  these  springs  collected  in  pits  dug 
for  the  purpose.  These  pits  are  generally  20  feet  deep,  five  feet  wide  by  eight 
feet  long,  each  producing  about  300  gallons  of  crude  materials  in  24  hours,  con- 
taining 40  per  cent,  of  light,  and  50  per  cent,  of  lubricating,  or  heavy  oil.  The 
claim  was  worked  from  February,  1864,  till  April,  1867,  when,  owing  to  the  low 
price  of  oil,  it  was  found  unprofitable  to  prepare  it  for  the  San  Francisco  market, 
and  the  local  demand  was  fully  supplied. 

A  notable  difference  exists  in  the  density  of  the  oil  from  this  place  when  obtained 
at  but  slightly  different  depths  from  the  surface,  ranging  from  18°Baumeto  22°- 
at  20  feet,  22°  and  26°  at  30  feet, 

Simi  lar  surface  deposits  are  met  with  in  nearly  all  the  valleys  of  the  Coast  range. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  imperfect  sketch,  that  although  not  occurring  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  earth  oils  of  other  countries,  the  California  oils  are  never- 
theless valuable  for  illuminating  purposes.  The  cost  of  production  is  the  mate- 
rial point  which  must  govern  the  development  of  many  natural  resources  of  this 
State.  It  is  a  question  that  must  be  candidly  met.  So  far  as  petroleum  is  con- 
cerned, it  must  be  acknowledged  the  facts  are  against  us.  But  cheap  labor  and 
increased  facilities  for  transportation  will  naturally  follow  an  increase  of  popula- 
tion. With  capital  and  labor  as  cheap  as  in  New  York  or  Europe,  California 
pet  role  inn  would  be  a  source  of  wealth  to  the  country.  At  present  it  is  an  unpro- 
fitable resource. 

QUICKSILVER. — THE  NEW  ALMADEN  MIXES  wrere  so  fully  described  in  the 
preliminary  report,  that  a  brief  reference  to  their  present  condition  will  be  suffi- 
cient here. 

The  production  of  quicksilver  in  these  mines  has  fallen  off  nearly  one-half 
during  the  present  year  owing  to  various  causes,  the  chief  of  which  is,  the  limited 
demand  for  the  article  as  compared  with  former  years,  and  the  increased  produc- 
ti<  >n  t'r« >i n  oil ier  sources.  A  large  quantity  has  accumulated  in  the  markets  of  the 
world,  estimated  by  some  as  high  at>  100,000 flasks.  The  mines  of  Almaden,  in 
Spain,  have  furnished  a  large  proportion  of  this  supply;  and  the  production  has 
been  considerable-  in  Austria  and  South  America. 


264 


EESOUECBS    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


The  product  of  the  New  Almaden  mines  from  January  to  August,  1867,  inclu- 
sive, lias  been  as  follows  : 


Flasks. 

July 1,931 

August 2,000 


Making. 


17, 063 


Flasks. 

January 2, 270 

February 2,195 

March 2,338 

April 2.160 

May 2,160 

June 2,000 

The  present  condition  of  the  principal  mine  is  poor,  both  in  the  quality  and 
quantity  of  its  ores;  its  future  is  uncertain,  and  any  conjectures  in  regard  to  it 
would  be  valueless. 

THE  NEW  IDKIA  MIKE  yielded  during  the  six  months  ending  June  307 1867, 
as  follows : 


January. 
February. 
March . . . 

April 

May 


Flasks. 
690 
859 
915 

879 
829 


June. 


Flasks. 

852 


Total 5,014 


THE  REDESTGTON  MINE,  of  which  no  description  has  heretofore  been  given, 
(sometimes  called  the  XLCR,  as  named  by  the  original  locators,)  is  situated  at 
Knoxville,  Lake  county,  55  miles  northwest  of  Napa,  from  which  point  the  pro- 
duct is  shipped.  It  was  located  in  March,  1861,  but  the  locators  having  neither 
the  necessary  skill  nor  capital,  leased  the  mine  for  a  term  of  years.  Work  was 
commenced  thereon  in  the  spring  of  1862,  and  energetically  prosecuted,  with 
various  vicissitudes  ever  since,  its  product  up  to  January,  1867,  aggregating  9,009 
flasks  of  76J  pounds  each,  selling  for  a  total  of  $344,594. 

Up  to  January,  1867,  the  ore  was  reduced  in  retorts,  but  at  that  time  there 
was  completed  a  large  and  expensive  furnace  and  condenser,  constructed  of  a 
stone  peculiar  to  the  region,  which  proves  itself  quite  the  equal  of  the  best  English 
fire-brick  in  its  capacity  to  resist  the  action  of  fire.  By  the  aid  of  this  improved 
means  of  reduction,  the  product  has  been  largely  increased,  aggregating  in  the 
nine  months  from  January,  1867,  to  October  1,  1867,  5,145  flasks  of  76^  pounds 
each.  A  second  furnace  of  equal  capacity  with  that  now  used,  and  having  many 
improvements  never  .before  introduced  in  the  construction  of  quicksilver  reducing 
furnaces,  has  just  been  completed,  and  the  product  is  hereafter  expected  not  to 
be  less  than  1,000  flasks  per  month.  The  mine  is  situated  in  a  hill,  and  is  worked 
by  a  tunnel  about  700  feet  long,  not  counting  the  numerous  side  drifts. 

Various  shafts  have  been  sunk  from  these  ^ide  drifts,  and  trouble  being  expe- 
rienced from  water,  an  artesian  bore  of  seven  inches  diameter  was  sunk  on  the 
hillside  before  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel,  to  the  depth  of  250  feet.  In  this  was 
placed  a  pump  of  five  and  a  half  inches  diameter,  and  this,  though  generally 
looked  upon  at  first  as  a  very  doubtful  experiment,  is  found  effectively  and  per- 
manently to  free  the  whole  mine  from  water,  thus  saving  the  great  expense  of  a 
pumping  shaft. 

The  mine  employs  150  men,  has  built  and  maintains  20  miles  of  road,  and 
from  its  isolated  position  is  compelled  to  create  from  its  own  resources  all  the 
facilities  needful  for  carrying  it  on. 

BORAX. — The  production  of  refined  borax  by  the  California  Borax  Company 
for  eight  months,  beginning  January  5  and  ending  September  7,  1867,  was 
481,912  pounds.  The  present  product  averages  about  120  boxes  (112  pounds 
each)  per  week.  The  company  is  about  to  erect  a  machine  to  lixiviate  the  mud 
of  the  lake,  at  a  cost  of  $30,000. 

Mr.  J.  Arthur  Phillips,  a  distinguished  mining  engineer  from  England,  made 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  205 

a  careful  examination  of  the  company's  property  last  year.     The  following  is  an 
extract  from  his  report  on  Borax  lake  : 

The  borax  occurs  in  the  form  of  crystals  of  various  dimensions,  imbedded  in  the  mud  of 
the  bottom,  which  is  found  to  be  most  productive  to  a  depth  of  three  and  a  half  feet,  although 
a  bore-hole,  which  was  sunk  near  the  centre  to  a  depth  of  60  feet,  is  said  to  have  afforded  a 
proportion  of  that  salt  throughout  its  whole  extent. 

The  crystals  thus  occurring  are  most  abundant  near  the  centre  of  the  lake,  and  extend 
over  an  area  equivalent  to  about  one-third  of  its  surface,  but  they  are  also  met  with,  in  smaller 
quantities,  in  the  muddy  deposit  of  the  other  portions  of  the  basin,  some  of  them  being,  in 
the  richest  part  before  alluded  to,  over  a  pound  in  weight,  The  largest  crystals  are  generally 
enclosed  in  a  stiff  blue  clay,  at  a  depth  of  between  three  and  four  feet,  and  a  short  distance 
above  them  is  a  nearly  pure  stratum  of  smaller  ones,  some  two  and  one-half  and  three  inches 
in  thickness,  in  addition  to  which  crystals  of  various  sizes  are  disseminated  throughout  the 
inuddy  deposit  of  which  the  bottom  consists. 

Besides  the  borax  thus  existing  in  a  crystallized  form,  the  mud  itself  is  highly  charged  with 
that  salt,  and,  according  to  an  analysis  of  Professor  Oxland,  when  dried  affords,  in  the  por- 
tions of  the  lake  now  worked,  (including  the  enclosed  crystals,)  17.73  percent.  Another 
analysis  of  an  average  sample,  by  Mr.  Moore,  of  San  Francisco,  yielded  him  18.86  per  cent, 
of  crystallized  borax. 

In  addition  to  this,  the  deposit  at  the  bottom  of  the  other  portions  of  the  basin,  although 
less  productive,  still  contains  a  large  amount  of  borax,  but  no  analyses  of  samples  appear  to 
have  been  made,  except  from  the  portions  of  the  bottom  at  present  worked.  It  has  further 
been  ascertained,  by  making  pits  on  the  lake  shore,  that  clay  containing  a  certain  proportion 
of  borax  exists  in  the  IOAV  ground,  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  water's  edge. 

EXTRACTION  OF  BORAX.— The  borax  at  present  manufactured  is  exclusively  prepared 
from  the  native  crystals  of  crude  salt,  while  the  mud  in  which  they  are  found  is  returned  to 
the  lake  after  the  mechanical  separation  of  the  crystals  by  washing.  The  extraction  of  the 
mud  is  effected  by  the  aid  of  sheet-iron  coffer-dams  and  a  small  dredging  machine,  worked 
by  manual  power,  but  the  latter  has  been  very  recently  put  into  operation.  Until  within  a 
few  weeks  the  only  apparatus  employed  consisted  of  a  raft,  covered  by  a  shingled  roof  which 
has  an  aperture  in  its  centre  about  15  feet  square,  and  above  which  are  hung,  by  suitable 
tackle,  four  iron  coffer-dams,  six  feet  by  six  feet,  and  nine  feet  in  depth.  This  raft  or  barge 
is  moved  in  parallel  lines  across  the  surface  of  the  lake,  and  at  each  station  the  four  dams  are 
sunk  simultaneously  by  their  own  weight  into  the  mud  forming  the  bottom.  When  they 
have  thus  become  well  imbedded  the  water  is  baled  out,  and  the  mud  removed  in  buckets  to 
large  rectangular  washing  vats,  into  which  a  continuous  stream  of  water  is  introduced  from, 
the  lake  by  means  of  Chinese  pumps — the  contents  of  the  cisterns  being  at  the  same  time 
constantly  agitated  by  means  of  rakes.  In  this  way  the  turbid  water  continually  flows  off, 
and  a  certain  amount  of  borax  is  finally  collected  in  the  bottom  of  each  tank,  which  is  sub- 
sequently recrystallizcd ;  but  from  the  density  acquired  by  the  washing  water,  of  which  no 
less  than  70,000  gallons  are  dnily  employed,  it  is  evident  that  less  than  one-half  of  the  borax 
existing  in  the  form  of  crystals  is  thus  obtained,  while  that  which  is  present  in  the  mud  itself 
is  again  returned  to  the  lake. 

The  dredging  machine  recently  introduced  is  a  decided  improvement  on  the  coffer-dams, 
and  may,  by  the  aid  of  some  trifling  modifications,  be  made  a  very  efficient  machine ;  but 
ihc  mud  brought  up  by  it  is  subjected  to  the  washing  process  before  described,  and  a  small 
proportion  only  of  the  borax  is  obtained  for  recrystallization. 

CRYSTALLIZATION. — The  crystals  of  rude  borax  thus  daily  obtained  now  amount  to  about 
3,000  pounds,  and  after  being  carefully  washed  they  are  deposited  in  boiling  water  and  recrys- 
tallized  in  large  lead-lined  vessels,  from  which  the  purified  borax  is  removed  into  boxes 
containing  114  pounds  each,  for  the  purpose  of  being  forwarded  to  San  Francisco. 

The  produce  of  refined  borax  now  daily  obtained  appears  to  vary  from  2,500  to  2,800 
pounds,  which  is  prepared  and  packed  for  the  market,  as  nearly  as  my  data  will  allow  me  to 
calculate,  at  a  cost  of  about  $90  per  ton  of  2,240  pounds. 

CAPABILITIES  OF  PRODUCTION.— It  is  evident  from  the  foregoing  description  that  the 
present  system  of  working  is  t>y  no  means  calculated  to  develop  the  best  results  which  this 
property  is  capable  of  affording,  and  that  in  order  to  do  so  it  will  be  necessary  to  adopt  some 
method  for  the  lixiviation  of  the  mud,  its  removal  from  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  and  the  crys- 
tallization of  the  borax  thus  obtained.  The  total  extent  of  the  muddy  deposit  considerably 
exceeds  three  hundred  acres,  and  if  we  assume  thut,  of  this  area,  only  one  hundred  acres,  or 
that  portion  now  worked  for  borax  crystals,  is  alone  sufficiently  rich  to  pay  the  expenses  of 
treatment,  we  shall  arrive  at  the  following  figures : 

One  hundred  acres  are  equivalent  to  484,000  square  yards,  and  if  the  mud  be  worked  to 
the  depth  of  only  three  and  one-half  feet,  this  represents  about  565,000  cubic  yards  ;  or, 
allowing  a  cubic  yard  to  weigh  a  ton  of  2,240  pounds,  which  is  a  very  low  estimate,  the  total 
weight  of  one  hundred  acres  of  mud,  in  its  wet  state,  will  be  565,000  tons.  If  we  now 
assume  that  the  mud  extracted  from  the  lake  contains  60  per  cent,  of  water,  this  will  cor- 
respond to  2^6,000  tons  of  dry  mud,  containing,  according  to  the  mean  of  the  analyses  of 


266  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Professor  Oxland  and  Mr.  Moore,  18.29  per  cent,  of  borax  ;  but  if,  in  practice,  only  12  per 
cent,  of  borax  be  obtained,  this  will  represent  27,120  tons  of  crystallized  salt. 

The  present  wholesale  price  of  borax  in  Europe  is  $320  per  ton  of  2,240  pounds,  and  con- 
sequently the  total  value  of  the  amount  contained  in  this  portion  of  the  lake  would  be,  on 
the  foregoing  assumption,  delivered  in  the  market,  $8,678,400,  If,  however,  we  estimate  its 
value  in  San  Francisco  at  $275,  it  is  at  the  port  of  shipment  worth  $7,458,000.  The  expend- 
iture, in  plant  and  appliances,  of  a  further  sum  of  $30,000,  would,  by  the  process  proposed 
by  Dr,  Oxland,  allow  of  a  daily  production  of  four  tons  of  borax.  This  could  be  produced 
and  delivered  in  San  Francisco  at  a  cost,  exclusive  of  interest  on  capital  and  depreciation  of 
plant,  of  $70  per  ton;  $1,898,400  for  the  27,100,  and  leaving  a  difference  of  $4,559,600 
between  the  expense  of  production  and  the  market  value. 

The  above  calculations  are  made  in  accordance  with  the  data  furnished  by  the  analyses 
already  quoted  of  the  mud  in  the  central  portions  of  the  basin,  but  exclusive  of  a  considera- 
tion of  the  borax  contained  in  the  deposits  of  other  portions  of  the  lake,  as  well  as  of  the 
6,000  tons  of  this  salt,  indicated  by  analyses,  as  existing  in  solution  in  its  waters. 

A  careful  consideration  of  the  phenomena  attending  the  production  of  borax  also  leads  to 
the  belief  that  its  formation  is  continually  going  on  by  the  decomposition  of  carbonate  of 
soda,  (which  is  abundantly  contained  in  the  waters  of  the  lake, )  by  boracic  acid  emitted 
from  sources  beneath  its  bed,  since  large  quantities  of  carbonic  acid  constantly  escape  from 
the  surface.  Should  this  prove  to  be  the  case,  it  is  probable  that  any  moderate  extraction  ot 
borax  may  be  replaced  by  the  formation  constantly  taking  place. 

The  quantity  of  carbonate  of  soda  contained  in  the  mud  and  water  is  considerably  in  excess 
of  the  amount  of  borax  present,  and  could  be  readily  extracted  from  the  mother  liquors. 
Whether  this  operation  could,  however,  be  profitably  conducted,  with  a  view  to  the  exporta- 
tion of  soda  ash,  is  a  matter  of  considerable  doubt,  but  the  yearly  consumption  of  this  sub- 
stance in  California  being  understood  to  be  about  500  tons,  this  local  demand  could,  at  least, 
be  supplied,  at  a  profit  of  say  2£  cents  per  pound— $25,000  per  annum. 

SULPHUR. — Mr.  Phillips  thus  describes  the  sulphur  bank  belonging  to  this 
company,  and  the  mode  and  cost  of  refining  the  crude  sulphur : 

SULPHUR  BANK. — The  sulphur  bank,  which  presents  the  usual  characteristics  of  such  for- 
mations, is  situated  on  the  shore  of  Clear  lake,  and  covers  an  area  ot  about  40,000  square 
yards.  In  addition  to  sulphur,  small  quantities  of  cinnabar  are  found  in  this  locality. 

The  deposit  has  not,  as  yet,  been  extensively  developed,  but  has  already  afforded  400  tons 
of  refined  sulphur,  of  which  about  three  tons  daily  can,  it  is  stated,  be  readily  sold  in  San 
Francisco  at  $70  per  ton. 

From  the  limited  extent  of  the  explorations  which  have  been  made,  it  would  be  difficult 
to  estimate  the  probable  total  yield  of  sulphur,  but  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  anticipate  that 
the  bank  contains  at  least  from  15,000  to  20,000  tons  of  that  substance. 

In  order  to  make  immediate  returns  of  sulphur,  a  refinery  has  been  recently  erected  for  the 
treatment  of  the  richer  portions  of  the  deposit,  which  frequently  do  not  contain  above  10  per 
cent,  of  impurity ;  but  there  are  also  vast  quantities  of  tufaceous  matters,  containing  from 
5  to  60  per  cent,  of  sulphur,  all  of  which  will  be  ultimately  treated  with  advantage. 

The  cost  of  extracting,  refining,  and  delivering  a  ton  of  sulphur  in  San  Francisco  is  now 
stated  to  be  about  $35. 

The  refinery  consists  of  sundry  iron  retorts  for  the  purposes  of  sublimation,  together  with 
the  necessary  condensers  and  receivers.  It  is  well  laid  out,  and  connected  with  the  sulphur 
bank  by  a  railway  1,300  feet  m  length. 


SECTION  XXI. 

AGRICULTURAL  RESOURCES  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

CALIFORNIA  AS  A  HOME  FOR  EMIGRANTS. 

INQUIRIES   FROM  LOUISIANA— RESPONSE  OF  THE  EMIGRATION  SOCIETY— PUBLIC  LANDS, 
AGRICULTURE,   MANUFACTURES,    ETC. 

NEW  IBERIA,  LOUISIANA,  September  25, 1867. 

SIR  :  Some  six  weeks  or  two  months  ago  I  presumed  to  address  you,  not  directing  the  letter, 
as  is  now  advised,  by  Panama.  I  think  it  more  than  probable,  on  account  of  Indian  disturb- 
ances, it  will  not  reach  its  destination. 

In  that,  the  first  letter,  I  made  many  inquiries  in  regard  to  your  favored  State,  and  if  I 
repeat  them  in  this,  I  trust  you  will  not  esteem  me  troublesome.  There  are  several  families 


WEST   OF    THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  267 

oF  us  desirous  of  escaping  from  the  evils  that  afflict  this  section,  and  try  our  fortunes  in 
States  not  cursed  by  negro  supremacy.  We  lost  nearly  everything  by  the  war,  and  we  wish, 
only  protection  and  health,  that  we  may  try  to  live  and  educate  our  children,  and  where,  if 
we  should  be  so  fortunate  as  to  make  anything,  we  would  be  protected  in  its  enjoyme'nt. 
With  politics  we  are  disgusted,  and  cannot  care  again  to  exercise  the  privilege  of  voting,  but 
heartily  wishing  to  be  governed  by  our  own  race. 

To  the  following  inquiries  we  most  respectfully  ask  answers,  and  should  your  time  be  other- 
wise employed,  we  ask  that  you  hand  this  to  some  one  that  will  honor  us  with  the  solicited 
information : 

1.  Are  the  public  lands  entirely  absorbed  ? 

2.  Can  they  be  entered,  if  public  ? 

3.  Are  there  any  special  laws  regulating  the  entry  ? 

4.  In  what  part  of  the  State  are  these  lands  mostly  situated  1 

5.  What  is  the  price  of  unimproved  lands  not  very  close  to  the  city  ? 

6.  Of  improved  places  ? 

7.  What  are  the  wages  of  laborers  by  day,  or  month,  or  year  ? 

8.  Is  there  a  demand  for  labor  ? 

9.  Is  mining  more  profitable  than  farming,  or  vice  versa  1 

10.  What  section  would  you  advise  poor  people,  desirous  of  making  a  living,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, more,  to  settle  in  ? 

11.  Af  about  what  price  could  work-horses,  milch  cows,  &c.,  be  bought  in  the  rural  dis- 
tricts ? 

12.  Are  goods  of  all  descriptions  very  much  more  costly  than  in  New  York  or  New  Orleans  ? 

13.  Are  there  any  diseases  peculiar  to  the  climate? 

14.  And  any  information  that  you  may  judge  would  be  of  interest  or  service. 

Several  of  us  are  professional  men,  but  we  care  not  for  profession  if  we  can  only  have  a 

white  man's  chance  to  work,  and  thereby  support  and  educate  our  families.     We  would 

arrive  in  your  city  with  but  little  money,  and  it  would  be  well  for  us,  I  suppose,  to  remain 

but  a  short  time,  and  not  be  very  long  in  locating.     At  what  season  would  it  be  best  to  arrive  ? 

Cotton  crop  a  failure  in  this  State ;  corn  and  cane  very  fine.     Yellow  fever  has  been  very 

severe.     Permit  me  again  to  ask  the  favor  of  an  early  and  full  answer  to  the  above  inquiries. 

Yours,  respectfully, 

THOS.  T.  FOLSOM. 
His  Honor  the  MAYOR  of  San  Francisco,  California. 


EEPLT. 

Query.  "  Are  the  public  lands  entirely  absorbed  ?" 

Answer.  No.  There  are  millions  of  acres  yet  in  the  keeping  of  the  federal  government 
officers,  which  can  be  had  for  $1  an  acre  in  gold.  Only  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  great 
thoroughfares,  the  navigable  rivers,  the  fragments  of  railways  yet  constructed,  the  mining 
camps  and  the  like,  has  ever  the  government  surveyor  yet  erected  his  theodolite.  The  whole 
population  of  the  States  of  California,  Oregon,  Nevada,  and  the  Territory  of  Washington,  does 
not  come  to  a  million  of  souls,  and  they  have  more  land  to  live  upon  than  the  entire  German 
family  of  30  nations  and  60,000,000.  There  are  plenty  of  good  spots  where  small  colonies 
of  immigrants  may  squat  upon  and  await  the  coming  (for  years)  of  the  federal  government 
surveyor,  and  when  he  shall  come,  the  $1  an  acre  demanded  by  the  government  will  have 
long  before  been  realized  out  of  the  land. 

In  the  San  Joaquin  valley,  60  miles  back  from  Stockton,  (a  city  of  about  5,000  inhabitants, 
and  one  night's  journey  by  steamer  from.  San  Francisco,)  plenty  of  land  can  be  got  for  $1  in 
gold  per  acre  from  the  government  office  in  Stockton.  This  valley  is  about  100  miles  long, 
a  width  varying  from  10  to  30  miles,  through  which  streams,  navigable  for  flatboats,  flow 
down  to  the  Sacramento  river.  The  soil  is  deep  and  rich,  and  the  bottoms  near  the  water 
are  exceedingly  fertile,  and  able  to  support  abundance  of  kine.  This  valley  would  absorb 
100,000  settlers. 

We  have  received  from  Mr.  Merry,  of  Red  Bluff,  (a  growing  town  of  about  2,000  inhabit- 
ants, at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Sacramento  river,  and  to  be  reached  in  two  days  by 
steamer  from  San  Francisco,  at  an  expense  of  from  $10  to  $12,)  an  elaborate  report  of  the 
agricultural  and  business  facilities  in  that  section.  He  says : 

"  The  slopes  of  the  Sierrw,  hills  and  coast  range,  being  well  watered,  afford  good  pasturage 
for  sheep  and  horned  cattle  during  the  year.  The  arable  land  of  the  country  lying  along  the 
'  bottoms '  of  the  Sacramento  river  and  its  tributaries  bear  grain  crops  of  from  16  to  40  bushels 
of  wheat  to  the  acre.  The  best  lands  in  the  county  (Tehama  county)  are  covered  by  Mexican 
grants,  to  which  patent  titles  from  the  President  of  the  United  States  have  been  obtained. 
These  lands  can  be  purchased  from  present  holders  for  $10  to  $1 5  per  acre.  They  are  adapted 
to  the  growth  of  grain,  potatoes  and  beets.  All  kinds  of  vegetables  and  fruit  grow  in  the 
greatest  luxuriuuce.  Sheep  breeding  pays  well.  The  flocks  in  this  county  number  about 


268  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

100,000  sheep.  The  quality  of  wool  has  a  very  good  name  in  the  San  Francisco  market,  and 
brings  20  cents  a  pound.  Butter  will  pay  well  for  skilful  dairymen,  and  cheese  also. 

"For  swine  there  is  no  better  county  in  the  State.  Over  4,000  head  of  grain-fed  hogs 
have  been  sold  out  of  the  county  during  the  past  year.  A  pork  and  bacon-packing  house  in 
this  place  is  doing  an  extensive  business.  The  establishment  of  a  woollen-mill  here  would 
be  the  best  investment  of  capital  extant.  Lumber  is  cheap,  firewood  plenty,  and  water  power 
abundant,  going  to  waste.  An  iron  foundry  would  pay  well  here.  Money  is  dear,  it  brings 
two  per  cent.,  and  two  and  a  half  per  cent,  per  month.  Farm  laborers  get  $30  per  month 
and  board.  Blacksmiths  and  wagon  makers  do  well.  Some  have  got  rich.  Good  board 
can  be*  got  for  $20  to  $25  a  month.  Cottages  can  be  got  for  from  $8  to  $15  a  month  rent. 
Town  lots  for  building  can  be  entered  at  government  prices.  Common  necessaries  from  the 
farms  are  cheaper  than  in  San  Francisco.  Imported  articles  are  about  30  per  cent,  higher. 
As  to  vine  culture  it  is  the  best  locality  for  that  industry  in  the  State.  Here  is  the  celebrated 
Bosquejo  vineyard,  where  the  '  Gerke  '  wine  is  made,  which  is  a  fair  sample  of  our  vine  lauds. 
Thousands  of  acres  of  equally  good  lands  can  be  had  here  for  $]  25  an  acre." 

The  section  of  country  referred  to  by  Mr.  Merry  would  absorb  and  maintain  100,000  persons. 

In  the  counties  south  of  San  Francisco  —  Monterey,  for  instance  —  two  days'  journey  by 
stage  from  Francisco,  large  tracts  of  the  richest  land,  owned  by  easy-going  people  of  Spanish 
descent,  can  be  purchased  or  rented  upon  very  advantageous  terms  ;  purchased  for  $1  or  $2 
an  acre,  or  rented  on  shares  for  one-forth  of  the  annual  product  of  the  land.  The  chief  and 
greatest  cost  is  the  cost  of  fencing. 

In  many  places  the  old  Spanish  settlers  own  tracts  of  30,000  to  50,000  acres,  unfenced  and 
undivided,  over  which  numberless  flocks  of  sheep  and  cattle  roam  and  breed  and  die,  without 
control  or  much  care  from  the  proprietors,  who  live  in  rude  ease,  and  almost  secluded  from 
the  outside  world.  Their  slumbers  will  soon  be  broken  by  the  hum  of  busy  immigrants,  who 
will  come  crowding  by  sea  and  land  into  their  fruitful  territories.  Further  south,  towards 
Los  Angeles,  the  best  lands  can  be  purchased  from  those  old-fashioned  settlers  for  $1  an 
acre,  or  even  less.  There  is  very  little  timber  to  be  cleared  from  any  of  these  lands, 

To  go  upon  these  lands,  several  families  should  form  themselves  into  villages  or  companies, 
and  go  out  together  on  the  land  ahd  help  each  other.  This  co-operative  system  is  sure  to  make 
immigrants  happy  and  prosperous.  Farming  implements  can  be  got  here  better  and  cheaper 
than  in  England,  or  in  any  of  the  American  cities  of  the  Atlantic.  Farm  horses  can  be  pur- 
chased for  §20  to  $40  apiece  ;  milk  cows,  $20  to  $30  each.  The  expense  of  transporting  one 
person  from  this  city  to  the  government  land  may  be  set  down  at  $20.  Markets  can  be  found 
for  any  quantity  of  grain,  butter,  wool,  and  fruits.  The  vine  is  slow  in  its  returns,  but 
quite  certain  to  pay  at  the  end  of  four  or  five  years,  and  will  yet  be  the  great  occupation 
of  Californians.  The  climate  in  most  parts  of  California  is  moderate  ;  in  winter  there  is 
neither  frost  nor  snow. 

The  population  of  California  is  about  500,000.  About  90,000  of  these  have  votes,  and 
are  entered  on  the  great  register.  Being  an  American  citizen,  and  residing  three  months 
in  one  locality,  gives  the  privilege  of  voting  for  all  public  officers.  The  voting  is  done  in 
one  day,  ~by  ballot,  all  over  the  State,  and  there  is  no  property  qualification  required  in  the 
voter  or  in  the  public  officer.  A  person  born  out  of  the  United  States  must  be  two  years 
resident  in  the  United  States,  have  sworn  fealty  to  the  American  government,  and  have 
registered  his  name  on  the  great  register  before  he  can  vote. 

There  are  about  50,000  Chinese,  and  about  10,000  negroes  in  the  State.  Neither  of  them 
have  any  political  rights  allowed  them.  They  cannot  vote  for  any  public  officer,  nor  is  it 
likely  that  ever  they  will  enjoy  such  privileges.  The  Chinese  are  looked  upon  with  much 
jealousy  by  the  white  race.  Opposition  to  them  has  assumed  an  organized  shape,  and  there 
are  numerous  anti-coolie  clubs  existing  in  our  city,  whose  object  is  to  resist  and  discourage 
the  importation  and  employment  of  Chinese  labor.  About  8.000  Chinamen  are  employed 
on  the  Pacific  railway  works;  about  20,000  are  working  in  and  around  the  mines,  and  the 
remainder  are  scattered  over  the  State  engaged  in  doing  the  lowest  kind  of  work  about  the 
cities  and  towns;  washing,  gardening,  dealing  in  fish  and  vegetables,  &c. 

Question  2.  "Is  there  a  demand  for  labor  ?" 

Answer.  We  are  anxiously  and  carefully  gathering  information  from  every  side,  from 
reliable  sources,  with  the  intention  of  forming  a  small  hand-hook  for  the  intending  immigrant. 
We  are  full  of  the  great  idea  of  inviting  an  extensive  immigration  from  Europe,  and  from  the 
southern  and  eastern  States,  to  the  Pacific  slope,  but  we  shudder  at  the  thought  of  mislead- 
ing any  one.  It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  repeat  that  we  have  room  and  work  for  millions 
of  people  in  our  fields  and  mines,  but  the  great  trouble  is  to  support  people  while  they  are 
finding  the  work  suited  to  their  strength,  their  habits,  and  their  experience.  The  idea  that 
fills  the  minds  of  many  persons  in  making  towards  California  is,  that  they  shall  go  a  gold- 
hunting  in  the  mines,  make  lucky  hits,  and  return  at  some  distant  day  to  their  old  homes  in 
Europe  or  the  Atlantic  States  to  enjoy  their  good  fortunes.  This  idea  has  been  the  unseen 
rock  that  wrecked  many  an  emigrant  to  this  golden  land.  None  should  come  to  the  California 
mines  but  miners. 


On  the  first  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  and  for  several  years  afterwards,  every  ^ki 
of  laborer  went  into  the  mines,  and  many  of  them  did  very  well  ;  but  of  late  years  the  Chinese 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  2G9 

got  in,  and  swarmed  over  the  "  placer  "  or  stream  mines,  and  as  they  work  in  well  organized 
companies,  live  upon  little,  they  are  able  to  scrape  a  living  from  the  oft-washed  sands  in  the 
older  washing1  grounds  of  the  earlier  miners.  The  principal  mining  now  carried  on  in  Cali- 
fornia is  quartz  mining,  which  is  as  like  coal  or  iron  mining  as  possible — penetrating  the 
bowels  of  the  earth  several  hundred  feet — men  working  in  gangs,  in  "watches"  of  eight 
hours  each  shift,  so  that  the  work  never  stops,  night  or  day.  For  this  kind  of  work  miners 
get  §4  a  day.  Their  board  and  lodging  in  the  neighborhood  of  those  quartz  mines  comes 
high,  about  $8  or  $10  a  week,  as  a  general  rule;  two  and  a  half  days'  wages  is  required  to 
pay  for  a  miner's  board  and  lodging  for  a  week.  A  great  deal  of  the  work  on  the  Pacific 
railroad  on  our  side  of  the  Rocky  mountains  is  performed  by  Chinamen,  under  white  over- 
seers. They  get  about  $1  a  day  for  their  labor.  White  men  could  get  that  wages  and  board, 
but  they  won't  work  for  it.  A  dollar  a  day  is  the  lowest  notch  which  the  strong  man's  labor 


The  labor  of  these  sort  brings  $3  'to  $5  a  day  in  all  the  cities  and  in  all  the  towns  of  the 
Pacific  coast.  As  to  clerks  and  light  porters,  and  those  who  are  always  waiting  for  an  easy 
berth  or  something  to  "turn  up,"  there  is  little  encouragement  for  them.  The  cities  are  full 
of  them.  This  sort  of  helpless  people  are  the  production  of  an  erroneous  system  of  education, 
which  has  weaned  the  boy  from  labor,  and  left  the  man  a  helpless,  pitiable  mendicant. 

You  are,  doubtless,  impatient  to  learn,  then,  what  sort  of  people  are  likely  to  do  well  here, 
and  we  answer,  any  sort  who  are  thoroughly  determined  to  work — men  and  women,  young 
and  old. 

The  lowest  wages  for  labor  among  us  is  about  twice  the  wages  of  New  York,  and  four 
times  the  wages  obtained  in  Great  Britain,  Ireland,  or  Germany.  The  price  of  wheaten  flour 
is  about  one-half  what  it  is  in  Liverpool  or  New  York — $8  a  barrel  of  19(5  pounds  just  now. 
Tea,  sugar,  and  coffee  about  the  same  as  in  England  or  New  York.  Clothing  and  house 
rent  about  double  the  English  rates,  and  about  the  same  as  in  New  York.  Ail  the  foregoing 
rates  are  in  gold. 

Question  3.  "  Is  mining  more  profitable  than  farming  ?" 

Answer.  This  question  is  one  still  more  difficult  to  answer.  Farming  has  lately  acquired 
a  fixed  character.  The  fine  qualities  of  wheat  and  flour  which  California  yields — the  vast 
quantities  of  wool,  of  butter,  of  fruit  and  wine,  and  the  high  prices  these  products  realize  in 
New  York  and  Liverpool,  have  latterly  decided  great  numbers  of  our  population  to  go  into 
farming.  One  only  drawback  which  fanning  in  California  will  ever  experience,  and  that 
will  occasionally  arise  from  long  seasons  of  drought. 

The  last  three  years  the  seasons  were  very  well  mixed  with  rains  about  the  time  they  were 
wanted,  and  sunshine  when  wanted  ;  and  our  farmers  have  had  splendid  crops  and  obtained 
high  prices.  About  four  years  ago  there  was  a  long  drought  and  a  cattle  famine  was  expe- 
rienced. Flour  ran  up  to  very  high  rates,  and  there  was  much  suffering  among  the  working 
people.  This  has  passed  away  and  is  forgotten  in  our  present  prosperity,  but  it  is  well  for 
all  immigrants  facing  to  this  country  to  be  made  aware  of  these  things. 

We  have,  in  general,  about  seven  months  of  the  year  when  there  does  not  fall  a  drop  of  rain, 
yet  vegetation  is  nourished  by  copious  dews.  Then  we  have  four  or  five  months  when  it 
pours  down  plenteously,  and  this  rain  it  is  that  brings  us  the  means  to  obtain  the  food  that 
lies  intact  in  the  earth,  and  enables  our  miners  to  wash  the  clay  and  sand  that  contains  the 
gold  dust. 

The  total  produce  of  our  gold  and  silver  mines  may  be  set  at  $50,000,000  to  $60,000,000 
a  year.  Our  farming  and  general  agricultural  products  will  very  soon,  if  they  do  not  now, 
foot  up  to  $50,000,000  worth  a  year.  The  value  of  the  wheat  and  flour  shipped  from  Cali- 
fornia since  last  harvest  comes  up  to  $9,000,000  ;  and  as  fast  as  good  ships  corne  into  the 
harbor  they  are  engaged  to  take  out  wheat  and  flour,  wool,  hides,  &c.  The  general  demand 
for  all  sorts  of  mechanics  in  this  city,  and  throughout  the  State,  was  never  better.  The 
wages,  as  we  have  said,  range:  For  Chinamen,  $1  a  'day;  common  laborers,  $'2  a  day; 
skilled  mechanics  $3  to  $4  a  day — some  of  superior  skill,  $5  a  day;  female  servants,  $15  to 
$•25  a  month,  and  board ;  farm  laborers,  $30  a  month,  and  board.  All  these  prices  are  gold, 
and  all  our  dealings  hero  are  managed  on  a  gold  basis. 

Question  4.   "Are  there  any  diseases  peculiar  to  California?" 

Answer.  The  climate  of  California  is  the  most  healthful  to  be  found  in  the  world.  It  is 
equable  all  the  year  round.  The  thermometer  ranges  from  50°  to  90°  throughout  the  State. 
We  lay  from  32°  to  42°  north  latitude.  We  have  neither  frost  nor  snow,  except  on^the  high 
mountains  of. the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  some  of  the  mountains  in  the  Coast  range.  The  only 
drawback  to  health  is  experienced  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mines,  where  the  water  is  over- 
strongly  impregnated  with  mineral  matter,  which  generates  ague  and  peculiar  fevers  ;  but  in 
the  agricultural  regions  the  people  live  on  from  year  to  year  their  whole  lives  without  expe- 
rimring  a  day's  sU'kr.ess,  and  the  children  multiply  in  numbers  and  develop  in  symmetry 
and  beauty  beyond  those  of  any  race  on  the  face  of  the  globe. 

Next  to  the  employments  under  the  head  of  "ordinary  agriculture"  is  the  rine  culture, 
which  is  peculiar  to  California ;  its  vines  and  wines  are  now  celebrated  all  over  the  world. 


270  RESOURCES    OF   STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

But  a  few  years  ago  it  was  not  supposed  the  vine  would  flourish  anywhere  but  in  the  south- 
ern region  and  Los  Angeles.  Latterly,  experiments  hav6  demonstrated  that  it  will  flourish  • 
in  the  acclivities  around  the  mining  camp  as  well  as  amid  the  sheep-walks  and  pastoral  plains 
and  valleys  ;  that  whether  it  is  pressed  into  wine  or  distilled  into  brandy,  it  will  reward  the 
labor  bestowed  upon  its  cultivation.  The  California  wines  begin  to  make  their  way  in  the 
New  York  market,  and  each  new  year  will  confer  on  their  quality  more  richness  and  more 
reputation. 

The  grape  vines  of  California,  when  five  years  old.  yield  plenteously ;  one  has  only  to  own 
half  dozen  acres,  well  planted  with  vines  of  that  age,  to  realize  a  life-long  indepedence.  In 
a  few  years  from  the  present  lime,  the  wine  and  silk  of  California  will  form  some  of  the  lead- 
ing articles  of  its  export. 

The  fruits  of  California  are  now  so  rich  and  plentiful  that  the  farmers  begin  to  dry,  and 
press,  and  ship  them  to  the  Atlantic  cities,  from  whence,  but  a  very  few  years  ago,  we 
imported  dried  fruits,  flour,  &c. 

The  raising  of  the  silk-worm  has  been  commenced  in  California,  and  has  succeeded.  It 
is  proven  that  the  climate  is  quite  as  favorable  as  that  of  France  or  Italy  for  this  branch  of 
industry.  Arrangements  are  in  progress  to  start  a  silk  factory.  The  success  of  this  experi 
roent  will  lead  to  national  results  by  and  by.  We  shall  soon  come  to  the  raising  of  tobacco, 
beet  root,  and  manufacture  of  beet  and  cane  sugar,  cotton,  flax,  linen,  hemp,  and  hops,  for 
all  of  which  the  soil  and  climate  are  admirably  fitted.  Some  cotton  has  been  raised  in  the 
southern  parts  of  the  State  in  a  desultory  way,  but  the  soil  awaits  the  enterprising  hands  of 
toiling  men  to  bring  about  those  great  results  from  the  vast  and  varied  material  that  sleeps 
neglected  in  the  soil,  and  hovers  over  us  in  the  overhanging  climate. 

We  are  building  small  coasting  schooners  of  50  to  200  tons.  All  those  craft  are  well 
employed  in  carrying  lumber,  coal,  and  the  produce  of  the  fields  into  market,  and  latterly 
groups  of  those  small  craft  have  gone  fishing  for  cod  in  the  North  Pacific  with  great  success. 
The  salmon  and  other  fish  caught  in  our  waters  are  certainly  the  best  in  the  world. 

Our  progress  in  manufacture  is  infantine  and  rude.  Three  or  four  woollen  mills  and  one 
cotton  factory  are  all  that  California  can  boast  of,  but  these  are  doing  well,  and  in  good  time 
others  will  start.  Our  tanneries  are  numerous  in  city  and  country,  and  their  manufactures 
well  liked  and  in  good  demand.  We  should  say  the  business  is  healthy,  with  fair  profits. 
Soap  and  candle  factories  are  experimenting  on  the  native  tallow  and  beeswax  of  the  country 
— this  is  the  land  for  bees  and  honey. 

They  have  begun  one  factory  for  making  boots  and  shoes,  and  so  far  it  is  prosperous, 
employing  two  hundred  hands.  There  is  room  here  for  many  paper  and  flour  mills.  We 
have  two  glass  factories,  on  a  small  scale,  doing  well,  and  any  number  of  iron  foundries,  all 
at  full  work.  There  has  been  a  glove  factory  lately  started,  and  is  doing  well ;  also  a  rude 
pottery-ware  factory.  We  want  half  a  dozen  hat  factories,  in  which  the  hat  from  the  founda- 
tion would  be  made,  trimmed  and  finished.  We  have  plenty  of  printers  and  an  abundance 
of  newspapers.  The  population  of  San  Francisco  is  about  120,000.  We  have  eight  morn 
ing  and  evening  newspapers,  and  12  or  15  weeklies.  We  have  a  score  of  banks,  15  insu- 
rance companies,  any  number  of  hotels,  boarding  houses,  and  public  schools.  About  half 
the  population  are  native-born  Americans  from  the  Atlantic  States  ;  the  other  half  is  divided 
among  the  Germans,  Irish,  French,  Spanish,  Chinese,  and  negroes.  The  Jews  have  two 
synagogues,  the  Roman  Catholics  eight  churches,  and  the  Protestants  a  dozen  or  so.  Take 
them  as  a  whole,  they  are  the  most  hospitable  and  generous  crowd  of  citizens  to  be  found  in 
any  seaport  round  the  whole  earth.  No  man  nor  woman  will  be  suffered  to  want  food  here, 
and  no  industrious  man  nor  woman  need  be  afraid  of  casting  their  destiny  in  the  fertile  grazing 
lands  of  California. 

We  hope  these  few  hints  on  our  new  and  growing  State  will  be  useful.    The  worst  time  for 
travelling  through  our  interior  districts  are  tbe  winter  and  spring  months,  when  the  roads 
are  softened  by  the  rains.     Rains  usually  begin  in  December  and  continue  down  to  April. 
We  remain,  respectfully, 

H.  A.  COBB,  President. 

THOMAS  MOONEY,  rice  President. 

J.  W.  MoKENZIE,  Secretary. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  October  29,  1867. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


271 


Tabular  statement  of  receipts  and  exports  of  agricultural  products  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, California,  from  June,  I860,  to  July,  1867, 


RECEIPTS. 


Year. 

Flour. 

Wheat. 

Barley. 

Oats. 

Wool. 

1861 

barrels. 

J22  809 

WO-lb.  sacks. 
2  164  320 

100-lb.  sacks 
671  414 

100-Z6.  sacks. 

305  208 

Pounds. 
3  721  i)98 

3862 

111  269 

1  451  465 

612  014 

343  80S 

5  990  300 

1863 

149  825 

I  890  77? 

435  945 

172  896 

6  268  480 

1864     

99,  298 

1*843'  840 

623  266 

304  504 

7  435  670 

1865 

61  670 

509  163 

415  914 

25r>  839 

8  8H9  931 

1866 

167  316 

2  138  442 

984  208 

3>2  523 

7  851  629 

1867 

301  449 

5  214  196 

767  938 

326  119 

*7  166  680 

Totals  

1  013  636 

15  212  203. 

4  510  699 

2  030  902 

47  334  683 

To  August  L 


EXPORTS. 


Year. 

Flour. 

Wheat. 

Barley. 

Oats. 

Wool. 

1861  

Barrels. 
197  181 

100-lb.  sacks. 
}  529  924 

100-lb.  sacks. 
339  537 

100-lb.  sacks. 
116  462 

Pounds. 
3  721  993 

1862 

191  652 

851  844 

188  619 

154  587 

5  990  300 

1863 

144  8^2 

1  043  652 

49  809 

39  985 

5  '^68  480 

1864  

152  633 

1,071,292 

40,  260 

91,  082 

5,935  670 

1865  

91  479 

25  360 

13,920 

3,  389 

6,549  931 

3866  

279  554 

1  039  518 

349  991 

113  961 

4  662  J'XJ 

1867 

Hf>  337 

:>  6:>6  194 

142  157 

88  331 

2  104  000 

Totals 

1  452  718 

<>  i<)7  784 

1  124  296 

607  797 

34  232  508 

Countries  to  icliicli  exported  during  the  year  1867. 


Destination. 

Flour. 

Wheat. 

Barley. 

Oats. 

Wool. 

New  York  

/ 

Barrels. 

201,478 

100-lb.  sacks. 
510,784 

100-/6.  sacks. 
27,  625 

WO-lb.  sacks. 

Pounds. 
2,  758,  000 

Great  Britain  .  .... 

38,  921 

3  131,553 

2  797 

83 

China            . 

69  270 

151  124 

1  700 

3  544 

Japiiu 

1  410 

544 

28  579 

2  700 

Hawaiiaii^slands 

4  17L 

366 

1  763 

2  487 

British  Columbia 

1  676 

2  950 

7  788 

565 

Mexico  ..  

3,149 

10 

2  130 

187 

Australia 

1  650 

172  069 

70  892 

1,281 

Rio  do  Janeiro 

22,  669 

40  730 

58  546 

1  2°3 

196 

Totals  

385,  126 

4,  027,  946 

143,  497 

11,043 

2,  758,  000 

| 

RESOURCES  OF  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES 


SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  1867-'68.* 

The  total  population  of  the  city,  August  1,  1867,  is  estimated  at  131,100.  The  estimate 
for  1858  was  83,223,  showing  an  increase  in  eight  years  of  47,877.  The  particulars  of  the 
estimate  for  1867  are  as  follows  : 

White  males  over  21,  names  in  the  present  volume _ 45,000 

White  females  over  18,  estimated 27,000 

White  males  under  21  and  females  under  18,  estimated 40,  000 

White  males,  names  refused,  and  foreigners,  estimated 4, 000 

Chinese,  male  and  female 3, 600 

Colored,  male  and  female 2,500 

Total  permanent  population 122, 100 

To  which  should  be  added  a  large  element  of  our  population  known  as  "floating," 
•which  consists  of:  1st.  Transient  boarders,  <&c.,  at  hotels,  boarding-houses,  &c. 
2d.  Soldiers  at  the  fortifications  in  the  harbor.  3d.  Persons  engaged  in  navi- 
gating the  bay,  who  claim  the  city  as  their  residence.  4th.  A  large  number  of 
persons  who  have  no  permanent  place  of  abode,  together  amounting  to  about . . . 


Total  population f 131,100 


The  school  census  of  July,  1867,  gives  the  number  of  children  under  15  years  at  34,710. 
The  number  of  males  between  15  and  21,  and  females  between  15  and  18,  is  estimated  at 
5,290,  making  the  aggregate  40,000  of  all  ages.  • 

IMPROVEMENTS  OF  THE  YEAR  PAST. — The  number  of  buildings  erected  in  San  Francisco 
during  the  year  ending  June  30,  1867,  is  1,050,  of  which  340  are  of  brick  ;  total  in  the  city 
and  county,  17,368,  of  which  3,857  are  of  brick.  The  estimated  cost  of  the  improvements 
during  the  same  period  is  nearly  $9,000,000.  The  sales  of  real  estate  for  the  first  seven  months 
of  the  present  year  exceed  $1 0,000,000.  The  operations  of  the  department  of  streets  and 
highways,  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1867,  show  an  expenditure  exceeding  $1,000,000. 

The  cost  of  a  number  of  the  principal  new  buildings  is  thus  given :  Bank  of  California, 
$275,000;  Mercantile  Library,  $110,000;  Merchants'  Exchange,  $190,000  ;  Fireman's  Fund 
Insurance,  $45,000 ;  Pacific  Insurance,  $80,000 ;  Merchants'  Mutual  Insurance,  $60,000 ; 
Hibernia  Savings  and  Loan,  $65,000;  Murphy,  Grant  &  Co.'s  four-story  iron-fronted  brick 
block,  $170,000;  enlargement  and  improvements  Lick  House,  $175,000;  Dr.  Scudders 
church,  $64,000;  Trinity  church,  $75,000;  St.  Joseph's,  Catholic,  $18,000;  Tehema  street 
school-house,  $26,000;  almshouse,$60,000;  Oriental  buildings,  $200,000;  additions  to  Occi- 
dental Hotel,  $125,000;  Blauding  &  Pringle's  block,  $70,000;  Ellis's  block,  $65,000;  Bran- 
nan's  new  building,  $60,000;  Savings  Union  building,  $50,000;  Play  ward's  building,  comer 
California  and  LeidesdorfF,  $90,000;  Morrow's  building, ,  California,  near  Montgomery, 
$50,000;  Tucker's  building,  $45,000. 

STREETS  AND  SEWERS. — The  total  expenditure  in  the  department  of  streets  and  highways 
for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1867,  amounts  to  $1,009,883  85,  viz:  For  grading  1,191,257 
cubic  yards,  at  a  cost  of  $327,333 :  paving  166,083  square  feet  cobble-stone  and  236,005  square 
feet  Nicholson,  together,  $117,594;  brick  sewers,  21,203  lineal  feet,  $156,745;  planking, 
2.571,083  feet,  $96,897;  sidewalks,  69,925  front  feet,  $96,154;  cross  walks,  6,296  feet,  and 
curbs,  19,193  feet,  together,  $47,423;  macadamizing,  1,560,119  square  feet,  $117,272;  red- 
wood sewers,  12,137  feet,  $49,578.  The  entire  cost  of  street  work  from  July  1,  1856,  to  June 
30,  1867,  is  $5,439,287.  The  total  length  of  sewers  constructed  from  July  1,  1856,  to  June 
30,  1867,  is  165,583  lineal  feet,  or  nearly  30  miles  of  sewerage.  The  principal  improvements 
have  been  the  grading  of  McAlister  street,  from  Larkin  to  Fillmore ;  Tenth  street,  from  Mar- 
ket to  Howard:  Townsend  street,  between  Third  and  Fourth;  Brannan  street,  between 
Second  and  Third  ;  Fillmore  street,  from  Sacramento  to  Pacific ;  Clay  street,  from  Jones  to 
Leavenworth ;  O'Farrell  street,  from  Larkin  to  Polk  ;  California  street,  from  Polk  to^Frauklin; 
Fulton  street,  from  Buchanan  to  Fillmore ;  Van  Ness  avenue  from  Bush  to  Geary ;  Franklin 
street,  from  Ellis  to  Turk ;  Main  street,  from  Mission  to  Folsom ;  Fourth  street,  between 
Branuan  and  Townsend  ;  Taylor  street,  between  Broadway  and  Vallejo ;  Spear  street,  from 
Harrison  to  Folsom,  and  Bush  street,  from  Larkin  to  Cemetery  avenue. 

WATER  FRONT  IMPROVEMENTS. — The  work  of  constructing  a  seawall  for  the  protection 
of  the  city  front  and  better  accommodation  of  shipping  has  been  commenced  during  the  past 
year.  It  will  be  8,336  feet  in  length  when  completed.  It  is  estimated  to  cost  $2,462,470,  or 
$295  37^  per  linear  foot.  It  is  to  be  constructed  of  solid  granite,  eight  feet  thick  at  base  and 
six  feet  at  top,  resting  on  a  broad  embankment  of  rocks  and  cement. 

The  new  dry  dock,  nearly  completed,  at  Hunter's  Point,  about  four  miles  southeast  from 
Folsom  street  wharf,  is  one  of  the  most  important  enterprises  ever  undertaken  by  private 
citizens.  This  work  was  commenced  in  September,  1866,  and  is  expected  to  be  completed 
by  the  close  of  the  present  year.  The  dimensions  of  the  dock  are  465  feet  long  by  125  feet 

*  Compiled  from  Laugley's  City  Directory.  * 


WEST    OF   THE    EOCKY    MOUNTAINS.  273 

wide  on  tho  surface,  and  400  feet  long  by  80  feet  wide  on  the  bottom,  and  of  sufficient  depth 
to  permit  vessels  drawing  22  feet  of  water  to  float  in  it.  Nearly  the  whole  of  this  great  exca- 
vation lias  been  cut  out  of  solid  rock.  The  materials  extracted  have  been  sufficient  to  cover 
10  50-vara  lots  of  the  adjoining  swamp  land  to  a  depth  to  bring  them  up  to  the  grade  of  the 
city.  The  whole  front  of  the  dock  will  be  covered  with  solid  blocks  of  cut  granite,  13,000 
square  yards  of  which  have  been  brought  from  the  quarries  at  Rocklin,  Sacramento  county, 
for  that  purpose.  Powerful  engines,  pumps,  and  every  necessary  arrangement  for  rendering 
the  works  complete  have  been  constructed,  the  whole  cost  of  which  will  exceed  $1,200,00(1! 

The  Merchants'  Dry  Dock  Company  have  completed  a  floating  apparatus,  calculated  to 
sustain  vessels  of  1,000  tons  burden.  This  dock  cost  $60,000. 

The  Union  Lumber  Association  are  constructing  a  dock  near  Beale  street,  which  is  esti- 
mated to  cost  $150,000.  This  association  has  expended  $185,000  in  the  construction  of 
wharves  and  other  improvements  on  lands  adjoining  the  new  wharf  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steam- 
ship Company.  The  improvements  made  and  in  progress  under  the  direction  of  this  latter 
company  have  quite  changed  the  topography  of  the  western  front  of  the  city.  This  company 
owns  the  block  of  overflowed  laud  bounded  by  First,  Seconcl,  Townsend,  and  Branuan  streets, 
about  12  50-vara  lots.  They  have  constructed  wharves,  Avhich  have  required  1,200  piles, 
3,000,000  feet  of  sawed  lumber,  35  tons  of  iron  bolts,  and  300,000  cubic  yards  of  earth  to 
complete.  They  erected  a  two-story  brick  warehouse,  195  feet  deep  by  230  feet  wide,  cut 
down  hills  and  filled  up  swamps  to  such  an  extent  that  what  had  been  the  most  useless  por- 
tion of  the  city  front  has  become  the  centre  of  an  extensive  business.  Hundreds  of  men  and 
teams  are  at  present  engaged  cutting  down  the  hills  in  the  vicinity  and  filling  up  the  shallow 
bay  with  the  materials,  extending  the  area  of  the  city  hundreds  of  feet  over  what  had  been 
useless  territory.  The  erection  of  several  large  warehouses  is  contemplated  in  the  vicinity. 

MARKETS  AND  ROLLING  MILLS. — The  new  California  Market,  extending  from  California 
to  Pine  streets,  was  commenced  and  has  been  completed  during  the  past  year.  .This  is  one 
of  the  most  useful  improvements  in  the  city,  being  centrally  located  and  most  conveniently 
arranged.  It  is  a  most  substantial  structure,  with  elegant  iron  fronts  on  each  of  these  streets, 
resting  on  a  solid  cut-granite  basement.  It  cost  about  $200, 000.  Another* extensive  market, 
which  cost  about  $60,000,  has  been  built  on  Howard  street,  between  Third  and  Fourth. 

Among  the  new  branches  of  manufacture  introduced  during  the  past  year  the  Pacific  Roll- 
ing Mills  holds  a  prominent  position.  It  is  located  at  Potrero  Point,  and  has  been  fitted  up 
with  every  requisite  for  manufacturing  iron  bars  and  rods  of  any  shape  or  form,  from  a  £ 
inch  up  to  36  inches  in  diameter,  including  railroad  iron  of  all  descriptions.  These  works 
cost  $1,000,000. 

REAL  ESTATE. — Statistics  in  the  office  of  the  city  and  county  assessor  place  the  value  of 
our  real  estate  improvements  for  the  past  fiscal  year  at  $58,000,000.  The  number  of  sales 
of  property  made  for  the  12  months  ending  July  3!,  1667,  was  5,213,  at  a  valuation  of 
$15,3-53.106.  The  above  figures  include  only  the  sales  recorded.  The  prices  paid  at  the 
Beidman  sale  would  swell  the  total  to  nearly  $16,000,000. 

EDUCATIONAL  FACTS.— There  are  34,710  white  children  under  15  years  of  age  in  the  city. 
Our  juvenile  population  has  increased  nearly  300  per  cent,  in  seven  years.  The  average 
number  of  pupils  belonging  to  the  public  schools  Juno  30,  1867,  was  nearly  11,000.  Eight 
new  school-houses  were  erected  during  the  year.  The  disbursements  of  the, school  depart- 
ment of  the  public  school  fund  upon  the  assessment  roll  of  the  last  fiscal  year  were  $320,958  88 
— slightly  within -the  receipts.  Basing  the  amount  of  taxes  for  the  benefit  $80,000,000,  at 
the  school  tax  rate  of  35  cents  on  each  $100,  the  amount  raised  from  this  sourae  the  present 
year  will  be  $280,000;  apportionment  of  the  State  school  fund,  $60,000;  poll  taxes,  $2,500  : 
dog  tax,  $1,000;  rent  of  school  property,  $600;  evening  schools,  $200.  Total  revenue  for 
the  present  year,  $344,300. 

The  whole  number  of  private  educational  institutions,  in  San  Francisco  is  about  70,  with 
an  aggregate  attendance,  including  students  at  the  different  colleges,  of  4,250.  Of  this  num- 
ber 12  are  under  the  control  of  the  Catholic  denomination,  and  the  regular  aggregate  attend- 
ance upon  the  same  is  over  3,400. 

There  arc  21  schools  connected  with  the  Protestant  Sunday  School  Union.  The  average 
attendance  at  these  schools  is  4,340  ;  other  Protestant  schools,  2,405  ;  Catholic  schools,  3,600 ; 
Hebrew,  690.  Total  who  receive  religious  instructions  on  the  Sabbath  day  in  this  city, 
11,035.  Libraries- -number  of  volumes  Sabbath  School  Union,  19,927  ;  other  Protestant 
schools,  12,000;  Catholic  schools,  6,000.  Total  number  of  volumes  in  Sabbath  schools  in 
this  city,  (Hebrew  not  included,)  37,927. 

NEW  MANUFACTURES.— Among  the  most  prominent  of  the  branches  of  industry  put  in 
operation  are  the  Pacific  Woollen  Mills,  located  at  the  Mission,  manufacturing  knit  goods  of 
all  descriptions  at  the  rate  of  $500,000  annually,  and  employing  nearly  400  persons  ;  the 
Golden  City  Chemical  Works,  with  a  capital  of  $2,000,000,  and  manufacturing  a  great 


Variety 

both  white  and  colored  glassware  to  the  extent  of  $150,000  a  year,  and  the  San  Francisco 
Linseed  Oil  and  Paint  Works,  with  capacity  to  supply  tho  entire  wants  of  the  coast.  These, 
with  minor  enterprises  inaugurated  during  the  same  period,  have  absorbed  more  than  $3,000,000 
capital,  and  will  turn  out  manufactures  to  half  that  amount  annually.  The  most  prominent 
of  the  enterprises  yet  unfinished  is  the  Pacific  Rolling  Mills,  which  promises  to  be  in  suc- 

18 


274  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

cessful  operation  within  the  next  twelve  months.  This  establishment  is  much  needed,  both 
to  do  away  with  the  importation  of  a  vast  amount  of  manufactured  metals  and  to  stimulate 
ne.w  branches  of  labor  by  furnishing1  supplies  of  home  materials  which  are  required  to  make 
them  successful.  The  large  capital  of  these  mills,  and  their  contemplated  extensive  scope  of 
manufacture  in  copper  as  well  as  in  iron,  promise  to  do  more  to  develop  the  resources  of  the 
State  in  these  metals  than  all  similar  enterprises  now  in  operation  combined. 

GENERAL  MANUFACTURING  ITEMS. — The  pecuniary  results  of  all  the  manufacturing  inter- 
ests in  this  city  for  the  past  year  are  favorably  reported.  The  sugar  and  petroleum  factories 
are  alone  complained  of  as  being  less  successful  than  in  former  years.  The  Pioneer  and 
Mission  Woollen  Mills  manufactured  for  the  year  ending  June,  1866,  goods  to  the  value  of 
$899,734.  The  Mission  mills  alone  turned  out,  with  425  hands,  80,000  pairs  of  blankets, 
125,000  yards  of  broadcloth  and  cassimere,  500,000  yards  of  flannel  and  cloaking,  besides  a 
quantity  of  shawls ;  the  whole  consuming  2,000,000  of  wool.  The  Pacific  Woollen  Mills 
will  make  up  into  knit  woollen  goods  this  year  500,000  pounds  of  fine  wool.  Mayer  &  Sons' 
cotton  wadding,  batting,  and  twine  works  can  turn  out  2,000  pounds  of  wadding  and  batting 
per  day.  The  cotton  they  use  is  imported  chiefly  from  Tahiti  and  Mexican  ports.  The  Pacific 
Cordage  Factory  turned  out  last  year  2,000,000  pounds  of  cordage.  The  rope-walk  is  1,500 
feet  long,  and  the  works  altogether  employ  47  men  constantly.  •  The  Pioneer  Woollen  Mills, 
during  last  year,  employed  350  hands,  and  made  30.000  pairs  of  blankets,  60,000  yards  of 
broadcloths,  tweeds,  and  cassimeres,  and  375, 000  yards  of  flannels,  which  consumed  1,300,000 
pounds  of  choice  wool.  A  very  large  portion  of  the  flannels  manufactured  is  made  up  at 
once  into  shirts,  the  company  employing  60  sewing  machines  in  that  and  other  work  con- 
nected with  their  manufactures. 

There  are  three  manufactories  of  acids  and  other  chemicals  in  the  city,  which  supply  the 
assay  offices  and  mint  on  this  coast.  The  Phoenix  Oil  Works  have  a  refining  capacity  of  400 
gallons  per  day.  Mallon  &,  Co.'s  glass-cutting  works  manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $6,000 
in  1866.  The  Pacific  Saw  Works  turned  out  manufactures  valued  at  over  $3,000,000.  Dana's 
neat-foot  oil  works  turned  out  33,997  pounds  of  glue  and  5,007  gallons  of  oil.  Cameron, 
Whittier  &  Co.  made  mirrors  to  the  value  of  $18,000.  Zech  made  12  pianos  last  year,  of 
an  average  value  of  $450,  using  native  ash,  laurel,  and  other  domestic  woods.  John  Mayer 
made  twro  large  organs  of  good  quality.  The  glass  manufactures  of  the  year  aggregated 
$80,000. 

There  are  11  extensive  flour  mills  in  the  city,  which  exported  the  first  eight  months  of  this 
year  136,958  barrels  of  flour  via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  Eight  mills  turned  out  last  year 
an  aggregate  of  247,708  barrels,  besides  large  quantities  of  other  meals.  Eight  saw-mills 
turned  out  8,950,000  feet  of  lumber. 

Up  to  the  present  time  the  principal  foundries  and  machine  shops  located  in  this  city  have 
turned  out  machinery  for  the  propulsion  of  1,000  ton  vessels,  stationery  engines,  batteries 
of  heavy  guns,  the  most  powerful  quartz-crushing  machinery,  saw  and  flour  mills,  and  for  a 
multiplicity  of  business  not  needed  to  mention.  With  the  exception  of  the  raw  materials 
used  for  castings  and  machinery,  the  foundries  of  the  State  have  rendered  its  people  inde- 
pendent of  other  countries  and  given  profitable  employment,  directly  and  indirectly,  to  several 
thousands  of  persons.  At  the  present  time  there  are  14  large  foundries  and  machine  shops, 
sonic  of  which  have  no  superiors  anywhere  in  excellence  of  work  and  adaptation  of  materials 
to  meet  the  wants  of  the  people.  During  the  year  1866  these  foundries,  with  some  few 
smaller  ones,  employed  1,018  men,  using  6,921  tons  pig  iron,  1,448  tons  bar  and  rod  iron, 
1,027  tons  sheet  and  boiler  iron,  and  110  tons  rivets.  Several  of  these  establishments  have 
extensive  boiler  shops  connected  with  them. 

The  three  sugar  refineries  in  this  city  have  a  capacity  nearly  double  the  local  consumption. 
One  establishment  alone  has  a  capacity  to  refine  120,000  pounds  daily.  Altogether  about  300 
men  are  employe!  in  these  refineries.  Twenty  thousand  boxes  of  maccaroni  and  paste  were 
made  by  one  firm  last  year.  Another  house  made  3,000  gross  of  yeast  powders.  About 
24,000  brooms  were  manufactured.  Wooden  ware  and  box  manufacturing  is  extensive  and 
profitable.  The  new  linseed  oil  works  can  crush  4,000  pounds  seed  per  week.  Two  firms 
have  made  5,000  billiard  tables  in  this  city  in  16  years.  During  1866  they  employed  12  men 
and  made  70  tables,  worth  $480  each. 

The  products  of  several  other  manufactories  may  thus  be  condensed:  Ten  soap  establish- 
ments, 2,831,419  pounds;  three  match  factories,  250,000  gross  ;  five  tanneries,  2,400  hides, 
615  dozen  calf  and  515  kip  skins;  hose  and  belting,  6,000  feet  hose,  $7,000  worth  of  belting, 
and  400  dozen  horse  collars ;  boots  and  shoes,  total  manufactures,  $750,000,  employing  about 
500  men  ;  type  foundry  at  the  rate  of  $20,000  per  annum  ;  24  breweries,  of  which  17  turned 
out  76,602  barrels  of  beer ;  furniture  establishments  employ  over  300  men  ond  turned  out 
about  $800,000  worth  of  furniture  ;  800  cigar  makers,  employed  by  100  firms,  turn  out  nearly 
3,000,000  cigars  a  month ;  the  clothing  manufacturers  employ  700  persons  and  turned  out 
last  year  $1,500,000  worth  of  goods  ;  20  firms  are  engaged  in  making  carriages  and  wagons. 

TRADE  FLUCTUATIONS. — A  general  table  of  the  fluctuations  of  trade  shows  that  the  num- 
ber of  persons  in  business  in  this  city  has  increased  from  5,300  in  1862  to  6,942  in  1807. 
Only  the  leading  branches  of  trade  are  included  in  this  table.  Of  those  in  business  in  1862 
only  3,956  are  still  found  in  existing  trade  circles.  The  yearly  changes  among  small  dealers 
will  not  fall  short  of  40  per  cent,  per  annum. 


WEST    OF.  THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  275 

MUNICIPAL  FINANCES.— The  total  assessment  for  1866-'67  is  $96,700,397.  Of  this  valua- 
tion $53,485,421  is  assigned  to  real  estate,  and  $43,21 4,97G  to  personal  property.  The  total 
of  State,  city,  and  county  taxes  is  $3  10  on  each  §100.  The  amount  absolutely  collected  on 
is  much  less  than  the  aggregate  valuations  for  the  last  two  years.  In  1865-'66  it  was 
$82,730,719  personal  against  $39,775,500  assessed,  and  $45,436,924  real  estate  against 
$49.1:^,027  assessed  ;  in  all,  $08,167,643  collected  on  against  $88,913,527  assessed. 

The  city  expenditures  for  1865-'66  were  $1,437,281  20,  which  amount  was  divided  as 
follows:  Cuneut  expenses,  $916,934  45;  permanent  improvements,  $90,99590;  interest 
^.~;;,I93  38;  reduction  of  debt,  $154,055;  old  claims,  $19,097  47.  The  expenditures  for 
!866-'67  are  thus  stated:  Current  expenses,  $939,285  05;  permanent  improvements 
$1  — ,073  75;  interest,  $213,353  06;  reduction  of  debt,  $354,686  82;  old  claims,  $71,166  66: 
total,  ,$1,766,565  34.  Increase  this  year,  $329,284  14. 

The  total  revenue  for  J865-'66  was  $1,624,408  06.  That  for  1866-'67  was  $1,841,753  96, 
showing  an  increase  of  $217,345  90.  The  revenue  is  derived  this  year  as  follows:  Taxes, 
$1,482.476  31 ;  State  and  county  licenses,  $93,901  50  ;  municipal  licenses,  $31,762  50;  sale 
of  bonds,  $125,965  38;  other  sources,  $107,647  97. 

The  bonded  debt  aggregates  $4,748,667,  bearing  interest  at  from  6  to  10  per  cent.  The 
annual  sinking  fund  is  about  $198,500.  The  bonds  in  aid  of  the  Pacific  railroad  alone 
amount  to  $650,000,  bearing  7  per  cent,  interest. 

CLIMATE  OF  CALIFORNIA. — The  following  interesting  and  instructive  obser- 
vations on  the  climate  of  California  are  from  the  proof-sheets  of  a  forthcoming 
work  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  by  Mr.  T.  F.  Cronise,  soon  to  be  issued  by  Messrs. 
H.  II.  Bancroft  &  Co.,  of  San  Francisco : 

THE  VARIETY  OF  CLIMATE. — There  are  essentially  two  climates  in  California,  the  land 
climate  and  the  sea  climate.  The  latter  derives  its  low  temperature  from  the  ocean,  the  water 
of  which  along  the  coast  stands  at  from  52°  to  45°  all  the  year  round.  The  evenness  of  the 
ocean  temperature  i?  owing  to  a  steady  current  from  the  north,  which  is  accompanied  also 
by  winds  in  the  same  direction  during  the  entire  summer  season,  or  rather  from  April  to 
October,  inclusive.  Almost  daily  during  this  period  a  deluge  of  cold,  damp  air,  of  the  same 
temperature  as  the  ocean  over  which  it  has  passed,  is  poured  upon*  the  land.  It  is  mostly 
laden  with  mist,  in  dense  clouds,  which  it  deposits  at  the  foot  hills  and  on  the  slopes  of  the 
highlands,  or  carries  a  short  distance  into  the  interior,  wherever  there  is  a  break  in  the  laud 
wall. 

The  land  climate  is  as  nearly  as  possible  the  opposite  in  eveiy  respect.  In  summer  and 
atuumn  it  is  hot  and  dry.  It  undergoes  various  modifications  from  the  configuration  of  the 
surface  of  the  earth.  Even  the  mountains,  which  retain  the  snow  till  a  late  period,  present 
a  high  temperature  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  the  presence  of  the  snow  on  their  summits 
in  June  is  owing  to  the  great  mass  which  has  accumulated  on  them  rather  than  to  cold 
weather. 

A  large  district  of  territory  lies  between  the  jurisdiction  of  the  two  climates,  and  subject  to 
their  joint  influence.  It  is  composed  chiefly  of  valleys  surrounding  the  bay  of  San  Francisco, 
and  penetrating  into  the  interior  in  every  direction.  There  is  no  climate  in  the  world  more 
delightful  than  these  valleys  enjoy,  and  no  territory  more  productive.  While  the  ocean 
prevents  the  contiguous  land  from  being  scorched  in  summer,  it  also  prevents  it  from  being 
frozen  in  winter.  Hence  ice  and  snow  are  not  common  in  the  ocean  climate.  The  difference 
in  temperature  is  comparatively  slight  between  winter  and  summer. 

The  cold  of  winter  in  the  interior  is  not  intense,  even  on  mountain  elevations,  with  the 
exception  of  the  tier  of  counties  in  the  extreme  north.  Its  degree  depends  much,  however, 
on  the  altitude  of  the  locality.  The  severity  of  winter  is  due,  not  to  extreme  cold  in  an^  part 
of  California,  but  to  violent  and  prolonged  snow-storms  in  one  section,  and  cold  and  prolonged 
rains  in  the  others. 

It  is  interesting  to  cast  the  eye  over  the  map  of  the  State,  and  trace  out  climatic  modifica- 
tions as  governed  by  topography.  First,  look  at  the  long  range  of  coast,  the  slope  of  which,  as 
ur  back  as  the  first  mountan  wall,  is  under  the  control  of  the  ocean,  and  has  the  most  uniform 
of  climates.  It  is  a  narrow  strip  of  territory,  the  only  part  of  the  State  preserved  from  dessica- 
ion  in  summer  by  daily  showers  of  mist,  and  therefore  admirably  adapted  to  dairy  purposes. 
Then  survey  the  counties  bordering  on  the  great  bay,  Sonoma,  Napa,  Solano,  Contra  Costa, 
Alameda,  Santa  Clara,  and  San  Mateo,  borrowing  one-half  their  climate  from  the  ocean,  and 
the,  other  half  from  the  interior;  inexhaustible  in  agriculturul  resources,  and  forming  the 
granary  of  the  Pacific.  The  Pajaro  and  some  other  valleys  further  south;  to  which  the  sea 
winds  gain  access,  belong  to  the  same  system,  arid  those  also  of  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin,  although  in  a  lesser  degree,  being  further  removed  from  the  ocean.  Then  regard 
;hc  mountain  range,  with  its  countless  little  valleys,  buried  up  with  snow  in  winter,  bursting 
forth  into  a  paradise  with  the  spring,  and  converted  into  furnaces  by  the  summer's  snn,  and 
yet  luxuriant  with  all  kinds  of  delicious  fruits.  In  this  section  are  concentrated  the  mining 
interests.  Finally,  view  the  southern  section,  embracing  one-fourth  of  the  State,  removed 
alike  from  both  extremes,  which  operate  in  the  north,  controlled  neither  by  mountain  nor 


276 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


ocean,  and  enjoying  the  most  genial  temperature — a  section  of  country  wanting  only  in  the 
certainty  of  winter  rains  to  make  it  an  Eden. 

CLIMATE  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO.— The  record  of  the  climate  of  San  Francisco,  as  kept  by 
Mr.  Henry  Gibbons,  extending  from  the  autumn  of  1850  to  January,  1868,  a  period  of  17  years, 
shows  the  coldest  weather  during  that  time  to  havo  occurred  in  January,  1854,  when  the 
mercury  fell  as  low  as  25°.  The  coldest  noonday  for  the  same  period  was  37°.  Persons 
who  do  not  rise  early  may  see  no  ice  in  that  city  for  several  years  in  succession.  When  it 
is  cold  enough  to  preserve  ice  in  the  shade  all  day,  the  circumstance  is  noted  as  a  phenomenon. 
It  is  not  uncommon  for  the  entire  winter  to  pass  away  without  bringing  the  thermometer  down 
so  low  as  the  point  of  freezing.  In  the  year  1853,  it  fell  at  no  time  lower  than  40°,  or  8° 
above  the  freezing  point. 

The  extreme  of  heat  in  the  same  period  occurred  on  September  10  and  11, 1852,  when  the 
thermometer  reached  97°  and  98°  on  the  two  days  respectively.  This,  however,  was  entirely 
exceptional,  and  might  not  again  occur  in  half  a  century.  The  air  was  dry  as  a  sirocco,  and 
had  a  curious  effect  on  the  wood-work  of  houses,  causing  a  constant  crackling  noise,  from 
the  shrinking  of  the  timber  and  the  plaster  breaking  on  the  Avooden  partitions.  In  a  locality 
somewhat  exposed  to  reflected  heat  from  the  sun,  and  where  the  temperature  was  100C,  a 
thermometer  with  a  wet  bulb  fell  to  68°,  the  evaporation  reducing  it  32°. 

With  the  exception  just  noted,  the  hottest  day  in  the  17  years  was  on  the  6th  of  July,  1867, 
when  the  thermometer  stood  at  93°.  In  October,  1854,  and  in  September,  1865,  it  reached 
91°;  and  in  July,  1855,  it  rose  once  to  90°.  Thus,  it  appears  there  were  but  six  days  in  17 
years  when  the  temperature  was  as  high  as  90°,  and  only  two  of  these  six  days  were  in  the 
summer  months. 

The  absence  of  warm  weather  in  the  summer  months  is  characteristic  of  the  coast  climate, 
and  strikes  a  stranger  forcibly.  The  most  ordinary  programme  of  this  climate  for  the  year 
is  as  follows,  beginning  with  the  rainy  season :  The  first  decided  rains  are  in  November  or 
December,  when  the  country,  after  having  been  parched  with  drought,  puts  on  the  garb  of 
spring.  In  January  the  rains  abate,  and  vegetation  advances  slowly,  with  occasional  slight 
frosts.  February  is  spring  like,  with  but  little  rain.  March  and  April  are  pleasant  and 
showery,  with  an  occasional  hot  day.  In  May  the  sea  breeze  begins,  but  does  not  give  much 
annoyance.  In  June,  just  as  warm  weather  is  about  to  set  in,  the  sea  breeze  comes  daily, 
and  keeps  down  the  temperature.  It  continues  through  July  and  August,  occasionally 
holding  up  for  a  day  or  two,  and  permitting  the  sun  to  heat  the  air  to  the  sweating  point. 
In  September  the  sea  wind  moderates,  and  there  is  a  slight  taste  of  summer,  which  is  pro- 
longed into  the  next  month.  The  pleasant  weather  often  lingers  in  the  lap  of  winter,  and  is 
interrupted  only  by  the  rains  of  November  or  December. 

By  running  the  eye  over  the  following  table,  a  general  idea  can  be  gained  of  the  coast 
climate  as  regards  temperature.  The  first  column  represents  the  average  temperature  of 
each  month  at  sunrise,  for  17  years ;  the  second  at  noon,  and  the  third  is  the  mean  of  the  other 
two : 


3 

3 

a 

I 

Q 

3 

ft 

a 
g 

Months. 

"S 

a 

£> 

Months. 

3 

^> 

3 

a 

^2 

P 

^2 

3 

C5 

a 

g 

o 

1 

<D 

J 

o 
44 

o 
56 

o 
50 

0 

53 

O 

67 

0 

60 

February  

48. 

GO. 

53.5 

September 

53  5 

69  5 

61 

48 

63 

55  5 

October 

53 

68 

60  5 

April*.  

49. 

64. 

57. 

November  

49. 

62, 

55.5 

May 

50 

64 

45 

rr- 

50 

June                      

51. 

68. 

59  5 

July  

52. 

67. 

59.5 

49  5 

63  7 

56.6 

Observe  in  the  table  the  regular  increase  from  January  to  September,  and  the  rapid  decrease 
from  October  to  December;  nine  months  of  increase  and  two  of  decrease.  Notice,  also,  the 
uniform  increase  of  the  night  temperature  as  represented  in  the  first  column,  and  the  irregu- 
larity in  the  noonday  increase,  the  sea-breeze  arresting  it  in  May,  and  the  sun  giving  it  an 
upward  impulse  in  June,  before  the  sea  wind  has  gained  undisputed  control. 

MEAN  ANNUAL  TEMPERATURE. — The  mean  annual  temperature  at  San  Francisco  is  56.6, 
which  may  be  set  down  as  the  mean  of  the  coast  and  bay  climate.  As  we  recede  from  the 
ocean,  the  days  are  warmer  and  the  nights  colder,  the  sun.  being  the  great  disturber  of 
temperature,  and  the  ocean  the  great  equalizer.  But  the  increase  of  the  day  corresponds  so 
nearly  with  the  diminution  of  the  high  temperature,  that  the  mean  varies  but  little  within 
the  range  of  the  sea  breeze. 

Washington  and  Richmond,  nearly  in  the  same  latitude  as  San  Francisco,  have  a  mean 
of  54  or  54^,  two  degrees  colder  than  the  latter.  This  appears,  at  first  sight,  to  be  a  small 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


277 


difference  ;  but  its  value  is  made  evident  by  reflecting  that  it  is  a  difference  for  every  day  in 
the  year— each  day  of  the  year  in  San  Francisco,  from  January  to  December,  having  an 
average  of  two  degrees  higher  than  the  corresponding  day  on  the  Atlantic  border.  Cold  as 
our  summers  are  in  proportion  to  those  in  the  east,  it  appears  that  the  winters  are  warmer, 
in  still  greater  proportion. 

In  the  Atlantic  States  the  mean  annual  temperature  diminishes  in  going  northward  about 
one  degree  for  every  degree  of  latitude.  This  is  the  general  rule  in  all  climates.  But  the 
climate  of  California  presents  an  extraordinary  anomaly  in  this  respect.  Along  the  coast, 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river  to  Monterey,  a  range  of  nine  degrees  of  latitude,  the 
mean  temperature  varies  but  little — not  more  than  three  or  four  degrees  at  most;  and  even 
this  difference  does  not  correspond  exactly  with  the  difference  of  latitude.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  interior  climate  varies  indefinitely,  every  valley  having  a  climate  of  its  own.  The 
summers,  however,  are  generally  hotter  in  the  north.  One  might  start  from  Los  Angeles, 
nrar  the  south  lino  of  the  State,  in  summer,  and  travel  northward,  inland,  500  or  600  miles, 
and  find  it  growing  hotter  every  day;  and  he  might  go  in  a  southeasterly  course  less  than 
half  that  distance,  and  arriving  at  Fort  Yuma,  on  the  Colorado,  he  would  find  one  of  the 
hottest  places  in  the  world. 

The  sudden  fluctuations  of  temperature,  incident  to  the  climate  of  the  Atlantic  States,  are 
unknown  in  California.  We  have  none  of  those  angry  outbreaks  from  the  northwest,  which 
change  summer  to  winter  in  a  few  hours.  The  sea  breeze  is  chilling  enough,  especially 
when  it  comes  in  suddenly  to  reassert  its  sway,  after  one  of  the  occasional  warm  days  of  sum- 
mer. But  the  sea  breeze  can  never  bring  the  thermometer  down  below  52°. 

In  the  summer  months  there  is  scarcely  any  fall  of  temperature  through  the  night  in  the 
coast  climate.  The  early  morning  is  sometimes  clear,  sometimes  cloudy,  but  always  calm. 
A  windy  morning  in  summer  is  uncommon  at  San  Francisco.  A  few  hours  after  sunrise  the 
clouds  break  away  and  vanish,  and  the  sun  shines  forth  cheerfully  and  delightfully;  not  a 
breath  of  air  stirring.  Towards  noon,  or  a  little  after,  the  sea  breeze  sets  in,  and  the  weather 
is  completely  changed.  From  65°  degrees  the  mercury  drops  to  53°  or  54°  long  before  sun- 
set, and  fit  that  point  it  remains  almost  motionless  till  the  next  morning.  This  is  the  order 
of  things  in  three  days  out  of  four  in  June,  July,  and  August. 

In  the  climate  of  the  coast  the  nights  are  never  uncomfortably  warm.  The  extreme  heat 
at  10  p.  m.  at  San  Francisco,  for  17  years,  was  75°.  The  thermometer  reached  this  point  on 
three  different  nights ;  on  two  nights  it  reached  75°,  on  four  nights  73°,  on  two  nights  72°, 
and  on  five  nights  70° — making  only  16  evenings  in  17  years  when  it  was  warm  enough  at 
bed-time  to  sit  out  of  doors  with  thin  clothing.  The  warmest  morning  in  17  years  was  69°. 
These  facts  have  special  interest  in  relation  to  sleep. 

Though  the  nights  in  the  interior  are  not  so  uniformly  cool,  yet  there  are  few  localities, 
even  in  the  valleys,  where  they  are  too  warm- for  sleeping,  even  though  the  day  temperature 
may  have  reached  100°.  This  is  a  remarkable  feature  of  the  climate  of  the  Pacific  States, 
and  it  has  an  important  bearing  on  the  health,  vigor,  and  character  of  the  population.  • 

lu  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  State  is  a  section  having  a  climate  of  its  own.  It  is 
known  as  the  Colorado  desert,  and  is  comparatively  barrren  of  vegetation,  owing  to  the 
small  quantity  of  rain  which  falls  there.  The  mean  temperature  of  Fort  Yuma,  though  not 
exactly  in  the  desert,  is,  in  the  month  of  July,  upwards  of  100°  at  noon,  and  90°  at  9  p.  in. 
In  contrast  with  this,  is  the  winter  climate  of  Yreka,  near  the  extreme  northwest  corner  of 
the  State,  and  representing  a  small  alpine  section  bordering  on  Oregon.  During  the  stormy 
Ave;ither  of  January,  1868,  when  the  thermometer  at  Marysville  and  other  localities  in  the 
north  were  telegraphed  as  ranging  from  25°  to  35°,  at  8  a.  m.,  the  despatches  from  Yreka 
placed  it  below  zero  day  after  day,  and  sometimes  10°  or  12°  below. 

We  will  conclude  the  subject  of  temperature  with  a  table,  representing  the  mean  of  the 
several  seasons  at  a  number  of  prominent  points  in  California,  and  also  further  northward. 
The  first  column  gives  the  temperature  of  the  spring  months,  March,  April,  and  May;  and 
so  on,  the  other  seasons  are  arranged.  The  last  column  is  the  moan  annual  temperature. 


Localities. 

Spring. 

Summer. 

Autumn. 

Winter. 

Year. 

o 
56.5 

•  ^  o 
60.0 

o 
59.0 

o 
51.0 

o 
56.6 

56.0 

6.59 

61.0 

46.5 

58.0 

};<•»,]<•  ]-t 

50.5 

67.  0 

60.5 

49.0 

58.0 

54.0 

59.  0 

57.0 

51.0 

55.  5 

Sun  I)ii'"'o                                                

60.0 

71.0 

64.5 

52.5 

62.  0 

72  0 

90.0 

75.5 

57.0 

73.5 

,|f  ISay*                                    

52.0 

57.5 

53.0 

43.5 

51.5 

-•".  ,nl                                                      -              ... 

52.0 

6J.O 

55.0 

47.5 

53.5 

53.0 

70.5 

52.0 

35.5 

53.0 

51.0 

61.5 

54.0 

'     42.  5 

52.  0 

49.0 

63.0 

51.5 

39.5 

51.0 

The  figures  for  these  localities  are  probably  too  low. 


278 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


There  is  this  difference  between  the  summer  in  the  interior  of  California  and  the  Atlantic 
States,  that  in  the  former  it  is  unbroken  by  the  showers  and  storms  which  in  other  regions 
temper  the  heat  and  give  variety  to  the  climate.  From  the  beginning  of  June  until  Novem- 
ber the  sky  is  mostly  unclouded,  and  the  sun  shines  oat  brightly  the  whole  day. 

THE  ANNUAL  RAINS. — In  the  entire  absence  of  rain  during  one  portion  of  the  year,  and 
its  restriction  to  another  portion,  California  has  but  one  climate.  There  is  this  difference, 
however,  between  one  part  and  another,  that  the  rain  commences  sooner  and  continues  later 
in  the  north,  and  that  both  the  quantity  of  the  rain  and  the  duration  of  the  rainy  season 
diminish  on  approaching  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  or  rather  on  receding  from  the  moun- 
tainous section.  The  rain  year  of  California  does  not  conform  to  the  calendar  year,  but 
extends  from  summer  to  summer,  embracing  the  latter  part  of  one  year  and  the  former  part 
of  the  year  ensuing.  The  natural  division  is  in  July  or  August — say  the  first  of  August. 
The  calendar  year  fails  to  represent  properly  either  a  dry  winter  or  a  rainy  one.  Thus,  the 
smallest  quantity  of  rain  in  any  one  of  the  17  calendar  years  was  10.50  inches,  in  1865,  while 
the  climatic  year  1850-'51  had  but  7.12  inches,  and  ]863-'64,  8.49.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
calendar  year  1865  had  but  10.50  inches,  or  half  the  average  supply,  from  which  it  would  be 
inferred  that  one,  at  least,  of  the  two  seasons  in  which  it  enters  was  dry ;  whereas,  by  refer- 
ence to  the  table,  it  appears  that  both  of  these  seasons  had  the  full  supply,  being  a  fraction 
over  21  inches.  It  so  transpired  that  the  rain  of  one  season  was  rsainly  in  the  latter  part  of 
1864,  and  that  of  the  latter  season  in  the  early  part  of  1866,  leaving  the  intervening  calendar 
year  deficient. 

In  seasons  of  scanty  rains  the  deficiency  is  not  confined  to  certain  districts,  as  in  the 
Atlantic  States,  but  it  is  general.  The  annual  supply,  however,  varies  greatly  in  different 
sections.  Taking  the  gauge  at  San  Francisco  as  a  basis,  very  nearly  the  same  quantity  falls 
in  the  valleys  surrounding  the  bay,  and  also  in  the  Sacramento  valley  as  far  north  as  the 
capital.  Speaking  more  precisely,  the  quantity  in  Sonoma  and  Napa  counties  is  greater,  and 
in  Santa  Clara,  south  of  the  bay,  rather  less,  than  at  San  Francisco.  Proceeding  southward, 
it  diminishes  rapidly,  the  rain-fall  at  Los  Angeles  and  San  Diego  being  only  one-half  that  of 
the  bay.  In  the  north  and  northeast,  among  the  Sierras,  it  is  generally  much  greater,  being 
three  or  four  times  as  much  in  some  localities. 

In  San  Francisco  [according  to  a  table  which  we  cannot  conveniently  reproduce]  the  rains 
of  each  month,  during  a  period  of  17  years,  averaged  as  follows,  in  inches  and  fractions  of 
inches:  January,  4.51;  February,  3.08;  March,  2.76;  April,  1.74;  May,  .82;  June,  .05; 
July,  .02;  August,  .01;  September,  .09;  October,  .57;  November,  2.74;  December,  5.37. 

The  greatest  quantity  of  rain  for  any  one  month,  as  the  table  shows,  was  18.14  inches,  in 
January,  1862 — a  winter  memorable  on  account  of  destructive  floods  on  the  Pacific  slope. 
The  greatest  quantity  in  any  one  month  in  eastern  Pennsylvania,  during  a  period  of  30  years, 
was  13  inches;  and  this  was  in  one  of  the  summer  months.  So  much  as  this  never  falls  in 
a  winter  month  in  the  Atlantic  States.  For  one  season  of  excessive  drought  there  have  been 
two  of  excessive  rain.  No  two  seasons  in  succession  have  given  as  much  rain  as  1866-'67 
and  1867-'68. 

The  rains  of  each  season  are  exhibited  in  the  following  table,  in  juxtaposition  with  the 
rains  of  each  year : 

Year.  Rain. 

1851 15.12 

1852 25.60 

1853 19.03 

1854 

1855 

1856 

1S57 «...'. 20.55 

1858 19.65 

1859 18.03 

1860... 


Season.  Rain. 

185i)-'51 11.12 

1851-52 18.60 

J852-'53 33.46 

1853-'54 .22.80 

1854-'55 24.10 

1855-'56 21.13 

185G-'57 19.90 

18T>7-'58 19.05 

1858-'59 19.76 

1850-'60 17.10 

1860-'6l 14.54 

1861-'62 :...38.04 

1862-'63 15.19 

186:V-'64  8.49 

1864-'65 21.30 

1865-'66 21.19 

1866-'67...  32.22 


Mean. 


.20.79 


.22.  12 
.27.80 
.22.01 


1861. 
1862. 
1863. 


1864. 
1865. 
1866. 
1867. 


.15.15 
.18.43 
.31.05 
.16.63 
.13.05 
.10.30 
.32.98 
.33.00 


Mean 


It  appears  that  December  is  the  month  of  greatest  rain.  The  rainy  tendency  reaches  its 
climax  about  Christmas,  and  then  diminishes  gradually  until  the  termination  of  the  season 
of  rain,  towards  the  latter  end  of  May.  June,  July,  August,  and  September  are  dry,  with 
exceptions  so  light  as  scarcely  to  deserve  notice,  only  2.50  inches  having  fallen  in  these  four 
months  collectively  in  17  years. 

In  almost  every  winter  there  are  two  rainy  periods,  with  a  drier  period  interposed,  showing 
an  analogy  to  the  earlier  and  later  rains  of  Palestine  and  other  oriental  countries.  The  month 
of  February  is  the  most  frequent  representative  of  the  dry  period  ;  but  the  spring  rains, 
which  sometimes  commence  in  this  month,  and  other  heavy  rains  which  occasionally  fall, 
swell  the  aggregate  so  as  to  prevent  the  exhibition  of  a  deficiency  in  the  table. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  279 

In  speaking  of  the  "rainy  reason,"  strangers  will  not  inferthat  rain  is  perpetual,  or  nearly 
so,  during  that  time.  The  term  is  employed  only  to  contrast  with  the  dry  season,  and  it 
implies  the  possibility  rather  than  the  actual  occurrence  of  rain.  In  more  than  half  the  winter 
there  is  not  a  drop  beyond  the  necessities  of  agriculture,  and  even  in  the  seasons  of  most 
rain  much  very  pleasant  weather  is  interspersed.  If  the  winter  be  not  extraordinary,  it  is 
generally  regarded  as  the  most-pleasant  season  in  the  year.  In  the  intervals  of  rain  it  is 
bright,  sunny,  and  calm.-  It  is  spring  rather  than  winter.  The  grass  starts  as  soon  as  the 
soil  is  wet.  At  Christmas  nature  wears  her  green  uniform  almost  throughout  the  entire  State, . 
and  in  February  and  March  it  is  set  with  floral  jewels.  The  blossoms  increase  in  variety 
and  profusion  until  April,  when  they  are  so  abundant  in  many  places  as  to  show  distinctly 
the  yellow  carpeting  on  hills  five  miles  distant. 

There  is  great  irregularity  in  the  time  of  the  commencement  of  the  rainy  season.  It  never 
sets  in  before  November,  and  sometimes  not  till  the  latter  part  of  December.  In  the  northern 
section  the  rains  commence  earlier  than  at  San  Francisco,  and  in  the  southern  section  later. 
The  spring  rains,  which  are  of  immense  importance  to  agriculture,  rarely  fail.  March  is  one 
of  the  surest  months  in  this  respect.  April  often  gives  a  copious  supply.  There  is  a  remarka- 
ble tendency  to  rain  about  the  20th  of  May,  and  a  complete  cessation  soon  afterwards.  It 
is  a  striking  feature  of  the  climate,  that  when  the  weather  puts  on  its  rainy  habit,  the  rain  is 
apt  to  continue  every  day  for  one  or  two  weeks,  and  then  an  interval  may  ensue  without  a 
drop  for  several  weeks. 

The  rains  of  California  are  tropical  in  one  respect,  being  showery,  and  not  often  regularly 
continuous  for  many  hours.  The  monotony  of  an  easterly  storm,  such  as  the  Atlantic  climate 
furnishes,  is  almost  unknown  here.  The  sun  breaks  forth  frequently  in  the  midst  of  a  shower, 
and  directly  the  sky  is  almost  clear.  Presently,  when  it  is  least  expected,  the  rain  is  heard 
on  the  roof  with  the  suddenness  of  a  shower-bath. 

The  night  is  more  favorable  to  rain  than  the  day.  No  matter  how  dense  the  clouds,  how 
fair  the  wind,  how  resolute  the  barometer  in  its  promise  of  falling  weather,  the  Sun  rarely 
fails  to  break  up  the  arrangement  before  noon,  and  to  tumble  the  clouds  into  confused  masses 
or  dissipate  them  altogether.  But  before  night,  or  during  the  night,  the  clouds  resume  their 
function. 

The  prevailing  direction  of  the  cloud-current  is  from  south  to  west,  and  the  cloud  supply- 
ing the  rain  is  mostly  of  the  cumulo-stratus  or  nimbus  form,  and  quite  low  in  the  sky. 
What  is  singular,  the  rain  begins  most  frequently  to  the  northward,  although  the  cloud  comes 
from  the  south.  The  horizon  in  the  south  may  be  entirely  clear  under  these  circumstances, 
the  cloud  forming  in  view,  and  growing  denser  and  denser  in  its  northward  travel,  until  it 
precipitates  the  rain. 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  mean  quantity  of  rain  falling  at  different  stations,  and  the 
number  of  years  on  which  the  mean  is  computed.  The  stations  are  arranged  in  the  order  of 
their  latitude,  beginning  with  Fort  Yuma  and  San  Diego,  which  are  about  on  the  same 
parallel : 

Localities.  Term.  Mean. 

Fort  Yuma Four  years.  3. 24 

San  Diego Three  years.  10.43 

Monterey Four  years.  12.20 

Stockton Four  years,  15. 10 

San  I'randsco Seventeen  years.          20.79 

P,enicia Eight  years.  22.86 

Sacramento Twelve  years.  1H.  23 

Placervillo , 18G1-'G2.  86.00 

Placcrville 1862-'63.  26.00 

South  Yuba 1861-62.  109.00 

South  Yuba 1866-'t>7.  81.56 

Red  Dog,  Nevada  county Three  years.  64. 00 

Fort  Jones Three  years.  16.  77 

Hoopa  valley,  Klamath  county 1861-'62.  129.15 

Port  Oi  ford Four  years.  71.  63 

Astoria,  Oregon One  and  a  half  year.    86.  35 

Dalles,  Oregon Two  years.  14.32 

Fort  Steilacoom,  Washington  Territory Five  years,  61. 75 

A  comparison  with  the  Atlantic  slope  presents  a  striking  contrast.'  The^  smallest  amount 
of  rain  that  ialls  in  one  year,  in  any  locality  on  the  eastern  side,  say  20  inches,  is  at  least 
equal  to  the  average  annual  supply  in  the  great  grain-growing  valleys  of  California ;  while,, 
on  the  other  hand,  no  locality  on  the  eastern  side,  until  you  reach  the  tropical  latitude  of 
FlorHa,  approaches  the  maximum  of  the  Pacific  slope.  Thus  California,  with  a  range  of  1( 
degrees  of  latitude,  has  ti  minimum  of  3-1  inches  at  Fort  Yuma,  with  a  maximum  exceeding 
100  inches  on  the  Sierras;  while  the  Atlantic  slope,  with  upwards  of  20  degrees  of  latitude, 
and  an  expanse  of  territory  vastly  greater,  with  mountainous  elevations  of  considerable 
height,  presents  a  n: minium  of  20  inches  with  the  same  maximum  as  California. 


280  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

To  make  the  contrast  more  striking  it  may  be  added  that  the  annual  supply  of  rain  has  a 
greater  range  in  California,  in  a  distance  of  50  miles  from  Sacramento  City,  than  on  the 
Atlantic  slope,  from  Maine  to  Florida.  Two  or  three  times  as  much  rain  may  fall  in  a  single 
night  in  the  mountains  of  California  as  in  the  entire  year  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the 
State. 

The  enormous  quantity  of  129  inches,  at  Hoopa  valley,  is  stated  on  the  authority  of  Dr. 
Kirkpatrick,  of  the  United  States  army.  In  general,  such  extreme  results  are  to  be  accepted 
with  caution.  The  gauge  may  not  have  been  fairly  exposed,  or  it  may  have  been  wrongly 
graduated.  But  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  gives,  in  detail,  the  supply  for  each  of  three  months,  which 
seems  to  confirm  his  report:  November,  44.10  inches;  December,  23.79  inches;  January, 
30.95  inches.  An  observer  on  the  South  Yuba,  Nevada  county,  reports  41.95  inches  as  fall- 
ing there  in  the  month  of  December,  1867.  Instead  of  being  surprised  at  the  floods  in  the 
Sacramento  valley,  we  may  wonder  what  becomes  of  so  much  water. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Hoopa  valley  is  but  about  40  miles  west  of  Fort  Jones,  where 
the  annual  supply  is  set  down  as  16.77  inches.  Both  places  are  on  the  northern  border  of 
the  State,  among  the  Coast  mountains,  and  remote  from  the  ocean. 

In  reference  to  the  climate  of  California  and  its  effect  upon  diseases  of  the  lungs, 
Lorin  Blodget  says : 

In  California  the  proportion  of  cases  of  this  class  has  been  given  imperfectly  for  two  prints, 
on  the  authority  of  Dr.  Hatch.  Three  years  at  Sacramento,  which  would  represent  the 
average  of  Upper  California  quite  correctly,  give  113  deaths  in  a  total  of  1,251,  or  90.03  per 
1,000,  but  of  this  he  remarks  :  "  Certain  it  is,  however,  that  few  of  the  cases  of  consumptive 
diseases  hitherto  met  with  in  the  valley  have  originated  here.  In  most  if  not  all  the  instances 
the  disease  has  been  implanted  before  reaching  the  country,  and  the  most  that  can  be  said  is, 
that  it  ha»  not  been  benefited  by  the  change.  Of  admissions  to  the  city  hospital,  San  Fran- 
cisco, for  nearly  two  years,  August  7,  1851,  to  July  1,  1853,  there  were  84  in  a  total  of  1,870 
belonging  to  the  respiratory  class.  Of  these  but  11  were  of  consumption — 45  per  1,000  of 
all,  and  5, 8  1.000  of  consumption.  It  is  believed  that  the  cases  of  all  diseases  of  this  class 
originating  in  California  will  not  reach  four  per  cent,  on  the  number  of  deaths,  and  will  thus 
stand  at  less  than  one-third  of  the  number  of  the  eastern  States.  (Climatology  of  the  United 
States,  p.  475.) 


PRINCIPAL  ROUTES  THROUGH  CALIFORNIA. 

Tables  of  distances,  fares,  and  freights.* 

STEAM  NAVIGATION— INLAND   SERVICE. 

San  Francisco  to  Sacramento,  125  miles.— Steamer  Chrysopolis,  1,300  tons,  and  steamer 
Yosernite,  1,100  tons,  daily,  at  4  p.  m.  ;  returning,  leave  Sacramento  at  2  p.  m.  Through 
fare,  $4  and  $5 ;  to  Benicia,  $2 ;  to  Rio  Vista,  $3.  Through  freight,  $3  per  ton. 

San  Francisco  to  Stockton,  127  miles.— Steamer  Julia,  600  tons,  and  steamer  Cornelia,  600 
tons,  daily,  at  4  p.  m. ;  returning,  leave  Stockton  at  4  p.  m.  Fare,  $4  and  $5.  Freight, 
$2  50  and  $3  per  ton. 

Sacramento  to  Marysville,  45  miles.— Steamers  Flora  and  Governor  Dana,  daily,  at  7  a.m.; 
returning,  leave  Marysville  at  7  a.  m.  Fare,  $4.  Freight,  $5  per  ton. 

Sacramento  to  Red  Bluff,  105  miles. — Steamers  Gem  and  Lark,  every  Saturday  morning. 
Fare,  $10.  Freight,  $17  per  ton. 

San  Francisco  to  Napa,  47  miles,  via  Vallcjo  and  Mare  Island.— Steamer  Amelia,  summer, 
daily,  at  9  a.  m. ;  winter,  Tuesday,  Thursday,  and  Saturday,  at  10  a.  m.  Fare  to  Napa,  $3; 
to  Vallejo  and  Mare  Island,  $2.  Freight,  $2  50  per  ton;  grain  from  Vallejo,  $1  per  ton. 

San  Francisco  to  Suisun,  40  miles,  via  Benicia.— Steamer  Paul  Pry,  Tuesday,  Thursday, 
and  Saturday.  Fare,  $3  ;  to  Benicia,  $2. 

*  Compiled  from  Holdredge's  "  Guide-book  of  the  Pacific,"  and  other  authorities. 


WEST    OF    THE    KOCKY   MOUNTAINS. 

Tables  of  distances,  fares,  and  freights— Continued. 


281 


CENTRAL  PACIFIC  RAILROAD. 

SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  SAN  JOSJfc  RAILROAD. 

Stations. 

S 
Ijtt 
1*5 

r/     £5 

f5~ 

Freight  t'ff, 
per  ton. 

Stations. 

o  o* 

•*j    o 

03-2 

03     O 

^  a 

s| 

o  o 

:1 

cc    O 

jfc 
«s 

^02 

Sacramento 

San  Francisco 

Arcade 

$0  70 
I  50 
1  80 
2  20 
2  50 
3  10 
3  60 
4  30 
5  50 

$1  05 
225 
2  70 
3  30 
.  3  75 
4  65 
5  40 
6  45 
8  25 

Mission 

$0  20 
25 
35 
50 
60 
70 
75 
90 
1  00 
1  25 
1  50 
1  70 
1  80 
2  10 
2  25 
2  40 
2  50 

Brannan's  .     .  

Junction  ............    .   . 

Bernal         .     .     .... 

Rockliu       ...   .   ...       ... 

San  Miguel 

Pino 

School  House 

Newcastle 

12-Mile  Farm 

Auburn 

San  Bruno 

$0  40 
45 
50 
65 
75 

Cli  pper  Gap  ..  .. 

17-Mile  House  ........   .  . 

Colfax  ...       .             

San  Mateo       ... 

Cisco   .         ... 

Belmont 

Redwood  City 

Menlo  .Park 

Mayfield    

Mountain  View            ..   .  . 

1  05 
1  15 
1  25 
1  25 

Lawrence's 

Santa  Clara 

San  Jose 

SACRAMENTO   TO   STOCKTON. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

Buckner's 

14 

$2  00 

Hicksville 

22 

3  00 

Liberty 

29 

3  50 

Woodbridge  .  .  .  

35 

4  00 

Stockton        .  .     ....    ......    .  ..  . 

50 

5  00 

Steamers  run  at  irregular  intervals  between  Sacramento  and  Stockton,  carrying  freight 
only. 


SACRAMENTO   TO   NAPA. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

Solano  House 

17 

Through  freight,  5  cents  per 

25 

pound. 

Vacavillo          ...   ....  .............. 

35 

$2  00 

Suisun                     ...  .----.  ....  ...... 

47 

Rockville                     

51 

Suscol                             ...  ......  ...... 

61 

65 

4  00 

Connect  at  Suisun  with  stages  for  Benicia,  and  at  Napa  with  Healdsburg  with  stages,  and 
line  for  St.  Helena  and  Calistoga. 


282 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


Tables  of  distances,  fares,  and  freights — Continued. 

SACRAMENTO  TO  KNIGHT'S  LANDING. 


Stations. 


Distance. 


Fare. 


Freight. 


Woodland 20         $150     Through  by  team,  25  cents  per 

Cudievillo 25  200         cwt. 

Knight's  Landing 35  300 

The  Buckeye  and  Cache  Creek  mail  branches  off  at  Woodland. 

STOCKTON  TO  CAMPO  SECO. 

Stations.  Distance.      Fare.  Freight. 

Waterloo 8  $100     Through  freight,  4  cents  per 

Locust  Shade 14  1  50         pound. 

Lockeford 18  200 

Poland's 20  200 

Camauche 28  3  00 

Poverty  Bar 30  300 

Catnpo  Seco 38  400 

Connect  at  Carnpo  Seco  with  stages  for  lone  City,  via  Winter's  Bar,  Lancha  Plana,  and 
Buena  Vista.    Distance,  fifteen  miles ;  fare,  $2. 

STOCKTON  TO  COPPEROPOLIS. 

Stations.  Distance.      Fare.  Freight. 

Twelve-Mile  House 12  $2  00  Stage,  4  cts.  per  pound  ;  team, 

Farrnington 16  250  •£  cent  to  Telegraph  City 

Rock  Creek 21  300  stage,  4   cents  per  pound 

Shaffer's 28  400  team,  f  cent  to  Stockton. 

Telegraph  City 29  400 

Copperopolis - 36  500 

STOCKTON  TO  SAN  ANDREAS. 

Stations.  Distance.      Fare.  Freight. 

Fifteen-Mile  House 15         $200  Through  by  express,  10  cents 

Gorham per  pound;  team,  1  cent  per 

Spring  Valley 37           350  pound. 

San  Andreas..  45  500 


Connect  with  stage  at  Mokelumne  Hill. 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


283 


Talks  of  distances,  fares,  and  freights — Continued. 

MARYSVILLE  TO  LA  PORTE. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

Orovillfi  via  Northern  railroad  . 

28 

$2  00 

48 

By  team  S15  per  ton 

Clipper  Mills 

56 

60 

Easrlcville               -  .-•   ............. 

62 

La  Porte 

74 

10  00 

Connect  at  La  Porte  with  stages  for  Gibsonville. 

Clipper  Mills  is  situated  near  the  eastern  edge  of  Butte  county,  within  one  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  Ytiba  county  line,  and  in  one  of  the  best  surgar-pine  sections  of  the  State, 
from  which  large  quamiities  of  clear  lumber  are  made  for  the  San  Francisco  market. 


MARYSVILLE  TO  FORBESTOWN. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

12 

$1  50 

20 

2  50 

24 

3  00 

Brownsville                ..                . 

32 

4  00 

Forbestown 

37 

5  00 

Connect  at  Forbestown  with  stages  for  La  Porte. 


MARYSVILLE  TO  DOWNIEVILLE. 
I 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

* 
Brown's  Valley    .                  .  

12 

Si  00 

Express,  2  cents  per  pound. 

Foster's  Bar 

36 

41 

5  00 

6  cents  per  pound. 

57 

9  00 

9  cents  per  pound. 

Downievillc                     ...... 

62 

10  00 

10  cents  per  pound. 

MARYSVILLE  TO  NORTH  SAN  JUAN. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

16 

$2  00 

By  express,  in  summer,  f  to  ^ 

FiviK'h  Coral  .............  .... 

30 

3  00 

cent  per  pound  ;  in  winter, 

Uirc'hville           .                 

32 

3  50 

1  to  1^-  cents  per  pound. 

Swectland 

34 

4  00 

North  San  Juan 

37 

5  00 

1  'i vight  from  Lincoln,  35  miles  distant,  to  North  San  Juan,  in  summer,  £  to  1  cent  per 
pi  mini ;  in  winter,  H  to  2  cents  per  pound. 
Connect  at  North  San  Juan  with  North  Bloomfield,  Forest  City,  and  Nevada  stages. 


284 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Tables  of  distances,  fares,  ond  freights — Continued. 


OAKLAND  TO  SOMERVILLE. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

Lafayette 

12 

$1  00 

*  Walnut  Creek 

16 

1  50 

IPacheco  .           .         .   . 

21 

2  00 

Clavton                                         

30 

2  50 

N 

Garb  ond  ale 

33 

2  75 

+Somerville  :  

35 

3  00 

Connect  with  Danville  stages.          t  Connect  with  Martinez  stages.          J  Connect  with  Antioch  stages. 
WALNUT  CREEK  TO  DANVILLE. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

Alamo  

3 

7 

.§0  50 
.75 

Danville  ....  

ANTIOCH  TO  SOMEKSVILLE. 

Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

*           Freight. 

Somersviile  .  .       *.  . 

6 

$0  50 

$4  per  ton. 

Connect  at  Antioch  with  Stockton  boats. 

OAKLAND  TO  SAN  JOSE. 


Stations.                  « 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

San  Antonio  

3 

$0  50 

1  C6nt  per  pound 

San  Leandro  .     

9 

75 

San  Lorenzo 

12 

1  00 

17 

1  00 

1  ccot  per  pound 

Centreville  

21 

2  00 

Mission               ....... 

26 

2  00 

Warm  Springs  

30 

2  00 

2  cents  per  pound 

42 

2  50 

24-  cents  per  pound 

SAN  JOSE  TO  ALMADEN  MINES. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare*. 

Freight, 

Mines         . 

12 

$1  00 

WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


285 


Tables  of '  distances ,  fares,  and  freights — Continued. 

SAN  JOSE  TO   LOS   ANGELES. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

Nutividad             .                   ........ 

52 

$4  50 

4-J-  cents  per  pound 

Burns's                      .         -    ..... 

62 

6  CO 

6  cents  per  pound 

Salinas 

82 

8  00 

8  cents  per  pound 

Cock's 

108 

11  00 

120 

12  00 

Plieto                          

132 

14  00 

14  cents  per  pound 

Hot  Springs                             ...... 

1G6 

16  00 

16  cents  per  pound 

San  Luis  Obispo 

11)0 

18  00 

l^oxcn's 

240 

19  00 

Santa  Juez 

265 

20  00 

San  ta  Barbara      

310 

20  00 

20  cents  per  pound 

San  Buenaventura  ............    ...... 

342 

23  00 

23  cents  per  pound 

Las  Posio 

362 

25  00 

Mountain  Station 

'382 

26  00 

Lone  Station  .    .. 

402 

27  00 

27  cents  per  pound 

Los  An  felcs  ..................    ...... 

418 

28  00 

28  cents  per  pound 

Connect  with  stages  for  San  Pedro,  San  Diego,  San  Bernardino,  and  Clear  Lake. 

SAN  JOSE  TO  SOUTH  SAN  JUAN. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

Fifteen-Mile  House       ...     .....  .... 

15 

$1  00 

1  cent  per  pound 

Twenty-one-Mile  House 

21 

1  50 

1  \  cent  per  pound 

Oilroy 

30 

2  00 

San  Juan  ......  

42 

3  00 

3  cents  per  pound. 

Connect  at  San  Juan  with  stages  for  Watsonville,  Salinas,  and  Monterey. 

«AN  JOSE  TO  VISALIA. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

Hallenbeck's            «  - 

50 

$5  00 

5  cents  per  pound 

San  Luis 

66 

7  00 

7  cents  per  pound 

84 

9  00 

9  cents  per  pound. 

Temple's  

98 

11  00 

11  cents  per  pound. 

Fireba/um's     ........... 

110 

14  00 

14  cents  per  pound. 

Fresno  City 

128 

17  00 

17  cents  per  pound. 

Elk  Horn 

150 

20  00 

20  cents  per  pound. 

168 

21  00 

21  cents  per  pound. 

Cross  Cfeek 

180 

23  00 

23  cents  per  pound. 

Visalia  

192 

25  00 

25  cents  per  pound. 

Connect  with  10. 30  a.  m.  train  from  San  Francisco, 
three  days. 


Semi-weekly  in  winter ;  through  in 


286 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


Tables  of  distances,  fares,  and  freights — Continued. 

SAN  JOSE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


Station. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

$1  00 

50  cents  per  100  pounds. 

PETALUMA  TO  BODEGA. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

8 

$1  00 

Express  i  cent  per  pound. 

16 

2  00 

Express  1  cent  per  pound. 

26 

2  50 

Express  1  cent  per  pound. 

Connect  at  Petaluma  with  boats  for  San  Francisco,  and  stages  for  Clovcrdale  and  Mendo- 
cino. 

PETALUMA  TO  CLOVERDALE. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

•   Freight. 

16 

$1  50 

£  cent  per  pound. 

Mark  West                                  

22 

2  00 

1  cent  per  pound. 

Windsor           

26 

2  25 

1-J-  cent  per  pound. 

32 

3  OD 

Team,  50  cents  per  100  pounds. 

Geyserville 

39 

3  50 

If  cent  per  pound. 

49 

4  50 

2  cents  per  pound. 

Connect  at  Heardsburg  with  stages  for  Skaggs's  and  the  Geyser  Springs^ 
Connect  at  Cloverdale  with  stages  for  Big  River  and  Ukiah,  and  Long  Valley. 


PETALUMA  TO  DUNCAN'S  MILL. 


Stations. 

Distance. 

Fare. 

• 

Freight. 

Two  Rock  Valley 

a 

Si  oo 

J  cent  per  pound. 

Bloorufield  .       .         .......  ........ 

14 

1  50 

£  cent  per  pound. 

Valley  Ford 

18 

2  00 

f  cent  per  pound. 

Bodega  Corners 

22 

2  50 

1  cent  per  pound. 

Bodega  Bay          ......  ......  ....  .... 

27 

3  00 

1  cent  per  pound. 

Duncan's  Point           ........ 

31 

3  50 

1  cent  per  pound. 

Duncan's  Mill 

36 

4  00 

1  cent  per  pound. 

SUISUN  TO  KNOXVILLE. 


Stations.     • 

Distance. 

Fare. 

Freight. 

Gordon  Valley 

25 

$2  50 

Berrey  csa  Val  ley  

30 

3  00 

Sulphur  Spring  House 

44 

4  00 

Knoxville 

50 

5  00 

WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


237 


Tables  of  distances,  fares,  and  freights — Continued. 

NAPA  TO  UPPER  LAKE. 


Stations. 


Distance. 


Fare. 


Freight. 


Sebastopol 9  $050 

St.  Helena » 20  100 

Calistoga 27  200 

Lower  Lake 62  700 

Kelsey  Creek 72  750 

Lakeport 87  850 

Upper  Lake 101  1000 

Connect  at  Napa  with  Sacramento  stages  and  boats  for  San  Francisco. 

LOS  ANGELES  TO  SAN  DIEGO. 

Stations.  Distance.      Fare.  Freight. 

Anaheim 30  $300 

San  Juan  Capistrano 60  600 

San  Luis  Key 93  800 

SanDiego 130  1200 

LOS  ANGELES  TO  SAN  BERNARDINO. 
Stations.  Distance.      Fare.  Freight. 

ElMonte , 14  $100 

Mud  Springs 30          250 

Sosamongo - 45  400 

San  Bernardino 65          500     2$  cents  per  pound. 

Connect  with  Los  Angeles  and  San  Jos6  stages,  and  Los  Angeles  and  Cleveland  stages. 

LOS  ANGELES  TO  SAN  PEDRO. 

Stations.  Distance.     Fare.  Freight. 

Sausee 7  $025 

LosCuervos 11  025 

Wilmington 22  050 

San  Pedro 26.  050 


288 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


Table  of  distances  from  Honolulu,  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  from  San  Francisco, 
California,  to  various  ports  of  the  Pacific  and  the  world  ;  prepared  by  J. 
H.  Rilcy,  Bureau  of  Statistics,  Treasury  Department,  and  verified  by  J.  E. 
Hilgard,  csq.,  United  States  Coast  Survey  Office,  to  accompany  statistical 
report  on  the  Sandwich  Islands. 


From  — 

To- 

Shortest  dis- 
tances. 

Shortest  sail- 
ing routes. 

Honolulu 

NauVl  miles. 

NauCl  miles. 
14,  376 

Do 

New  York  via  Panama 

4,320 

6  587 

Do    

4,560 

4,  5f)0 

Do 

Call  ao,  Peru.                 .....       .  .. 

5,  172 

5,364 

Do 

Valparaiso   Chili 

5,928 

5,  990 

Do 

Acapulco  Mexico 

3  282 

3  282 

Do              .... 

Mazatlan,  Mexico  ......    ...    ...   . 

2,856 

2,856 

Do 

Guaymas  Mexico 

2,  580    • 

3,012 

Do  

2,658 

2,658 

Do  

San  Diego,  California        .    .  ....... 

2,562 

2,  262 

Do 

San  Francisco   California 

2,080 

2,080 

Do 

Portland  Oregon 

2  256 

2  330 

Do    

Victoria,  Victoria  Island  ......  ...... 

2,310 

2,330 

Do 

New  \Vestminstcr  British  Columbia 

2,  358 

2,410 

Do  

New  Archangel,  (Sitka  Isl'd,)  Alaska. 

2,370 

2,370 

Do 

3,354 

3,  475 

Do 

Canton   China 

4  848 

5,017 

Do           

Svdney,  New  South  Wales  

4,405 

4,620 

Do 

Melbourne  Victoria          ......  ...... 

4,810 

5,280 

San  Francisco  

Jeddo,  via  Honolulu  .  .  

4,460 

5,  580 

Do    . 

Shanghai,  via  Honolulu  

5,328 

6,740 

Do 

Hong  Kong  via  Honolulu 

6  012 

7,  000 

Do 

Sydney  via  Honolulu 

6  456 

6  700 

Do 

Melbourne,  via  Honolulu  ... 

6,860 

7,160 

Do 

Calcutta  via  Honolulu 

6  810 

11,380 

Do 

New  York  via  Cape  Horn 

14  000 

Do 

5,287 

Do 

Panama                                         .  .... 

2  886 

3,260 

Do  

Callao           

3,912 

4,010 

Do 

Valparaiso                        .       .     ...... 

5  124 

5,300 

Do 

Acapulco  Mexico 

1  740 

1,850 

Do  

Manzanillo  Mexico  

1  ,  472 

1,550 

Do 

Mazatlan   Mexico                            ..... 

1,200 

1,390 

Do 

Guaymas   Mexico 

864 

1,530 

Do  

1,104 

1,145 

Do 

San  Diego   California        ... 

400 

450 

Do 

Portland    Oregon 

462 

570 

Do    

Victoria,  Vancouver's  Island    ...  .... 

654 

746 

Do 

New  Westminster  British  Columbia 

690 

815 

Do 

New  Archangel   (Sitka  Island) 

1  284 

'   1,290 

Do 

4  900 

A  spin  wall 

Milford  Plaven   England         ..    ----- 

4,  390 

4,500 

Tahiti    Society  Islands 

4  430 

4,540 

Do                   

Sydney,  New  South  Wales  

7,633 

7.690 

Do 

Canton,  China    .... 

8,760 

9,  577 

• 

WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  289 

SECTION    XXII. 

GENERAL    SUMMARY. 

AREA  OF  CALIFORNIA,  ARABLE  LANDS,  POPULATION,  PRODUCT  OF  PRECIOUS  METALS, 
SHIPMENTS  OF  TREASURE,  COINAGE,  &C. 

The  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  in  his  Report  for  1867,  says  : 

California  extends  along  the  Pacific  coast  750  miles,  with  an  average  breadth  of  230.  Its 
area  is  188,981  square  miles,  or  120,947,840  acres,  of  which  not  less  than  89,000,000,  includ- 
ing swamp  and  tule  lands  capable  of  reclamation,  are  suited  to  some  kinds  of  profitable  hus- 
bandry. Of  these  over  40,000,000  are  fit  for  the  plough,  and  the  remainder  present  excellent 
facilities  for  stock-raising,  fruit-growing,  and  all  the  other  branches  of  agriculture.  This  agri- 
cultural area  exceeds  that  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  or  the  entire  peninsula  of  Italy.  The 
State  also  contains  about  40,000,000  of  acres  of  mineral  land,  unsurpassed  for  productiveness. 

About  30,000,000  of  acres  have  been  surveyed,  leaving  a  residue  unsurveyed  of  90,000,000. 
Nearly  9,000,000  have  been  granted  to  the  State  by  the  general  government,  under  various 
acts  of  Congress,  for  common  schools,  agricultural  colleges,  public  buildings,  and  internal 
improvements. 

Of  the  40,000,000  acres  of  arable  land,  14,000,000  are  found  in  the  basin  of  the  Sacramento 
and  San  Joaquin  rivers,  16,000,000  in  the  coast  valleys,  and  the  residue  in  the  region  called 
the  ' '  Colorado  desert,"  in  Owen's  river  valley  and  the  Klamath  basin.  When  irrigation  is 
practiced  on  an  extensive  scale,  as  it  must  be  within  a  few  years,  and  the  valley  of  the  Col- 
orado is  brought  under  its  influence,  much  of  what  is  now  characterized  as  "desert"  will 
become  productive  and  valuable.  The  land  not  fit  for  the  plough,  but  valuable  for  grazing 
and  in  a  measure  for  horticultural  purposes,  especially  the  grape  culture,  is  to  be  found  OIL 
the  foot-hills  and  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Coast  Range  mountains. 

Langley,  in  his  Pacific  Coast  Directory,  estimates  that  65,000,000  acres  are 
adapted  to  agriculture,  15,000,000  to  grazing  purposes,  that  4,000,000  are  swamp 
and  overflowed  lands ;  also,  that  the  greater  portion  of  the  latter  is  capable  of 
reclamation,  and  is  to  a  great  extent  each  year  being  added  to  the  cultivated 
lands  of  the  State.  The  area  of  lakes,  bays  and  mountains  he  estimates  at 
14,000,000. 

Of  the  65,000,000  acres  of  agricultural  land,  [says  the  same  authority,  ]  there  were  returned 
by  the  county  assessors,  for  the  year  1865,  as  under  fence,  4,055,690  acres,  and  under  culti- 
vation 1,504,680  acres.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  there  is  but  six  per  cent,  of  the  agricultural 
land  of  the  State  under  fence,  and  little  over  two  and  one-half  per  cent,  under  cultivation. 
The  returns  for  1866  will  increase  these  estimates  about  15  per  cent. 

19 


290 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 


[From  Langley's  Pacific  Coast  Directory.] 

Table  exhibiting  the  county  seats  of  the  different  counties,  legal  distances,  population 

of  1860  and  1866,  &c. 


Counties. 

County  seat. 

S® 
§5 

S^-s 

•o  C.-S 

lit 

3 

Date  of  organ- 
ization. 

Population  in 
1860. 

1 

£ 
o 

> 

aS»- 

a  cc  co 

O  QO 

c  ^^ 
£I2S 

•a  *.  « 

§** 

i 

W 

w  = 

Am't  of  real 
and  personal 
property  in 
1866. 

Alameda         

San  Leandro  .... 

Miles. 
135 

1853 

8,926 

2  278 

4  631 

15,  430 

$4  533  560 

Silver  Mountain  . 

140 

1864 

612 

231 

450  000 

Jackson  

55 

1854 

10,  933 

2  591 

2  816 

9  380 

1  907  252 

Butte 

Oroville         

75 

1850 

12  107 

2  856 

2  806 

9  350 

5  128  358 

San  Andreas  .... 

60 

1850 

16  3C2 

3  635 

3  600 

12  000 

1  890  657 

Colusa 

75 

1850 

2  274 

699 

956 

3  180 

1  689  155 

90 

1850 

5  3°8 

1  480 

2  68° 

8  960 

2  544  282 

Crescent  City. 

465 

1857 

1,992 

'306 

299 

379  025 

El  Dorado     

Placerville  

50 

1850 

20  562 

5  071 

3  892 

12  970 

3  476  526 

MUlerton 

190 

1856 

4  605 

451 

486 

1  680 

826  000 

Eureka  

390 

1853 

2  694 

685 

1  601 

5  330 

2  200  000 

f 

18G6 

2rf 

+500  000 

Kern         

Havilah        

f 

18G6 

819*825 

Klamath 

450 

1851 

1  803 

261 

197 

288  089 

Lake                      .  .   - 

Lakeport  

120 

1801 

618 

995 

3  350 

395  708 

200 

1864 

554 

426 

1  420 

+750  000 

Los  Angeles  

550 

1850 

11  336 

1  299 

3  882 

12  940 

2  353  392 

Marin    

San  Rafael  

135 

1850 

3  334 

1,095 

1,347 

4,490 

2,247  571 

145 

1850 

6  243 

1  609 

1  253 

4  170 

1  237  470 

Mendocino  

Ukiah  

t 

1850 

3  967 

1  354 

2  301 

7,670 

1  900  000 

Snelling 

115 

1855 

1  141 

291 

596 

1  980 

842  847 

Mono    

Bridgeport  

260 

1861 

305 

357  961 

245 

1850 

4  739 

779 

2  123 

7  000 

1  265  450 

NapaCity...  . 

60 

1850 

5  515 

1  328 

2  175 

7  250 

2  797  688 

Nevada  

Nevada  City  

65 

1851 

16,  447 

4,577 

4,970 

16,  560 

5,  173  837 

Placer 

Auburn         

35 

3851 

13  270 

3  792 

3  123 

10  410 

2  826  243 

145 

1854 

4  363 

1  497 

982 

3  670 

1  192  521 

Capital 

1850 

24  145 

5  956 

6  914 

23  000 

10  316  976 

San  Bernardino  

San  Bernardino.. 

600 
750 

1854 
1850 

5,554 
4  326 

736 
294 

1,679 
454 

5,260 
1  500 

695,  201 
448  706 

San  Francisco  

San  Francisco  .  .  . 

117 

1856 

56  805 

21  019 

30  694 

102  313 

88  402  274 

51 

1850 

9  434 

3  276 

5  143 

17  140 

5  275  016 

San  Luis  Obispo  
San  Mateo  
Santa  Barbara  

San  Luis  Obispo. 
Redwood  City... 
Santa  Barbara  .  . 

335 
140 
435 

1850 
1856 
1850 

1,782 
3,214 
3  545 

408 
977 
423 

'856 
1,544 
I  641 

2,850 

5,148 
5  470 

758,  330 
2,  700,  000 
771  861 

Santa  Clara 

150 

1850 

11  91° 

3  132 

6  509 

21  696 

7  972  899 

Santa  Cruz     

Santa  Cruz  

245 

1850 

4  945 

1  426 

2  780 

9  260 

1  441  739 

Shasta 

Shasta 

185 

1850 

4  360 

1  471 

1  276 

4  050 

1  091  723 

Sierra              

Dowuieville  .... 

110 

1852 

11  389 

3  088 

1  555 

5  180 

2  314  096 

Siskiyou  

Yreka  

350 

1852 

7  629 

1  882 

1  727 

5,756 

1,617  822 

Solano 

Fairfield 

90 

1850 

7  170 

2  163 

4  755 

15  850 

3  044  120 

Sonoma  

Santa  Rosa  

130 

1850 

11  867 

4  362 

7  585 

25  280 

5,346  686 

85 

1854 

2  245 

623 

940 

3  460 

1  026  216 

•Sutter  

Yuba  City  

50 

1850 

3  390 

1  263 

1  739 

5  796 

1  778,268 

Tebama 

Red  Bluff 

145 

1P56 

4  044 

846 

1  016 

3  286 

1  598  500 

Trinity  

Weaverville 

255 

1851 

5  125 

1  114 

'728 

2  426 

653  189 

Tulare 

Visalia 

250 

1852 

4  638 

1  167 

1  363 

4  890 

1  299  379 

Tnolumne  
Yolo 

Sonora  
Woodland 

115 
16 

1850 
1850 

16,229 
4  716 

3,155 
1  128 

2^951 
2  125 

9,836 
7  080 

|2,  300.  000 
2  156  427 

Yuba  

Marysville 

50 

1850 

13  671 

3  203 

3  126 

10  420 

4  150  500 

Total  

380  016 

103  135 

137  498 

456  437 

197  133  345 

NOTE.— Total  estimated  population  in  1867,  480,000. 

*  The  figures  in  the  above  table  referring  to  the  population  of  this  State  for  1866  are  taken  from  the  report 
of  the  State  superintendent  of  public  schools,  Mr.  John  Swett,  and  are  estimated  upon  the  basis  that  the 
school  children  under  fifteen  years  of  age  constitute  thirty  per  cent,  of  the  population.  In  the  absence  of 
official  data,  this  is  probably  as  fair  a  mode  as  can  be  adopted  to  arrive  at  an  approximation  of  the  population 
of  our  State.  We  think,  however,  that  the  estimate  for  San  Francisco  is  at  least  18,000  too  low. —  Compiler. 
t  Not  yet  defined  by  law.  J  Estimated. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


291 


Statement  of  the  number  of  passengers  ~by  sea  arriving  at  and  departing  from  the 
port  of  San  Francisco  during  the  first,  second,  third,  and  fourth  quarters  of 
1867,  as  declared  at  the  custom-house. 


Arrivals. 

Departures. 

c1 
B 

2d  quarter. 

3d  quarter. 

4th  quarter. 

•3 

e 

1  st  quarter. 

9 

H3 

1 
3 

3 

o* 

'O 
M 

4th  quarter. 

"H 

1 

Panama  New  Granada 

3,089 
1.766 
242 
463 
12 
4 
158 
193 
145 
20 

6,409 
1,519 
236 

2,129 

5,654 
1,674 
341 
1,429 
6 

5,630 
1,  835 
405 
273 
13 

20,782 
6,791 
1,224 
4,  294 
31 
4 

2,227 
867 
77 
424 

1 

3,168 
1,413 
134 
410 

2,194 
1,005 
120 
1,232 
2 

2,434 

•  1,  055 
71 
2,433 
1 

10,  074 
4,  340 
402 
4,  499 
4 

Victoria,  British  Columbia  

Europe  direct         

Australia       

315 
73 

227 
18 

702 
230 
67 

47 

98 
97 
105 
54 

1,267 
593 
544 
139 

67 

107 
99 
14 

67 
441 
260 
382 

156 
63 
15 

111 
51 
9 

67 
47 
344 

Hawaiian  islands    

Total  

6,086 

10,926 

10,150 

8,510 

35,  672 

3,881 

5,296 

5,011 

6,  281 

20,  469 

RECAPITULATION. 


1st  quarter. 

2d  quarter. 

3d  quarter. 

4th  quarter. 

Total. 

Arrivals                        .  .. 

6  086 

10  9°6 

10  150 

8  510 

35  67° 

Departures......  .  . 

3  881 

5  296 

.  5  Oil 

6  281 

20  469 

Gain 

o  205 

5  630 

*>  139 

2  229 

15  °C3 

One  of  the  most  agreeable  features  of  the  past  year  is  the  increase  in  population  whiclf 
reached  our  shores  during  its  passage.  The  arrivals  during  the  second  and  third  quarters  were 
more  numerous  than  in  the  first  and  fourth  quarters,  while  the  departures  for  the  fourth  quarter 
exceed  those  of  any  other.  This  we  believe  to  be  contrary  to  the  general  rule.  Heretofore 
the  greatest  number  of  arrivals  by  sea  have  been  during  the  last  quarter,  and  the  departures 
fewer.  People  at  the  east  are  generally  more  anxious  to  leave  when  the  rigors  of  their  severe 
winters  commence,  while  those  who  have  been  residents  of  the  Pacific  coast  usually  evince 
more  desire  to  go  eastward  when  the  spring  has  fairly  opened  and  our  winds  commence. 
Daring  the  year  1867  the  arrivals  by  sea  exceeded  the  departures  by  J 5,203.  But  we  have 
also  received  large  additions  overland.  Our  probable  increase  from  abroad  will  reach  27,000 
souls.  Large  numbers  are  known  to  be  on  their  way  from  Sweden,  Germany,  and  Norway, 
and  considerable  tracts  of  fine  farming  land  have  already  been  purchased  and  made  ready  for 
their  reception.— [Commercial  Herald  and  Market  Review. 


PRODUCT  OF  PRECIOUS  METALS,  ETC. 

RECEIPTS  AND  EXPORTS  OF  TREASURE. — The  following  tables  derived  from 
official  sources  are  copied  from  the  Commercial  Herald  and  Market  Review  : 

TREASURE  PRODUCT,  IMPORTS,  ETC. 

The  receipts  of  treasure  from  all  sources  through  regular  public  channels  during  the  past. 
twelve  months,  as  compared  with  1866,  have  been  as  follows : 

1866.  1867. 

From  California  northern  mines $38, 715, 340  $40,  927, 309 

From  California  southern  mines 5, 149,749  4,477,461 

From  Coastwise  ports,  Oregon,  &c 5, 940, 536  6, 192, 734 

Imports,  foreign,  British  Columbia,  &c 2, 887, 028  3, 969,  322 


Total 52,692,653 


55, 566, 826 


292 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


From  an  examination  of  the  statements  of  treasure  received  in  this  city,  it  will  be  seen  that 
there  has  been  an  increase  of  more  than  $2,000,000  in  the  amount  received  from  the  northern 
mines  the  past  over  the  preceding  year  ;  the  greater  portion  of  this  increment  being  due  to 
the  State  of  Nevada.  The  receipts  from  the  southern  mines  have  meantime  fallen  off  mate- 
rially, while  those  from  coastwise  ports,  Oregon,  &c.,  have  increased  slightly,  and  those  from 
British  Columbia  and  other  foreign  ports  very  considerably.  The  bullion  transmitted  the 
past  year  to  this  city,  through  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co's.  express,  as  being  the  product  of  the 
State  of  Nevada,  amounted  to  $18,000,000.  To  this  sum  may  be  added,  perhaps,  $500,000 
to  represent  the  amount  of  bullion  arriving  during  the  year  in  private  hands,  making  a  total 
product  for  that  State  for  1867  of  $18,500,000.  Of  this  sum  about  $2, 000, 000  may  be  set  down 
as  the  product  of  Reese  river  and  other  outside  localities,  leaving  the  balance  $16,000, 000  to  be 
credited  to  the  Comstock  lode.  In  apportioning  the  product  of  these  several  outside  localities, 
about  $1,500,000  should  be  set  down  to  account  of  what  is  usually  termed  the  Reese  river 
country,  which,  for  the  end  in  view,  should  be  made  to  embrace  all  the  outlying  districts  about 
Austin;  in  fact,  the  whole  of  Lander,  Nye,  and  Lincoln  counties,  excepting,  perhaps,  the  Silver 
Peak  district,  which  lies  in  Esmeralda  county,  and  which  has  turned  out  but  little  bullion 
the  past  year.  The  remaining  half  million  may  be  divided  between  Humboldt  and  Esmeralda 
counties  in  the  following  proportions:  $300,000  for  the  former,  and  $200,000  for  the  latter, 
none  of  the  other  counties  in  the  State,  except  Storey,  containing  the  Comstock  lode,  pro- 
ducing any  bullion  worth  naming.  These  figures,  as  will  be  seen,  denote  for  the  year  in 
question  a  very  marked  increase  in  the  State  at  large  over  the  yield  of  any  former  year ;  this 
rate  of  increase  being  in  about  the  same  ratio  for  the  Comstock  lode  and  the  outside  precincts. 
The  product  of  the  former  for  1866  was  estimated  at  $16,250,000,  and  of  the  other  localities 
named,  $1,250,000,  of  which  $1,000,000  was  assigned  to  Reese  river,  and  $250,000  to  Hum- 
boldt and  Esmeralda.  While,  however,  such  gratifying  gains  have,  during  this  period,  sig- 
nalized the  progress  of  Nevada,  the  year  has  rather  been  one  of  preliminary  preparation  than 
of  progress  and  fruition ;  the  most  of  the  companies  owning  what  may  be  considered  the  more 
promising  of  the  outside  mines,  having  been  engaged  at  heavy  expense  in  developing  their 
claims,  and  erecting  mills — very  few  of  them  in  active  productive  operation.  These  mills  will 
soon  be  completed,  and  the  mines  be  thoroughly  explored,  and  placed  in  condition  to  yield 
ores  largely,  rendering  it  probable  that  still  more  marked  additions  will  be  made  to  the  bullion 
returns  of  the  State  the  present  than  was  done  the  past  year,  and  almost  insuring  for  that 
State  a  total  product  for  1868  of  $20,000,000.  Even  if  the  Comstock  mines  should  not 
advance  their  yield,  or  should  suffer  some  small  abatement,  this  result  will  probably  be  attained, 
as  there  is  an  almost  certainty  of  the  mines  at  Silver  Peak  and  those  about  Belmont  turning 
out  a  large  amount  of  bullion  the  current  year,  to  say  nothing  of  the  promised  gains  for 
Humboldt  and  Esmeralda. 

The  following  table  shows  the  value  and  destination  of  treasure  shipments  from  this  port 
during  the  past  14  years — from  1854  to  1867,  inclusive : 


Years 

East'n  ports. 

England. 

China. 

Panama. 

Other  ports. 

Totals. 

1854.... 

146,533,166 

$3,  781,  080 

$965,887 

$204,592 

$560,  908 

$52,  045,  633 

1855.... 

38,  730,  564 

5,182,156 

889,  675 

231,207 

128,  129 

45,161,731 

1856.... 

39,895,294 

8,  666,  289 

1  ,  308,  852 

253,  268 

573,732 

50,  697,  434 

1857.... 

35,531,778 

9,  347,  743 

2,  993,  264 

410,929 

692,  978 

48,  976,  692 

1858.... 

35,891,236 

9,  265,  739 

1,910,007 

299,  265 

175,779 

47,  548,  026 

1859.... 

40,  146,437 

3,910,930 

3,100,756 

279,  949 

202,  390 

47,  640,  462 

I860.... 

35,719,296 

2,  672,  936 

3,  374,  630 

300,819 

258,  185 

42,  325,  916 

1861.... 

32,628,011 

4,061,779 

3,541,279 

349.  769 

95,  920 

40,676,758 

1862     .. 

26,194,035 

12,950,140 

2,  660,  754 

434,  508 

322,  324 

42,561,761 

1863.... 

10,  389,  330 

28,  467,  256 

4,  206,  370 

2,  503,  296 

505,  6137 

46,071,920 

1864.... 

13,316,122 

34,  436,  423 

7,  888,  973 

378,  795 

686,888 

56,707,201 

J865.... 

20,  583,  390 

15,  432,  639 

6,  963,  522 

1,224,845 

1,103,832 

45,308,227 

1866.... 

29,244,891 

6,  532,  208 

6,527,287 

511,550 

1  ,  548,  457 

44,364,393 

1867.... 

23,  355,  903 

5,841,184 

9,031,504 

372,  552 

3,  075,  149 

41,676,292 

Totals. 

428,159,453 

150,  548,  502 

55,  368,  810 

7,  755,  344 

9,  930,  338 

651,762,446 

WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


293 


RECEIPTS   OF   TREASURE. 

The  following  tables  comprise  the  receipts  of  coined  and  uncoined  treasure  from  the  inte- 
rior and  coastwise  during  the  years  1805,  1866,  and  1867  : 


FROM  THE  SOUTHERN  MINES. 


1865. 

1866. 

1867. 

Uncoined. 

Coined. 

Total. 

Uncoined. 

Coined. 

Total. 

Uncoined. 

Coined. 

Total. 

Jan 

$3,236,768 
2,  995,  1G3 
3,  875,  331 
3,  258,  420 
3,  851,  533 
3,  416,  304 
2,  860,  830 
3,  058,  004 
2.  613,  623 
2,  688,  079 
2,  614,  218 
2,181,064 

$440,  637 
245,  174 
916,  853 
279,  504 
211,808 
271,438 
274,  776 
209,118 
185,  342 
225,  977 
250,  853 
281,  630 

$3,  677,  405 
3.  240,  337 
4,  092,  184 
3,  537,  924 
4,063,341 
3,  687,  742 
3,  135,  606 
3,  267,  122 
2,  798,  965 
2,  914,  056 
2,865,071 
2,  462,  694 

$2,  347,  832 
2,  846,  130 
2,  567,  0(10 
2,  951.  030 
3,  523,  482 
3,  357,  702 
3,  158,  584 
3,  293,  276 
2,  802,  649 
3,  128,  320 
2,621,219 
2,  595,  531 

$452,  288 
173,  030 
182.  000 
599,415 
360,  670 
230,  373 
445,  000 
243,  097 
241,443 
198,  420 
196,  337 
200,  512 

$2,  800,  120 
3,  019,  160 
2,  749,  000 
3,  550,  445 
3,  884,  152 
3,  588,  075 
3,  603,  584 
3,  536,  373 
3,  044,  092 
3,  326,  740 
2,817,556 
2,  796,  043 

$3,  077,  269 
2,  262,  155 
2,719,436 
3,  943,  605 
3,  521,  435 
3,  465,  576 
3,701,611 
3,  736,  035 
3,  101,  754 
3,  082,  637 
2,  968,  419 
1,  998,  695 

$439,  264 
265,  857 
281,876 
246,  910 
250,  354 
273,  403 
291,  524 
209,  890 
185,  920 
307,  219 
253,  263 
343,  202 

$3,516,533 
2,  528,  012 
3,  001,  312 
4,  190,  515 
3,  771,  789 
3,  738,  979 
3,  993,  135 
3,  945,  925 
3,  287,  G74 
3,  389,  85G 
3,  221,  682 
2,  341,  897 

Feb  ..  . 

March.... 
April  
May  
June  
July  .  .  . 

Aug 

Sept  
Oct. 

Nov  
Dec  

Total  .  .  . 

36,  649,  337 

3,  093,  110 

39,  742,  447 

35,  192,  755 

3,  522,  585J38,  715,  340 

37,  578,  627 

3,  348,  682  40,  927,  309 

FROM  THE  SOUTHERN   MINES. 


Jan 

$425  711 

$123  374 

$549  085  $289  984 

$138  836 

$4°8  8°0 

$oo0  3(57 

$166  707 

$387  074 

Feb  

386  287 

72  283 

458*  570|   308*  716 

65  431 

374  147 

203  918 

57  45° 

261  370 

March.... 
April  
May  . 

530,  210 
471,  963 
501  267 

129,  073 
79,  600 
135  444 

659,  283   250,  000 
551,  563   355,  295 
636  711   269  045 

57,  000 
64,  479 

84  080 

307,  000 
419,774 
353  1°5 

203,  250 

287,  478 
290  543 

98,  674 
123,  275 
130  600 

301,924 
410,753 
421  143 

433  818 

86  534 

520*  352   °D6'  1  68 

119'  350 

415  518 

314  40° 

114  107 

4°8  509 

July  .  . 

408  903 

136  363 

545*  266   306*  373 

70  43° 

376  805 

3  09  661 

87*910 

397  r>T 

Aug 

407  355 

100  404 

507*  759   3C9'  361 

79  595 

388  956 

°6°  188 

75  8°5 

338  013 

Sept  

421,  033 
437  274 

82,261 
156  642 

503,  294   256,  683 
593  916   488  450 

97,  608 
87  614 

354,  291 
576  064 

237,  027 
263  72C 

104,  9C9 
^30  o°8 

341,  996 

395  757 

g£  :::::: 

373,  433 
311,159 

122,  935 
95,  634 

496|  368;   49o|  300 
406,  793   486,  600 

92,330 
86,  019 

582,  630 
572,  619 

254,  921 
165,  873 

184,837 
187,  721 

439,  758 
353,  594 

Total... 

5,  108,  413 

1,  320,  547 

6,  428,  960!  4,  106,  975 

1,  042,  774 

5,  149,  749 

3,  013,  356 

1,  464,  105 

4,  477,  461 

COASTWISE. 


$333,  123 

$128.611 

$461,  734 

$257,  930 

$30,  853 

$288,  783 

$344,  440 

$15,381 

$359,  821 

r©b  .  .  .... 

219,926 

59,  978 

279,  904 

174,219 

80,  972 

255,  191 

128,  799 

10,  884 

139,  683 

lurch  .  .  . 

167,411 

40,911 

208,  322 

197,  023 

20,  577 

217,  600 

119,  398 

23,  284 

142,  682 

April  

291,949 

60,  873 

352,  822 

274,  620 

29,  974 

304,  594 

344,  075 

7,  450 

351,  525 

if  fty  

362,  150 

47,  975 

410,  134 

411,427 

90,  956 

502,  383 

380,  780 

11,636 

392,416 

fuiie  

791,928 

52,  669 

844,  597 

460,  132 

42,  388 

502,  520 

366,  265 

8,976 

375,  241 

\u\y  

823,641 

31,  269 

854,910 

680,  953 

37,  591 

718,  544 

760,  693 

214,  744 

975,  437 

\_\\rr  

786,  533 

32,  241 

818,799 

932,  392 

56,  959 

989,  351 

1,  006,  186 

2,536 

1,  OC8,  722 

k-pt  

954,813 

28,  876 

983,  689 

621,  426 

7,618 

629,  044 

490,  853 

5,556 

496.  409 

)ct  

634,116 

23,  864 

657,  980 

559,  212 

54,055 

613,  267 

744,  349 

80,  980 

825;  329 

iov  

794,  085 

16,818 

810,  903 

412,  183 

45,  300 

457,  483 

536,  548 

1GO,  520 

637,  068 

Dec  

788,  802 

24,  180 

812,  982 

415,  583 

32,  193 

447,  776 

442,  951 

45,  450 

488,  401 

Total  .  .  . 

6,  948,  511 

548,  265 

7,  496,  776 

5,  397,  100 

529,  436 

5,  926,  536 

5,  665,  337 

527,  397 

6,  192,  734 

RECAPITULATION. 


1865. 

1866. 

1867. 

$48,  706,  261 

$44,  696,  830 

$46,  257,  320 

4  961,922 

5,  C94,  895 

5,  340,  184 

53,  668,  183 

49,791,725 

51,  597,  504 

294 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


Statement  of  the  amount  and  destination  of  treasure  exported  from  San  Francisco 
during  the  year  ending  December  31,  1867,  as  declared  at  tJie  cmtom-lwuse. 

TO  NEW  YORK. 

In  January $2,809,235  55 

InFebruary 1,396,207  24 

In  March 1,646,058  86 

In  April. 1,186,780  34 

InMay 2,535,232  56 

In  June 2,661,643  57 

In  July 2,389,688  29 

InAugust 1,610,041  45 

In  September 1,337,755  30 

In  October 1,024,552  18 

InNovember 1,957,828  43 

InDecember 2,800,881  68 

$23, 355, 903  45 

TO  ENGLAND. 

In  January 703,070  85 

In  February 384,098  00 

In  March 357,661  60 

In  April 297,174  02 

InMay 788,772  13 

In  June 502,834  36 

In  July 616,302  22 

InAugust 515,691  91 

In  September 493,065  34 

In  October 704,600  43 

InNovember 321,514  42 

InDecember 156,408  71 

5, 841, 183  99 

TO  FRANCE. 

In  January 122,331  56 

InFebruary 105,079  91 

InMarch 67,000  00 

In  April 69,537  25 

InMay 101,509  48 

In  June 117,400  57 

In  July 183,751  64 

InAugust 234,905  70 

In  September 106,600  42 

In  October 34,772  40 

InNovember 65,555  27 

InDecember 74,791  53 

1 , 283, 235  73 

TO  CHINA. 

In  January 806,076  27 

InFebruary 376,206  32 

InMarch 110,642  72 

In  April 1,081,513  57 

Li  May 760,027  73 

In  June 698,933  73 

In  July 1,746,078  69 

In  August 385,540  53 

In  September 1,180,308  18 

In  October 1,119,629  84 

InDecember 766,546  77 

9, 031, 504  35 

TO  JAPAN. 

In  January 21,685  46 

InMarch 10,000  00 

In  April 2,238  72 

InMay 2,845  00 

In  July 1,100  00 

In  September 10,000  00 

InOctober 650  00 

InDecember 593,430  34 

641,94952 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


295 


TO  PANAMA. 

In  January $30,000  00 

In  February 30, 000  00 

In  March 30,000  00 

InApril 29,000  00 

InMay 30.000  00 

In  June 30, 000  00 

In  July 30,000  00 

In  August 32,127  40 

In  September 40, 000  00 

In  October 30,000  00 

InNovember 31,424  30 

luDecember 30,000  00 

$372,551  70 

TO  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 

InFebruary 20,000  00 

In  April 45,550  00 

InMay 28,400  00 

In  June 8,000  00 

In  July 3,000  00 

In  October 8,66000 

In  December • 58,370  00 

171,980  00 

TO  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS. 

InApril 1,300  00 

In  June 1, 000  00 

In  July 1,000  00 

InAu^ust 5,000  00 

In  October 18,906  00 

In  November 29,826  42 

57,032  45 

TO  MEXICO. 

In  January 10,000  00 

In  February 3,000  00 

InMarch 13,000  00 

In  October 5,000  00 

In  December. ~ - 11,000  00 

42,00000 

TO   VALPARAISO. 

In  February 399,849  08 

InMarch 323,601  89 

723,450  97 

TO    TAHITI. 

InFebru/iry - 500  00 

TO  VICTORIA. 

InFebruary 50,000  00 

In  October 80,000  00 

InDecember 25,000  00 

155,00000 

Total,  1867 -41,676,722  16 

Total,  1866 44,364,39305 

Decrease  this  year 2,688,100  39 


*To  the  figures  representing  the  amount  of  treasure  shipped  hence  in  1867  would  justly  be  added  about 
$6,000,000  sent  east  by  the  United  States  sub-treasurer  in  this  city,  whereby  the  total  sum  sent  out  of  tho 
country  reached  $48,000,000  for  the  last  year.  This  officer  shipped  on  government  account  $11,500,000  in  1S6G, 
though,  so  near  as  we  can  learn,  not  over  $6,000,000  wero  shipped  by  him  last  year. 


296 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


AMOUNT  OF  BULLION  ASSAYED  AND  TAXED. — The  following  table,  pre- 
pared at  the  office  of  the  Commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue,  shows  the  total 
amount  of  bullion  produced  in  the  United  States,  upon  which  the  revenue  tax 
of  one-half  of  one  per  cent,  has  been  collected  during  the  calendar  year  1867.* 
It  should  be  observed  that  the  bullion  is  not  always  assayed  and  assessed  in  the 
State  or  Territory  in  which  it  is  produced.  California,  for  example,  shows  a 
total  estimated  value  of  gold  and  silver  bullion  in  coin  of  $28,840,139;  this 
includes  a  considerable  portion  of  the  product  of  Idaho,  Washington  Territory, 
and  Oregon.  Nearly  all  the  bullion  produced  in  Nevada  is  assessed  in  that 
State ;  whilst  in  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  the  assessments  are  upon  bullion 
deposited  there  from  other  sources.  The  table,  therefore,  is  chiefly  valuable  as 
showing  the  aggregate  product  upon  which  taxes  have  been  collected.  The 
total  value  assessed,  viz  :  $'58,175,047,  and  the  actual  product  for  1867,  as  esti- 
mated in  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  (page  3,)  viz :  $75,000,000, 
show  a  difference  of  $16,824,953.  Of  this  amount  a  portion  may  be  accounted 
for  as  remaining  unassayed,  and  some  may  have  escaped  taxation. 

Statement  sJwwing  the  tax  returned  on  bullion  as  assayed  from  each  State  and  Ter- 
ritory of  the  United  States  for  the  calendar  year  1867;  also,  tJie  value  of  tlie 
bullion  in  currency  and  its  estimated  value  in  coin,  assuming  that  the  average 
premium  on  gold  for  the  year  was  38f  per  cent.,  or  that  one  dollar  in  currency 
was  worth  seventy-two  cents  in  coin. 


States  and  Territories. 

Tax  in  currency 
on  gold  bullion. 

Tax  in  currency 
on  silver  bul- 
lion. 

Valueoftbegold 
bullion,  in  cur- 
rency. 

Value  of  the  sil- 
ver bullion,  in 
currency. 

California 

$193  366  74 

$6  912  00 

$38  673  348 

$1  38°  400 

1  447  45 

289  490 

Idaho    

5,680  12 

1,  682  02 

1  136  024 

336  404 

11  413  70 

44 

2  282  740 

83 

43  ggs  go 

77  021  21 

8  773  040 

15  404  242 

New  York 

28  140  27 

3  007  70 

5  638  054 

601  540 

Oregon            

10  C24  60 

4  61 

2  004  920 

922 

14  030  14 

1  747  00 

2  806  028 

349  400 

Utali                 

4,  087  16 

'  817*  432 

1  563  02 

312  604 

Total 

313  618  40 

90  374  98 

62  723  680 

18  074  996 

States  and  Territories. 

Total  value  of 
gold  and  silver 
bullion,  in  cur- 
rency. 

Estimated  value 
of  gold  bullion, 
in  coin. 

Estimated  value 
of  silver  bul- 
lion, in  coin. 

Total  estimated 
value  of  gold 
and  silver  bul- 
lion, in  coin. 

California  

$40  055  748 

$27  844  811 

$995  328 

$28  840  139 

289  490 

208  433 

208  433 

Idaho             

1  472  428 

817  937 

242  211 

1,060  148 

2  282  828 

1  643  573 

63 

1  643  636 

24  177  282 

6  310,589 

11  091  054 

17  407,643 

New  York 

6  229  594 

4  052  199 

433  109 

4  485  308 

2  005  842 

1  443,542 

664 

1  444  206 

3,  155,  428 

2,  020,  340 

251,  568 

2,  271,  908 

Utah                                     

817  432 

588  551 

588,  551 

312  604 

225  075 

225  075 

Total    

80,  798,  676 

45,  161,  050 

13,  013,  997 

58,  175,  047 

This  tax  is  abolished  under  the  new  internal  revenue  act. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


297 


DEPOSITS  AND  COINAGE. — The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  deposits  and 
coinage  at  the  branch  mint  of  the  United  States,  in  San  Francisco,  during  the 
year  ending  December  31,  1867  : 


Value. 


Gold  deposits $18,923,152  17 

Silver  deposits  and  purchases 613,117  94 

Total  deposits 19,536,270  11 

Statement  of  coinage  executed. 


Denominations. 

No.  of  pieces. 

Value. 

GOLD. 
Double  eagles  . 

920  750 

$18  415  000  00 

Eagles 

9  000 

90  000  00 

Half  eagles        .          .        ....................     ... 

29  000 

145  000  00 

28  000 

70  000  00 

Total 

986  750 

18  720  000  00 

SILVER. 
Half  dollars     .  ........................................................ 

1  196  000 

598  000  00 

48  000 

12  000  00 

Dimes               .             ...  

140*  000 

14  000  00 

Half  dimes                                                      . 

120  000 

6  000  00 

Fine  bars                   

20 

20  534  92 

Total 

1  504  0°0 

650  534  92 

RECAPITULATION. 

986  750 

18  720,  000  00 

Silver 

1  504  020 

650  534  92 

Total                                       .                   . 

2  490  770 

19  370  534  92 

The  deposits  for  the  year  ending  December  31,  1867,  were  of  the  following  character : 


GOLD  DEPOSITS. 

California,  bullion $5,700,871  12 

1,144,483  04 

319,620  90 

309,843  32 

49,030  47 

48,797  73 

168,901  92 


Idaho, 

Oregon,  "      

Montana,         "      

Nevada,  "      

Arizona,          "      

Parted  from  silver  bullion 

$7,741,548  50 

Fine  bars 10,980,791  94 

Foreign  coin 153,453  31 

Foreign  bullion 47,358  42 

11, 181, 603  67 

Total  gold 187923,152  17 


298  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

SILVER. 

Nevada,  bullion $205,618  87 

Arizona,       "      8,42574 

Idaho,          "      39,72745 

Parted  from  gold  bullion '. 69,999  56 

$323,771  62 

Bars 239,799  25 

Foreign  coin 27, 595  31 

Foreign  bullion 21,951  76 

289, 346  32 


Total  silver 613,117  94 

Silver  bars  stamped $'20,534  92 

Total  gold  and  silver 19,536,270  11 

Fine  bars,  total 20,534  92 

TOTAL  DEPOSITS  AND  COINAGE. — The  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  in  his  annual 
report  for  the  year  1867  states  that  the  total  value  of  the  bullion  deposited  at 
the  mint  and  "branches  during  the  fiscal  year  was  $41,893,100  76,  of  which 
$40,069,200  06  was  in  gold  and  $1,823,900  70  in  silver.  Deducting  the  rede- 
posit,  the  amount  of  actual  deposit  was  $34,537,048  39. 

The  coinage  for  the  year  was,  in  gold  coin,  $28,217,187  50;  gold  bars, 
$11,621,691  32;  silver  coin,  $986, 871  j  silver  bars,  $575,823  18  ;  nickel,  copper, 
and  bronze  coinage,  (one,  two,  three,  and  five-cent  pieces,)  $1,879,540.  Total 
coinage,  $31,083,598  50.  Total  bars  stamped,  $12,197,514  50. 

The  gold  deposits  of  domestic  production  were,  at  Philadelphia,  $2,418,H  7  89  ; 
at  San  Francisco,  $17,936,169  40  j  at  New  York,  $10,320,821  55;  at  Denver, 
$130,559  70.  The  silver  deposits  were,  at  Philadelphia,  $37,399  72;  San 
Francisco,  $744,387  48 ;  New  York,  $274,893  19. 

The  gold  and  silver  deposits  of  foreign  production  were  $2,674,619  46. 

The  amount  of  gold  coined  at  Philadelphia  was  $10,072,060  86 ;  at  San 
Francisco,  $18,225,000;  of  silver,  at  Philadelphia,  $357,490  38;  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, $780,048  54 ;  of  bronze,  nickel,  and  copper,  at  Philadelphia,  $1,879,540. 
Total  number  of  pieces  struck,  54,110,384. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  299 

NEVADA. 

SECTION    I. 

TOPOGRAPHY,  PHYSICAL  FEATURES,  AND  NATURAL  PRODUCTIONS. 

SYSTEM  OF  MOUNTAINS,  PLAINS,  AND  VALLEYS. — This  State,  in  common 
with  the  entire  region  lying  between  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Rocky  mountains, 
is  an  elevated  plain,  having  a  general  altitude  of  about  4,000  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.     Crossing  this  plateau  are  many  mountain  ranges,  the  most  of  which 
have  a  northerly  and  southerly  course,  being  separated  from  each  other  by  valleys 
from  5  to  20  miles  wide,  which  is  also  about  the  width  of  the  adjacent  mountains, 
measured  on  a  straight  line  from  base  to  base.     These  mountains  have  an  abso- 
lute height  varying  from  5,000  to  12,000  feet,  being  from  1,000  to  8,000  feet 
above  the  common  level  of  the  country.     The  Sierra  Nevada,  forming  for  some 
distance  a  natural  barrier  along  the  western  and  southwestern  parts  of  the  State, 
varies  in  height  from  7,000  to  13,000  feet.     This  range  is  covered  with  heavy 
forests  to  its  very  base,  while  all  the  others  in  the  interior  of  the  State  are  barren 
of  wood,  or  but  sparsely  timbered.     This  alternation  of  mountains  and  valleys 
is  preserved  with  great  uniformity  throughout  all  parts  of  the  State,  more  espe- 
cially in  the  central  and  eastern  portions.     In  places  these  mountains  disappear, 
or  so  contract  as  to  transform  the  valleys  into  broad  plains  or  basins,  some  of 
which  are  open  and  unobstructed,  while  others  are  dotted  with  buttes,  or  covered 
with  groups  of  rugged  hills.     At  points  along  their  course  these  ranges  are  much 
depressed,  or  cut  by  ravines  striking  across  their  summits,  forming  passes  so  low, 
and  with  such  gradual  slopes  on  either  side,  as  to  greatly  facilitate  the  construc- 
tion of  wagon  roads,  and  even  railways,  across  them.    In  some  parts  of  the  country 
the  mountains,  instead  of  running  in  parallel  chains,  are  broken  into  confused 
and  detached  masses,  their  longitudinal  axis  conforming  towards  no  common 
direction.     The  sides  of  these  mountains  are  everywhere  cut  by  deep  ravines  or 
canons,  the  most  of  them  running  from  crest  to  base,  and  usually  at  nearly  right 
angles  with  their  general  course.     In  some  places  these  ravines  are  but  one  or 
two,  while  in  others  they  are  five  or  six  miles  apart,  dividing  the  mountain  slopes 
into  enormous  ridges,  some  of  them  2,000  or  3,000  feet  above  the  separating 
canons.     The  latter  are  in  some  cases  well  watered,  perennial  streams  flowing 
through  them,  rendering  irrigation  of  their  banks  always  feasible,  while  in  others 
there  are  neither  springs  nor  running  streams,  whole  mountain  ranges  being,  like 
the  adjacent  plains,  nearly  or  quite  destitute  of  water.     As  in  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
these  interior  ranges  contain  a  few  high  ridges  and  peaks,  upon  which  in  places 
sheltered  from  the  sun,  or  where  deep  drifts  have  been  formed,  the  snow  lies 
throughout  the  year.     Granite,  sienite,  slate,  limestone,  and  porphyry,  are  the 
prevailing  rocks  in  the  composition  of  the  Nevada  mountains,  which  have  gen- 
erally a  rounded  and  dome-like  contour,  though  occasionally  shooting  up  into 
pyramidal  peaks  and  spire-shaped  summits.     The  tops  of  the  divides  between  the 
lateral  canons  are  especially  apt  to  be  sharp  and  rugged,  the  bare  and  splintered 
rocks  occasionally  standing  far  above  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  and  sometimes  strongly 
inclined  towards  the  comb  of  the  principal  mountain.     While  the  most  of  these 
ranges  are  covered  with  a  scanty  growth  of  bunch  grass,  and  with  patches  of 
pinon,  juniper,  and  other  scrubby  trees,  much  of  their  surface  is  destitute  of  both 
grass  and  every  other  species  of  useful  vegetation,  fully  three-fourths  being  with- 
out any  kind  of  timber.     Along  some  of  the  streams  flowing  through  the  canons 
are  narrow  strips  of  arable  land  which  frequently,  at  the  point  where  the  former 
opens  into  the  valleys,  spread  out  into  tracts  of  several  acres,  affording  a  suffi- 
ciency of  tillable  land  for  gardens  and  small  farms.     Some  of  these  streams  are 
fringed  with  cottonwood,  birch,  willow,  wild  cherry,  and  similar  trees,  the  most 


300  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

of  them  small,  and  of  but  little  value,  mixed  with  which  are  often  varieties  of 
wild  vines,  rose,  currant  or  gooseberry  bushes,  and  other  shrubbery.  Up  the 
most  of  these  canons  it  is  no  difficult  matter  to  construct  wagon  roads  leading 
quite  to  the  summits  of  the  mountains,  a  consideration  of  moment,  as  the  latter, 
the  principal  repositories  of  the  precious  metals,  are  thus  rendered  easily  accessi- 
ble to  loaded  teams  ;  and  these  mountain  ridges  sometimes  run  for  100  miles  or 
more  without  any  material  deviation  from  their  general  course.  So  also  do  the 
adjacent  valleys  extend  for  a  like  distance  without  other  obstruction  than  perhaps 
an  occasional  butte,  or  outstanding  spur,  and  with  no  perceptible  variation  of 
level.  Sometimes  these  valleys,  owing  to  a  subsidence  of  the  mountains,  or  a 
change  in  their  general  course,  expand  into  immense  plains,  as  in  the  southern 
and  northwestern  parts  of  the  State,  or  connect  with  other  valleys  having  the 
same  or  nearly  the  same  level,  or,  may  be,  are  separated  from  the  latter-  only  by 
low  ridges  or  swells  of  land  so  inconsiderable  as  to  present  no  obstacle  to  the 
building  of  railroads  throughout  the  entire  series.  A  more  favorable  region  for 
the  construction  of  railways  than  is  offered  by  this  system  of  communicating  plains 
and  valleys,  especially  where  these  improvements  are  required  to  pursue  a  gen- 
erally northern  and  southern  direction,  could  not  be  desired.  Besides,  being  so 
nearly  level,  and  wholly  unobstructed,  the  soil,  for  the  most  part  a  dry  sand,  or 
a  compact  sandy  loam,  affords  the  best  possible  material  for  a  road-bed,  whether 
facility  of  construction  or  durability  be  considered.  Upon  these  plains  and  valleys 
nothing  of  a  vegetable  growth  is  to  be  found  larger  or  more  formidable  of  remo- 
val than  the  wild  sage,  a  shrub  that  can,  as  a  general  thing,  be  ploughed  up 
with  a  single  yoke  of  oxen,  while  their  surfaces  are  almost  entirely  free  from 
rocks,  loose  stones,  or  other  obstructions.  But  while  these  valleys  are,  longitu- 
dinally viewed,  so  nearly  level,  they  all  have  a  slight  descent  from  the  foot  of 
the  adjacent  mountains  to  their  centres,  caused  by  the  wash  that,  going  on  for 
years,  has  been  gradually  wearing  down  the  mountains  and  filling  up  the  valleys, 
The  difference  in  altitude  between  the  tops  of  the  mountains  and  the  level 
of  the  valleys,  now  varying  from  1,000  to  8,000  feet,  was  formerly  much  greater, 
since  at  one  time  the  bottoms  of  the  opposing  mountains  met,  no  doubt,  in  the 
middle  of  the  intervening  valley,  making  the  difference  in  altitude  two  or  three 
times  as  great  as  at  present.  While  many  of  these  valleys  receive  a  great  num- 
ber of  small  streams  from  the  mountains  on  either  side,  or  about  their  heads,  very 
few  of  them  have  any  large  stream  flowing  through  the  centre,  the  most  of  these  tribu- 
taries sinking  into  the  arid  and  porous  soil  as  soon  as  they  reach  the  edge  of  the 
valley.  As  a  consequence,  the  latter,  few  of  them  having  any  common  outlet, 
are  great  natural  reservoirs ;  but  the  water,  resting  upon  the  bed  rock,  can  only 
be  reached  by  penetrating  the  immense  mass  of  superincumbent  debris.  Hence 
wells  in  these  valleys  require  to  be  sunk  to  a  great  depth,  nor  is  water  always 
obtained  even  then ;  though  it  could  no  doubt  be  reached  in  many  places  by 
artesian  boring,  a  method  not  generally  adopted,  if  in  any  instance  yet  resorted 
to  in  this  State.  In  the  few  cases  where  there  is  a  sufficient  accumulation  of 
water  to  cause  a  stream  to  run  through  the  valley  above  ground,  there  are 
usually  at  points  along  it,  patches  of  alluvial  bottom  constituting  good  plough 
or  grass  lands,  the  quantity  generally  being  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  stream. 
Reese  river,  Carson,  Umashaw,  Paradise,  and  Franklin  valleys,  afford  good  exam- 
ples of  this  kind.  In  Ruby,  Big  Smoky,  Degroot,  and  Toquima,  we  have  examples 
of  large  valleys  containing  much  good  land,  yet  without  open  streams  running 
through  them ;  while  in  the  Great  Salt,  Fairview,  Ralston,  Sinkavata,  and 
Sand  Spring  valleys,  there  is  neither  arable  land  nor  running  water.  In  the 
case  of  the  Big  Smoky  and  similar  valleys,  the  mountain  streams  after  disappear- 
ing make  their  way  underground  towards  their  centres,  where,  meeting  with 
obstructions,  or  gathering  into  natural  basins,  they  saturate  the  earth  and  render 
it  productive.  Much  of  the  soil,  both  in  the  valleys  and  upon  the  mountains,  is 
rich  and  friable,  being  easily  tilled  and  abounding  in  the  elements  of  fruitfulness, 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  301 

but  unavailable  for  agricultural  purposes  because  of  its  aridity  and  the  lack  of 
means  for  its  irrigation.  Both  the  open  plains  and  the  more  contracted  valleys 
are,  for  the  most  part,  destitute  of  timber,  the  only  exceptions  being  where  they 
are  traversed  by  considerable  streams,  as  the  valleys  of  the  Carson,  Walker, 
Triickee,  and  Humboldt  rivers,  along  which  are  a  few  scattered  cottonwoods 
and  copse  of  willow,  there  being  no  other  trees,  large  or  small,  along  them.  Both 
the  valleys,  plains,  and  mountains  are,  in  some  sections  of  the  country,  wholly 
destitute  of  wood,  and  but  ill  supplied  with  grass  and  water,  the  latter,  where 
it  does  occur,  being  often  so  impregnated  with  mineral  substances  as  to  render  it 
unwholesome,  or  so  warm  as  to  be  unfit  for  immediate  use.  Several  of  the  more 
extended  of  these  plains  are  so  arid  and  barren  as  to  justly  merit  the  appellation 
of  "  desert/'  popularly  applied  to  them.  The  regions  most  strongly  marked  in 
this  respect  are  those  adjacent  to  the  sinks  of  the  Humboldt  and  Carson,  the 
vicinity  of  the  Big  Mud  lakes,  and  the  belt  of  country  stretching  from  the  Great 
Salt  valley  of  Churchill  county  south  through  the  centre  of  the  State,  and 
spreading  out  in  the  desolate  and  sandy  wastes  that  surround  Death  valley  and 
the  sink  of  the  Amargosa,  reputed  to  be  depressed  many  feet  below  the  level  of 
the  sea.  The  characterizing  of  these  sections,  however,  as  peculiarly  sterile  does 
not  imply  that  there  are  not  many  other  considerable  tracts  in  the  State  almost 
equally  worthless,  the  only  difference  being  in  their  more  contracted  area.  To 
this  system  of  mountains,  valleys,  and  plains,  the  latter  so  spread  out,  and  often 
connected  together,  as  to  constitute  a  series  of  basins,  each  having  a  drainage  of 
its  own,  but  no  outlet  to  the  sea,  Nevada  is  indebted  for  its  singular  hydrogra- 
phy, this  common  receptacle  of  its  gathered  waters  becoming,  according  to  cir- 
cumstances, a  lake,  sink,  meadow,  alkali  flat,  or  a  salt  bed. 

SINKS,  SLOUGHS  AND  LAKES. — The  only  waters  of  Nevada  that  are  supposed 
to  reach  the  ocean  consist  of  a  few  inconsiderable  streams  in  the  northern,  and 
a  still  smaller  number  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  The  former  are  tribu- 
taries of  the  Owyhie  and  the  Snake  rivers,  and  the  latter  of  the  Colorado.  With 
these  exceptions  all  the  surface  flow  of  the  country  is  collected  in  lakes,  none  of 
them  of  large  size  and  most  of  them  extremely  shallow,  and  in  sinks,  a  name 
popularly  applied  to  a  certain  class  of  these  lakes  from  the  circumstance  that  the 
streams  emptying  into  them  or  received  from  other  lakes  are  here  supposed  to 
sink  and  finally  disappear  beneath  the  surface.  The  idea,  however,  is  erroneous, 
as  these  bodies  of  water,  while  they  are  not  deep,  are  quite  as  permanent  as  any 
other,  though  fluctuating  in  area  with  the  size  of  the  streams  by  which  they  are 
fed.  Most  of  the  mountain  streams  in  this  State  do  sink,  as  already  stated,  as 
soon  as  they  reach  the  plains  or  valleys.  Some  of  the  larger  streams  flowing 
through  the  latter,  as  Reese  river,  also  disappear  in  like  manner,  being  absorbed 
by  the  earth  without  accumulating  at  any  point  in  a  lake.  These  are  the  only 
cases  to  which  the  term  sink  properly  applies.  The  fact  that  some  of  these  lakes 
having  no  visible  outlet  receive  each  a  large  stream  without  overflowing  its 
banks,  or  being  greatly  raised  even  when  these  tributaries  are  at  high  stages  of 
water,  has  led  to  the  supposition  that  they  communicate  with  the  sea,  or  perhaps 
with  subterranean  lakes,  through  underground  passages.  The  consideration, 
however,  that  but  comparatively  little  rain  or  snow  ever  falls  in  this  region, 
while  the  extreme  dryncss  of  the  atmosphere  and  the  soil  causes  evaporation  and 
absorption  to  go  on  rapidly,  dispenses  in  a  great  measure  with  the  necessity  for 
such  a  theory.  The  only  lakes  of  any  considerable  size  in  Nevada  are  those 
formed  by  the  Humboldt,  Walker,  Carson  and  Franklin  rivers,  and  bearing  the 
names  of  these  streams  respectively,  together  with  Pyramid  lake,  the  largest  of 
the  group,  formed  by  the  waters  of  Truckee  river.  To  Lake  Tahoe,  lying  one- 
thin  1  within  its  limits,  Nevada  can  only  advance  a  corresponding  claim.  By  the 
the  early  emigrants  the  name  Sink  was  given  to  Humboldt  lake,  and  a  large 
shallow  'lake  situate  in  the  northern  part  of  Churchill  county  is  still  called  the 


302  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

Sink  of  the  Carson,  from  the  fact  that  it  receives  the  surplus  waters  of  that  river 
through  a  sluggish  tortuous  stream,  in  some  places  having  numerous  channels, 
and  in  this  country  generally  designated  a  slough.  There  is  also  a  slough  run- 
ning from  Humboldt  lake  to  this  sink,  through  which  the  former,  at  high  stages, 
discharges  its  water.  Through  a  similar  channel  Pyramid  lake,  when  above  its 
ordinary  level,  sends  its  water  into  Winnemucca  lake,  a  large  shallow  basin 
lying  east  of  Pyramid,  and  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  nearly  dry.  In  addition 
to  the  above  there  are  small  lakes  and  ponds  in  Degroot,  Franklin,  and  various 
valleys  in  the  State,  the  waters  of  which  are  in  some  cases  fresh  and  pellucid, 
while  in  others  they  are  more  or  less  opaque  and  impure.  About  these  ponds, 
which  are  mostly  shallow,  there  ns  often  a  body  of  good  grazing  or  agricul- 
tural land.  Lake  Tahoe,  which  has  a  depth  of  over  1,500  feet,  is  of  an  irreg- 
ular oval  shape,  21  miles  long  and  10  miles  "wide,  and,  though  elevated  more 
than  6,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  it  never  freezes  over,  nor  does  the 
temperature  of  the  water  vary  much  from  57°  winter  or  summer,  a  circumstance 
owing,  probably,  to  its  being  fed  largely  by  springs.  That  it  receives  most  of 
its  supplies  from  this  source  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  it  has  but  one  tributary 
stream  of  any  magnitude,  while  its  outlet,  Truckee  river,  carries  a  heavy  body 
of  water.  This  lake,  like  Pyramid,  abounds  in  trout  of  large  size  and  fine 
flavor,  and  is  surrounded  on  every  side  by  lofty  mountains,  which,  rising  abruptly 
from  its  shores,  are  covered  for  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  year  with  snow.  These 
mountains  are  heavily  timbered  with  forests  of  pine,  spruce  and  fir.  Pyramid 
lake,  the  largest  body  of  water  wholly  within  the  limits  of  the  State,  is  about 
30  miles  long  and  12  wide,  and  is  situate  in  the  southern  part  of  Hoop  county, 
near  the  western  line  of  the  State.  This  lake,  which  derives  its  name  from  a 
pyramidal  rock  standing  near  its  centre  and  rising  600  feet  above  its  surface, 
has  an  elevation  of  about  4,000  feet  above  tide  level.  Like  the  Walker,  it  has  a 
considerable  depth,  and  the  scenery  about  it  is  extremely  grand,  it  being  walled 
round  with  precipitous  mountains  rising  from  2,000  to  3,000  feet  high.  Walker 
lake  has  about  the  same  altitude  and  length,  but  is  not  so  wide  as  Pyramid,  its 
average  width  not  being  over  six  or  seven  miles.  Like  the  latter  it  is  of  an 
irregular  oblong  shape.  The  shores  are  indented  with  numerous  small  bays. 
Besides  an  inferior  species  of  fish  it  contains  the  salmon  trout ;  but  the  latter  are 
not  so  large,  numerous  or  well  flavored  as  in  Pyramid  or  Lake  Tahoe,  the 
water  here  being  neither  so  deep  nor  pure.  Walker  lake  is  flanked  on  both  sides 
by  high  mountains  and  nigged  hills,  the  whole  extremely  arid  and  barren,  almost 
entirely  destitute  of  wood,  grass  or  water.  Carson  lake  has  a  diameter  of  about 
12  miles;  Humbold  and  Franklin  are  somewhat  smaller.  They  are  all  of  an 
irregular  circular  or  oval  shape,  have  low,  flat  shores,  and  are  nowhere  over  50 
or  60  feet  deep.  They  contain  no  fish  except  suckers  and  others  of  an  inferior 
kind,  the  water  of  these,  as  wrell  as  most  of  the  other  small  lakes  and  ponds  in 
the  country,  being  brackish  and  slightly  alkaline — that  of  Humboldt  lake  and 
Carson  sink  so  much  so  as  to  render  the  fish  quite  unpalatable  and  hardly  fit 
for  culinary  purposes.  The  same  is  true  of  the  water  in  most  of  the  sloughs, 
and  also  in  some  of  the  rivers,  especially  the  Humboldt,  which  becomes  greatly 
deteriorated  at  its  lower  stages,  particularly  as  it  approaches  the  lake.  Washoe, 
Toshepah,  Pueblo  and  Guano  are  all  small  and  shallow  lakes,  the  water  of  which 
is  in  some  cases  clear  and  sweet,  while  in  others  it  is  discolored  with  earthy  matter, 
or  so  impregnated  with  salt,  soda  or  other  substances  as  to  render  it  distasteful 
}f  not  unwholesome.  About  some  of  these  lakes,  as  well  as  along  a  few  of  the 
rivers,  occur  patches  of  tule  lands,  or  ground  overflowed  at  high  water  and  cov- 
ered with  a  species  of  large-sized  bulrush.  Where  susceptible  of  easy  drainage, 
these  patches  can  readily  be  converted  into  excellent  meadows.  The  most  exten- 
sive tracts  of  this  land  are  found  at  the  mouth  of  the  Humboldt  river,  around 
Carson  lake  and  sink,  and  above  Genoa  on  Carson  river,  along  the  west  shore 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 

of  Franklin,  and  at  the  outlet  of  Washoe  lake,  smaller  patches  being  met  with 
at  the  sinks  of  the  Umashaw,  Weatherlow,  and  Wemissa  creeks,  Humboldt 
county,  and  around  several  small  lakes  in  Franklin  valley,  Lander  county. 

As  Honey,  Mono  and  Owens  lakes,  though  not  within  the  boundaries  of  Nevada, 
all  lie  west  of  the  Sierra,  and  form  a  part  of  the  system  of  valleys  and  lakes 
stretching  along  the  western  rim  of  the  Great  Basin,  the  first  two  being  very 
near  the  line  of  this  State,  it  may  be  proper  to  give  here  a  passing  description 
of  them.  Honey  Lake,  so  named  from  the  honey-dew  abundantly  precipitated 
throughout  this  region  during  the  summer  months,  is  a  small  and  very  shallow 
body  of  water,  even  at  high  stages,  and  wholly  disappears  in  extremely  dry  seasons. 
Its  principal  confluents,  Willow  creek  and  Susan  river,  sink  into  the  tule  marsh 
before  reaching  the  lake,  the  shores  of  which  are  in  some  places  low  and  swampy, 
while  in  others  they  are  dry  and  elevated.  It  has  no  outlet,  arid  is  destitute  of 
fish,  the  water  being  strongly  alkaline.  To  the  west  of  the  lake  is  an  extensive 
valley,  skirted  by  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  that  direction,  a  strip  of  hilly  country 
separating  it  from  Pyramid  and  Mud  lakes  on  the  east.  Mono  lake,  lying  about 
10  miles  southwest  of  the  dividing  line  between  California  and  Nevada,  derives 
its  name  from  the  tribe  of  Indians  originally  inhabiting  the  vicinity.  It  is  about 
14  miles  long  and  9  wide,  and,  though  never  sounded,  is  supposed  from  the  con- 
figuration of  the  adjacent  mountains  to  be  very  deep;  some  trials  said  to  have 
been  made  with  a  300-foot  line  failed  to  reach  bottom.  It  has  been  suggested 
that  the  bed  of  this  lake  is  the  centre  of  an  extinct  volcano  filled  up  with  water, 
a  hypothesis  that  assumes  plausibility  from  the  crater-like  form  of  one  of  its 
islands,  as  well  as  of  numerous  small  mountains  in  the  neighborhood.  By  chem- 
ical analysis  a  gallon  of  this  water  weighing  eight  pounds  is  found  to  contain 
1,200  grains  of  solid  matter  consisting  principally  of  chloride  of  sodium,  (com- 
mon salt,)  carbonate  of  soda,  borax,  sulphate  of  soda,  (glauber  salt,)  and  silica, 
with  indications  of  the  presence  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen.  Holding  such  a  large 
percentage  of  these  substances  in  solution  the  water  of  this  lake  is,  of  course,  so 
acid  and  nauseating  as  to  render  it  not  only  unfit  for  drinking  but  even  for 
bathing.  Leather  immersed  in  it  is  soon  destroyed  by  its  corrosive  properties, 
and  no  animal,  not  even  a  fish  or  frog,  can  for  more  than  a  short  time  exist  in 
it.  The  wild  fowl  in  visiting  it  keep  about  the  mouths  of  the  creeks,  where  the 
lake  water  is  mixed  with  that  flowing  from  the  mountains.  The  only  thing 
able  to  live  within  or  upon  the  waters  of  this  lake  is  a  species  of  fly,  which, 
springing  from  a  larvae  bred  in  its  bosom,  after  an  ephemeral  life,  dies,  and  col- 
lecting on  the  surface,  is  drifted  to  the  shore,  where  the  remains  collect  in  great 
quantities,  to  be  fed  upon  by  the  ducks  or  gathered  by  the  Indians,  with  whom 
this  forms  a  staple  comestible.  Nestling  under  the  eastern  water-shed  of  the 
Sierra,  this  lake  receives  several  considerable  tributaries ;  and,  although  desti- 
tute of  any  outlet,  such  is  the  aridity  of  the  atmosphere  that  it  is  always  kept  at 
nearly  the  same  level  by  the  process  of  evaporation.  So  dense  and  sluggish  is 
the  water  rendered  through  supersaturation  with  various  salts  and  other  foreign 
matters,  that  none  but  the  strongest  winds  can  raise  a  ripple  on  its  surface.  As 
the  Sierra  in  this  neighborhood  reaches  nearly  its  greatest  altitude,  the  scenery 
about  Mono  is  varied  and  majestic,  some  portions  of  it  being  at  the  same  time 
marked  by  a  most  cheerless  and  desolate  aspect.  This  lake  may  aptly  be  termed 
a  dead  sea,  its  bitter  and  fatal  waters  rendering  it  literally  such,  while  all  its 
surroundings — wild,  gloomy  and  foreboding — are  highly  suggestive  of  sterility 
and  death.  Owen's  lake,  lying  to  the  south  of  Mono,  though  somewhat  larger 
and  not  so  deep,  does  not  otherwise  differ  materially  from  the  latter.  It  has  the 
Sierra  on  the  west  for  a  back  ground,  while  its  water  is  almost  equally  saline 
and  bitter.  Like  Mono,  it  has  no  outlet  j  and,  though  receiving  the  waters  of 
Owen's  river,  a  large  and  rapid  stream,  its  surface  is  observed  to  be  every  year 
getting  lower,  a  process  that  its  former  shore-line  marks  indicate  to  have  been 
going  on  for  a  long  time.  This  subsiding  for  the  last  five  years  has  been  at  the 


304  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

rate  of  nearly  two  feet  per  year.  Former  beach  lines  along  the  shores  of  Mono 
lake  indicate  that  it  has  in  like  manner  fallen  by  gradual  stages  many  feet  below 
its  ancient  level.  The  larvae  generating  the  insect  found  on  Mono  lake  also 
breed  abundantly  in  these  waters,  being  the  only  form  of  animal  life  adapted 
to  live  in  or  about  them.  The  decomposing  action  of  this  water  is  shown  by  its 
effect  upon  the  bodies  of  a  company  of  Indians,  some  20  or  30  in  number,  who, 
while  seeking  to  escape  the  whites  several  years  ago,  having  taken  refuge  in  the 
lake,  were  there  shot  by  their  pursuers,  who  left  them  in  the  water.  In  the  course 
of  a  few  weeks  not  a  vestige  of  their  bodies  was  to  be  seen,  even  the  bones  having 
been  decomposed  by  this  powerful  solvent. 

ALKALI  FLATS  AND  MUD  LAKES. — The  surface  of  many  of  the  plains  and 
valleys  in  this  State  being  composed  of  a  stiff  clay  nearly  impervious  to  water, 
and  at  the  same*  time  quite  level  or  but  slightly  basin-shaped,  are  readily  con- 
verted, during  wet  weather,  into  shallow  lakes,  some  of  which  exist  but  for  a 
few  days,  while  others  last  until  the  dry  season  comes  on,  a  few  sometimes  con- 
tinuing throughout  the  year.  These  bodies  of  water,  though  often  covering  a 
large  area,  are  rarely  more  than  a  foot  or  two  deep.  When  drying  up  they 
usually  leave  behind  a  slight  deposit  of  argillacious  sediment,  to  which  circum- 
stance and  their  generally  miry  condition  they  are  indebted  for  the  name  mud 
lake,  commonly  applied  to  them.  When  covered  with  water,  or  even  but  mod- 
erately wet,  these  spots  are  mostly  impassable  to  teams  or  even  horsemen.  To 
obviate  this  difficulty  roads  require  to  be  thrown  up  and  impacted  by  travel  during 
the  dry  season.  Besides  this  clayey  sediment  many  of  these  lakes  on  drying  up 
deposit  a  variety  of  salts,  the  most  of  them  of  alkaline  nature,  whence  the  name 
alkali  flat  given  them  when  in  this  condition.  These  salts  are  white,  and  glisten 
in  the  sun,  so  that  these  localities  are  very  hot  in  summer  as  well  as  trying  to 
the  eyes  of  persons  crossing  them.  When  dry  their  beds  become  so  hard  that 
the  hoof  of  an  animal  or  even  the  tire  of  loaded  wagons  leaves  but  a  slight  impres- 
sion. In  some  instances  while  the  greater  portions  of  these  flats  become  dry 
and  hard,  others  remain  moist,  the  water  in  places  coming  to  within  a  few  inches 
of  the  surface.  From  these  damp  spots  a  constant  efflorescence  of  saline  matter 
goes  on.  The  sublimated  particles  are  left  upon  the  surface  or  adhere  to  the 
shrubbery  if  there  be  any  near  by.  The  most  of  these  desiccated  lakes,  however, 
are  wholly  without  vegetation,  not  even  the  artemesia  being  able  to  take  root 
upon  them.  These  spots,  so  transformed  alternately  into  mud  lakes  and  alkali 
flats,  are  also  the  localities  of  the  salt  beds  and  marshes  characteristic  of  this 
country.  Though  met  with  in  nearly  every  part  of  Nevada,  the  most  exten- 
sive occur  in  the  northwestern,  central  and  southern  portions  of  the  State,  where, 
in  the  wet  season,  some  of  them  cover  more  than  a  hundred  square  miles. 

RIVERS  AND  STREAMS. — In  proportion  to  its  size  Nevada  has,  perhaps,  fewer 
large  streams  than  any  other  State  or  Territory  in  the  Union ;  none  of  those 
within  its  limits  being  navigable,  and  not  more  than  four  or  five  justly  entitled 
to  be  called  rivers.  The  Humboldt,  the  largest  and  longest  river  in  the  State, 
is  at  ordinary  stages  fordable  at  many  places,  as  are  all  the  others  nearly  every- 
where along  them.  But,  while  possessing  so  few  rivers,  this  State  contains  a 
great  number  of  small  streams,  which,  issuing  from  the  various  mountain  ranges, 
afford  an  extensive  propulsive  power  and  means  of  irrigation.  As  a  general 
thing  the  rivers  have  a  swift  current,  with  occasional  rapids,  though  nothing  like 
a  cataract  exists  in  any  part  of  the  State.  The  most  of  the  mountain  streams 
have  a  great  descent,  some  of  them  falling  a  thousand  feet  every  two  or  three 
miles.  Where  running  through  valleys  or  plains,  the  immediate  banks  of  the 
streams  are  apt  to  be  low ;  in  the  case  of  the  smaller  ones  only  a  few  feet  above 
the  wrater,  though  some  have  higher  benches  further  back.  Reese  river,  for 
example,  flowing  through  a  channel  having  nearly  parallel  banks,  is  scarcely 
anywhere  more  than  10  or  15  feet  below  the  adjacent  plain.  Except  towards 
its  terminus  it  never  dries  up,  and  rarely  ever  overflows  its  banks.  At  one  point 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  305 

it  disappears  for  several  miles,  having  no  channel  above  ground.  The  water 
here  is  diffused  throughout  the  soil,  forming,  by  a  system  of  natural  irrigation, 
an  extensive  meadow.  Below  this  it  reappears  at  several  points,  and  being 
finally  collected  again  in  one  channel  flows  on  as  before.  This  stream  has  an 
average  width  of  15  feet  and  a  deptli  of  about  two  feet.  After  pursuing  its 
course  for  more  than  a  hundred  miles  it  begins  to  diminish,  standing  only  in 
pools,  and  finally  disappearing  altogether.  During  high  stages  of  water  it  runs 
for  a  greater  distance,  making  its  way  nearly  to  the  Humboldt,  where  it  termi- 
nates in  a  tule  swamp,  which  dries  up  in  one  summer.  Weatherlow,  Wamissa, 
Umashaw,  and  several  other  considerable  creeks  in  the  State  resemble  Reese 
river  in  their  leading  features.  The  most  of  them  in  like  manner  terminate  in 
small  fens,  usually  called  sinks.  Nearly  all  the  running  waters  of  the  Nevada 
are  palatable  and  wholesome.  That  of  the  mountain  streams  is  always  excel- 
lent. In  most  of  the  sloughs  it  is  disagreeably  brackish,  which  is  also  the  case 
in  the  Humboldt  river,  and  some  other  of  the  larger  streams,  particularly  at  low 
stages  of  water,  the  impurities  increasing  as  the  stream  descends.  In  consequence 
of  waste  from  evaporation  and  absorption  most  of  the  larger  streams  lose  as 
much  water  from  these  causes  as  they  gain  from  their  tributaries,  rendering  them 
sometimes  larger  near  their  sources  than  at  points  further  down.  The  Humboldt, 
for  instance,  a  stream  about  40  yards  witleand  four  feet  deep,  is  scarcely  so  large 
where  it  enters  the  lake  as  it  is  200  miles  above.  The  Walker  and  Carson  riv- 
ers are  also  smaller  where  they  empty  into  their  respective  lakes  than  at  points 
higher  up.  The  Truckee,  though  not  so  large,  being  a  more  rapid  stream,  dis- 
charges a  greater  volume  of  water  throughout  the  year  than  the  Humboldt.  In 
point  of  size,  Walker  river  ranks  next  to  the  Truckee.  Carson  river  has  an 
average  width  of  20  yards,  with  a  depth  of  three  feet,  and  is  about  two-thirds 
the  size  of  Walker.  Franklin  river  is  a  much  smaller  stream  than  Carson.  The 
entire  length  of  the  Humboldt,  including  its  two  main  forks,  is  over  300  miles. 
That  of  the  others  is  much  less.  Both  the  Humboldt,  Carson,  and  Walker  riv- 
ers are  formed  by  the  union  of  two  main  forks  or  branches,  below  which  none  of 
them  have  a  single  affluent  of  any  size,  the  Walker  none  whatever.  Truckee 
river,  issuing  a  large  stream  from  Lake  Tahoe,  receives  a  number  of  tributaries 
before  leaving  the  mountains,  after  which,  though  not  enlarged  by  any  affluents, 
it  preserves  a  nearly  uniform  volume,  running  with  a  swift  current  until  it  empties 
into  Pyramid  lake.  The  water  of  this  stream  is  cold  and  pure  throughout  its 
entire  course,  and,  as  it  has  a  great  descent,  it  could  be  made  to  supply  an  immense 
propu  1  si  ve  ]  x  »wer.  That  it  will  be  largely  diverted  to  this  use,  as  soon  as  the  Cen- 
tral Pacific  railroad  is  completed,  admits  of  no  doubt,  since  this  improvement  fol- 
lows along  its  banks  for  more  than  50  miles,  nearly  half  the  distance  through  heavy 
forests  of  spruce  and  pine,  which  supply,  in  connection  with  the  extensive  water 
power,  great  advantages  for  the  manufacture  of  lumber.  The  Humboldt  river 
takes  its  rise  in  the  Goose  Creek  mountains,  in  the  northwestern  comer  of  the 
State,  whence,  running  in  a  westerly  course  about  250  miles,  it  deflects  to  the 
south,  and  flowing  50  miles  farther  falls  into  Humboldt  lake.  It  runs  through  a 
tortuous  channel  with  a  moderate  current,  falling  about  500  feet  while  traversing 
a  distance  of  250  miles.  It  passes  through  an  exceedingly  dry  and  sterile 
country.  The  only  good  land  is  comprised  in  a  narrow  belt  of  alluvion  along  its 
immediate  banks.  While  this  belt  contracts  at  some  points  to  very  narrow  limits, 
or  disappears  altogether,  it  expands  at  a  few  others,  as  at  Lassen's  meadows, 
into  grassy  bottoms  of  considerable  extent.  During  the  period  of  high  water, 
which  occurs  on  the  melting  of  the  snow  in  the  mountains  about  its  sources,  in 
the  months  of  April,  May,  and  June,  the  river  is  swollen  to  a  size  somewhat 
larirer  than  above  stated,  occasionally  overflowing  its  banks,  while  at  low  water 
it  shrinks  into  smaller  dimensions,  a  condition  common  to  most  of  the  other  largo 
Btreams  in  the  State.  The  only  tree  found  in  the  valley  of  the  Humboldt  is  a  spo- 
ol' small  willow,  growing  on  the  banks  of  the  stream.  Nothing  but  a  little 
20 


306  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

scrubby  juniper  and  pine,  and  these  very  sparsely,  is  met  with  upon  any  of  the 
mountains  adjacent.  In  the  Goose  Creek  range,  however,  about  its  head  waters, 
there  are  some  groves  of  large-sized  timber,  with  fair  supplies  of  bunch  grass 
and  water.  The  grass  along  the  river  bank  consists  of  several  wild  varieties, 
such  as  wire,  rye,  blue,  clover,  and  bunch,  some  of  which  are  so  injurious  to 
stock  that  experienced  drovers  will  not  allow  their  cattle  to  feed  upon  them,  but 
drive  them  into  the  mountains,  where  the  grass,  though  less  abundant,  is  more 
nutritious  and  wholesome.  The  only  fish  found  in  this  stream,  or  the  lake  into 
which  it  discharges,  are  minnows,  of  little  value.  During  the  summer  the  Hum- 
boldt  swarms  with  mosquitoes,  gnats,  sandflies  and  other  troublesome  insects. 
These  pests  are  very  numerous  along  the  lower  portions  of  the  river  and  about 
the  lake. 

In  their  leading  features  and  surroundings  the  Truckee,  Carson,  and  Walker 
rivers  do  not,  except  as  to  size,  differ  materially  from  the  Humboldt,  having  first 
a  narrow  and  partially  fertile  valley  near  their  immediate  banks,  with  another 
much  more  extensive,  but  wholly  barren,  lying  somewhat  higher  and  stretching 
away  to  the  base  of  the  mountain  ranges  that  bound  them  on  either  hand.  The 
cottonwoods  that  once  formed  a  narrow  fringe,  or  stood  in  small  clumps  along 
these  streams,  have  mostly  been  cut  down,  and  there  is  little  left  except  a  willow 
copse  to  mark  the  meanderings  of  the  rivers  through  the  plains,  or  their  passage 
through  the  deep  cafions  that  sometimes  occur  along  their  routes.  These  canons, 
by  subdividing  the  main  valley  into  different  parts,  sometimes  cause  the  waters 
of  the  same  river  to  be  designated  by  separate  names.  After  leaving  the  moun- 
tains from  which  they  all  take  their  rise,  there  is,  with  the  exception  of  a  little 
willow  and  the  few  cottonwoods  mentioned,  no  timber  along  any  of  the  streams 
in  this  State  or  in  the  valleys  through,  which  they  flow.  In  Reese  River  valley, 
proper,  more  than  100  miles  long,  there  is  not  a  stick  of  timber  large  enough 
tor  a  fence  rail,  and  nearly  all  the  other  valleys  and  plains  in  the  country  are 
equally  destitute  of  timber. 

THE  SPRINGS  OF  NEVADA. — These  abound  in  many  parts  of  the  State,  and 
are  to  the  economist  not  more  objects  of  value  on  account  of  their  utility  than 
of  interest  to  the  scientist  because  of  their  size,  temperature,  modes  of  occurrence, 
chemical  properties,  and  other  natural  peculiarities.  They  are  met  with  at  all 
altitudes,  and  often  under  such  strange  conditions  as  justly  entitle  them  to  bo 
considered  geological  curiosities.  They  are  found  on  the  mountain  sides,  in  the 
valleys,  anil  far  out  on  the  desert — large,  small,  deep,  shallow,  cold,  hot,  and 
tepid.  Some  are  in  a  state  of  ebullition,  leaping  up  with  a  gurgling  sound,  as 
if  heated  by  fierce  fires  below,  while  others  are  quiescent.  Some  are  pellucid 
and  perfectly  pure,  while  others  are  impregnated  with  a  great  variety  of  mineral 
and  metallic  substances.  In  some  places  they  occur  solitary  and  at  others  in 
groups,  as  many  as  a  hundred  being  found  within  an  area  of  a  few  acres.  In 
temperature  they  range  from  50  to  204  degrees,  the  latter  about  the  boiling  point 
of  water  in  this  region.  In  diameter  they  vary  from  1  to  100  feet,  and  in  depth 
from  3  or  4  to  150.  In  shape  they  incline  to  be  circular,  many  of  them  being 
perfectly  round,  with  funnel-shaped  or  perpendicular  well-like  walls.  The  min- 
eral and  thermal  springs  are  generally  situated  on  a  mound  formed  from  the  silicions 
or  calcareous  particles  brought  up  and  deposited  by  their  own  waters.  Some  of 
these  mounds  cover  several  acres  and  reach  a  height  of  50  or  60  feet,  or  even 
more.  In  some  cases  the  walls  of  the  springs  are  formed  of  these  limy  or  sili- 
cious  concretions,  which,  shaped  into  huge  basins,  lift  them  several  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  mounds,  while  in  others  they  are  composed  simply  of  earth  or  turf. 
The  water  in  most  of  them  is  soft  and  palatable  when  cold,  and  so  clear  that  the 
smallest  object  can  be  seen  at  a  great  depth,  even  the  minute  orifices  through 
which  the  water  enters  at  the  bottom  of  the  deepest  spring  being  visible.  Fre- 
quently a  hot  and  a  cold  spring  are  in  such  proximity  that  a  person  can  dip  one 
hand  into  each  at  the  same  time.  From  some  a  small,  and  from  a  few  quite  a 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  307 

large,  stream  of  water  issues,  while  in  others  the  water  merely  keeps  even  with 
the  top,  or  does  not  rise  so  high.  Some  of  these  springs  emit  an  odor  of  sul- 
phuretted hydrogen,  and  taste  slightly  of  sulphur,  while  others  have  a  chalybeate 
taste.  Analytical  tests  of  the  waters  from  the  more  highly  mineralized  of  these 
springs  show  them  to  contain,  in  various  proportions,  the  chlorides  of  sodium  and 
magnesium,  with  soda  in  different  forms  and  a  small  percentage  of  lime,  sulphur, 
silica  iron,  and  organic  matter.  A  few  of  these  have  an  intermitting  or  tidal 
action,  the  water  coming  to  the  surface  with  a  gurgling  sound  and  sinking  away 
every  few  minutes,  this  subsidence  sometimes  continuing  for  a  much  longer  period 
— occasionally  for  weeks,  or  perhaps  months.  The  mounds  and  orifices  of  ancient 
thermals  are  frequently  met  with,  being  now  destitute  of  water,  a  condition  to 
which  many  seem  rapidly,  and  perhaps  all  are  gradually,  approaching. 

These  fountains,  both  mineral  and  thermal,  are  much  frequented  by  the  Indians 
for  their  supposed  medicinal  virtues ;  and  that  some  of  them  do  possess  valuable 
curative  properties  has  been  abundantly  shown  by  the  benefits  conferred  through 
their  use  upon  multitudes  of  invalids  who,  during  the  past  few  years,  have  had 
recourse  to  them.  Some  of  the  cold  springs,  especially  those  in  the  larger  val- 
leys, are  quite  as  limpid  as  the  thermals,  while  they  are  often  not  only  larger 
and  deeper,  but  also  freer  from  mineral  substances  than  the  latter.  It  frequently 
happens  that  the  mountain  streams,  after  sinking,  reappear  in  the  form  of  springs 
near  the  margin  or  out  in  the  middle  of  the  valleys;  and  while  some  of  these  are 
email  or  of  but  moderate  size,  others  are  immense  pools,  being  from  10  to  100 
feet  in  diameter,  and  often  100  feet  or  more  in  depth,  some  of  them  sending  off 
large  streams  of  water.  Not  all  the  cold  springs,  however,  are  free  from  distaste- 
ful and  deleterious  matters,  some  being  so  repulsive  that  even  animals,  though 
suffering  from  thirst,  refuse  to  drink  from  them. 

The  most  remarkable  group  of  thermals  in  this  State  is  that  known  as  the 
Steamboat  Springs,  so  called  because,  when  first  discovered,  they  are  said  to 
have  emitted  a  puffing  noise  something  like  that  of  a  high-pressure  steamboat. 
The  only  sound  escaping  from  them  at  present  is  a  seething,  gurgling  noise  like 
that  of  a  boiling  caldron.  These  springs  are  situated  in  Washoe  county,  about 
16  miles  north  of  Carson  City  and  four  east  from  the  Sierra,  near  a  range  of  low 
basaltic  hills,  an  extensive  flow  of  this  rock  overlying  granite.  They  occupy 
a  rocky  mound  about  half  a  mile  long  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  having  an 
elevation  of  50  or  60  feet  above  the  adjacent  valley.  This  mound,  which  is 
composed  wholly  of  silicious  matter  deposited  by  the  waters,  is  rent  longitudi- 
nally by  a  number  of  irregular,  scraggy-edged  fissures,  from  six  inches  to  a  foot 
in  width,  caused,  apparently,  by  some  upheaving  force  from  below.  Gurgling 
up  through  these  chasms,  which  probably  extend  to  the  bottom  of  the  mound, 
come,  at  intervals  of  a  few  minutes,  volumes  of  hot  water,  which,  after  hissing 
and  foaming  for  a  minute  or  two,  subside,  leaving  the  aperture  again  nearly 
empty.  From  some  of  these  openings  small  jets  of  steam  constantly  escape, 
accompanied  with  the  emission  of  gas.  Besides  these  fissures  there  are  pools 
filled  with  hot  water,  one  of  which,  occupying  a  basin  three  feet  in  diameter  and 
one  foot  high,  built  up  by  the  deposition  of  solid  matter  held  in  solution  by  the 
water,  rises  and  falls  with  great  regularity  every  six  minutes.  For  about  five 
minutes  the  water  left  in  the  bottom  of  this  basin  remains  quiescent,  when  it 
gradually  rises,  the  ebullition  increasing  until  it  runs  over  the  rim,  when  it  again 
subsides,  the  agitation  lasting  a  little  over  a  minute.  By  throwing  a  few  ounces 
of  soap  into  this  basin  the  water,  after  rising  and  falling  a  few  times,  as  usual, 
begins  to  boil  with  fury,  throwing  up  the  spray  six  or  eight  feet  and  sending  off 
volumes  of  steam.  In  this  manner  its  action  can  for  hours  be  preternaturally 
excited,  \vitli  varying  degrees  of  energy,  until  it  finally  comes  to  rest,  the  water 
disappearing  entirely  from  the  basin,  and  not  rising  again  for  some  time,  as  if 
exhausted  by  these  vehement  exertions.  The  temperature  of  the  hottest  of  these 
springs  is  204°  Fahrenheit,  this  being  about  the  boiling  point  of  water  at  that 


308  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

altitude.  The  temperature  of  others,  however,  is  much  lower.  The  air  about 
the  spot  smells  of  sulphur,  the  ground  in  the  vicinity  being  in  places  impreg- 
nated with  that  mineral.  Along  the  eastern  base  of  the  tumulus  on  which  the 
springs  are  situated  flows  a  rivulet  pure  and  cool,  till  it  mingles  with  the  warm 
and  mineralized  water  of  the  latter.  At  times  the  chemical  agents  at  work  here 
seem  more  active  than  at  others,  the  sounds  emitted  being  louder  and  more  fre- 
quent and  the  steam  more  abundant.  It  is  even  probable  that  a  gradual  but 
general  subsidence  of  action  is  going  on,  as  the  loud  puffing  sounds  said  to  have 
been  observed  here  when  the  springs  were  first  discovered,  some  20  years  ago, 
are  no  longer  heard.  The  country  about  also  affords  evidence  that  the  springs 
in  this  neighborhood  were  formerly  much  more  extensive  than  at  present. 

Other  groups  of  warm  springs,  scarcely  less  remarkable,  besides  many  less 
worthy  of  note  than  that  above  described,  are  met  with  in  different  parts  of  the 
State.  In  the  valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Bed,  southern  part  of  Humboldt  county, 
occur  three  clusters  of  thermals,  separated  by  a  distance  of  six  or  eight  miles- 
one  on  each  side  and  one  in  the  centre  of  the  valley — but  all  so  much  alike  that 
a  description  of  one  will  serve  to  give  a  good  idea  of  the  others.  The  principal 
group  at  this  place,  being  that  in  the  centre  of  the  valley,  consisting  of  over  20 
springs,  occupies  an  oblong  mound  covering  10  acres  and  rising  60  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  valley.  This  mound,  formed  wholly  by  the  carbonate  of  lime 
brought  up  and  deposited  by  the  waters,  is  covered  with  short.,  coarse  grass. 
Some  of  the  springs  are  fringed  with  rushes  and  tules.  Much  of  the  surface  is 
saturated  with  water,  from  the  overflow  of  the  springs.  This  overflow  runs  in 
small  channels  out  upon  the  plains,  where  it  is  soon  evaporated  or  absorbed  by 
the  dry  and  porous  earth.  Upon  the  summit  and  about  the  sides  of  this  tumulus 
are  situated  the  springs,  some  occupying  well-shaped  openings  in  the  turf  and 
others  issuing  from  huge  basins  composed  of  limy  concretions  resembling  ala- 
baster, or  from  the  tops  of  tumuli  formed  of  the  same  material  and  raised  six  or 
eight  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  mound.  Some  of  these  springs,  or  rather 
pools,  are  more  than  60  feet  wide,  while  the  diameter  of  others  is  not  more  than 
two  or  three  feet,  the  whole  varying  as  much  in  depth  as  in  superficial  area. 
There  is  also  a  wide  difference  in  temperature,  some  being  at  boiling  point  while 
others  are  simply  tepid  or  quite  cool,  the  hot  and  cold  springs  in  some  instances 
being  separated  only  by  a  few  feet.  The  water  in  all  is  soft,  pure,  and  limpid, 
and  so  transparent  that  the  smallest  object  can  be  seen  at  a  depth  of  50  or  60 
feet.  Bubbles  of  gas  are  seen  constantly  ascending  through  it,  but  there  is  no 
ebullition  nor  perceptible  escape  of  steam.  While  all  these  springs  keep  quite 
or  nearly  fall  but  few  overflow,  the  aggregate  amount  of  water  discharged  being 
small.  The  cluster  of  springs  on  the  west  side  of  the  valley  contains  eight  pools, 
hot,  warm,  and  cold,  the  most  of  them  larger  and  deeper  than  those  in  the  cen- 
tral group,  while*  those  on  the  eastern  side,  though  equally  numerous,  are  not  so 
large.  At  Wilson's  ranch,  in  the  southern  end  of  the  valley,  are  a  number  of 
small  springs,  some  of  them  quite  hot,  while  along  its  eastern  side  are  to  be  seen 
the  crater-shaped  basins  and  tumuli  of  extinct  thermals. 

At  the  following  additional  localities  in  this  State  hot  springs  occur,  either 
isolated  or  in  groups,  and  of  different  dimensions,  some  large  and  in  a  state  of 
active  ebullition,  others  small  and  wholly  quiescent :  at  several  points  in  Carson 
and  Eagle  valleys;  on  the  desert  between  Truckee  river  and  Humboldt;  in  the 
vicinity  of  Black  Rock,  very  numerous ;  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Pine  Nut 
mountains;  on  the  desert  between  the  Big  Bend  of  the  Carson  and  Walker  rivers; 
near  Kepler's  station  on  the  Wellington  road,  16  miles  west  of  the  Sinkavata 
mountains  and  40  east  of  Walker's  lake ;  at  a  number  of  places  in  Lassen,  Alpine, 
and  Mono  counties,  California,  near  the  Nevada  line;  upper  end  of  Degroot's 
valley,  western  part  of  Lander  county ;  east  side  of  Reese  River  valley,  60  miles 
north  of  Austin ;  south  end  of  Smoky  valley ;  in  first  range  of  mountains  east  of 
Toquima  valley,  and  in  the  valley  beyond;  along  the  south  side  of  the  Upper 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  309 

lumboldt,  and  great  numbers  scattered  over  Franklin  valley,  besides,  in  many 
)laces  throughout  the  State,  the  mounds  and  other  evidences  of  extinct  thermals, 
low  without  signs  of  heat  or  moisture.  At  some  of  the  localities  enumerated  the 
iprings  are  large,  deep,  and  numerous,  the  water  being  kept  at  a  high  tempera- 
ure  and  in  a  state  of  violent  commotion  by  internal  heat ;  at  others  these  con- 
litions  are  nearly  all  reversed,  the  orifices,  on.ce  apparently  much  deeper,  being 
learly  filled  up  and  the  temperature  of  the  water  scarcely  above  blood  heat,  jus- 
ifying  the  conclusion  that  the  cooling  process  is  general,  and  that  the  chemical 
tctionupon  which  it  is  dependent  for  its  elevated  temperature  is  constantly  dimin- 
shing,  and  will,  in  process  of  time,  cease  altogether.  There  are  cases,  however, 
Q  which  this  action  is  supposed  to  be  on  the  increase  and  in  which  the  springs 
Appear  to  be  of  recent  origin,  not  being  contained  in  the  usual  rocky  basins  nor 
urrounded  with  the  mounds  formed  by  the  deposition  of  silicious  or  calcareous 
natter.  Of  this  kind  are  the  springs  situate  in  the  Hot  Creek  districts,  Nye 
jounty,  the  surplus  water  of  which  is  so  copious  and  hot  as  to  have  given  the 
tame  Hot  creek  to  the  stream  issuing  from  them.  Besides  this  there  are  other 
lot  creeks  in  the  State,  having  their  origin  in  a  similar  cause. 

Some  of  the  cold  springs  in  Nevada  are  scarcely  less  remarkable  because  of 

heir  size,  depth,  or  the  great  volume  of  water  they  discharge  than  the  thermals 

ibove  described.     The  most  noted  of  these  occur  in  the  central  and  eastern  part 

>f  the  State.     Along  the  western  side  of  Smoky  valley  are  a  number  of  pools, 

trying  in  diameter  from  20  to  80  feet,  some  of  them  being  at  least  100  feet 

leep — so  deep,  in  fact,  that  the  water,  which  is  soft  and  clear  as  crystal,  has  a 

lark  blue  appearance.     Several  of  these  are  filled  with  small  fish  and  send  off 

i,  large  stream  of  water.     So  immense  are  some  of  these  fountains  that  it  has 

>een  conjectured  they  must  have  their  sources  in  subterranean  lakes;  a  more 

)lausible  theory,  however,  is  that  they  originate  from  the  mountain  streams 

viiich,  sinking  on  the  margin  of  the  valley,  pursue  their  way  under  ground  until 

hey  meet  with  some  obstruction,  when  they  collect  in  reservoirs  that  ultimately 

ind  an  outlet  in  these  springs.     In  the  second  tier  of  valleys  east  of  Smoky 

>ccurs  another  group  of  these  springs,  also  circular  in  form,  very  deep  and  full 

>f  clear  cold  water,  but  having  no  apparent  outlets  or  inlets.     These  also  swarm 

vith  small  fish,  the  number  of  which  leads  to  the  belief  that  there  must  be  more 

•oom  for  them  beneath  the  turf-like  sod  by  which  they  are  surrounded.     In  one 

>f  the  lateral  valleys  on  the  Upper  Humboldt  is  a  meadow  covering  1,200  acres 

md  clothed  with  luxuriant  grass,  in  the  midst  of  which  are  several  hundred  cir- 

ar  openings,  from  three  to  six  feet  wide,  through  which  the  pure,  pellucid 

ater  rises  nearly  to  the  surface.     They  are  very  deep  and  full  of  small  fish, 

e  number  of  which  becomes  greatly  increased  on  shaking  the  surrounding  turf, 

lich  can  easily  be  done  by  the  weight  of  the  person,  favoring  the  supposition 

at  these  apertures  are  really  the  vent  holes  of  an  extensive  underground  lake. 

anklin  river,  a  good-sized  stream,  is  formed  almost  wholly  from  tributaries  that 

ce  their  rise  in  a  series  of  large  springs  ranged  along  the  base  of  the  moun- 

ns  bounding  its  valley  on  the  west.     Some  of  these  springs  send  off  creeks 

feet  wide  and  over  a  foot  deep,  which  run  with  a  rapid  current.     The  number 

springs  contained  in  Thousand  Springs  valley,  on  the  Upper  Humboldt,  is 

ifficiently  indicated  by  its  name ;  many  of  these  are  distinguished  for  their  size 

d  the  excellence  of  their  water. 

SALT  BEDS. — These  deposits,  through  their  extent  and  number,  become  not 
ily  a  notable  feature  in  the  chorography,  but  also  an  important  item  in  the 
xmomical  resources  of  Nevada.  Like  the  alkali  flats  and  mud  lakes  they  are 
nfined  to  the  valleys  and  plains,  in  which  they  cover  the  points  of  greatest 
epression,  the  most  of  them  being  adjacent  to  or  encompassed  by  a  belt  of  alkali 
nds.  They  are  doubtless  of  lacustrine  origin,  occupying  what  were  formerly 
ie  basins  of  inland  seas  and  salt  lakes,  their  deposition  being  effected  through 
ie  evaporation  of  these  bodies  of  water.  Besides  the  extensive  beds  of  this 


310  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

mineral  occurring  in  Churchill,  Esmeralda,  and  Lincoln  counties,  there  are  seve- 
ral smaller  deposits,  as  well  as  a  number  of  saliniferous  springs,  elsewhere  in  the 
State,  all  of  which  may  become  of  local  value  on  account  of  their  proximity  to 
supposed  valuable  mines.  The  most  productive  bed  at  present  is  that  of  the 
Sand  Spring  Salt  Mining  Company,  75  miles  east  of  Virginia.  The  claim  of 
this  company,  consisting  of  1,600  acres,  occupies  a  depression  in  the  southeastern 
corner  of  an  extensive  alkali  flat,  the  centre  of  which  for  a  space  of  several 
hundred  acres  is  damp  and  marshy,  and  some  portion  of  it  covered  with  a  few 
inches  of  water.  This  damp  surface  is  coated  to  a  depth  of  two  or  three  inches 
with  a  crystallized  incrustation  of  salt  formed  by  sublimation  of  the  particles  of 
this  mineral  with  which  the  clayey  strata  below  are  charged.  On  removing  this 
coating  of  salt  a  thin  body  of  fine  white  clay  is  exposed,  overlying  a  stratum  of  soft 
black  clay,  which,  in  turn,  rests  upon  another  seam  of  green  and  black  clay,  con- 
taining coarse  globules  of  salt.  Beneath  this  seam  occurs  a  deposit  of  crystal- 
lized salt,  hard  and  massive  but  of  unascertained  thickness.  In  collecting  the 
salt  at  this  place,  a  tract  embracing  a  score  of  acres  or  more  is  selected,  and 
divided  into  strips,  from  each  of  which,  in  regular  order,  it  is  scraped  into  large 
heaps  with  a  broad  wooden  hoe.  These  heaps,  after  being  exposed  for  a  few 
days  to  drain  and  dry,  are  conveyed  in  wheelbarrows  or  cars  running  on  wooden 
tracks  laid  down  for  the  purpose  of  facilitating  transportation  over  the  soft 
ground,  and  thrown  upon  platforms  or  dumps,  when  the  salt  is  ready  for  sacking 
and  shipment  to  market.  After  one  of  these  surface  sections  has  been  stripped 
of  salt,  the  incrustration  immediately  begins  to  reform,  and  so  rapidly  do  the 
secretions  from  the  saliniferous  clays  below  proceed  that  a  few  weeks,  and  some- 
times less,  is  sufficient  to  fully  replace  it,  admitting  of  the  gathering  of  a  fresh 
crop  at  least  every  month.  As  the  masses  of  crystallized  salt  underlying  these 
clayey  strata  are  probably  inexhaustible,  it  would  seem  as  if  this  process  of 
replenishment  might  go  on  forever.  These  clays  are  not  the  primary  sources  of 
supply,  though  no  doubt  serving  a  useful  purpose  in  promoting  by  their  heat  the 
sublimation  of  the  saline  particles  as  well,  perhaps,  as  in  aiding  their  condensa- 
tion upon  the  surface.  Large  sections  of  the  alkali  flat  at  Sand  Spring,  lying 
outside  of  this  company's  claim,  are,  during  the  dry  season,  covered  with  a  coat- 
ing of  salt  j  but  it  is  neither  so  heavy  nor  pure  as  that  owned  by  them,  being 
rarely  more  than  an  inch  thick,  and  largely  mixed  with  alkaline  and  other  for- 
eign matters,  resembling,  in  these  particulars,  the  deposits  in  Smoky  valley,  and 
in  the  Cortez  district,  and  other  salt  fields  of  limited  extent  elsewhere  in  the 
State.  The  leading  features  of  the  larger  beds,  however,  are  almost  identical 
with  those  of  this  deposit  at  Sand  Spring,  the  character  of  the  salt  and  the  mode 
of  collecting  it  being  also  very  much  the  same.  Prior  to  1862,  all  the  salt  used 
in  this  State  was  brought  from  San  Francisco,  at  an  average  cost,  laid  down  in 
Virginia,  of  about  $150  per  ton.  During  that  year  parties,  having  imported  a 
herd  of  camels  for  the  purpose,  began  packing  this  commodity  in  from  the  salt 
pools,  45  miles  southeast  of  Walker  lake,  whereby  the  prices  were  somewhat 
reduced.  The  following  year,  the  Sand  .Spring  Company  having  commenced 
operations,  the  price  of  salt  suffered  a  further  reduction,  and  for  the  past  two  veal's 
this  article  has  been  delivered  to  the  mills  about  Virginia  at  the  uniform  rate  of 
$60  per  ton,  being  considerably  less  than  the  average  cost  of  freight  from  San 
Francisco.  During  the  year  1866  this  company  disposed  of  about  150,  and 
during  the  past  year  of  about  250  tons  of  salt  per  month,  the  most  of  which  was 
consumed  in  the  mills  and  reduction  works,  a  little,  also,  after,  grin  ding,  having 
been  used  for  meat-packing  and  culinary  purposes,  for  which  it  is  well  adapted. 
The  Sand  Spring  Company  have  over  $100,000  invested  in  this  business,  and, 
though  owning  several  large  teams,  hire  many  others  to  haul  the  product  of  their 
salt  fields  to  market,  their  freight  bills  amounting  to  from  $10,000  to  $15,000  per 
week.  Large  as  is  the  amount  of  salt  they  are  thus  enabled  to  deliver,  the  supply 
is  scarcely  equal  to  the  demand,  some  of  the  larger  mills  consuming  between  35 


WEST   OF   THE   ROOKY   MOUNTAINS.  311 

and  40  tons  per  month.  The  company,  finding  their  salt  well  suited  to  table 
use,  have  erected  a  steam  mill  at  Virginia,  where  considerable  quantities  are  ground 
and  put  up  for  this  purpose.  About  40  miles  north  of  the  Sand  Springs  bed. 
also  in  Churchill  county,  is  another  and  still  larger  but  very  similar  deposit  of 
salt.  At  this  place  there  is,  first,  an  incrustation  of  salt  an  inch  or  two  thick 
overlying  a  stratum  of  blue  clay  18  inches  thick,  filled  with  cubical  crystals  of 
salt,  and  resting  upon  a  heavy  body  of  these  crystals  free  from  earthy  matter  and 
reaching  downward  to  an  unknown  depth.  This  property  is  also  owned  by  a 
company,  who  have  laid  down  a  tramway  for  running  out,  a  platform  for  receiving, 
and  a  house  for  storing  their  salt.  From  this  locality  the  Humboldt  mills  obtain 
their  supplies  of  this  commodity,  a  little,  also,  having  been  sent  to  Virginia  and 
Austin,  it  being  extremely  white  and  pure.  In  the  Silver  Peak  district,  Esme- 
ralda  county,  occurs  the  most  extensive  salt  field  in  the  State,  its  area  covering 
some  40  or  50  square  miles,  much  of  which  is  coated  with  a  thick  incrustation 
of  the  pure  chloride  of  sodium,  underlaid  by  seams  of  clay  and  a  crystallized 
mass  of  salt  of  unknown  thickness,  as  at  Sand  Spring  and  Big  Salt  valley. 
Situate  near  the  edge  of  this  bed  are  a  number  of  saline  springs,  the  water  of 
which  evaporating  is  constantly  increasing  the  deposits  of  salt  about  them.  Holes 
dug  in  the  earth  in  this  vicinity  are  in  a  short  time  completely  filled  with  a  solid 
mass  of  salt,  deposited  from  the  supersaturated  water  seeping  into  them.  It  is  a 
curious  circumstance  that  situated  in  close  proximity  to  these  pools  of  perfect  brine 
are  a  number  of  springs  of  soft  fresh  water.  In  the  Columbus  district,  and  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  principal  mines,  layers  of  salt  interstratified  with  clay  are 
found  near  the  surface ;  and  by  removing  a  foot  or  two  of  earthy  matter  on  top, 
the  water  coming  in  fills  the  excavation  in  the  course  of  four  or  five  days  with 
a  compact  mass  of  pure  white  salt.  North  of  this  spot  five  miles  are  the  pools 
from  which  the  carnel  train  several  years  since  procured  their  loading  for  Vir- 
ginia, and  at  a  point  10  miles  to  the  west  is  the  extensive  deposit  known  as 
Teal's  salt  marsh,  and  from  which  the  mills  at  Aurora  obtain  their  supplies. 
Besides  these,  there  are  several  other  salt  beds  of  minor  importance  both  in  this 
vicinity  and  in  other  parts  of  Esmeralda  county,  as  well  as  also  in  Owen's  valley, 
Inyo  county,  California,  adjoining  Esmeralda  on  the  southwest.  In  the  Pah- 
raimgat  district,  southeastern  part  of  Lincoln  county,  on  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Rio  Virgin,  masses  of  crystallized  salt  exist  in  such  quantities  as  to  constitute  a 
notable  part  of  the  mountain  in  which  they  occur.  They  lie  in  strata,  are  almost 
chemically  pure,  and  so  transparent  that  ordinary  print  can  be  read  through  blocks 
of  this  material  a  foot  square.  The  salt  deposits  before  alluded  to  as  occurring 
in  Smoky  valley  and  near  the  Cortez  district  are  slight  and  impure.  The  former 
and  the  more  important  of  the  two  lies  40  miles  south,  and  the  latter  60  miles 
north  of  Austin.  The  incrustation  of  salt  at  these  localities  is  scarcely  more  than 
half  an  inch  thick.  It  is  deposited  as  elsewhere  by  efflorescence,  and  though 
destitute  of  any  heavy  bodies  of  salt  below,  possesses  the  usual  power  of  repro- 
duction, renewing  itself  as  often  as  removed.  It  is  dissipated,  however,  by  the 
least  amount  of  rain,  though  readily  reappearing  on  the  return  of  dry  weather. 
From  the  Smoky  valley  bed,  where  a  considerable  amount  of  salt  is  collected, 
and  also  some  manufactured  for  table  use,  the  mills  about  Austin,  at  Belmont, 
and  those  around  the  valley  procure  their  needed  supplies  of  this  article.  This 
salt  is  sold  on  the  ground  ready  for  sacking  at  one  cent  a  pound,  the  cost  of 
hauling  it  to  the  mills  where  used  being  about  as  much  more.  Most  of  the  salt 
of  Nevada  as  found  in  its  natural  condition  is  remarkably  pure ;  .samples  taken 
from  the  Silver  Peak  and  the  Great  Salt  valley  beds  gave  by  analysis  98  per 
cent,  chloride  of  sodium,  that  from  Sand  Spring  giving  96  per  cent.  Samples 
from  Smoky  valley  show  by  assay  909  per  cent,  chloride  of  sodium,  the  impuri- 
ties roiisisting  of  sand  and  sulphate  of  soda — ingredients  which  do  not  appear 
to  dHrar.t  iroiii  its  efficacy  for  amalgamating  purposes,  though  rendering  it  less 
lit  for  table  use.  With  salt  in  such  illimitable  quantities,  of  such  excellent 


312  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

quality  and  easy  procurement,  there  can  be  no  question  but  this  article,  besides 
supplying  all  local  demands,  will  be  largely  exported  from  this  State  whenever 
railroad  transportation  shall  have  been  extended  to  it. 


SECTION    II. 

WOODLANDS— SOURCES  OF  FUEL  AND  LUMBER  SUPPLY—COAL,  ETC. 

The  only  timber  in  this  State  suited  for  making  first-class  lumber  is  that 
found  on  or  near  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains.  There 
are,  as  observed  in  the  remarks  on  the  central  and  eastern  parts  of  the  State,  a 
few  groves  of  spruce  and  white  pine  in  that  quarter,-  but  the  trees  are  compara- 
tively small,  and  the  wood  for  the  most  part  soft  and  brittle.  The  prevailing 
tree,  where  there  is  any  east  of  the  Sierra,  is  the  scrubby  pitch  pine,  already 
described,  having  a  low  bushy  trunk,  from  10  to  15  inches  in  diameter,  and  from 
12  to  30  feet  high.  Being  compact  and  resinous,  it  burns  freely,  even  when 
green,  emitting  much  heat,  and  though  worth  but  little  for  lumber,  constitutes  a 
valuable  fuel.  Mixed  with  these  are  a  few  juniper  and  mountain  mahogany 
trees,  equally  scrubby  with  the  pinon,  though  the  mahogany,  when  dry,  burns 
well.  Some  of  the  mountain  streams  are  fringed  with  a  narrow  belt  of  willow, 
birch,  and  cherry,  all  slender  and  dwarfish,  and  fit  at  best  only  for  fence  rails  or 
fire-wood.  With  so  great  a  scarcity  of  large  timber,  the  better  qualities  of  lumber 
necessarily  command  high  prices  in  most  parts  of  Nevada;  the  rates  increasing 
with  the  distance  from  the  Sierra,  the  principal  source  of  supply.  Thus,  while 
this  article  can  be  purchased  at  the  mill  for  about  $20  per  1,000,  it  costs  nearly 
three  times  that  amount  delivered  in  Virginia,  five  times  in  Austin,  and  six  or 
seven  at  Belmont.  The  price  is  proportionally  increased  where  delivered,  at 
points  still  further  in  the  interior.  This  question  of  fuel  and  lumber  supply  is 
more  fully  elucidated  in  the  pages  relating  to  l^he  working  of  the  Comstock  ores 
and  mines. 

COAL. — Although  no  heavy  deposits  of  coal  have  yet  been  found  in  Nevada,  it 
is  too  valuable  an  article  to  be  overlooked  in  making  up  a  summary  of  the  mineral 
resources  of  the  State. 

THE  WHITMAN  COAL  MINES — DEVELOPMENTS  AND  RESULTS.— ^The  first 
locations  of  mineral  coal  lands  and  efforts  at  working  the  same  were  made  in 
1861,  when  parties  encouraged  by  the  outcroppings  of  narrow  seams  of  lignite 
in  the  Pine  Nut  mountains,  at  a  point  about  12  miles  northeast  of  Dayton, 
Lyon  county,  proceeded  to  form  a  mining  district,  adopting  a  set  of  laws  and 
regulations  for  governing  the  locating  and  holding  of  claims  therein.  These 
laws  were  similar  to  those  used  in  taking  up  and  holding  quartz  lodes,  but  with 
this  difference,  that  individual  claims,  instead  of  running  longitudinally  with,  and 
being  confined  to  a  narrow  space  along  the  ledge,  consisted  of  square  plats  of 
40  acres  each,  the  same  requiring  to  be  surveyed  by  the  territorial  surveyor,  and 
to  be  recorded  after  the  manner  of  real  estate.  The  coal  signs  observable  in  this 
locality  are  distributed  over  an  area  of  several  square  miles,  all  of  which,  and 
much  more  was  taken  up  soon  after  the  district  was  formed.  Quite  a  large 
amount  of  money  was  subsequently  expended  upon  these  claims  in  the  work  of 
exploration,  road  building,  &c.  Upon  the  most  promising,  shafts  were  sunk  to 
H  considerable  depth.  Whitman,  the  discoverer  and  his  associates,  besides  open- 
ing several  short  inclines,  and  performing  other  preliminary  labor,  ran  a  tunnel 
175  feet  in  length,  from  the  extremity  of  which  a  shaft  was  sunk  to  a  depth  of 
100  feet.  The  entire  outlay  of  this  company  amounted  to  some  $8,000  or  $10,000, 
a  portion  of  which,  however,  was  spent  in  constructing  a  wagon  road  leading 
from  their  claims  to  the  valley  of  Carson  river,  six  miles  distant.  The  invest- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  313 

ment  proved  nearly  a  total  loss.  Less  than  100  tons  of  coal  was  disposed  of,  as, 
indeed,  scarcely  more  than  that  amount  of  a  marketable  quality  was  ever  raised  from 
the  mines.  None  worth  speaking  of  has  been  obtained  from  the  other  claims  in 
the  neighborhood.  This  coal  delivered  at  the  quartz  mills  or  other  points  where 
required  for  consumption,  commanded  from  $8  to  $12  per  ton,  rates  at  which 
most  of  that  of  local  production  has  since  been  disposed  of.  Numerous  trials 
were  made  to  test  its  adaptability  for  generating  steam.  The  proprietors  of  the 
Sacramento  quartz  mill,  in  Gold  Canon  procured  such  alterations  in  their  furnace 
grates  to  be  made  as  seemed  necessary  to  afford  ample  draught,  and  although 
their  mill  was  run  upon  it  for  a  short  time,  its  use  was  soon  abandoned.  The 
large  percentage  of  non-combustible  matter  present,  choked  the  draught,  and 
prevented  the  production  of  sufficient  heat  for  the  rapid  creation  of  steam.  The 
attempts  made  to  introduce  this  coal,  and  that  procured  from  Eldorado  Canon, 
near  by,  as  a  domestic  fuel,  were  somewhat  more  successful.  Considerable 
quantities  were  obtained  from  the  latter  place  for  a  year  or  two,  and  consumed 
in  Virginia  City  and  vicinity. 

The  geological  features  of  the  Whitman  district  are  not  such  as  to  indicate  the 
presence  of  heavy  bodies  of  carboniferous  matter.  The  country  about  the  mines 
is  dry  and  barren ;  the  surface  in  places  discloses  traces  of  former  volcanic  action, 
and  although  there  is  here  a  species  of  coarse  sandstone,  the  old  red  sandstone, 
and  most  other  rocks  accompanying  the  true  coal  series  are  absent.  There  is 
also  here  a  shale,  but  like  the  sandstone,  it  evidently  belongs  to  the  pliocene 
age,  and  indicates  for  these  coal  beds  a  comparatively  modern  origin.  The  follow- 
ing strata  encountered  in  sinking  a  perpendicular  shaft  110  feet  on  the  Whitman 
grounds,  serve  to  exemplify  the  general  geology  of  the  district.  The  first  foot 
passed  through  consisted  of  a  clay  shale,  below  which  lay  several  feet  of  steatite, 
mixed  with  talc;  next  nearly  one  foot  of  bituminous  lignite,  underlaid  with  a  bed 
of  talcose  slate  was  encountered.  This  slate  rested  upon  sandstone,  followed  by 
another  thin  seam  of  lignite.  Then  followed  in  succession  a  stratum  of  slate; 
30  inches  of  lignite,  of  a  somewhat  improved  character — a  narrow  seam  of  slate; 
six  inches  of  coal ;  various  strata  of  sandstone  alternating  with  thin  beds  of  steatite, 
shale,  and  coal,  the  shaft  terminating  a  thick  layer  of  white  sand.  The  planes 
of  these  successive  strata  are  nearly  parallel,  the  whole  pitching  at  an  angle  of 
about  20°,  the  dip  varying  slightly  at  different  points. 

OTHER  DISCOVERIES. — Soon  after  the  location  of  the  Whitman  mines  a  still 
heavier  deposit  of  lignite  was  found  12  miles  further  south,  in  Eldorado  canon, 
resting  in  a  similar  geological  formation.  From  this  place  several  hundred 
tons  of  this  material  was  soon  afterwards  taken,  the  most  of  which  found  a  market 
in  the  neighboring  towns,  where  it  was  used  chiefly  iri  stoves  and  grates.  As  a 
domestic  fuel  this  coal  has  met  with  more  favor  than  that  from  the  Whitman 
mine,  though  unfit  for  furnace  or  forge  purposes.  Upon  the  claim  of  the  New- 
castle Company,  the  principal  claim  in  Eldorado  caiion,  a  good  deal  of  explora- 
tory work  has  been  done,  yet  no  heavy  body  of  coal  has  been  developed.  The 
contents  of  this  vein  resemble  the  brown  coal  of  Germany,  with  which  they 
coincide  in  their  chemical  constituents.  An  analysis  of  the  coal  from  the  vein 
of  the  Newcastle  Company,  shows  it  to  contain,  moisture  19.65,  hydro-carbonaceous 
matter  40.59,  fixed  carbon  28.31,  and  ash  11,  with  traces  of  sulphur  and  iron. 
The  resultant  from  distillation  is  a  charcoal,  and  not  a  coke,  as  from  the  English 
coal,  which  generally  contains  more  sulphur,  but  less  volatile  matter  and  ash. 
As  the  Nevada  coal  contains  bat  little  sulphur,  it  would  be  valuable  for  forge 
use  and  iron  works,  were  it  not  for  the  large  percentage  of  volatile  substances 
it  carries,  composed  mainly  of  water,  which  detracts  from  its  merits  as  a  fuel,  as 
well  as  for  the  generation  of  gas.  For  the  latter  purpose  it  might  be  made  to 
answer  by  the  addition  of  some  carbonaceous  material,  since  by  this  plan,  as  has 
been  ascertained,  it  could  be  made  to  produce  about  9,000  cubic  feet  of  gas  to 
the  ton,  which  owing  to  the  absence  of  sulphur,  would  posses  high  powers  of 


314  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

illumination.  Soon  after  the  above  discoveries  further  coal  signs  were  noticed 
two  miles  southeast  of  Fort  Churchill,  where  a  number  of  thin  seams  of  lignite 
crop  along  the  steep  and  barren  hills  that  abound  in  that  neighborhood.  To 
secure  these  a  district  was  laid  out,  and  several  claims  taken  up,  on  two  or  three 
of  which  open  cuts  were  run  and  other  work  done,  but  without  establishing  for 
them  any  positive  value.  Discoveries  of  coal  in  other  parts  of  the  State  have 
from  time  to  time  been  announced,  but  with  two  or  three  exceptions  they  do  not 
appear  to  have  had  any  substantial  foundation.  As  early  as  the  summer  of 
1860,  parties  excited  by  the  finding  of  a  black  slaty  substance,  a  few  miles  east 
of  Sand  Springs,  took  steps  for  securing  a  tract  of  land  there,  but  abandoned 
the  purpose  on  ascertaining  the  worthless  nature  of  the  material.  There  was 
a  rumor  prevalent  some  years  ago  of  mineral  coal  having  been  found  in  the 
country  to  the  north  of  the  Humboldt  river,  but  the  report  lacks  verification. 
In  1864,  some  miners  prospecting  to  the  north  of  New  Pass  station,  Churchill 
county,  having  come  upon  a  species  of  obsidian  possessing  a  cleavage  and  lustre 
similar  to  hard  coal,  for  which  it  was  ignorantly  mistaken,  quite  an  excitement 
supervened  on  its  being  made  known  in  Austin.  The  non-combustible  nature  of 
this  substance  was  readily  established,  and  the  interest  so  suddenly  awakened 
by  its  discovery  speedily  subsided.  Two  years  later  a  company  of  miners  search- 
ing after  silver  lodes,  picked  up  in  the  Eureka  district,  60  miles  east  of  Austin, 
some  pieces  of  float  coal,  which  on  trial  were  found  to  burn  freely,  emiting  a 
strong  heat,  and  leaving  but  little  ash.  This  float  was  not  traced  to  its  original 
bed,  concerning  which  nothing  is  known,  though  the  sample  picked  up  was  of 
a  superior  quality,  and  there  is  reason  to  hope  that  mines  of  good  coal  will  yet 
be  found  in  that  quarter  of  the  State,  valuable  seams  having  already  been  met 
with  in  the  adjacent  Territory  of  Utah.  In  the  Volcano  district,  Esmeralda 
county,  at  a  point  about  80  miles  easterly  from  Aurora,  two  veins  of  coal,  the 
one  12  and  the  other  30  inches  think  have  been  discovered.  They  can  be  easily 
traced  for  several  rods  by  the  bituminous  debris  on  the  surface ;  are  evidently  of 
an  earlier  period  than  the  lignite  found  elsewhere  in  the  State,  and  are  highly 
carbonized,  and  bear  the  appearance  of  a  silicious  anthracite  coal  mixed  with 
calcite.  The  impurities  in  this  article  amount  to  40  or  50  per  cent,,  yet  it  emits 
a  strong  heat,  and  burns  almost  entirely  to  a  white  ash.  It  has  been  used  suc- 
cessfully as  a  substitute  for  charcoal  by  blacksmiths  and  assayers  ;  that  tested 
came  from  but  three  or  four  feet  below  the  surface,  to  which  depth  only  have  the 
seams  yet  been  opened.  The  fissures  are  well  defined j  have  an  argillaceous 
shale  on  the  one  side,  and  limestone  of  the  Jurassic  age  on  the  other;  but  whether 
these  coal  measures  will  prove  to  be  of  greater  extent  or  value  than  those  at  the 
localities  already  described,  we  have  not  the  data  to  determine.  They  remain 
as  yet  wholly  undeveloped.  Should  they  afford  even  a  moderate  amount  of 
fuel,  their  presence  in  a  region  where  there  is  but  little  wood  and  much  mineral 
wealth  would  hereafter  prove  important.  This  coal  is  but  three  or  four  miles 
from  a  series  of  copper-bearing  lodes,  and  there  are  also  in  this  district  promising 
veins  of  gold  and  silver-bearing  quartz.  Outcroppings  of  soft  coal  can  be  traced 
for  several  miles  along  the  foot  hills  of  the  Wassack  mountains.  This  locality 
is  about  25  miles  north  of  Aurora,  and  four  miles  east  of  the  east  fork  of  Walker 
river.  In  thickness  this  seam  ranges  from  a  mere  thread  of  shale  to  6  or  7  feet. 
The  coal  burns  readily.  A  lot  taken  from  a  shaft  30  feet  below  the  surface 
underwent  perfect  combustion  on  being  ignited,  while  lying  in  an  open  heap  on 
the  ground.  The  vein  runs  nearly  northwest  and  southeast,  and  dips  south westerlv 
at  an  angle  of  20°  degrees.  The  accompanying  formation  consists  of  shale, 
sedimentary  rock,  sandstone,  &c.,  the  whole  having  a  range  corresponding  with 
that  of  the  coal  seam.  The  deposits  at  this  place  are  not  in  their  natural  situa- 
tion much  exposed,  and  but  little  work  has  yet  been  done  upon  them.  It  is 
difficult  to  form  an  opinion  as  to  their  value,  though  competent  judges  speak 
favorably  of  the  chances  for  finding  here  a  fair  article  of  soft  coal.  Recently  u 


WEST    OP   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  315 

coal  vein  of  the  anthracite  variety  is  reported  to  have  been  found  15  miles  from 
Hiko,  the  county  seat  of  Lincoln  county,  in  this  State.  The  vein  is  represented 
to  be  15  inches  thick  on  the  surface,  and  its  contents  are  said  to  ignite  readily, 
and  burn  with  freedom,  leaving  less  than  three  per  cent,  of  residuum.  In  gravity 
and  external  characteristics  it  compares  favorably  with  the  best  coal  found  on 
this  side  of  the  continent,  though  assigned  to  a  later  geological  period.  Should 
the  deposit  prove  at  all  extensive  it  would  greatly  benefit  the  surrounding  region, 
which,  with  much  mineral  wealth,  is  rather  limited  in  its  supplies  of  fuel. 

CRYSTAL  PEAK. — At  this  locality,  some  35  miles  northwest  of  Virginia  City, 
coal  signs  similar  to  those  in  El  Dorado  canon  occur  in  a  depression  known  as 
Dog  valley,  lying  near  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra,  distant  one  mile  from  the 
Truckee  river,  and  two  from  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad.  The  adja- 
cent hills,  as  well  as  the  valley,  are  covered  with  a  stately  growth  of  spruce  and 
pine  timber,  which,  should  the  coal  fail,  might  still  afford  profitable  employment 
to  a  considerable  population,  as  good  lumber  can  be  made  here  at  small  cost. 
The  Truckee  affords  ample  water-power  for  saw-mills  to  manufacture,  and  the 
railroad  a  ready  means  for  transporting  it  to  market.  There  are  also  some  gold 
and  silver-bearing  lodes  in  the  district,  which,  with  the  facilities  at  hand  for 
reducing  the  ores,  may  come  to  be  worked  with  remunerative  results.  The  dis- 
covery of  coal  at  this  place  was  made  about  four  years  ago,  fragmentary  portions 
of  a  dark-colored,  lustrous  lignite,  strongly  marked  with  the  structure  of  the  trees 
and  plants  from  which  it  was  formed,  having  been  found  along  the  line  of  the 
outcropping  coal  seams.  A  good  deal  of  work  directed  to  the  exploration  of  these 
beds  has  since  been  done.  Several  thousand  dollars  have  been  expended  in  sink- 
ing shafts  and  artesian  borings,  and  in  excavating  cuts  and  tunnels.  Some  of 
the  former  have  been  earned  to  a  depth  of  300  feet.  In  some  cases  the  work  of 
prospecting  was  first  effected  by  means  of  boring,  after  which  working  shafts 
were  put  down  and  steam  machinery  was  employed  to  facilitate  hoisting  and 
pumping  operations.  The  carboniferous  strata  at  Crystal  Peak  vary  in  thick- 
ness from  a  few  inches  to  two  and  a  half  feet ;  they  are  much  compressed  in  spots, 
and  largely  intermixed  with  foreign  matter.  Although  a  considerable  quantity 
of  this  lignite  has  been  extracted,  and  one  company  claim  to  have  reached,  by 
boring,  a  seam  eight  feet  thick  at  a  point  300  feet  beneath  the  surface,  the  develop- 
ments made  have  not,  in  the  main,  proved  satisfactory ;  and  of  the  several  enter- 
prises at  one  time  set  on  foot  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  these  beds,  none  are 
now  being  actively  prosecuted  j  and  as  some  of  those  interested  may  contemplate 
resuming  operations,  it  may  be  expedient  to  copy  here  the  opinions  of  the  State 
mineralogist  of  Nevada,  as  to  the  probabilities  of  any  considerable  bodies  of  coal, 
even  of  the  lignite  class,  ever  being  found  at  this  place.  Mr.  Stretch,  having 
given  the  locality  a  personal  examination,  remarks  concerning  its  geology  and 
coal  prospects  as  follows  : 

As  so  much  imperfect  knowledge  relative  to  the  probabilities  of  finding  coal  in  Nevada  is 
prevalent,  it  may  be  well  to  speak  more  fully  of  the  indications  in  this  neighborhood.  The 
seams  of  coal  originally  discovered  at  this  place  are  interstratified  with  thin  beds  of  coarse 
sandstone  or  volcanic  tufa,  of  light  coiors.  This  formation  is  traceable  easterly  for  a  distance 
of  15  miles,  being  intimately  associated  with  trachytes  and  basalt  wherever  it  is  found.  Where 
it  is  exposed  in  Long  valley,  north  of  Virginia,  it  contains  great  numbers  of  fragments  of  wil- 
low leaves,  grasses,  &c.,  remains  resembling  some  varieties  of  sage-brush,  and  in  one  instance 
the  elytron  of  a  beefie:  apparently  the  same  as  a  species  now  found  on  the  same  mountains, 
and  attached  to  the  pinou.  These  remains  indicate  for  the  formation  a  comparatively  recent 
date,  a  conclusion  confirmed  by  the  manner  in  which  it  is  associated  with  the  surrounding 
rocks.  The  rocks  of  the  Sierra  at  Crystal  Peak  are  entirely  igneous  or  metamorphic  in  their 
character,  and  have  been  tilted  into  every  conceivable  position  by  the  agencies  which  seamed 
them  with  intruded  granite  and  basalt.  Did  any  of  the  formations  which  are  known  to  accom- 
pany the  coal  fields  of  Europe  and  the  eastern  States  occur  in  this  vicinity,  even  though  cov- 
ered up  by  lava  beds,  their  immense  thickness,  and  the  distortions  to  which  they  have  been 
subjected,  would  certainly  have  disclosed  their  presence,  and  they  might  have  been  recognized 
by  their  peculiar  fossils.  They  certainly  do  not  exist  at  Crystal  Peak.  Had  the  tufas  and 
sandstones  containing  the  so-called  coal  seams  been  formed  before  the  elevation  of  the  Sierra, 


316  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

they  would  have  necessarily  been  tilted  and  displaced  in  the  same  manner  as  the  associated 
rocks,  partaking  of  all  the  flexures  and  faults  of  the  mountain  range  near  which  they  lie. 
Instead  of  this  being  the  case,  the  stratification  is  nearly  horizontal,  or  only  slightly  inclined. 
In  some  places  the  beds  have  been  somewhat  tilted,  probably  by  the  causes  which  finally 
raised  them  above  the  water  level,  and  gave  the  present  configuration  to  the  surrounding 
country.  The  conclusion  is  almost  irresistible,  that  whatever  coal  is  found  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Crystal  Peak  will  be  confined  to  the  small  valleys  in  that  vicinity,  which,  at  the  period 
when  Steamboat  valley  was  an  inland  sea  bounded  by  the  Sierra  on  the  west  and  the  Virginia 
mountains  on  the  east,  formed  small  arms  of  the  lake,  and  collected  more  or  less  of  the  vege- 
table dtbris  which  during  violent  storms  was  washed  down  from  the  pine  forests  on  the  sur- 
rounding hills.  There  is  yet  another  consideration  to  be  taken  into  account  in  estimating  the 
probable  extent  of  the  deposit.  The  loss  of  bulk  during  the  conversion  of  vegetable  matter 
into  coal  is  equal  to  about  three-fourths  of  the  original  mass.  It  becomes  evident  from  this 
that  an  extensive  bed  of  coal  can  only  be  found  where  there  has  been,  at  some  remote  period, 
most  luxuriant  forest  growth  and  water  sufficient  in  quantity  to  convey  the  debris  to  vast 
tracts  of  marshy  ground  favorable  for  decomposition.  The  coal  fields  of  the  Eastern  States 
and  England  afford  abundant  evidence  that  they  were  at  one  time  extensive  tracts  of  swampy 
forests,  with  a  tropical  climate  and  a  luxuriance  of  vegetation  with  which  even  equatorial 
forests  in  the  present  day  cannot  compete.  On  the  other  hand,  the  remains  of  plants  found 
in  the  associated  rocks  at  Crystal  Peak  do  not  warrant  us  in  entertaining  the  belief  that  such 
conditions  ever  existed  in  that  neighborhood.  What  we  do  find  point  rather  to  a  scanty 
growth,  such  as  is  found  on  the  hills  to-day.  The  almost  entire  absence  of  animal  remains  in 
the  beds  strongly  supports  this  idea.  Where  there  is  an  abundant  vegetation  there  is  gener- 
ally a  corresponding  abundance  of  animal  life,  which  could  scarcely  have  failed  to  leave  some 
mementos  of  its  existence.  If  these  views  are  correct,  as  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  they 
are,  no  body  of  coal  will  be  found  in  this  vicinity  which,  from  its  extent  or  thickness,  will 
repay  the  capital  expended  in  its  development.  The  mere  fact  of  the  formation  having  accu- 
mulated in  a  contracted  mountain  valley,  limits  its  extent  and  value  at  the  same  time.  The 
thin  seams  of  bituminous  matter  found  between  the  layers  of  tufa  may  have  been  the  product 
of  dense  growths  of  tule  and  other  water  plants. 


SECTION    III. 

COPPER. 

Among  the  more  promising  cupriferous  localities  in  the  State,  is 
THE  PEA  VINE  DISTRICT,  situate  about  30  miles  northwest  of  Virginia  City, 
being  six  miles  north  of  the  Truckee  river,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  the 
Central  Pacific  railroad,  with  all  which  it  is  connected  by  good  wagon  roads. 
This  district,  erected  in  March,  1863,  has  a  length  of  about  20,  and  an  average 
width  of  10  or  12  miles.  Near  its  centre  is  a  cluster  of  small  springs,  at  which 
a  house  was  built  in  1860.  About  these  springs  grow  quantities  of  wild  peavines, 
hence  the  name  of  the  station  and  subsequently  of  the  district,  which  covers  a 
region  of  low  hills  stretching  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The 
country  about  the  mines  is  dry,  barren,  and  treeless,  though  it  contains  several 
small  lakes  with  a  number  of  springs,  and  water  can  be  obtained  in  many  places 
by  digging  wells  from  30  to  50  feet  deep,  while  wood,  both  for  fuel  and  lumber, 
abounds  in  the  Sierra,  four  or  five  miles  distant.  The  lodes  in  this  district,  found 
almost  invariably  in  a  granite  and  metamorphic  formation,  have  a  northerly  and 
southerly  strike,  and  are  from  3  to  12  feet  in  thickness,  with  a  few  of  greater 
dimensions.  They  do  not  project  much  above  the  surface,  and  although  a  small 
number  have  been  traced  by  the  outcrop  for  several  hundred  yards,  and  have 
been  found  persistent  for  a  considerable  depth,  many  of  them  have  the  appearance 
of  segregated  rather  than  deep  fissured  veins.  The  lodes  possessing  the  best  local 
reputation  as  based  on  size,  assays  of  ore,  and  extent  of  development,  are  the 
Great  Eastern,  20  feet  thick,  the  Bevelhymer,  American  Eagle,  Enterprise,  and 
Metropolitan,  upon  which  tunnels  have  been  run,  varying  from  50  to  300  feet  in 
length,  and  the  Pacific,  Indian,  Occidental,  Young  America,  Great  Western, 
Orient,  Challenge,  and  Bay  State,  all  somewhat  explored  by  means  of  shafts, 
open  cuts,  and  other  excavations.  The  Tolls  Company  have  expended  so^.. 


WEST  OP  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  317 

$4,000  in  prospecting  tlicir  lode,  from  which  they  have  taken  quantities  of  ore 
assaying  from  15  to  40  per  cent,  of  copper,  and  from  $60  to  $500  per  ton  in  gold 
and  silver.  While  the  above-mentioned  claims,  as  well,  perhaps,  as  many  besides, 
cover  large  and  permanent  lodes,  others  in  the  district  have  the  appearance  of 
being  merely  limited  and  superficial  deposits.  The  Peavine  ores,  composed 
chiefly  of  carbonates  and  oxides,  besides  assaying  largely  in  copper,  contain  a 
sufficiency  of  the  precious  metals  to  defray  cost  of  transportation  to  the  seaboard, , 
when,  as  will  be  the  case  in  the  course  of  next  year,  railroad  transit  can  be  had/ 
In  the  metalliferous  portions  of  these  veins  free  gold  can  frequently  be  detected  by 
the  unassisted  eye  j  particles  of  this  metal  being  sometimes  found  on  the  surface 
where  the  veinstone  has  undergone  decomposition.  The  ores  of  this  district  give 
by  assay  from  10  to  50  per  cent,  of  metallic  copper,  selected  samples  often  going 
much  higher.  Small  lots  of  the  better  class  of  ores  have  been  found  by  working 
tests  to  yield  from  30  to  40  per  cent,  of  metal.  By  an  assay  of  these  ores  made 
by  Mr.  Ricard,  the  following  results  were  obtained  : 

Gold 0005      $2  50perton. 

Silver 0200        785        " 

Oxide  of  copper 34.1000     13500 

Peroxide  of  iron 2.3200 

Alumina 2200 

Sulphur 1.3600 

Carbonic  acid 11.2000 

Silicia 46.6600 

Water 3.8400 

Loss 2795 

100.0000     145  35        " 

Some  choice  ores  reduced  at  the  English  Company's  mill,  seven  miles  distant 
from  the  mines,  yielded  100  ounces  of  silver  to  the  ton.  Smelting  works 
on  the  Swansea  plan,  with  a  capacity  for  operating  10  or  12  tons  of  ore  daily, 
have  been  erected  in  the  district,  plumbago,  obtained  from  a  bed  of  that  mineral 
near  Washoe  City,  having  been  employed  in  their  construction.  This  material 
is  abundant  in  the  locality  mentioned,  and  although  not  yet  thoroughly  proved, 
there  is  good  reason  for  believing  it  well  adapted  to  this  and  similar  uses.  Sev- 
eral other  furnaces,  some  of  them  on  a  different  plan,  have  been  projected,  and 
there  is  a  likelihood  that  one  or  more  of  these  will  be  completed  and  in  operation 
in  the  course  of  a  few  months.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  the  bulk  of  these 
ores  will  be  shipped  to  San  Francisco  for  a  market,  or  sent  elsewhere  for  treat- 
ment when  the  railroad  shall  have  been  completed  to  this  point ;  an  event  that 
promises  to  revive  operations,  now  nearly  suspended,  enhance  the  value  of  claims, 
and  repopulate  this  eligibly  situated  and  promising  district.  A  town,  also 
named  Peavine,  was  laid  out  in  1863,  at  the  group  of  springs  mentioned.  It 
contains  several  houses,  and  being  adjacent  to  the  mines,  should  the  latter  turn 
out  according  to  expectation,  its  growth  will  no  doubt  keep  pace  with  their  future 
development. 

THE  WALKER  RIVER  COPPER  REGION  covers  a  considerable  scope  of  country 
lying  between  and  adjacent  to  the  east  and  west  forks  of  that  stream.  The  prin- 
cipal mines,  so  far  as  developments  extend,  are  distant  from  the  latter  in  a  westerly 
direction,  from  3  to  10  miles.  This  cupriferous  belt  has  an  average  width  of  eight 
and  a  length  of  about  25  miles.  Within  these  limits  some  strong  veins  occur, 
and  here  most  of  the  labor  and  money  laid  out  in  that  region  have  been  expended. 
Like  the  Peavine,  this  is  an  arid,  sterile,  and  timberless  district ;  the  only  water 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  mines  is  afforded  by  a  few  small  springs,  while 
the  only  vegetable  products  consist  of  a  scanty  growth  of  bunch  grass,  artemisia, 
and  a  few  other  equally  scraggy  and  worthless  shrubs.  There  are,  however, 
scattered  groves  of  pinon  on  the  Pine  Nut  mountains  a  few  miles  to  the  west, 
while  the  west  brunch  of  Walker  river,  in  close  proximity,  and  at  all  seasons  a 


318  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


strong  and  rapid  stream,  supplies  every  requisite  for  reduction  -\ 
of  water  is  ample  for  propulsive  power,  and  also  for  floating 


works.  The  volume 
down  fuel  and  lum- 
ber from  the  heavy  pine  and  spruce  forests  30  miles  above.  The  veins  here, 
which  are  numerous,  wrell  defined,  and  of  fair  average  dimensions,  have  a  gener- 
ally north-northeast  trend,  assay  from  12  to  50  per  cent,  in  copper,  and  from  $15 
to  $30  per  ton  in  the  precious  metals.  Most  of  the  country  rock  is  of  a  calcareous 
nature.  The  ores  embrace  almost  every  variety,  and  often  cany  small  particles 
of  virgin  metal.  The  first  discoveries  were  made  in  this  district  in  18G2,  since 
which  time  a  good  deal  of  work  in  a  promiscuous  way  has  been  done.  Although 
several  lodes  have  been  opened  to  a  considerable  depth,  it  can  hardly  be  said 
that  any  have  been  thoroughly  explored.  Active  exertions,  except  upon  a  few 
claims,  have  been  suspended  for  the  past  two  years.  On  the  Bewley  mine  an 
incline  shaft  6  feet  by  10  has  been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  100  feet.  From  this  lode 
several  hundred  tons  of  ore  have  been  extracted  which  gave  an  average  yield  of 
nearly  40  per  cent,  of  metal.  It  is  well  formed,  has  a  thickness  of  about  six  feet, 
has  a  northerly  and  southerly  strike,  and  an  easterly  dip  in  conformity  with  the 
prevailing  pitch  in  the  district.  Other  veins  located  near  it  and  partially  opened, 
promise  almost  equally  well.  Upon  the  Constitution,  Peacock,  Ward,  and 
Weister  lodes,  some  prospecting  work  has  been  performed  with  encouraging 
results.  The  former,  which  is  the  most  extensively  opened,  exhibits  a  vein  16 
feet  thick,  and  carries  ores  that  assay  from  20  to  30  per  cent,  of  copper,  with  a 
large  percentage  of  iron,  and  from  $15  to  $18  per  ton  in  gold  and  silver.  The 
quantity  of  iron  diminishes  as  depth  is  attained  on  the  lode.  The  Ward  and 
Weister  lode,  tying  near  the  Constitution,  and  some  10  miles  to  the  westward 
of  the  river,  is  about  six  feet  wide,  carries  a  pure  gray  sulphuret  ore  of  high  grade 
with  native  copper,  and  from  $25  to  $30  per  ton  in  gold  and  silver.  The  Pea- 
cock, four  miles  from  the  river,  is  a  four-foot  vein,  impregnated  with  yellow  sul- 
phuret ore  assaying  about  the  same  as  that  from  the  Constitution.  In  the  foot 
hills  that  flank  the  Tollock  mountains  lying  between  the  forks  of  Walker  river, 
as  well  as  in  the  country  contiguous  to  the  main  stream  and  that  stretching  along 
the  western  base  of  the  Wassack  range  west  of  the  Walker  lake,  occur  numerous 
copper-bearing  lodes,  which,  judging  from  surface  indications — none  of  them 
having  been  much  opened — will  yet  constitute  a  cupriferous  field  of  considerable 
extent  and  value.  As  in  the  district  further  west,  a  variety  of  ores  is  met  with 
in  these  localities.  The  facilities  for  transportation  and  reduction  are  about  the 
same. 

In  Battle  Mountain  district,*  in  the  eastern  part  of  Humboldt  county,  are 
several  deposits  of  the  red  oxide  of  copper.  The  Dunderberg,  the  principal  lode 
in  the  district,  consists  of  a  mass  of  silicious  rock  and  limestone  nearly  200  feet 
thick,  permeated  by  numerous  small  veins  of  this  ore,  assaying  throughout  50 
per  cent,  of  metal.  Owing  to  the  remoteness  of  the  district,  90  miles  north-north- 
west of  Austin,  and  about  the  same  distance  easterly  from  the  settled  portions 
of  Humboldt  county,  these  deposits,  though  apparently  rich  and  extensive,  pos- 
sess only  a  prospective  value,  since  they  cannot  be  opened  to  advantage  or  worked 
with  profit  until  the  railroad,  to  pass  within  10  miles  of  them,  shall  be  completed. 
With  that  auxiliary  they  will  probably  command  the  means  necessary  for  devel- 
opment. The  country  about  these  mines,  though  generally  barren,  contains 
some  patches  of  good  land,  with  a  narrow  strip  of  fertile  bottoms  along  the  Hum- 
boldt river  a  few  miles  distant,  to  the  north.  Being  without  timber,  however, 
and  the  other  agents  essential  to  an  economical  reduction  of  the  ores,  the  mass 
of  them  will  require  to  be  shipped  elsewhere  for  treatment.  In  the  Volcano  dis- 
trict, Esmeralda  county,  at  a  point  about  80  miles  northeast  of  Aurora,  have  been 
found  some  of  the  heaviest  and  apparently  richest  copper  lodes  in  the  State.  The 
deposits  at  this  place  consist  of  well-defined  veins,  some  of  them  of  considerable 

*  See  section  on  Eastern  Nevada. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  319 

magnitude,  and  of  ore-bearing  masses  lying  upon  or  projecting  from  the  surface. 
The  top  ores  are  carbonates,  with  a  sprinkling  of  other  varieties,  and  at  greater 
depths  sulphurate,  the  average  assays  of  which  indicate  a  fair  percentage  of  cop- 
per and  the  presence  of  from  $25  to  $30  per  ton  in  silver,  and  from  82  to  $10  in 
gold.  The  region  for  a  considerable  distance  around  is  forbidding  and  desolate ; 
it  is  scantily  supplied  with  wood  arid  water,  and  wholly  destitute  of  arable  lands. 
Moreover,  it  is  far  removed  from  the  line  of  any  contemplated  railway,  and  other- 
wise unfavorably  situated  for  the  cheap  extraction  of  the  metals  and  exportation 
of  ores ;  so  that  an  early  development  of  its  mineral  resources,  of  which  copper 
forms  but  one,  can  hardly  be  anticipated.  About  50  miles  southeast  of  Volcano, 
in  the  San  Antonio  district,  signs  of  copper  manifest  themselves  over  a  consid- 
erable scope  of  country.  The  ores  at  this  place  are  said  to  be  rich,  yet  nothing 
has  been  done  to  indicate  the  extent  or  probable  permanence  of  the  mines.  One 
of  the  ledges  located  here  at  a  point  two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Montezuma 
Spring,  called  the  Ruby,  has  a  thickness  of  12  feet,  and,  although  it  carries  a 
variety  of  metals,  copper  appears  to  predominate.  In  the  Bolivia.  Mammoth, 
and  Palmetto  districts,  as  well  as  in  numerous  other  localities  in  different  parts 
of  the  State,  strong  and  well  marked  veins  of  copper  ore  occur.  Although  many 
of  these  bear  superficial  evidence  of  permanency,  no  positive  opinion  can  be  pro- 
nounced on  this  point,  since  only  upon  a  few  of  them  has  any  work  been  done. 
Upon  none  have  explorations  been  prosecuted  to  decisive  results. 


SECTION    IV. 

METEOROLOGY,  BOTANY,  ZOOLOGY,  ETC. 

Of  the  climate  of  Nevada  so  much  has  been  said  elsewhere  that  it  only  remains 
here  to  notice  a  few  of  what  may  be  considered  its  meteorological  peculiarities ; 
among  which  the  most  remarkable  are  what  have  been  denominated  cloud  bursts, 
a  heavy  precipitation  of  rain  caused  by  the  meeting  of  two  clouds  surcharged 
with  moisture.  This  phenomenon  is  thought  to  be  produced  through  electrical 
agencies,  though  not  enough  has  been  ascertained  to  settle  this  fully.  Numbers 
of  these  u  cloud  bursts"  occur  every  summer.  They  are  most  frequent  in  the  south- 
ern and  western  parts  of  the  State.  In  some  instances  an  immense  amount  of 
water  falls  to  the  earth  in  a  few  mrhutes,  filling  up  gulches  and  sweeping  away 
everything  opposed  to  its  progress.  Several  lives  have  been  lost  and  considera- 
ble property  destroyed  in  the  State  during  the  past  few  years  through  this  cause. 

The  mirage,  an  optical  illusion  caused  by  saline  particles  floating  in  a  heated 
atmosphere,  is  often  seen  in  great  perfection  on  the  deserts  of  Nevada.  Some- 
times it  takes  the  form  of  lakes,  with  islands  and  headlands  bathing  in  their  lim- 
pid waters  j  assuming,  at  others,  though  more  rarely,  the  appearance  of  extensive 
'groves  and  wooded  lawns,  the  wholq  so  closely  resembling  nature  that  it  requires 
an  effort  of  reason  to  dispel  the  illusion.  The  same  or  similar  atmospheric  con- 
ditions sometimes  so  refract  the  rays  of  light  as  to  distort  and  magnify  in  a 
strange  manner  objects  seen  at  a  short  distance.  '  A  sage  bush  Viewed  through 
i  this  medium  has  the  appearance  of  a  large  spreading  tree,  and  the  little  cones 
formed  by  the  drifting  sand  loom  like  pyramids  on  the  deserts. 

Snotv  slides,  though  often  happening  in  the  Sierra,  where  they  sometimes  occur 
on  a  large  scale  and  with  fatal  results,  are  not  common  in  the  interior  of  the 
State.  Nearly  every  winter  some  unfortunate  traveller  loses  his  life  in  the  Sierras 
by  being  overwhelmed  by  these  descending  masses  of  snow. 

Sand  storms  and  sand  clouds  are  regular  features  of  the  climatology  of  this 
region.  The  former  is  brought  about  by  certain  strong  winds,  which,  blowing 
steadily  for  some  days,  so  completely  fill  the  air  with 'sand  and  dust  that  it  is 


320  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

impossible  to  see  for  more  than  a  few  rods.  Respiration  becomes  labored,  and 
the  atmosphere  often  grows  oppressively  warm  during  their  continuance,  which 
rarely  lasts  more  than  a  single  clay.  The  sand  clouds  or  pillars  are  formed  after 
the  manner  of  water-spouts,  and  consist  of  immense  bodies  of  fine  sand  and  dust 
earned  to  a  great  height  by  a  rotary  and  upward,  but  at  the  same  time  advanc- 
ing, current  of  air,  sometimes  at  a  slow  and  again  with  a  rapid  pace.  'Frequently 
these  columns  sway  high  in  the  atmosphere,  and  many  of  them  can  be  seen  at 
the  same  time  following  each  other  in  majestic  procession  arcoss  the  plains. 

This  region,  like  California,  has  its  wet  and  dry  seasons,  though  the  latter  is 
scarcely  so  long  or  uninterrupted  here  as  there,  nor  is  the  precipitation  during 
the  wet  season  so  great.  Summer  showers,  accompanied  with  thunder  and  light- 
ning, are  more  frequent  in  Nevada  than  in  California,  though  much  less  common  than 
in  the  States  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains. 

Both  the  fauna  and  flora  of  Nevada  lack  fullness  and  variety.  The  indigenous 
plants  and  flowers  are  few,  while  the  animal  kingdom,  except  in  the  department 
of  insect  life,  is  barren  almost  beyond  example.  With  the  exception  of  the  pine- 
nut,  a  few  wild  currants  and  gooseberries,  and  one  or  two  other  inferior  kinds  of 
berries,  found  only  in  a  few  localities,  and  none  of  them  very  plentiful,  there  is 
little  in  the  vegetable  world  that  civilized  man  considers  eatable.  There  are  few 
or  no  wild  plums,  blackberries,  strawberries,  or  grapes.  The  wild  cherries  found 
growing  on  a  scrubby  bush  in  some  of  the  canons  are  small,  bitter,  and  astrin- 
gent. The  Indians  find  many  medicinal  herbs  and  esculent  roots,  but  neither 
are  much  esteemed  by  white  men.  In  the  tule  about  the  sink  of  the  Humboldt 
and  Carson  grows  a  species  of  cane  which  exudes  a  sweet  sirup  that,  drying  in 
small  lumps  on  the  surface,  forms  a  tolerable  article  of  sugar.  Wild  flax  and 
tobacco  are  found  occasionally  growing  on  the  hills,  and  along  the  Humboldt  a 
species  of  wild  hemp  is  met  with,  having  a  long  and  stout  fibre,  which  may, 
with  cultivation,  come  to  form  an  important  textile.  The  artemesia  or  wild  sage, 
a  scraggy  shrub  growing  from  one  to  six  feet  high,  is  found  nearly  everywhere. 
This  species  is  worthless  for  anything  except  fuel,  though  there  is  a  small  white 
kind  of  sage  upon  which  cattle  feed  with  avidity  after  it  has  been  visited  by  the 
first  frosts  of  autumn.  The  cactus,  growing  but  sparsely  in  the  northern  and 
central  parts  of  the  State,  is  common  further  south,  where,  also,  the  mesquit  tree 
abounds.  Game,  with  the  exception  of  sage  hen  and  hare,  is  scarce  in  all  parts 
of  the  State.  There  are  no  wildcats,  panthers,  bears,  or  other  animals  that  can 
justly  be  called  beasts  of  prey.  The  nearest  approach  to  these  are  the  coyote 
and  wolf,  of  which  there  are  a  few  in  all  paits  of  the  country.  On  some  of  the 
more  lofty  ranges  are  to  be  seen  occasionally  small  herds  of  mountain  sheep. 
These  animals  are  shy  and  fleet,  keeping  usually  in  the  more  rugged  and  inac- 
cessible parts  of  the  mountains.  The  beaver,  otter,  martin,  foxes,  fishers,  and 
other  fur-bearing  animals  that  drew  the  trapper  into  this  region  in  the  early  day, 
have  nearly  all  disappeared,  and  now  rarely  fall  a  prey  to  the  hunter.  About 
the  sinks  and  lakes  geese,  ducks,  cranes,  and  pelicans  are,  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year,  plentiful.  These,  with  the  sage  hen,  raven,  an  occasional  eagle,  and- 
a  sprinkling  of  small  birds,  comprise  all  there  is  to  represent  the  feathered  race 
in  the  country.  Reptiles  are  also  scarce,  and  are  mostly  confined  to  a  few  horned 
toads,  spotted  lizards,  and  snakes,  of  which  the  only  venomous  kind  is  the  rat- 
tlesnake. 


WES1    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  321 

SECTION    T. 

SOCIAL,    INDUSTRIAL,    AND    EDUCATIONAL    PROGRESS. 

In  all  these  departments  Nevada  lias  made  rapid  and  gratifying  progress. 
Tier  population  is  distinguished  for  industry,  order,  and  a  ready  obedience  to 
lawful  authority.  Already  nearly  30  church  edifices  have  been  erected  in  the 
Stale,  at  a  cost  ranging  from  $2,000  to  $40,000  each,  and  an  aggregate  expense 
of  about  $300,000.  These  represent  the  leading  Christian  denominations,  and 
arc  in  some  cases  spacious  and  handsome  buildings.  Numerous  well  conducted 
schools  IKIYC  been  established  under  an  enlightened  educational  system,  for  the 
support  of  which  liberal  provision  has  been  made  by  the  State.  There  is  also 
a  number  of  academies,  seminaries,  and  high  schools  sustained  by  private  pat- 
ronage. Capacious  halls  for  literary,  social,  and  benevolent  purposes  have  been 
erected  in  all  the  large  towns,  several  of  which  are  supplied  with  gas  and  water 
works  and  commodious  buildings  for  municipal  uses.  Besides  many  minor  indus- 
trial establishments,  several  large  foundries  and  machine  shops  have  been  erected 
in  the  vicinity  of  Virginia,  and  one,  also  of  considerable  capacity,  at  Austin, 
near  the  centre  of  the  State.  A  salt  .mill,  an  acid  factory,  and  a  tannery  and 
pottery  speak  of  the  diversified  pursuits  now  obtaining  a  foothold,  and  a  well- 
patronized  press,  issuing  five  daily  and  as  many  weekly  journals,  indicate  the 
intelligence  and  enlightenment  of  the  people.  Of  the  agricultural  capacities 
and  products  of  the  country  so  much  has  been  said  elsewhere  in  this  report  that 
they  need  only  be  glanced  at  in  a  summary  way  in  this  connection.  The  entire 
amount  of  land,  arable  and  grazing,  enclosed  in  the  State  may  be  roughly  esti- 
mated at  150,000  acres,  of  which  one-quarter  at  least  is  planted  to  grain,  giving 
an  average  yield  of  about  20  bushels  to  1.  Nearly  every  cereal  grown  in  the 
most  favored  regions  elsewhere  can,  with  proper  care,  be  successfully  grown  here. 
Kven  the  more  delicate  fruits  common  in  the  temperate  zones,  such  as  pears, 
pearlies,  and  grapes,  ran  be  raised  in  Nevada  if  the  soil  and  site  be  judiciously 
selected  and  their  culture  properly  attended  to,  while  in  the  matter  of  vegetables, 
except  the  more  tender  kind,  no  country  can  produce  them  with  greater  facility 
or  of  better  Duality  if  the  requisite  attention  be  paid  to  their  culture.  Besides 
the  vegetables  and  grain  raised  in  this  IS  tat  e,  large  quantities  of  butter  and 
cheese  are  annually  produced,  and  these  commodities  are  very  justly  esteemed 
for  their  excellent  flavor.  'Taken  in  the  aggregate,  the  amount  of  stock  kept  in 
the  State  is  quite  large;  the  neat  cattle  number  between  11,000  and  12,000.  and 
the  horses  and  mules  kept  for  fanning  purposes  and  draft  about  6,000,  besides 
between  3,000  and  4,000  sheep  and  about  the  same  number  of  swine.  The 
ranges  of  mountain  pasturage  found  in  many  parts  of  the  State,  with  an  almost 
universal  absence  of  weeds,  burs,  and  wild  animals  to  injure  the  wool  and  endan- 
ger the  lives  of  the  flock,  should  recommend  this  country  to  wool  growers  and 
sheep  herders  abroad.  The  tnl«5  lands  furnish  a  good  field  for  raising  swine. 
These  animals  thrive  well  on  the  root  of  that  rush,  even  without  other  food. 
It  is  estimated  that  there  were  75,000  tons  of  hay  cut  and  6,000  tons  of  grain 
raised  in  the  State  the  present  year,  besides  suflicient  vegetables  for  home  con- 
sumption. There  are  three  flour  mills,  one  in  operation  and  two  in  course  of 
erection  ;  2  1  saw-mills,  driving  35  saws,  and  having  a  capacity  to  cut  daily  from 
5,000  to  20,000  feet  of  lumber  each,  or  an  aggregate  of  180,000  feet.*  The 
most  of  these  mills  are  propelled  by  steam.  Their  cost  ranges  from  $5,000'  to- 
SI  5. 000;  total  cost,  about  $175,000.  The  number  of  quartz  mills  and  reduc- 
tion works  in  this  State,  including  such  as  are  in  course  of  erection,  having  their 
machinery  and  material  on  the  ground,  witli  the  prospect  of  an  early  completion, 
may  be  set  down  at  160.  The  most  of  these  mills  are  driven  by  steam,  the  whole 
carrying  an  aggregate  of  about  1,300  stamps.  The  individual  cost  of  these 
establishments  varies  from  $3,000  to  $950,000,  the  cost  of  the  greater  part  rang- 
21 


322  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

ing  from  $40,000  to  $60,000  each,  though  quite  a  number  have  cost  $100,000, 
and  several  much  larger  sums.  At  the  present  time  nearly  all  of  these  establish- 
ments are  in  constant  and  profitable  operation.  None  of  those  completed  and 
in  condition  to  do  good  work  are  idle.  About  60  miles  of  ditching,  the  most  of 
it  of  large  capacity,  has  been  constructed  in  the  State  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
ducting water  to  points  where  required  for  the  use  of  mills  or  for  domestic  wants, 
besides  a  large  amount  of  work  expended  on  other  projects  of  this  kind  but  par- 
tially completed  and  a  multitude  of  smaller  ditches  dug  for  irrigating  purposes. 
Over  1,000  miles  of  toll-road,  some  portions  of  it  very  costly,  has  been  built, 
either  for  subserving  local  necessities  and  wholly  within  the  State,  or  for  the 
purpose  of  improving  thoroughfares  over  the  Sierra,  or  connecting  those  with, 
points  in  the  interior.  The  sums  expended  on  account  of  these  improvements 
amount  in  the  aggregate  to  scarcely  less  than  a  million  of  dollars 


SECTION  YI. 

DOUGLAS    COUNTY. 

This  county,  named  after  the  late  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  is  situate  centrally  on 
the  western  border  of  the  State,  having  Ormsby  and  Lyon  counties  on  the  north, 
Esmeralda  on  the  east,  and  California  on  the  west  and  south.  It  has  an  area  of 
about  1,500  square  miles',  forming  in  this  respect  the  fourth  county  in  the  State, 
though  it  contains  more  valuable  timber  land  than  any  other,  except  Washoe,  as 
well  as  a  greater  quantity  of  good  agricultural  land  in  proportion  to  its  size.  In 
1861  it  contained  a  population  of  1,057  ;  the  present  population  is  about  2,000. 
The  western  part  of  this  county  is  covered  by  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  and 
the  eastern  by  the  Pine  Nut  range,  Carson  valley,  embracing  about  200  square 
miles  lying  between  them.  About  one-third  of  this  valley  consists  of  good 
farming  and  meadow  lands  ;  the  remainder  consists  of  gravelly  and  sandy  sage 
barrens,  the  most  of  it  incapable  of  producing  good  grain  crops,  even  with  the  aid 
of  careful  culture  and  irrigation.  There  are  in  this  valley  several  thousand  acres 
of  tule  land,  which  by  diking  and  drainage  might  be  converted  into  valuable  pas- 
ture and  hay  lands.  With  the  exception  of  about  2,000  acres  of  arable  land 
lying  in  Jack's  valley,  one  mile  northwest  of  Carson,  nearly  all  the  tillable  soil 
in  this  county  is  embraced  within  the  limits  of  the  latter,  or  the  mountain  ravines 
tributary  to  it.  Outside  of  these,  Douglas  county  possesses  a  generally  rugged 
surface  and  a  barren  soil,  the  latter  incapable,  except  where  covered  with  forests, 
of  producing  anything  beyond  its  native  growth,  the  arteinesia,  and  a  scanty 
crop  of  bunch  grass.  Much  of  the  soil  on  the  hills  and  mountains  would  grow 
fair  crops  of  grain  could  it  be  irrigated,  but  for  this  there  are,  unfortunately, 
but  limited  facilities.  Carson  river,  flowing  centrally  through  the  valley,  together 
with  the  numerous  streams  coming  down  from  the  Sierra,  afford,  to  a  certain  extent, 
means  for  irrigation  and  for  the  propulsion  of  machinery.  To  the  latter  use  a 
sufficiency  of  it  has  been  diverted  for  driving  the  machinery  of  six  saw  mills 
and  one  flour  mill,'  without  more  than  partially  appropriating  the  power  that 
could  be  obtained.  These  mills,  including  also  a  steam  mill  situated  in  the 
western  part  of  the  country,  cost  in  the  aggregate  about  $40,000,  and  have 
a  united  capacity  for  cutting  50,000  feet  of  lumber  per  day.  The  timber 
lands,  from  which  a  good  article  of  lumber  can  be  made,  amount  to  between 
60,000  and  70,000  acres  within  the  limits  of  the  county.  This  timber  is  situate 
on  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The  Pine  Nut  range  contains  only  scattered  groves  of 
pinon,  the  greater  portion  of  it  is  destitute  of  even  this.  There  are  no  quartz 
mills  in  this  county.  As  yet  no  productive  mines  have  been 'developed  within 
its  boundaries.  Agriculture,  hay  making,  and  stock  ranching  constitute  the 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  323 

principal  pursuits  of  its  inhabitants  j  the  number  of  work  horses  and  mules  con- 
tained in  it  being  estimated  at  800  5  the  neat  cattle  at  1,800,  and  the  swine  at 
400.  Much  poultry  is  also  kept  by  the  farmers,  and  considerable  quantities  of 
butter  and  cheese  are  made  annually.  The  amount  of  hay  cut  here  in  1866 
readied  15,000  tons  ;  the  grain  raised  was  estimated  at  570  tons.  Thirty  thou- 
sanda  acres  of  land  have  been  enclosed,  of  which  between  C,000  and  7,000  are 
under  cultivation.  Douglas  is  well  supplied  with  wagon  roads.  The  extensive 
valley  occupying  its  centre,  and  the  numerous  mountain  passes  leading  out  of  it, 
favor  their  construction.  Genoa,  the  county  seat  and  only  town  in  the  county  of 
considerable  size,  contains  about  400  inhabitants.  Besides  a  brick  school-house 
and  two  churches,  it  contains  a  handsome  court-house  erected  at  a  cost  of  820,000. 
The  value  of  taxable  property  in  the  country  is  estimated  at  $000,000.  There 
are  numerous  hot  springs  situate  in  and  along  the  margin  of  Carson  valley,  but 
none  of  them  are  of  a  magnitude  or  possessed  of  other  features  requiring  special 
notice. 

While,  as  observed,  no  mines  have  been  developed  to  a  productive  state  in  this 
county,  it  is  believed  to  contain  sonae  valuable  cupriferous,  if  not  also  argen- 
tiferous, lodes,  upon  some  of  which  a  large  amount  of  exploratory  labor  has 
been  expended.  Commencing  in  1859,  several  mining  districts  have  since  been 
laid  out  in  the  county,  the  earlier  with  a  view  to  operations  on  silver-bearing 
lodes  j  one  or  two,  more  recently  erected  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  for 
the  purpose  of  securing  and  working  the  copper  veins  existing  at  that  point. 
These  latter  districts,  and  one  or  two  others,  arc  all  that  still  maintain  their 
organization.  The  rest,  created  under  excitement  and  insufficient  exploration, 
have  long  since  been  abandoned.  For  fuller  information  touching  these  cup- 
riferous lodes  the  article  on  copper  may  be  consulted.  The  Eagle  district,  situate 
on  the  Pine  Nut  range  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  contains  a  number  of 
quartz  veins,  some  of  them  displaying  prominent  outcrops.  In  the  work  of 
exploring  two  of  these  ledges,  the  Peck  and  the  Mammoth,  a  thousand  feet  of 
tunneling  has  been  run.  Operations,  commenced  in  1860,  were  continuously 
prosecuted  for  four  or  live  years  thereafter,  and  although  the  ledge  has  been  pene- 
trated in  these  claims  at  a  considerable  depth,  no  paying  body  of  ore  has  been 
developed.  It  is  said  the  work,  for  some  time  suspended,  is  to  be  resumed. 
Already  about  $100,000  have  been  expended  upon  these  two  claims,  from  neither 
of  which  has  any  amount  of  mi  liable  ore  been  extracted.  Adjoining  Douglas 
on  the  south  are  situate  Markleyville,  Mogul,  Monitor,  Silver  Mountain,  and 
several  other  less  important  districts,  all  silver-producing  and  lying  east  of  the 
Sierra,  though  in  Alpine  county,  California.  They  are  located  on  the  head-waters 
of  Carson  river,  distant  from  20  to  40  miles  from  Genoa.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  lat- 
ter place  is  a  district  bearing  the  same  name  and  stretching  along  the  base  of  the 
Sierra,  in  which  a  good  many  claims  were  located  about  six  years  ago.  Here 
afterwards  a  large  amount  of  work  was  done  and  money  expended,  but  with  no 
very  determinate  results.  The  outlay  at  this  point,  divided  among  some  ten  or 
twelve  companies,  could  scarcely  have  been  le:  s  than  $200,000,  over  3,000  lineal- 
feet  of  tunnelling  having  been  excavated,  besides  other  work  done.  For  the  past 
year  or  two  operations  have  been  suspended,  and,  as  is  generally  supposed,  with 
no  prospect  of  an  early  resumption.  Could  a  heavy  body  of  moderately  rich 
ore  bo  found  at  this  spot  it  could  hardly  fail  to  impart  value  'to  these  mines, 
owing  to  the  cheapness  with  which  it  could  be  worked  by  reason  of  their  prox- 
imity to  wood  and  water.  The  prospect,  however,  of  reaching  even  this  result 
is  not  encouraging.  In  a  range  of  low  hills  at  the  north  end  of  Carson  valley 
some  small  veins  of  gold  and  silver-beating  quartz  were  found  about  a  year  ago. 
Upon  these  several  shafts  have  been  sunk,  and  in  the  limited  operations  conducted, 
at  this  place  is  to  be  found  nearly  all  the  work  now  being  done  upon  mines  within 
the  bounds  of  this  county. 


324  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

SECTION   VII. 

ORM  SB  Y    C  OUNT  Y. 

Tliis  county,  which  adjoins  Doug-las  on  the  north,  takes  its  name  from  William 
Ormsby,  an  early  settler  on  the  eastern  slope  and  one  of  the  founders  of  Carson 
City.  Though  of  small  dimensions,  devoid  of  productive  mines,  and  containing 
but  a  moderate  amount  of  arable  land,  its  central  and  otherwise  eligible  situa- 
tion, extensive  pineries,  and  ample  water  power  have  built  up  within  it  important 
industries,  rendering  the  population  among  the  most  thrifty  in  the  State.  Carson 
City  is  the  capital  of  the  State,  and  has  been  selected  for  the  site  of  the  United 
States  branch  mint.  The  census  report  of  1861  showed  the  county  to  contain 
2,076  inhabitants,  a  number  now  increased  to  about  2,500,  of  whom  two-thirds 
perhaps  reside  in  Carson  City,  and  a  sixth  in  Empire,  a  milling  hamlet,  situate 
on  the  river  three  miles  east  of  Carson.  A  large  proportion  of  the  inhabitants 
are  engaged  in  teaming,  lumbering,  and  cutting  fire-wood.  Three-fourths  of  the 
county  is  covered  with  mountains.  The  Sierra  occupies  the  western  and  the 
Pine  Nut  range  the  eastern  parts.  These  mountains  are  here  timbered  as  in 
Douglas  county,  and  the  broad  and  sandy  plain,  fertile  only  in  its  western  part, 
known  as  Eagle  valley,  lies  between  them.  Across  from  south  to  north  runs  the 
Carson  river,  affording  good  water-power  and  an  easy  channel  for  floating  down  saw- 
logs  and  fuel  from  the  forests  about  the  head-waters  of  this  stream.  The  quan- 
tity of  these  materials  thus  brought  down  to  Empire  amounts  to  5,000,000  feet 
lumber  and  5,000  cords  of  wood  annually.  The  streams  issuing  from  the  Sierra 
also  supply  a  considerable  amount  of  propulsive  power,  besides  furnishing  Carson 
City  with  water  for  domestic  uses,  and  the  arable  land  about  it,  of  which  there 
are  several  thousand  acres,  with  means  for  irrigation,  nearly  the  whole  of  this 
water  having  thus  been  utilized.  A  considerable  amount  of  lumber  is  made 
in  this  county.  The  forests  of  pine  and  fir  with  water  power  in  their  midst,  and 
the  proximity  of  the  Comstock  mines,  insure  a  constant  market  and  supply 
many  advantages  for  carrying  on  the  business.  The  wood  lands  consist  of  about 
20,OQO  acres  of  large  timber,  situate  in  the  Sierra,  and  2,000  or  3,000  acres  of 
scattered  pirion  fit  only  for  fuel.  About  2,000,000  feet  of  lumber  and  14,000 
cords  of  wood  are  annually  cut  within  the  limits  of  the  county,  besides  that 
floated  down  the  Carson.  There  are  three  saw-mills  in  the  county,  built  at  an 
aggregate  cost  of  $30,000 ;  daily  capacity  40,000  feet.  About  6*000  acres  of 
land  are  under  fence,  of  which  200  are  sown  to  grain  and  100  planted  with  vege- 
tables. Last  year  200  tons  of  hay  were  cut  and  180  tons  of  grain  raised,  25  of 
wheat,  50  of  oats,  and  105  of  barley,  the  average  yield  being  nearly  40  bushels 
per  acre.  This  is  about  the  proportion  in  which  these  several  kinds  of  grain  are 
raised  throughout  the  State,  though  this  yield  is  much  above  the  average.  The 
county  contains  430  horses  and  mules,  700  head  of  neat  cattle,  200  of  which  are 
milch  cows  and  450  work  oxen,  250  sheep,  and  500  swine.  A  tannery  arid  acid 
works  at  Carson  City,  with  sandstone  quarries  near  by,  together  with  lime  and  char- 
coal burning,  and  the  several  pursuits  already  mentioned,  give  to  this  county  a  more 
varied  industry  than  is  common  elsewhere  in  the  State.  The  acid  works  have 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  sulphuric  acid,  an  article  employed  in  the  benefi- 
ciating  of  silver  ore,  with  fair  prospects  of  success.  About  2,000  pounds  of 
sulphur,  procured  from  the  beds  in  Humboldt  county,  are  consumed  here  weekly. 
The  sandstone  quarries  yield  a  good  article  of  building  material.  It  is  easily 
gotten  out  and  is  readily  shaped  by  the  chisel  when  first  quarried,  but  hardens 
on  exposure  to  the  atmosphere.  The  United  States  branch  mint  is  constructed 
of  this  stone,  as  are  also  the  penitentiary,  county  buildings,  used  for  State  pur- 
poses, and  many  of  the  better  class  of  edifices  in  Carson  City.  Near  the  town 
are  two  large  hot  springs,  one  of  which  has  been  handsomely  improved  for 
bathing  purposes.  Five  miles  to  the  northeast  is  a  bed  of  white  marble,  very 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  325 

pure  and  easily  wrought.  Granular  limestone  is  found  at  several  places.  Cop- 
per, iron,  and  coal  are  among  the  mineral  products  of  Ormsby,  as  elsewhere 
related.  There  arc  eight  quartz  mills  in  this  county,  live  driven  by  water  and 
three  by  water  and  steam,  the  whole  carrying  175  stamps  and  costing  $450,000. 
They  are  all  kept  running  on  ores  from  the  Comstoek  vein.  The  Mexican,  one 
of  the  largest  of  the  number,  has  been  engaged  for  some  time  past  in  working 
over  the  sulphurets  which  for  several  years  had  been  accumulating  in  the  com- 
pany's reservoir. 

Although  numerous  mining  districts  have  been  laid  off  in  this  county,  some  as 
early  as  1859,  and  a  large  amount  of  work  done  on  a  few  of  the  ledges  located, 
no  mineral  deposits  of  value  have  been  reached,  nor  has  much  attention  been 
paid  to  the  business  of  mining  for  the  past  few  years.  In  the  Eagle  district,  the 
earliest  erected,  lying  along  the  base  of  the  Sierra  west  of  Carson  City,  several 
lodes  were  located  in  1859,  some  of  which  having  been  extensively  prospected 
the  following  year  by  means  of  shafts  and  tunnels,  and  not  turning  oat  according 
to  expectation,  the  whole  was  abandoned.  The  next  season  a  fitful  interest  was 
awakened  in  regard  to  supposed  valuable  discoveries  made  on  the  bald  hills  south- 
west of  the  town,  which  having  led  to  the  locating  of  many  claims  in  that  neigh- 
borhood, eventuated,  soon  after,  in  their  total  abandonment,  since  which  time 
nothing  furl  her  has  been  done  either  towards  locating  or  working  mines  in  the 
district.  The  same  year  the  Clear  Creek  district  was  the  scene  of  much  excite- 
ment and  activity.  Extensive  mining  grounds  were  taken  up  and  prospecting 
operations  initiated.  Here  a  number  of  long  tunnels  were  afterwards  driven 
and  deep  shafts  sunk,  but  none  of  them  availed  to  reach  ore  deposits  of  a  remu- 
nerative kind,  and  the  district,  under  an  absence  of  population  and  an  entire 
cessation  of  labor  tor  several  years,  is  considered  practically  abandoned.  In  the 
Sullivan  district,  east  of  Carson  river,  organized  in  1860,  there  were  many  locations 
made  and  much  desultory  work  done  during  that  and  the  following 'year  5  and 
although  some  of  the  lodes  proved  highly  auriferous  in  spots,  they  failed,  so  far 
as  penetrated,  in  the  matter  of  persistence  and  regularity.  Another  drawback 
upon  the  success  of  these  mines  was  at  that  time  experienced  in  the  absence  of 
milrs  for  working  the  ores,  which  were,  therefore,  unavailable,  compelling  claim- 
holders  who  were  without  means  to  suspend  work,  leaving  the  pvoblem  as  to  the 
character  and  value  of  these  lodes  still  unsolved.  The  ores  in  most  of  these 
districts  carry  considerable  copper,  and  in  some  eases  a  notable  percentage  of 
free  gold.  Washings  for  the  latter  metal  have  been  found  remunerative  at 
several  localities  in  the  county.  At  a  spot  three  miles  west  of  Carson  sluicing 
operations  were  for  some  time  carried  on,  having  been  in  progress  until  recently. 
Although  no  regular  vein  was  found,  the  surface  earth  gave  fair  returns  in  free 
gold. 


SECTION   YIII. 

WASHOE    COUNTY. 

This  county  takes  its  name  from  the  tribe  of  aborigines  who  formerly  inhab- 
ited this  part  of  the  State.  It  lies  north  of  Ormsby ;  its  western  portion  covers 
a  large  and  well  timbered  section  of  the  Sierra,  and  its  central  a  chain  of  fertile 
valleys,  of  which  Washoe,  Pleasant,  Steamboat,  Truckee  and  Long  are  the 
principal.  .With  the  exception  of  these  valleys,  which  contain  about  150,000 
acres  of  farming  and  grass  lands  and  the  timber  lands  mentioned,  nearly  the 
entire  county  consists  of  sage  plains,  rugged  hills  and  mountains.  The  most  of 
it  is  arid,  barren,  and  unfit  for  cultivation,  the  only  vegetable  growth  found 
upon  it  being  a  sparse  crop  of  bunch  grass,  and  in  a  lew  spots  groves  of  scrubby 


326  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

pine.  The  valleys,  however,  are  extremely  fertile,  and  with  careful  cultivation 
and  irrigation  are  made  to  produce  hay,  grain  and  vegetables.  Considerable 
quantities  of  butter  and  cheese  are  also  made.  At  the  south  end  of  Washoe 
valley  is  situated  a  shallow  lake  five  miles  long  and  two  wide,  the  surplus  waters 
of  which  run  through  a  slough  and  are  made  to  do  service  in  driving  several 
quartz  mills  at  Washoe  City,  a  few  miles  below.  The  numerous  streams  falling 
from  the  Sierra  are  also  employed  for  propelling  quartz  and  saw  mills  located 
along  them.  Pleasant  valley,  "a  small  but  fertile  basin,  lies  two  miles  north  of 
Washoe.  Steamboat  valley,  the  site  of  the  hot  springs  elsewhere  described,  lies 
three  miles  north  of  Pleasant  valley.  It  contains  some  good  land,  opening  eight 
miles  below  the  hot  springs  into  the  Truckee  meadows,  a  tract  embracing  several  * 
thousand  acres  of  partly  arable  and  grass  lands.  The  population  of  this  county 
numbers  about  3,000.  It  contains  several  small  towns,  of  which  Ophir,  situate 
near  the  mill  and  reduction  works  of  the  Ophir  Company,  has  500,  and  Washoe 
City,  the  county  seat,  three  miles  further  north,  800.  Franktown,  Galena, 
Crystal  Peak,  and  Glendale — the  latter  two  on  the  Truckee — are  small  agricul- 
tural and  mining  hamlets  containing  from  100  to  200  inhabitants  each. 

While  the  wealth  of  the  county  consists  largely  of  its  agricultural  resources, 
the  business  of  lumbering  and  quartz  milling  is  also  extensively  engaged  in. 
The  annual  product  of  hay  amounts  to  about  7,000  tons,  and  of  grain  to  1,500 
tons.  There  are  800  horses  and  mules  and  1,000  head  of  neat  cattle  in  the 
county,  nearly  half  of  the  latter  being  milch  cows ;  sheep  and  swine  number 
about  500  each.  There  are  20,000  acres  of  land  enclosed,  of  which  4,000  are 
under  cultivation.  There  are  15  saw-mills,  most  of  them  driven  by  steam  power ; 
the  whole  cut  about  1,300,000  feet  of  lumber  per  month,  besides  lath  and 
shingles,  for  making  which  several  of  them  have  machines  attached.  In  addition 
to  tins,  400,000  feet  of  hewn  timber  and  large  quantities  of  cord  wood  are  cut 
for  the  Virginia  market.  Although  this  county,  like  Douglas  and  Ormsby,  is 
without  productive  mines,  there  are  ten  quartz  mills  within  its  limits,  several  of 
which  are  large  and  first-class  in  their  appointments.  The  Ophir  Company's 
mill  carries  72  stamps  and  cost  half  a  million  of  dollars.  Dall's  mill  at  Frank- 
town,  burnt  last  spring  but  since  rebuilt,  carries  60  stamps  and  cost  a  quarter  of 
a  million.  Most  of  these  mills  are  propelled  by  steam  ;  several  employ  both 
sjtea-m  and  water.  They  carry,  in  the  aggregate,  281  stamps,  and  cost  $1,420,000. 
With  the  exception  of  the  English  Company's  mill  on  the  Truckee,  built  in 
advance  of  mining  developments,  all  these  establishments  are  now  running  on 
Comstock  ores,  and  generally  with  remunerative  results. 

The  amount  of  taxable  property  in  the  county,  in  1861,  was  $1,140,000;  in 
1863,  $2,527,500,  and  is  now  believed  to  be  at  least  $3,000,000.  There 
have  been  30  miles  of  canal  built  for  conducting  water  to  mills  and  other  enter- 
prises of  this  kind  projected,  some  of  which  may  be  carried  out.  Although 
abounding  in  metalliferous  lodes  and  mineral  deposits  of  different  kinds,  the  county 
is  still  without  ore-yielding  mines,  a  circumstance  attributable,  in  the  case  of  gold 
and  silver-bearing  lodes,  partially  to  the  barrenness  of  the  latter  in  their  upper 
portions,  and  in  part  to  the  superficial  and  ill-directed  character  of  prospecting 
labors.  Of  the  deposits  of  copper  and  coal,  mention  has  been  made  elsewhere. 
A  number  of  mining  districts  have  at  various  times  been  formed,  some  of  them 
as  early  as  1859,  the  year  of  the  silver  discovery.  In  the  spring  of  1860  the 
Argentine  district,  lying  in  the  range  of  mountains  east  of  Washoe  valley,  was 
erected;  and  although  the  ledges  there  have  periodically  since  been  the  subjects 
of  sanguine  expectation,  the  .ore  procured  from  them  has  done  little  towards 
meeting  the  expenses  incurred  in  their  partial  development.  Scarcely  any  work 
has  been  done  in  the  district  for  the  last  three  years,,  and  the  lodes  can 
liardly  be  said  to  possess  any  present  value.  The  history  of  this,  the  first  dis- 
trict formed,  will  serve  to  illustrate  that  of  all  others  subsequently  erected,  in 
every  one  of  which  the  high  hopes  at  one  time  entertained  failed  of  final  realiza- 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  327 

tion.  Of  the  many  claims  located  throughout  the  county  nearly  all  may  Lc 
considered  abandoned,  nor  is  it  probable  that  work  will  ever  be  resumed  on  more 
than  a  i'ew  of  them.  The  quartz  veins,  though  of  fair  size,  are  generally  hard 
and  vitreous,  the  country  rock  being  mostly  inetamorphic  slate  and  granite.  The 
ores  are  usually  impregnated  with  compounds  of  iron  and  copper,  carrying  also, 
in  some  cases,  a  small  percentage  of  sulphuretted  silver,  with  particles  of  "native 
metal  and  a  sprinkling  of  free  gold.  So  much  of  the  latter  has  been  found  in 
the  earth  at  several  points  as  to  afford  fair  surface  digging  for  a  short  time.  In 
the  Wisconsin  district,  at  the  south  end  of  Washoe  valley,  several  companies 
made  wages  for  a  period  of  some  months,  sluice-washing  the  auriferous  ground 
at  that  place.  The  Galena  district,  as  its  name  implies,  abounds  in  the  sulphuret 
of  lead,  which  here  occurs  in  the  shape  of  an  argentiferous  galena.  The  metal 
extracted  from  it  assays  about  $200  per  ton  in  silver.  The  vein  matter  carries 
from  20  to  60  per  cent,  of  metallic  lead.  Between  the  walls  of  the  veins  and  the 
gangue  rests  a  thin  stratum  of  arsenical  pyrites,  so  placed,  however,  as  to  render 
their  mechanical  separation  easy.  Upon  several  of  these  lodes  work  has  been 
done.  The  Alford  has  been  explored  by  means  of  a  tunnel  several  hundred  feet 
long  and  an  incline  shaft  sunk  at  its  terminus.  Various  attempts  have  been 
made  to  reduce  this  ore  by  smelting,  none  of  which  have  met  with  entire  success. 
The  principal  lode  having  lately  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  company  possessed 
of  ample  means  and  the  requisite  skill,  better  results,  it  is  believed,  will  be  reached 
through  the  efforts  now7  about  to  be  made  for  smelting  it  on  a  large  scale.  The 
Silver  Peak  district,  besides  the  beds  of  lignite  there  found,  contains  a  nuniber 
of  metalliferous  lodes,  some  of  which  prospect  well  in  the  precious  metals.  The 
facilities  enjoyed  through  the  forests  and  water  power  at  that  place  will  secure 
the  working  of  low  grade  ores  with  profit,  if  only  the  quantity  be  large  and  easily 
procured.  A  lot  of  ore  taken  from  the  Truckce  Ophir,  a  large  ledge  and  the 
only  one  yet  much  opened,  was  found  to  yield  by  mill  process  at  the  rate  of  .$30 
per  ton  in  gold  and  silver.  A  town  has  been  laid  out  near  these  mines  which, 
as  it  is  within  two  miles  of  the  Truckce  river  and  the  Central  Pacific  railroad, 
and  surrounded  with  forests,  has  the  promise  of  growth.  Several  saw-mills  in 
the  vicinity  already  find  market  for  all  the  lumber  they  can  make,  and,  with  the 
railroad  completed,  quantities  of  this  article  will  probably  be  manufactured  at 
this  point. 


SECTION   IX. 

STOREY    COUNTY. 

This  county,  named  in  honor  of  Captain  Storey,  who  lost  his  life  in  the  Indian 
fight  near  Pyramid  lake,  in  the  spring  of  I860,  is  not  only  of  limited  extent  but 
extremely  barren,  containing  a  smaller  amount  of  good  land,  less  timber,  and 
fewer  streams  than  any  other  in  the  State.  It  is,  in  fact,  without  agricultural, 
lumbering,  or  even  milling  resources,  except  in  the  latter  case  where  some  have 
been  supplied  by  steam.  The  only  pasturage  is  that  afforded  by  the  bunch- 
grass — short-lived  and  scanty  at  best,  since  there  is  little  of  it  except  on  the 
mountains,  and  wrhen  once  eaten  off  does  not  readily  grow  up  again  the  same 
season.  Originally  there  was  a  sparse  growth  of  pifion  on  the  hills  about  Vir- 
ginia, but  it  is  now  nearly  all  cut  away,  leaving  both  the  town  and  the  mills 
dependent  on  outside  localities  for  fuel.  Nearly  all  the  northern  and  western 
part  of  the  county,  embracing  fully  three-fourths  of  its  area,  lies  on  the  high  and 
barren  chain  of  mountains  known  as  the  Washoe  range,  and  which,  commencing 
near  Carson  City,  extends  to  the  Truck ec  river,  forming  a  soil  of  spur  or  off-shoot 
of  the  main  Sierra.  Situated  along  the  eastern  slope  of  this  range,  about  half- 


328  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

way  up  its  side,  and  running  parallel  with  its  longitudinal  axis,  is  the  Comstock 
lode,  with  Virginia  City  built  immediately  over  it,  and  Gold  Hill,  half  a  mile 
further  south,  a  little  below  the  line  of  its  strike.*  The  eastern  part  of  the  county 
is  composed  of  the  desolate  sage  barren  stretching  from  the  Carson  north  to  the 
Truckee  river — a  treeless,  arid  and  sandy  waste,  alike  destitute  of  vegetable  and 
animal  life.  Storey,  like  all  its  sister  counties,  has  been  the  theatre  of  numerous 
mining  excitements,  leading  to  the  creation  and  sudden  peopling  of  new  districts 
to  be  almost  as  suddenly  abandoned  and  soon  after  forgotten.  In  this  manner 
at  least  a  dozen  districts  have  first  and  last  been  formed,  scarcely  any  of  which 
continue  to  maintain  their  organization  or  are  recognized  as  having  a  legal 
existence.  Still  there  are  a  number  of  districts  in  the  county  besides  those  of 
Virginia  and  Gold  Hill  that  continue  to  be  recognized  as  valid,  and  in  some  of 
which,  as  the  American  Flat  and  Flowery,  there  is  much  work  being  done,  and 
in  a  few  instances  with  satisfactory  results  or  good  prospects  of  ultimate  success. 
The  amount  of  land  enclosed  by  fence  does  not  exceed  5,000  acres  in  the  county, 
of  which  1,000,  perhaps,  are  under  cultivation,  a  good  share  of  it  being  planted 
with  vegetables,  which  in  a  few  choice  localities  are  found  to  do  well.  Some 
attempts  at  raising  fruit  in  a  small  way  have  also  been  attended  with  success. 
About  100  tons  of  hay  are  cut  yearly  in  the  county,  but  as  yet  no  grain  has  been 
raised.  Storey  contains  about  1,000  head  of  work-horses  and  mules,  500  neat 
cattle — one-half  of  them  milch  cows — 100  sheep  and  400  swine.  An  immense 
number  of  beef  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs  are  slaughtered  here  annually,  the  most 
of  which  are  driven  in  from  California,  For  its  size  there  is  a  great  extent  of 
costly  toll  road  in  this  county,  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  having  been 
laid  "out  in  this  class  of  improvements,  some  of  which  return  large  revenues  to 
the  owners.  The  assessable  property  in  the  county  amounted  for  1866  to 
$6,343,353,  the  estimate  for  the  present  year  being  about  $7,000,000.  Storey 
county  contains  63  quartz  mills  carrying  665  stamps,  all,  except  two  or  three  of 
small  capacity,  driven  by  steam,  the  aggregate  cost  of  the  whole  being  $3,500,000. 
The  population,  which 'in  1861  reached  4,500,  is  now  estimated  at  12,000. 


SECTION   X. 

LYON    COUNTY. 

Lyon  county,  named  after  General  Lyon,  who  fell  in  Missouri  during  the  late 
rebellion,  bears  a  strong  resemblance  in  its  general  features  to  Storey,  except 
that  it  contains  a  considerable  tract  of  pi  Son  on  the  Pine  Nut  range,  occupying 
the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  and  a  belt  of  good  land  situate  along  the  Carson 
river  running  through  the  centre.  A  multitude  of  ledges  have  been  located  hi 
the  various  mining  districts  formed  from  time  to  time  within  the  limits  of  this 
county,  the  money  expended  upon  which  has  amounted  in  the  aggregate  to  mil- 
lions of  dollars  j  yet,  with  the  exception  of  the  Daney  mine  and  some  small  lodes 
along  Gold  caiion,  nothing  affording  a  steady  supply  of  pay  ore  has  been  developed 
in  the  county,  though  there  are  unquestionably  many  lodes  that  a  more  persistent 
mode  of  exploration  might  have  brought  to  a  paying  point.  The  only  districts 
in  the  county  that  continue  to  maintain  an  organization  are  the  Devil's  Gate,  the 
earliest  formed,  the  Blue  Sulphur  Spring,  Brown's  Indian  Spring,  and  Palmyra, 
in  none  of  which  has  much  active  mining  been  carried  on  for  the  past  three  years. 
Of  the  coal  deposits  situated  in  the  Pine  Nut  mountains  a  description  will  be  found 
in  the  article  treating  of  that  mineral.  In  the  absence  of  productive  mines,  milling, 
teaming  and  wood-chopping  have  become  the  leading  pursuits  of  the  inhabitants, 

*  See  Section  XVI,  on  tho  Comstock  lode. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  329 

very  little  attention  being  paid  to  agriculture,  as,  indeed,  tliore  is  but  little  arable 
land  in  the  county.  The  hay  eut  amounts  to  about  1,000  tons  annually;  the 
grain  raised  to  100  tons;  a  good  many  vegetables  of  Jine  quality  being  also  raised. 
Lvon  contains  500  horses  and  mules,  200  head  of  neat  cattle,  100  sheep,  and 
150  swine.  About  5,000  acres  of  land  is  fenced  in,  of  which  1,500  is  under 
cultivation.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  1,650  in  1861,  are  now  estimated  at 
2,500.  There  are  41  quartz  mills  in  the  county — 13  driven  by  water,  22  by 
steam,  and  six  by  water  and  steam — the  whole  carrying  600  stamps  and  costing 
$1,500,000.  The  only  considerable  towns  in  the  county  are  Silver  City  in  Gold 
cafion,  and  Dayton  on  Carson  river,  each  containing  about  1,200  inhabitants. 


SECTION   II. 

ROOP    COUNTY. 

This  county,  occupying  a  long  and  narrow  strip  of  territory  in  the  northwest- 
em  part  of  the  State,  is  named  after  Isaac  N.  Roop,  an  early  settler  in  Honey 
Lake  Valley,  and  at  one  time  governor  of  the  Provisional  Territory  of  Nevada. 
It  was  at  first  called  Lake,  having  been  changed  to  Roop  in  1862.  The  county 
has  never  been  organized,  but  is  attached  to  Washoe  for  judicial  and  political 
purposes.  At  the  time  it  was  first  erected,  in  1861,  it  was  supposed  to  embrace 
within  its  limits  Honey  Lake  valley,  the  only  settlement  in  it.  The  adjustment 
of  the  boundary  line  between  Nevada  and  California,  in  1863,  having  thrown 
this  valley  into  the  latter,  left  this  county  almost  without  population.  The. 
settlement  since  then  of  Surprise  Valley,  in  the  extreme  northwestern  part  of  the 
State,  has  brought  within  the  boundaries  of  Roop  a  population  of  several  hun- 
dred, a  number  which  is  likely  soon  to  be  further  augmented,  as  the  county  is 
reputed  to  be  rich  in  mineral  wealth,  and  there  are  known  to  be  considerable 
tracts  of  good  land  in  the  northern  part  still  open  for  occupation.  This  region, 
including  also  the  northern  and  western  parts  of  Humboldt  county,  has  for 
a  long  time  been  infested  by  a  vicious  race  of  Indians,  whose  presence  has 
tended  greatly  to  retard  its  exploration  and  settlement;  but  as  these  savages 
are  now  pretty  well  subdued,  the  country  is  likely  in  a  short  time  to  become 
more  thoroughly  prospected  and  its  value  for  mining  and  agricultural  purposes 
more  fully  ascertained.  The  greater  portion  of  it  is  undoubtedly  very  barren  and 
forbidding,  consisting  for  the  most  part  of  rough,  arid,  and  tirnbcrless  mountains, 
or  equally  dry  and  sterile  plains.  All  accounts,  however,  agree  in  representing 
Surprise  valley  as  being  extensive  and  fertile,  and  one  of  the  finest  districts,  both 
for  stock-raising  and  grain  growing,  in  the  State.  This  valley,  a  portion  of 
which  lies  in  California,  is  50  miles 'long  and  from  10  to  15  broad.  It  extends 
north  and  south ;  contains  three  lakes  which  cover  nearly  one  half  its  area.  It 
is  walled  in  on  the  west  by  a  lofty  spur  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  having  a  range 
of  low  rolling  hills  on  the  east.  The  mountains  on  the  west  are  well  timbered 
with  white  and  yellow  pine,  and  along  their  lower  slopes  with  cedar.  The 
arable  land  lies  along 'the  base  of  this  range  and  between  it  and  the  lakes,  having 
a  gentle  declivity  towards  the  latter,  and  is  covered  at  all  seasons  of  the  year 
with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  blue-joint,  clover,  timothy  and  rye  grass,  some  of 
which  is  six  and  seven  feet  high,  and  standing  so  close  that  in  places  four  tons 
of  hay  can  be  cut  to  the  acre.  Across  this  alluvial  belt,  which  is  several  miles 
wide,  course  every  few  miles  streams  of  pure  cold  water,  affording  propulsive 
power  and  the  facilities  for  irrigation.  The  land  is  light,  warm,  and  easily  culti- 
vated, and  produces  with  little  trouble  prolific  crops  of  grain.  The  planting  of 
1866  yielded  an  average  of  50  bushels  of  wheat  and  nearly  60  of  barley  to 
the  acre.  The  grain  is  clean  and  heavy.  This  year  the  crops,  under  more 


330  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

extensive  planting,  have  been  equally  good.  Vegetables  can  be  grown  with 
very  little  care.  The  climate  of  this  valley  is  mild  and  healthful.  Very  little 
snow  falls  in  winter,  and  sickness  amongst  the  inhabitants  is  of  rare  occurrence. 
Stock  require  neither  shelter  nor  fodder  in  the  winter,  but  are  able  to  keep  fat 
the  year  round  on  the  native  grasses.  There  are  at  the  present  time  about 
10,000  head  of  cattle,  and  3,000  horses  grazing  here,  many  of  which  having  been 
driven  in  from  California  for  the  purpose  of  being  recruited,  will,  as  soon  as  they 
become  fat,  be  taken  away.  The  population  numbers  about  250,  and  is  con- 
stantly increasing,  as  the  settlers  feel  safe  under  the  military  protection  now 
extended  to  them,  against  further  Indian  depredations.  Along  the  base  of  the 
mountain  on  the  west  side  of  the  valley  are  a  multitude  of  warm  springs,  some 
of  them  remarkable  for  their  depth  and  volume.  Free  gold  has  been  found  in 
small  quantities  on  several  streams  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  there  is  reason 
for  believing  that  both  vein  mining  and  surface  digging  will  yet  be  carried  on 
here  with  profit.  With  a  mining  population  to  consume  the  products  of  the 
farmer,  this  region  could  scarcely  fail  to  fill  up  rapidly  with  a  hardy  and  pros- 
perous people. 


SECTION    III. 

HUMBOLDT    COUNTY. 

This  county,  named  after  the  principal  river  running  through  it,  ranks  among 
the  larger  counties  of  the  State.  Its  western  half  is  covered  with  sandy  deserts, 
low  ranges  of  mountains,  isolated  hills,  and  extensive  alkali  flats,  converted  in 
the  wet  season  into  mud  lakes.  The  northern  and  eastern  portions  consist  of 
lofty  chains  of  mountains,  broken  towards  the  northeast  into  irregular  masses, 
and  running  in  the  southeast  in  narrow  parallel  ranges  separated  by  valleys  of  a 
similar  conformation.  Taken  as  a  whole  the  region  is  dry,  desolate,  and  but 
illy  supplied  with  grass  and  water.  Timber  is  also  very  scarce  in  most  parts  of 
this  county,  there  being  none  fit  for  lumber.  The  only  trees  found  here  are  the 
piuon  and  a  scrubby  species  of  juniper,  the  latter  of  little  value  even  for  fuel. 
The  quantity  of  agricultural  land  is  also  comparatively  small,  being  confined  mostly 
to  the  valleys  of  the  Humboldt  river  and  of  Weniessa,  Umashaw,  and  Weather- 
low  creeks,  with  some  isolated  spots  of  good  soil  in  the  larger  valleys  and  at  the 
entrance  to  the  mountain  canons.  Bunch  grass  is  found  nearly  everywhere 
except  on  the  alkali  flats  and  arid  deserts,  though  in  many  places  it  is  much 
scattered  and  far  from  abundant.  High  basaltic  table  lands  cut  by  fissure-like 
chasms,  constitute  a  feature  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county.  In  many 
of  these  depressions,  which  have  precipitous  sides  varying  from  200  to  1,000 
feet  high,  are  small  alkali  lakes,  the  beds  of  which  become  perfectly  white  on 
drying  up  in  summer,  from  the  depositions  of  magnesia,  salt,  and  soda  left 
behind.  To  the  south  of  this  region  occur  in  their  greatest  extent  the  mud  lakes 
peculiar  to  the  geography  of  Nevada,  in  the  midst  of  which  is  situated  the 
Black  Rock  mining  district,  the  Pueblo  and  Vicksburg  districts,  the  only  ones 
in  this  part  of  the  State,  lying  further  north  and  very  near  the  Oregon  line. 
Humboldt  county  contained,  August,  1861,  about  400  inhabitants.  The  present 
population  is  estimated  at  between  1,200  and  1,300,  not  so  many  by  one-half  as 
it  was  four  years  ago,  a  falling  off  due  to  the  great  disadvantanges  under  which 
the  mines  here  have  to  be  opened  rather  than  to  the  poverty  of  the  mines  them- 
selves. Among  these  disadvantages  the  lack  of  timber,  and  in  some  localities 
of  even  wood  for  fuel,  and  the  cost  of  freights  stand  foremost.  When  the  Pacific 
railroad,  striking  through  the  very  heart  of  the  Humboldt  mining  region,  shall 
have  been  completed,  thereby  obviating  in  some  measure  these  difficulties,  this 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  331 

section  must  receive  an  impulse  that  will  awaken  the  energies  of  the  inhabitants 
and  restore  the  confidence  once  felt  in  the  district.  It  is  estimated  that  there 
are  200,000  acres  of  arable  land  in  the  county,  much  of  which  is  now  a  natural 
meadow,,  being  covered  with  a  coarse  species  of  grass,  and  all  of  which  could, 
with  irrigation,  be  made  to  produce  crops  of  grain  or  the  cultivated  grasses. 
Without  artificial  moisture  but  little  of  the  soil  is  capable  of  maturing  cither 
grain  or  vegetables,  though  with  its  aid  both  can  be  grown.  There  is  nearly 
everywhere  pasturage  enough  both  winter  and  summer  for  a  small  amount  of 
stock,  or  for  a  large  amount  if  the  latter  be  sufficiently  scattered.  The  stock  is 
estimated  at  500  head  of  horses  and  mules,  400  head  of  neat  cattle,  200  sheep, 
and  300  swine.  There  are  15,000  acres  of  land  enclosed,  4,000  under  cultiva- 
tion; 3,000  tons  of  hay  arc  cut,  and  lrOOO  tons  of  grain  raised  annually,  the 
most  of  them  in  Humboldt  and  Paradise  valleys,  the  latter  embracing  between 
20,000  and  30,000  acres  of  well-watered  aud  fertile  farming  land.  Here  a 
number  of  settlers  have  located  during  the  past  three  years,  nearly  air  of  whom 
are  doing  a  thrifty  business  raising  grain  and  vegetables,  or  in  cutting  hay  for 
the  Humboldt  and  Owyheo  markets,  or  for  supplying  the  military  post  estab- 
lished in  the  valley.  The  yield  of  the  cereals  here  is  prolific,  both  grain  and 
vegetables  being  grown  without  much  trouble.  Even  the  wild  rye  on  being  cul- 
tivated produces  a  large  and  plump  berry.  The  barley  sown  on  sod  freshly 
turned  up  yielded  last  year  at  the  rate  of  23  bushels  to  one,  and  of  1,100  acres 
of  barley,  and  1,300  of  wheat  grown  in  the  valley  the  present  year,  the  yield 
has  been  equally  good.  Barley  delivered  on  the  farms  sells  at  the  rate  of  about 
$2  50  per  bushel,  and  wheat  at  about  the  same,  though  the  price  of  the  latter 
will  now  probably  depreciate,  as  a  flour  mill  is  about  being  erected  in  the  valley. 
The  quantity  of  grain  raised  here  in  1866  amounted  to  33,000  bushels,  the  crop 
the  present  season  being  still  larger.  So  green  does  the  grass  remain,  and  so 
genial  is  the  climate  in  this  valley,  that  good  hay  can  be  made  in  the  month  of 
December.  The  principal  towns  in  the  county  are  Unionville,  the  county  scat, 
with  a  population  of  400,  Star  city,  300,  and  Humboldt  city,  100;  besides  which 
there  are  several  mining  hamlets  numbering  from  40  to  60  inhabitants.  Some 
of  these  towns  contain  a  number  of  fine  buildings,  which  being  erected  at  a 
time  when  labor  and  material  were  very  expensive,  have  cost  large  sums.  The 
most  noteworthy  improvement  in  the  county  is  the  Humboldt  canal,  designed  to 
take  water  from  the  river  and  introduce  it  into  or  near  the  mines,  and  now  in 
course  of  construction.  This  work  is  more  than  half  finished,  and  will,  when 
completed,  bo  SO  miles  long,  15  feet  wide,  and  3  feet  deep,  carrying  water 
sufficient  to  drive  at  least  600  stamps.  It  will  cost,  construction  of  darn  included, 
a  little  over  $1,000  per  mile.  The  route  of  this  canal  lies  near  many  of  the 
best  mines  in  the  county,  and  must,  when  these  come  to  be  developed,  prove  a 
very  valuable  and  important  property  in  a  country  having  so  little  fuel  for  gen- 
orating  steam  power.  Already  this  work  has  been  rendered  to  some  extent 
available  for  the  propulsion  of  machinery.  There  are  12  quartz  mills  in  the 
county,  two  of  them  provided  with  furnaces  for  smelting  the  ores,  the  whole 
number  carrying  112  stamps  and  costing  $400,000.  Of  these  mills,  nine  are 
propelled  by  steam  and  three  by  water.  The  power  for  driving  one  of  these 
mills  recently  constructed  is  obtained  by  damming  up  the  outlet  of  Humboldt 
lake,  by  which  means  a  sufficient  force  is  generated  for  carrying  a  large  number 
of  stamps,  mid  which  it  is  intended  shall  be  applied  to  that  purpose  should  the 
ores  of  the  Desert  district,  on  which  the  present  mill  is  to  be  run,  prove  remu- 
nerut  ing.  Many  of  the  ores  in  this  region  are  so  mixed  with  lead,  antimony,  copper, 
and  otlier  refractory  agents  as  to  require  smelting,  for  which  purpose  several 
establishments  have  already  been  erected  and  are  in  operation.  Two  of  these, 
the  one  situated  at  Etna,  and  the  other  at  Oreana,  on  the  Humboldt  river,  have, 
after  many  difficulties,  succeeded  to  such  an  extent  that  the  business  is  now  remu- 
nerative, the  shipments  of  bullion  from  them  amounting  to  $3,000  per  week. 


332  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

The  crude  metal  turned  out  by  smelting  consists  of  lead,  silver,  fl:id  antimony, 
which  is  then  passed  through  calcining-  and  refining  furnaces,  whereby  the  silver 
is  liberated  from  the  base  metals,  coming  out  from  -fffi  to  •£$?$  line.  Much  of 
the  crude  metal  is  sent  away,  as  it  will  not  pay  for  refining  here  where  the 
expenses  are  so  high.  The  cost  of  smelting  and  refining  ore  at  these  establish- 
ments is  $50  per  ton,  about  double  the  cost  of  reduction  here  by  ordinary  mill 
process.  The  price  of  wood  delivered  at  the  mills  varies  from  $6  to  $14  per 
cord,  depending  on  localities.  The  extraction  of  the  ores  costs  about  $10  per 
ton;  hauling  to  mill  from  $3  to  $8,  according  to  distance.  Some  of  the  lodes 
in  this  region  carry  in  the  outcrop  chiefly  gold,  while  others  contain  only  silver 
or  both  of  these  metals  mixed.  Many  of  the  smaller  ledges  are  rich  in  free  gold, 
and  are  worked  as  gold  mines.  This  is  especially  the  case  in  the  Oro  Mno. 
Sierra,  and  other  districts  in  the  mountains,  designated  as  the  Foist  Range  east. 
While  some  of  the  lodes  in  this  county  are  large,  well  walled  and  symetrical, 
carrying  all  the  features  of  regular  fissure  veins,  others  are  narrow  and  broken 
and  marked  by  irregular  distributions  of  ore.  An  immense  amount  of  work  has 
been  done  in  this  part  of  the  country,  but  there  has  been  too  little  concentration 
of  labor  and  much  of  it  has  been  lost.  Some  of  the  tunnels  have  a  length  vary- 
ing from  500  to  2,000  feet,  showing  that  a  great  deal  of  persistent  work  has 
been  done.  Yet  only  in  a  few  cases  have  these  excavations  reached  the  lodes 
for  which  they  were  driven,  so  that  not  much  practical  benefit  has  been  reaped 
from  their  construction.  Besides  these  tunnels  a  great  number  of  shafts  have 
been  sunk,  being  the  more  common  method  of  prospecting  claims  here.  These 
shafts  vary  in  depth  from  a  few  feet  to  several  hundred,  some  of  them  being 
carried  down  on  and  following  the  inclination  of  the  vein.  Most  of  the  com- 
panies have  in  this  manner  been  able  to  bring  small  lots  of  pay  ore  to  the  sur- 
face, while  others,  drifting  upon  thin  lodes,  have  raised  considerable  quantities. 
The  ore  is  usually  of  high  grade,  yielding  by  mill  process  from  $40  to  $200  per 
ton,  and  in  some  cases  much  more.  That  taken  from  the  Sheba  mine  several 
years  since,  yielded  from  $200  to  $500  per  ton,  the  average  being  $140.  With 
so  large  a  number  of  veins,  some  of  them  carrying  a  good  body  of  high  grade 
ores  and  displaying  evidence  of  permanency,  this  can  hardly  fail  to  become  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years  a  productive  mining  district.  Prior  to  1867  the  annual 
shipments  of  bullion  from  Humboldt  scarcely  exceeded  $200,000,  whereas  the 
amount  will  be  nearly  double  that  sum  for  the  present  year,  with  the  prospect 
of  a  larger  increase  hereafter.  Much  prospecting  as  well  as  exploratory  labor  is 
now  being  done  in  different  parts  of  the  county,  and  generally  with  encouraging 
results.  Capital  is  being  invested  more  freely  thaii  for  several  years  past,  a 
number  of  new  mills  are  being  put  up  and  others  projected,  while  population 
that  had  for  some  time  been  falling  off  is  again  on  the  increase.  In  the  north- 
western part  of  the  county  adjacent  to  a  fertile  and  well-watered  valley,  is  situ- 
ated the  Pueblo  district,  with  the  Vicksburg  district  a  short  distance  further 
south.  There  are  good  mines  here,  but  the  remoteness  of  the  locality,  and  the 
hostile  disposition  of  the  Indians  there  have  retarded  their  development  as  well 
as  prevented  the  settlement  of  the  country.  The  only  mill  ever  erected  in  Pue- 
blo was  burnt  by  the  savages,  wTho  at  the  same  time  murdered  two  of  the  early 
settlers  of  the  district  and  wounded  others.  With  the  adoption  of  more  vigorous 
measures  for  the  prevention  of  these  outrages  there  is  a  probability  that  opera- 
tions, for  several  years  nearly  suspended,  will  be  resumed  at  both  Vicksburg 
and  Pueblo.  This  valley,  in  its  general  features,  resembles  Surprise  valley, 
already  described,  only  that  it  is  more  extensive,  though  not  so  much  settled. 
The  Black  Rock  mines  are  situated  in  the  western  part  of  the  county,  some  40 
miles  south  of  the  Vicksburg  district.  The  region  about  there  is  sterile  in  the 
extreme,  being  almost  without  any  arable  or  meadow  land,  and  very  deficient  in 
wood,  grass,  and  water.  But  that  the  mines  at  this  place  are  extensive  and  val- 
uable is  now  beyond  dispute,  though  for  a  long  time  the  peculiar  appearance  of 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  333 

the  ore,  in  the  absence  of  developments  and  working-  tests,  rendered  this  a  matter 
of  considerable  doubt.  Hecent  crushings  of  ore,  claimed  to  represent  average 
masses  in  these  mines,  have  tended  to  dispel  doubts  of  their  richness,  if  indeed 
they  may  riot  be  said  to  have  established  for  them  a  high  value.  The  deposits 
here  lie  in  huge  masses  rather  than  arranged  in  ore  channels  walled  in  the  ordi- 
nary way,  and  should  they  be  found  persistent  in  depth,  must  prove  valuable, 
notwithstanding  the  remoteness  of  their  locality  and  their  unfavorable  sur- 
roundings. 


SECTION    XIII. 

CHURCHILL    COUNTY. 

This  county  took  its  name  from  Fort  Churchill,  the  first  military  post  ever 
established  in  this  region,  so  called  after  an  oflicer  in  the  United  States  army. 
The  entire  western  half,  except  near  the  waters  of  the  Carson,  is  a  sandy  sage 
barren,  the  most  of  it  an  absolute  desert,  over  which  are  scattered  low  ranges  of 
black  basaltic  hills.  Across  the  central  and  eastern  portions  run  in  a  north  and 
south  direction  three  high  ranges  of  mountains,  the  Silver  Hill  the  most  westerly, 
Clan  Alpine  the  centre,  and  the  See-da-yah  or  Look-out  chain  on  the  east,  each 
separated  from  the  other  by  a  broad  and  generally  barren  valley.  The  county 
contains  in  proportion  to  its  size  but  little  good  land,  the  amount  fit  for  hay- 
cutting  or  grain-raising  not  being  over  50,000  acres  in  an  area  of  nearly  6,000 
square  miles.  This  good  land  is  nearly  all  found  along  the  Carson  river,  or 
about  the  lake,  slough  and  sink  formed  by  its  waters,  the  greater  portion  con- 
sisting of  natural  meadows,  kept  for  cutting  hay.  On  the  mountains  there  is  a 
scanty  growth  of  bunch  grass;  elsewhere  almost  none  at  all.  The  mountains  also 
contain  all  the  wood  there  is*  in  the  county,  and  nearly  all  the  water  except 
that  supplied  by  Carson  river.  About  2,500  tons  of  hay  are  cut,  and  300  tons 
of  grain,  with  as  many  vegetables,  are  raised  annually.  There  are  400  horses 
and  mules  in  the  county,  and  GOO  cattle,  one-half  of  them  work  oxen.  The 
population  numbers  about  400,  of  whom  150  are  residents  of  La  Plata,  the  county 
seat.  Besides  its  auriferous  veins,  Churchill  contains  a  variety  of  minerals  and 
metals,  its  western  portion,  owing  to  its  great  depression,  being  a  vast  receptacle 
of  the  various  salts  distilled  from  the  drainage  of  more  than  half  the  State.  The 
sink  of  the  Carson  maybe  considered  the  grand  central  basin  of  all  northern  and 
western  Nevada;  hence,  about  it  we  find  deposited  those  alkaline,  saline,  and 
sulphurous  substances  with  which  most  of  the  waters  of  this  State  are  impreg- 
nated. From  the  waters  of  two  small  lakes  situated  in  the  great  desert  plain 
west  of  Carson  sink,  the  carbonate  of  soda  is  so  abundantly  deposited  that  tons 
of  the;  article  could  easily  be  collected  quite  pure.  One  of  these,  on  drying  up, 
which  it  does  eveiy  summer,  leaves  a  thick  incrustation  of  this  salt  behind. 
Sulphur  and  the  chloride  of  soda  are  also  plentiful ;  and  two  of  the  principal  salt 
beds  in  the  State  are  in  the  western  part  of  this  county.  Hot  springs  occur 
at  several  places  with  many  tumuli  and  other  signs  of  extinct  thermals.  In  the 
article  on  sinks  and  sloughs  will  be  found  some  remarks  on  those  hydrographical 
features  of  Churchill  county.  Some  10  or  12  mining  districts  have  at  different 
periods  been  laid  out  within  the  bounds  of  this  county.  Silver  Hill,  situated  in 
the  mountains  of  the  same  name,  and  organized  in  1860,  contains  some  large 
lodes  heavily  charged  with  auriferous  and  argentiferous  galena,  a  number  of  which 
have  been  prospected.  Considerable  work  has  been  done  in  the  district.  Its 
inconvenient  situation,  however,  joined  with  a  scarcity  of  water,  as  well  as  a 
prospective  scarcity  of  wood,  has  served  to  defeat  all  efforts  for  getting  in  mills 
or  otherwise  bringing  the  ledges  to  a  productive  state.  Very  little  work  has  been 


334  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

.lone  here  for  the  past  three  years,  and  latterly  there  have  been  but  few  inhabi- 
tants in  the  district.  Desert  district  is  located  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the 
county  on  what  is  known  as  the  Forty-Mile  desert.  It  is  an  arid  dreary  timber- 
less  plain,  being  without  even  a  sufficiency  of  water  for  culinary  uses.  The 
lodes  are  small  and  blind,  but  rich  in  free  gold,  which  occurs  in  a  gangue,  com- 
posed principally  of  red  oxide  of  iron,  easily  reduced ;  and  if  there  were  only  the 
ordinary  facilities  for  working  these  mines  they  might  prove  very  remunerative. 
A  five-stamp  mill  was  built  near  them  four  years  ago,  and  though  operated  for 
a  time  with  success  has  since  remained  idle,  the  difficulty  of  getting  wood  and 
water  supplies  proving  too  great.  A  mill  has  been  built  lately  at  the  outlet  of 
Humboldt  for  working  these  ores,  and  though  distant  some  14  miles  from  the 
mines,  the  enterprise  may  turn  out  profitable,  and  as  there  is  a  considerable 
amount  of  propulsive  power  at  that  point,  these  lodes  may  yet  be  worked  exten- 
sively. In  the  Mountain  Wall  district,  situate  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Silver 
Hill  range,  a  great  many  veins  were  located  some  five  years  ago.  The  surface 
indications  being  good/considerable  work  was  afterwards  done  upon  them.  But 
the  lodes  were  found  to  be  faulty  and  uncertain,  which  led  to  the  abandonment  of 
most  of  them.  Experts  are  of  opinion  that  deeper  exploration  would  reach  perma- 
nent bodies  of  pay  ore  in  these  mines.  Three  years  ago  the  Silver  Wave  Company 
completed  at  La  "Plata  a  20-stamp  mill,  at  a  cost  of  $125,000.  They  had,  how- 
ever, failed  to  prove  their  mine  in  advance,  and  it  having  failed  to  furnish  sufficient 
pay  ore,  the  mill  after  running  for  a  short  time  was  obliged  to  stop,  and  has  been 
idle  ever  since.  About  the  same  time  another  company,  supplied  as  in  the  case 
above,  with  eastern  funds,  erected  at  Averill,  a  few  miles  from  La  Plata,  a  20- 
stamp  mill,  at  a  cost  of  $150,000,  and  although  this  has  not  as  yet  accomplished 
much  in  the  way  of  taking  out  bullion,  they  are  developing  their  mines  with  a 
prospect  of  obtaining  sufficient  pay  ore  to  start  the  mill  and  keep  it  running. 
It  is  by  no  means  certain  that  similar  persistence  on  the  part  of  the  Silver  Wave 
Company  in  opening  their  ledge  would  not  be  attended  with  good  results.  With 
the  exception  of  the  work  doing  by  the  Averill 'Company  there  are  but  few 
mining  operations  now  in  progress  in  the  district.  The  history  of  operations  in 
the  Mountain  Well  district  is  so  like  that  of  those  in  Clan  Alpine,  30  miles  farther 
east,  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  go  into  details  of  the  latter,  where  also,  after  but 
a  superficial  examination  of  the  mines,  a  10-stamp  mill  was  two  years  ago  put 
up  to  run  a  few  days,  and  then  remain  idle.  Yet  there  are  unquestionably  good 
mines  in  this  district,  besides  plenty  of  wood  and  water  to  insure  a  cheap 
reduction  of  the  ores.  Of  the  several  other  districts  in  this  county  nothing  is 
required  to  be  said  other  than  that  many  of  them  show  encouraging  signs  of  pay 
ore,  though  but  little  work  has  been  done,  and  most  of  them  are  but  poorly  sup- 
plied with  wood  and  water. 


SECTION    XIV. 

ESMERALDA    COUNTY. 

This  county,  named  after  the  principal  mining  district  in  it,  occupies  the  south- 
western portion  of  the  State.  In  its  general  features  the  country  does  not  differ 
materially  from  most  of  that  already  described,  except  that  the  mountains  eon- 
tain  a  greater  extent  of  pinon  forests  than  those  of  Humboldt,  Roop,  or  Churchill. 
The  proportion  of  agricultural  land,  however,  is  scarcely  greater  than  in  those 
counties,  if  so  great  as  in  Humboldt.  The  mineral  productions  of  Esmeraida 
are  varied  and  abundant,  the  veins  of  gold,  silver  and  copper  being  numerous, 
often  large,  and  scattered  over  a  vast  region.  The  number  of  mining  districts 
laid  out  in  the  county,  first  and  last,  is  so  large  that  it  would  require  consider- 


WEST    OF    T9E    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  335 

able  space  to  repeat  their  names.  The  first  discovery  of  silver  lodes  was  made 
near  Aurora,  in  the  summer  of  I860;  immediately  after  which  a  large  population 
was  drawn  to  that  vicinity,  and  for  several  years  mining  operations  were  carried 
on  with  activity.  M ills  were  erected,  and  a  town  built  up  which  at  one  time 
contained  3,000  inhabitants.  The  prices  of  real  estate  advanced  to  extravagant 
figures,  and  mining  properties  were  bought  and  sold  at  rates  out  of  all  propor- 
tion to  their  real  value.  In  the  mean  time  the  titles  to  many  of  the  leading 
mining  claims  became  involved  in  litigation,  whereby  work  was  for  the  time 
being  suspended,  and  capitalists  deterred  from  further  investments.  The  mills, 
left  without  sufficient  supplies  of  ore,  ceased,  first  to  pay  dividends,  then 
expenses,  and  finally  closed  up  altogether.  Suffering  under  these  conjoint  disas- 
ters, business  fell  off,  the  population  left,  stocks  depreciated,  and  the  Esmeralda 
mines  were  practically  abandoned  just  at  a  time  when,  by  proper  caution  and 
good  management,  they  might  have  been  rendered  permanently  remunerative. 
This  occurred  nearly  four  years  ago,  and  although  matters  have  been  slightly 
improving  about  Aurora,  the  great  mining  centre  of  the  county,  for  a  year  or 
more  past,  they  are  not  yet  restored  to  their  former  prosperous  condition.  The 
population  of  the  county,  which  in  the  summer  of  1861  numbered  about  3,000 
souls,  had  two  years  after  increased  to  more  than  4,000.  At  present  it  docs  not 
exceed  2,500.  The  principal  part  of  the  farming  and  hay  lands  are  situated  on 
the  forks  of  Walker  river.  The  following  figures  indicate  something  of  the 
agricultural  resources  and  products  of  this  county :  500  horses  and  mules,  1,000 
head  of  neat  cattle,  300  sheep,  400  swine,  3,000  tons  of  hay  cut,  and  600  tons 
grain,  besides  a  large  quantity  of  vegetables  raised,  annually.  There  are  15,000 
acres  of  land  under  fence,  of  which  5,000  arc  cultivated.  The  first  quartz  mill 
was  erected  at  Aurora  in  1861,  since  which  time  15  others  have  been  built  in  the 
comity — 10  at  that  place,  one  in  the  Columbus  district,  two  at  Silver  Peak,  one 
at  Pine  Creek,  and  one  at  Red  Mountain.  Besides  these  there  are  several  in  the 
Ifodic  and  other  districts  adjacent,  generally  spoken  of  as  being  in  Esmeralda, 
though  really  in  California.  These  mills  carry  200  stamps,  all  told,  and  will 
have  cost,  when  that  now  in  process  of  building  at  Silver  Creek  is  completed, 
about  $(JOO,000.  The  most  of  those  at  Aurora  having  been  put  up  in  1862-763, 
when  labor  and  material  were  high,  cost  considerably  more  than  similar  estab- 
lishments would  at  present.  After  the  building  of  the  first  mill  at  that  place 
the  shipments  of  bullion  from  the  county  steadily  increased  for  several  years, 
until  they  reached  nearly  81,000,000  for  1864.  *  From  this  time  they  fell  off 
heavily  for  two  years,  but  are  now  again  on  the  increase,  and  there  is  reason  to 
believe  they  will  bo  steadily  augmented  for  years  to  come.  In  addition  to  the 
troubles  already  mentioned,  the  millmen  at  Aurora  experienced  the  further  diffi- 
culty of  having  in  some  cases  a  rather  refractory  class  of  ores  to  deal  with ;  many 
of  the  ledges,  also,  which  had  prospected  fairly  in  the  croppings,  failed  to  yield 
any  large  bodies  of  ore  at  greater  depths.  In  some  cases  the  exposed  portion  of 
the  ledges  here,  and  even  the  quartz  boulders,  of  which  there  were  many  lying 
loose  on  the  .surface  of  the  ground,  were  found  to  be  heavily  charged  with  the 
sulphuret  of  silver.  Much  free  gold  was  also  found  in  several  of  the  veins  and 
occasionally  in  the  earth  adjacent,  all  of  which  leading  to  the  belief  that  an 
abundance  of  pay  ore  could  be  easily  and  certainly  obtained,  a  number  of  large 
and  costly  mills  were  erected  in  advance  of  mining  developments,  many  of  them 
to  meet  with  subsequent  embarrassment  and  often  to  remain  idle  for  want  of  ore. 
This  district  also  suffered  severelv  from  excessive  speculation  in  mining  stocks 
'and  properties,  much  of  it  brought  about  through  very  questionable  agencies 
and  modes  of  procedure,  the  odium  of  which,  extending  beyond  the  guilty  instru- 
ments, attached  to  the  mines  themselves,  thus  discouraging  the  work  of  explora- 
tion and  bringing  them  into  disrepute.  Within  the  past  two  years  parties  con- 
versant with  the  geology  of  the  mineral  veins  in  this  district,  and  well  posted  as 
to  previous  operations,  satisfied  that  the  principal  cause  of  failure  was  to  be  found 


336  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

in  the  superficial  and  insufficient  character  of  the  explorations  before  carried  on, 
have  commenced  a  series  of  deep  prospecting  shafts  on  a  number  of  the  more 
promising  ledges  at  Aurora,  with  a  view  to  prosecuting  them  to  determinate 
results.  In  several  cases  these  operations  have  already  been  crowned  with  com- 
plete or  partial  success,  in  one,  at  least,  that  of  the  Juniata,  a  vein  well  charged 
with  pay  ore  having  been  developed  at  no  great  depth  beneath  the  surface,  a 
circumstance  that,  besides  encouraging  those  engaged  in  similar  works  to  perse- 
vere, will  be  likely  to  lead  to  the  initiation  of  other  enterprises  directed  to  the 
accomplishment  of  the  same  end.  Stimulated  by  these  results,  business  lias 
begun  to  improve  in  Aurora,  and  mining  enterprise  has  everywhere  received  a 
wholesome  impetus  throughout  the  county.  Some  of  these  prospecting  shafts 
are  already  down  several  hundred  feet,  and,  being  supplied  with  efficient  hoisting 
works  and  directed  by  parties  of  experience  and  energy,  are  progressing  favor- 
ably. The  ore  in  this  district  is  a  sulphuret  of  silver,  much  of  it  carrying  a  per- 
centage of  gold,  either  free  or  in  combination  with  other  metals  and  minerals. 
Taken  as  a  mass,  it  is  of  high  grade,  yielding  from  one-third  to  one-half  more 
bullion  than  that  from  the  mines  about  Virginia  City  and  Gold  Hill.  Most  of 
the  ore  raised  at  Aurora  yields  by  mill  process  from  $40  to  $70  per  ton,  $50 
being  perhaps  a  fair  average  ;  while  the  cost  of  reduction  is,  or  might  be,  less 
than  at  those  places,  wood  being  considerably  cheaper.  The  only  trouble  seems 
to  be  the  insufficiency  of  the  ore  supply,  and  this,  as  above  stated,  may  be  con- 
sidered in  a  fair  way  of  being  overcome.  Wood  costs,  delivered  at  the  mills  in 
Aurora,  about  $6  per  cord — a  little  less  in  most  of  the  outside  districts  in  the 
county — a  price  that  cannot  be  materially  advanced  for  some  years  to  come, 
owing  to  the  abundance  of  pifion  in  the  vicinity  of  the  principal  mines.  In  the 
proximity  of  the  latter  to  good  agricultural  districts  a  further  guarantee  is  had 
against  exorbitant  demands  for  grain  and  many  other  staples  of  subsistence. 
The  only  towns  in  Esmeralda  county  of  any  size  are  Aurora  and  Pino  Grove, 
the  former,  the  county  seat,  containing  a  population  of  about  1,500,  and  the  latter 
of  about  300.  There  are  two  saw-mills  in  the  county  capable  of  cutting  about 
10,000  feet  of  lumber  per  day,  and  a  large  extent  of  toll-roads,  some  portions 
of  which  have  been  built  at  heavy  expense.  Lying  in  a  northerly  and  easterly 
direction  from  Aurora,  and  distant  from  10  to  30  miles,  are  several  mining  dis- 
tricts, all  of  which,  having  had  their  day  of  popularity,  generally  resting  on 
misapprehension  or  a  hasty  inspection  of  their  claims,  are  now  nearly  depopu- 
lated. Of  these  the  Walker  River,  Lake,  Cornell,  Desert,  East  Esmeralda, 
^Masonic,  and  Van  Horn  form  the  most  notable  examples.  In  some  of  these  are 
promising  veins,  and  in  nearly  all  much  work  has  been  done,  yet  generally 
without  such  decisive  results  as  to  secure  capital  for  the  erection  of  mills  or 
to  wan-ant  continued  operations.  In  the  Wilson  district,  situated  in  the  Tol- 
lock  mountains,  40  miles  north  of  Aurora,  were  discovered  in  the  summer  of 
1866  a  number  of  auriferous  lodes,  several  of  which,  having  since  been  par- 
tially developed,  arc  likely  to  prove  valuable.  Here,  within  the  present  year,  a 
considerable  town — Pine  Grove — has  been  built  up,  a  number  of  arrastras  driven 
by  steam  and  a  10-stamp  steam  quartz  mill  have  been  erected,  and  another  mill 
of  larger  size  partially  completed.  The  lodes  are  of  fair  average  size,  some  of 
them  large,  from  10  to  20  feet  thick,  and  as  a  general  thing  show  signs  of  per- 
manency. So  far  as  opened  they  display  regular  walls  and  linings,  with  other 
evidences  of  true  fissure  veins.  The  exploratory  works  consist  of  shafts  and 
tunnels,  some  of  the  latter  nearly  1,000  feet  long  and  several  of  the  shafts  over 
100  feet  deep.  From  these  excavations  and  from  open  cuts  on  the  lodes  a  quan- 
tity of  ore-bearing  quartz  has  been  extracted,  a  portion  of  which  has  been  crushed 
with  good  results,  the  greater  part  being  still  retained  awaiting  better  facilities 
for  reduction.  The  gangue  consists  of  an  ochreous  quartz,  much  of  it  easily 
pulverized  from  partial  decomposition.  The  yield  of  the  ores  so  far  reduced  has' 
run  from  $30  to  $90  per  ton,  worked  by  simple  settling  tub  and  blanket  process. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  337 

The  gold  is  generally  diffused  throughout  the  veinstone  and  is  extremely  pure, 
917  line  :ind  worth  within  a  fraction  of  $19  per  ounce.     There  is  sufficient 


water  near  the  mines  for  the  use  of  several  large  steam  mills,  Walker  river, 
eight  miles  distant,  to  which  there  is  a  good  road  with  a  descending  grade,  also 
supplying  a  large  propulsive  power.  The  mountains  throughout  the  district  are 
covered  with  forests  of  piiion,  rendering  the  supply  of  fuel  at  cheap  rates  certain 
for  some  years.  These  mines  are  accessible  over  good  wagon  roads  from  Cali- 
fornia, and  in  the  vicinity  of  a  productive  agricultural  district,  with  fine  timber 
lands  but  40  miles  distant,  conditions  that  must  tend  greatly  to  facilitate  their 
development.  In  the  Washington  district,  20  miles  south  of  Pine  Grove,  a 
number  of  argentiferous  veins,  carrying  also  copper,  galena,  and  antimony,  were 
discovered  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  year,  some  of  which  have  since  been 
pn  >spected.  A  10-stamp  steam  mill  for  the  reduction  of  the  ores  has  lately  been  put 
up  in  the  district,  where  there  are  now  about  150  men  at  work  on  the  mines.  The 
lodes  are  of  good  size,  and  carry  ore  which,  from  the  limited  tests  made,  it  is 
thought  will  yield  well  by  mill  process.  The  situation  of  this  district  and  the 
supply  of  wood  and  water  are  much  the  same  as  of  the  Wilson  district.  A  goad 
deal  of  ore  is  now  out  lying  on  the  dumps  awaiting  means  of  reduction.  Bunch 
grass  is  abundant  throughout  all  this  region,  and  as  the  climate  is  mild,  but  litfle 
snow  falling  in  the  winter  except  on  the  higher  mountains,  stock  keep  in  good 
condition  the  year  through  without  fodder.  Ranging  from  30  to  50  miles  in  a 
southeast  direction  from  Aurora,  and  lying  partly  in  California,  are  the  Hot 
Spring,  the  Blind  Spring,  and  the  Montgomery  districts,  'discovered  in  1864, 
since  which  time  a  considerable  amount  of  ore  has  been  extracted  from  some  of 
the  lodes,  though  but  few  well-planned  or  persistent  efforts  appear  to  have  been 
made  looking  to  a  systematic  development  of  the  mines.  Some  of  this  ore  has  been 
sent  to  San  Francisco  for  sale  or  reduction;  a  small  quantity  has  been  benericiated 
at  the  mines,  while  a  largo  amount  remains  on  the  dump  piles  undisposed  of.  A 
dillieulty  with  many  of  the  lodes  in  these  districts  is  the  want  of  well-defined 
ore  channels,  the  deposits  occurring  more  in  the  shape  of  pockets  or  bonanzas 
than  of  regular  strata,  and  hence  deficient  in  continuity  and  persistence  in  depth. 
These  bunches,  however,  are  frequently  large,  and  being  easily  broken  out,  can 
usually  be  mined  with  a  remarkable  prospect  of  profit.  Most  of  the  ore  here  is 
an  argentiferous  galena,  the  large  percentage  of  base  and  refractory  metals  it 
contains,  of  which  manganese,  antimony,  and  copper  are  the  principal,  render- 
ing smelting  necessary,  not  more  than  30  per  cent,  of  the  fire'  assay  being  saved 
by  ordinary  modes,  of  reduction.  Some,  however,  is  rich  in  silver,  yielding, 
where  thoroughly  treated,  from  $300  to  $500  per  ton,  selected  lots  turning  out  a 
great  deal  more.  Two  small  mills  and  a  number  of  smelting  furnaces  have 
been  put  up,  which,  considering  their  limited  capacity,  have  made  a  fair  turn-out 
of  bullion.  These  districts  are  moderately  well  supplied  with  wood,  grass,  and 
water,  Montgomery,  containing  an  abundance  of  piiion  ;  and  the  opinion  may  be 
expressed  that  with  the  aid  of  capital  and  skilled  labor  a  thrifty  mining  business 
may  yet  be  established. 

Columbus  district,  situate  about  50  miles  east  of  Aurora,  and  the  same  dis- 
tance southeast  of  Walker  lake,  is  another  of  the  more  noted  mining  centres  of 
Esnicralda  county,  at  least  so  far  as  the  possession  of  numerous  lodes  'is  con- 
cerned. The  developments  have  not  been  extensive.  Adjacent  to  this  are 
several  other  districts,  the  most  of  which  have  been  too  little  explored  to  justify 
notice,  though  all  contain  metalliferous  veins  of  either  the  precious  or  usofel 
metals  and  often  of  both.  But  little  work,  however,  has  been  performed  in  any 
of  them,  and  they  are  mostly  deficient  in  wood  and  water,  which  latter  is  also 
the  case  in  the  Columbus  district.  Here,  however,  a  number  of  the  veins  have 
been  partially  prospected  and  working  tests  made  of  the  ores,  which  have  gen- 
erally yielded  good  returns.  The  ledges  are  mostly  in  the  hands  of  men  of  small 
means,'  while  the  remoteness  of  the  district  has  prevented  it  from  being  visited 
22 


338  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

by  strangers  and  perhaps  from  attracting  the  attention  it  deserves.  Certain  it  is 
the  lodes  are  of  fair  dimensions,  some  of  them  very  strong  and  marked  by  regu- 
lar walls  and  well-stocked  ore-channels.  The  top  ore  consists  largely  of  chlorides 
mixed  with  sulphurets,  often  exhibiting  a  little  free  gold  and  native  silver ;  the 
accompanying  metals  are  copper  and  lead.  Various  crushings  of  small  lots, 
some  of  which  it  is  claimed  were  not  closely  worked,  have  given  proceeds  ranging 
from  $50  to  $200  per  ton,  a  good  result  considering  the  quantity  of  ore  of  this 
class  that  can  easily  be  obtained ;  so  that  the  prospect  is  not  unfavorable.  The 
country  here  is  rugged  and  generally  barren,  consisting  of  high  hills  and  mountains, 
interspersed  with  sandy  plains  and  salt  beds.  The  mountains  are  scarred  with 
volcanic  outflows  and  masses  of  basalt,  intermingled  with  trachytic  rock  and  dikes 
of  trap,  indicating  a  period  of  great  upheavals  and  disturbance  of  the  earth's 
crust.  Along  the  flanks  of  the  volcanic  breaks  portions  of  the  original  metamor- 
pliic  and  stratified  rocks  are  found  traversed  and  seamed  in  many  cases  by  the 
metallic  bearing  veins  of  gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  and  iron.  The  elevated  por- 
tions of  this  district  consist  of  a  northeasterly  extension  of  the  White  Mountain 
range,  which  a  short  distance  to  the  southwest  rises  to  a  height  of  10,000  feet,  their 
tops  and  northern  slopes  being  covered  a  good  portion  of  the  year  with  snow. 
A  small  town  containing  some  200  inhabitants  has  been  settled  near  the  principal 
mines,  distant  from  which  about  eight  miles  are  forests  of  pmon.  There  is  but 
little  wood  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  A  number  of  extensive  salt  deposits  exist  in 
the  district,  from  which  this  article  can  be  obtained  quite  pure  and  at  small  cost. 
One  of  these  salt  beds  is  estimated  to  cover  an  area  of  30  square  miles.  Hay 
and  other  agricultural  products  can  be  procured  from  Fish  Lake  valley,  a  fertile 
farming  district  20  miles  southeast  of  the  mines,  at  which  place  several  hundred 
tons  of  hay  were  cut,  and  considerable  quantities  of  grain  and  vegetables  were 
raised  the  present  year.  While  springs  and  streams  are  scarce,  water  can  be  found 
in  many  places  by  digging  to  a  moderate  depth,  though  it  is  often  slightly  brackish. 
A  four-stamp  steam  mill  has  recently  been  put  up  in  this  district  and  is  now  ope- 
rating with  satisfactory  results.  Another  and  larger  mill  is  about  being  erected, 
creating  a  probability  that  the  business  of  mining,  long  dormant,  will  soon 
be  prosecuted  with  energy.  The  Silver  Peak  district  lies  about  90  miles  a  little 
south  of  east  from  Auiora,  the  great  salt  bed  of  this  region,  covering  over  40 
square  miles,  bordering  it  on  the  east,  and  the  lied  Mountain  district  on  the  west. 
The  lodes  in  these  districts,  taken  in  connection  with  the  vast  improvements  con- 
templated and  in  progress,  a  portion  of  them  completed,  render  this  a  promising 
and  important  mining  locality.  The  metalliferous  lodes  are  numerous,  and,  as 
shown  by  working  tests,  well  charged  with  the  precious  metals.  Those  in  the  Silver 
Peak  district  are  for  the  most  part  argentiferous,  while  the  Red  Mountain  veins  are 
chiefly  gold-bearing.  All  the  valuable  lodes,  so  far  as  discovered  in  these  two 
districts,  are  now  owned  by  the  Great  Salt  Basin  Mining  and  Milling  Company, 
who  are  proceeding  to  develop  them  with  skill  and  energy.  The  first  discovery 
and  location  of  mineral  lodes  in  this  region  was  made  at  Red  Mountain  in  1863, 
which  having  been  followed  up  the  next  year  by  the  erection  there  of  a  small 
three-stamp  mill,  the  value  of  the  auriferous  veins  at  that  place  was  soon  estab- 
lished. The  same  year,  (1864,)  the  Silver  Peak  mines  were  discovered,  and 
here  a  10-stamp  mill  was  built  in  the  fall  of  1865,  which  after  running  for  a 
short  time  with  moderate  success  suspended  for  repairs,  but  never  after  resumed 
operations,  the  owners  having  disposed  of  it  in  common  with  their  mining  proper- 
ties to  a  company  of  eastern  capitalists,  the  same  who  are  now  proceeding  to 
work  the  mines  on  a  liberal  and  extended  scale.  The  present  property  of  this 
company  in  these  districts  consists  of  about  a  hundred  different  lodes,  some  of 
them  of  good  size  and  supposed  value,  a  10-stamp  mill,  intended  to  reduce  ores 
without  roasting,  as  practiced  at  Gold  Hill  and  Virginia,  or  for  testing  them  and 
ascertaining  the  best  methods  for  their  reduction,  a  three-stamp  mill,  operating 
on  the  auriferous  ores  at  Red  Mouutain;  and  a  1,000  acre  tract  of  pinon  forests 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  339 

lying  adjacent  thereto  and  embracing  the  best  lands  of  this  kind  in  the  country, 
together  with  numerous  improvements  in  the  shape  of  shops,  corrals,  stables, 
offices,  storehouses,  and  buildings  for  workmen.  On  the  margin  of  the  Great 
Salt  bed,  adjacent  to  their  principal  mines,  and  a  large  spring  of  fresh  water,  a 
site  has  been  secured  for  a  mill  arid  all  attendant  uses.  On  this  spot  a  first-class 
mill  is  now  being  erected,  most  of  the  lumber,  machinery,  and  other  material 
being  on  the  ground.  This  establishment,  which  it  is  intended  shall  be  complete 
in  all  its  appointments,  will  start  with  20  stamps  at  first,  to  which  others  will 
probably  be  added,  the  intention  being  that  60  stamps  shall  be  running  there 
before  next  summer.  Among  the  improvements  projected  by  this  company  is  a 
system  of  railways,  embracing  a  main  trunk  running  to  the  centre  of  their  prin- 
cipal claims,  to  be  extended  to  the  most  distant  in  Red  mountain  and  having 
branches  ramifying  throughout  both  districts.  This  railway  will  terminate  at 
their  principal  mill,  and  over  it  all  their  ores  will  be  transported,  dispensing  with 
the  necessity  for  tearn-hauling  almost  entirely,  and  thereby  effecting  a  groat 
economy  in  current  expenses.  As  justly  remarked  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Clayton,  a  well- 
known  engineer,  after  a  careful  examination,  the  property  of  this  company  con- 
stitutes a  favorable  combination  of  available  resources  and  local  facilities.  With 
their  plans  carried  out  they  will  probably  be  able  to  mine  and  reduce  their  ores 
at  a  profit.  In  the  quantity  of  average  grade  ores  and  easy  transportation  to 
their  mills — the  prime  agents  of  cheap  reduction,  water,  salt,  and  fuel  close  at 
hand,  and  a  good  agricultural  district,  Fish  Lake  valley,  not  far  distant — are 
supplied  some  of  the  necessary  requisites  of  a  promising  mining  enterprise. 
Experience  thus  far  had  encourages  the  hope  that  these  investments  will  prove 
remunerative. 


SECTION    XV. 

LINCOLN    COUNTY. 

This  county,  named  after  the  late  President  Lincoln,  was  erected  from  Nye 
county  by  act  of  the  State  legislature  at  its  last  session.  Its  boundaries  are  as 
follows  :  beginning  at  the  Red  Bluff  springs,  about  15  miles  east  of  the  Reville 
district,  and  running  thence  east  to  the  State  line,  which  it  follows  to  the  south 
boundary  of  the  line  separating  it  from  Arizona,  along  which  it  runs  west  until 
it  reaches  a  point  due  south  of  Red  Bluff,  and  thence  north  to  the  latter  place. 
It  occupies  the  extreme  southeastern  corner  of  the  State,  and  does  not  differ 
materially  in  its  physical  features  and  natural  productions  from  the  adjacent  por- 
tions of  Nye  county,  elsewhere  described.  The  country  is  corrugated,  like  that 
farther  north  and  west,  by  alternating  ranges  of  mountains  and  valleys,  the  former 
lofty  and  covered  with  a  sparse  growth  of  bunch  grass,  with  numerous  small 
streams  of  water  and  patches  of  piiion  and  occasionally  larger  timber,  while  the 
latter  contains  a  number  of  fertile  spots  on  which  hay  can  be  cut  from  the 
native  grasses  and  good  crops  of  grain  raised  with  the  aid  of  irrigation.  The 
county  seat  has  for  the  present  been  fixed  at  Hico,  the  principal  settlement, 
The  county  is  now  fully  organized,  having  a  full  set  of  officials  and  consti- 
tuting the  ninth  judicial  district  of  the  State.  The  first  discovery  of  silver- 
bearing  lodes  in  this  region  was  made  aftout  three  }Tears  ago,  since  which  time 
a  population  of  several  hundred  has  been  gathered  there,  though  as  yet  no 
great  amount  of  work  has  been  done.  Many  of  the  mountain  ranges  are  found 
to  contain  metalliferous  veins  of  greater  or  less  magnitude  and  value,  but  the 
most  valuable  so  far  as  discovered,  and  the  only  ones  yet  at  all  developed,  are 
situate  in  the  Pahranagat  district,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  in  a  high 


340  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

range  known  as  Quartz  mountain,  its  altitude  being-  about  11.000  feet.*  The 
.aphical  position  of  this  district  is  nearly  in  37°  37'  north  latitude,  and 
112°  west  longitude.  The  principal  mineral  deposits  are  found  in  a  belt  about 
five  miles  long  and  two  wide,  stretching1  across  the  foot-hills  and  spurs  of  the 
mountain.  This  belt  contains  several  distinct  systems  of  lodes,  all  bearing 
the  features  of  true  fissure  veins,  having  smooth  and,  in  places,  striated  walls 
with  clay  linings.  They  are  of  medium  size,  many  of  them  cropping  boldly 
and  traceable  <xi  distance.  The  country  rock  is  principally  a  meta- 

morphic  limestone,  the  stratification  greatly  disturbed.  The  ores  on  the  sur- 
face are  associated  with  copper  and  argentiferous  galena,  and  show  by  assay 
a  percenta^re  of  silver  varying  from  $50  to  $2,500  per  ton.  The  vein  stone  is 
quartz  and  calspar.  carrying  iron,  zinc,  and  manganese,  rendering  reduction 
somewhat  troublesome,  and  necessitating  roasting  as  a  general  thing,  or  a  resort 
to  smelting  where  the  sulphuret  of  lead  prevaifs.  After  roasting  the  ores  are 
;;ble.  rendering  amalgamation  easy  and  giving  bullion  from  800  to  900  fine, 
there  being  but  little  gold  present.  Some  of  the  copper  ore  here  I  high 

as  50  per  eent.  of  metal,  making  it  probable  that  it  will  yet  be  of  economic 
value  when  better  facilities  for  its  transportation  elsewhere  are  extended  to  this 
region.     The  veins  are  for  the  most  part  well  situated  for  extraction  of  their 
contents,  with  available  ores  accessible  from  the  start.     The  mountains  adjacent 
to  these  mines  are  tolerably  well  stocked  with  pinon  and  juniper,  but  w; 
not  abundant,  in  consequence  of  which  all  reduction  works  will  probabl 
the  preser  .be  located  in  Pahranagat  valley.  12  miles  cast  of  the  mines, 

where  the  mountain  benches  afford  good  mill  sites,  with  plenty  of  water  issuing 
from  several  springs.     Thirty  miles  east  of  Paliranagat  are  found  grov 
timber  suitable  for  making  a  fair  article  of  lumber.     Many  of  the  ranges  further 

contain  similar  trees,  a  species  of  white  pine,  with  some  fir. 
The  climate  of  this  region  is  milder  than  its  geographical  position  and  eleva- 
tion— over  7,000  feet — would  indicate,  the  atmosphere  being  tempered  by  the 
warm  current  of  air  from  the  Gulf  of  California,  flowing  up  the  valley  of  the 
Colorado.    Pahranagat  valley,  which  is  35  miles  long  north  and  south,  and  10  wide, 
contains  about  20,000  acres  of  natural  meadow  land,  or  of  soil  that  can  be  rendered 
arable  by  irrigation.     Most  of  this  will  grow  crops  of  grain  and  vegetable^ 
cultivated  there  the  present  year  having-  yielded  largely.     Until  the  popul 
becomes  numerous,  enough  of  hay,  grain,  and  vegteables  can  be  grown  to 
local  demands;  afterwards  supplies  can  be  drawn  from  the  Mormon  settlements 
not  far  distant  to  the  southeast,  and  from  which  grain  is  now  1  nought  anu 
in  the  valley,  at  six  cents  per  pound:  flour  at  10  cents,  and  beef  at  15  cents. 
Hico  is  but  1 35  miles  from  Callville,  at  the  so-called  head  of  navigation  on  the 
.ado  river:  that  is.  as  the  wagon  road  now  runs,  which  can  probably  be 
reduced  to  100  miles,  rendering  it  possibe  that  goods  and  machinery  may  yet  reach 
this  region  through  that  channel.     There  is  now  one  five-stamp  mill  completed, 
with  two  others  of  larger  capacity  underway,  in  this  district.     The  first  not 
having  facilities  for  roasting  the  ores,  failed  in  the  earlier  efforts.     Furnaces 
having  been  built,  with  which  also  the  new  mills  are  to  be  supplied,  no  further 
trouble  in  saving  the  metal  is  apprehended,  and  there  is  now  a  fair  prospect  that 
the  more  extended  operations  about  to  be  inhibited  will  prove  remunerat: 
the  pioneers  of  this  distant  region. 

*8ee  section  on  eastern  Nevada,  Pahranagat  district. 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS  341 

TIO.V    XVI. 

THi  iOCK    LODE. 

The  mining  interest  in  Storey  county  centres  almost  exclusively  in  the  Corn- 
stock   lofl  the   only  silver-bearing  lode  in  the"  district,  but 
hers  which  are  worker!  yield  go  small  a  proportion  of  the  bullion  produced 
as  almost  to  1                 :td«iwr-d  by  their  great  neighbor.    The  Corns-lock  lode 
may  be  called  the  "mother  vein"  of  the  distr;  'th  to  the  east  and  the 
.f  it  lie  •                                 .-come  at  no  distant  day  valuable  properry.     Of 
<le,  on  which  are  located  the  St.  John,  Occidental, 

and  other  mines,  is  worthy  of  most  attention,  not  only  from  its  steady  yield  of 
bullion,  but  on  accomr  '-culiar  veinstone.     The  usual  gaugue  in  the 

jtiartz;  in  the  New  Brunswick  it  is  almost  entirely  carbonate 
of  lime,  an  analysis  of  the  rock  showing  the  following  composition  : 

Gold 0016          £5  (2 

Silver i.^O          1U  £W 

Peroxide  of  iron 1. 6370 

Peroxide  of  manganese .  2500 

Alumina .7750 

Carbonate  of  lime 83. 7240 

Sulphur 0050 

Chlorine Traces. 

Silica 13.2500 

Loss 3324 

100.0000          16  00 


This  analysis  shows  less  than  the  usual  amount  of  the  precious  metal,  the  mine 
at  present  yielding  about  30  tons  of  ore  daily,  of  an  average  value  of  about  $25. 

In  the  southern  part  of  Gold  Hill  are  many  small  veins  or  deposits  of  decom- 
posed quartz  and  lr  _  »ld  worth  about  S10  an  ounce;  these  veins  are 
worked  chiefly  by  ;  ;uals  on  a  small  scale,  and  furnish  employment 
for  several  arrasti;  rufi"ii. 

But,  as  before  sta  _r  interest  centres  chiefly  in  the  Comstock  lode. 

In  the  preliminary  report  a  large  amount  of  information  was  furnished  rela- 
tive to  the  general  features  of  this  district  and  its  mining  resources.    To  avoid 
iiion  the  remarks  in  the  present  report  will  be  confined  mainly  to  the  condi- 
tion of  the  lod  ,me.     In  order  to  preserve  continuity,  however,  it  will  be 
-sary  to  go  over  some  of  the  ground  already  traversed.    For  concise  descrip- 
tion the  >                'livided  into  separate  headings. 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  COM.STOCK  LODE. — The  Comstock  lode  runs  along  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Washoe  mouii  he  foot  of  Mount  Davidson,  its  loftiest 

sumniir.  its  outcrop  is  not  by  any  means  continuous,  consisting  of  parallel  belts 
of  quartz,  extending  from  e;  it,  in  some  places  nearly  1,000  feet,  which 

show  themselves  chiefly  <  »n  :  tinning  down  from  the  main 

ridsre.  The  western  of  these  quartz  seams,  being  of  a  hard  crystalline  texture, 
form  the  most  prominent  outcrops,  b;.  :ice  has  shown  them  to  be  of  less 

value  than  the  eastern  bodies,  which  from  their  different  composition  have  been 
more  easily  disintegrated,  and  are  often  covered  up  by  the  debris  from  the  higher 
and  steeper  portion  of  the  mountain. 

LENGTH  <>F  LODE. — The  vein  has  been  more  or  less  thoroughly  explored, 
(see  table  of  mines  in  preliminary  report,  pages  72  and  73,)  and  its  continuity 
established  by  underground  workings  for  a  length  of  about  three- and  a  half 
miles,  though  the  productive  portion  forms  but  a  small  proportion  of  the  whole, 
as  barren  spots  of  great  extent  inter,  een  the  bonanzas  or  ore  bodies. 

STRIKE  OF  LODE. — Its  4i  strike  "  or  course,  as  sh<  >wn  by  the  exposure  of  the  west 
wall,  in  numerous  places,  is  nearly  magnetic  north  and*  south,  (north  16°  L 
true  meridian.) 


342  RESOURCES   OF   STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

ENCLOSING  ROCKS. — But  little  if  any  doubt  now  remains  that  the  Comstock 
is  a  true  fissure  vein.  The  enclosing  rock  on  the  east  throughout  its  entire  length 
as  far  as  known  is  "propylite/*  a  species  of  porphyry,  varying  much  in  its 
appearance  at  different  points,  as  the  crystallization  is  coarser  or  finer,  and  decom- 
position more  or  less  advanced.  The  country  rocks  on  the  west  vary  considerably. 
On  the  slopes  of  Mount  Davidson  and  Mount  Butler  it  is  sienite;  north  of  this 
propylite  occurs  on  both  sides ;  while  in  southern  Gold  Hill  various  metamorphic 
rocks  occur  on  the  western  side. 

WEST  WALL. — The  west  Avail  of  the  lode  is  separated  from  the  country  rock 
by  a  well  defined  clay  selvage,  and  maintains  a  remarkaby  uniform  dip  of  about 
38°  or  40°  to  the  eastward  at  the  surface,  gradually  increasing  to  about  45°, 
which  it  maintains  to  the  lowest  depths  hitherto  explored.  The  east  wall  near 
the  surface  has  a  false  dip  to  the  westward,  gradually  becoming  vertical,  and  at 
a  depth  of  400  or  500  feet  turns  to  the  eastward,  and  continues  down  more  or 
less  parallel  with  the  west  wall.  Owing  to  the  flat  dip  of  the  lode  this  eastern  or 
hanging  wall  is  less  clearly  marked  than  the  western  or  foot  wall,  frequently 
dropping  down  on  or  near  the  foot  wall.  When  this  is  the  case,  another  clay 
is  usually  found  to  the  eastward,  and  this  structure  will  probably  continue  for 
an  indefinite  depth.  Developments  appear  to  show  it  to  be  most  frequent  where 
the  walls  of  the  lode  approach  each  other  rapidly. 

WIDTH  OF  LODE. — The  jaws  of  the  fissure  at  the  surface,  as  before  stated,  are 
from  500  to  1,000  feet  apart,  gradually  approaching  each  other  in  depth  until  the 
fissure  is  reduced  to  an  average  width  of  150  feet.  This  is  not  maintained,  how- 
ever, with  any  regularity.  The  west  wall  maintains  a  tolerably  straight  course, 
though  conforming  to  some  extent  to  the  general  direction  of  the  mountain  range ; 
but  the  eastern  clays  are  full  of  sinuosities,  which  produce  in  the  vein  a  series  of 
swells  and  nips.  In  Virginia  these  are  very  strongly  marked,  the  nips  usually 
occurring  where  the  lode  intersects  a  ravine,  and  the  swells  corresponding  to  the 
prominent  spurs  of  the  mountain.  One  of  the  best  illustrations  of  this  structure 
occurs  in  the  ground  owned  by  the  Savage,  Hale  and  Norcross,  and  Chollar- 
Potosi  Mining  Companies.  At  the  north  line  of  the  Savage  mine  the  cla}Ts, 
including  what  is  generally  termed  the  vein,  are  probably  about  100  feet  apart. 
Going  southward  they  diverge  to  a  width  of  500  feet  or  upwards,  again  contracting 
to  the  southward,  rapidly  at  first,  and  then  more  gradually,  until,  at  a  point  in 
the  Chollar-Potosi  mine  1,900  feet  south  of  the  starting  point,  the  vein  matter 
included  between  the  same  clays  is  not  more  than  20  feet  in  thickness,  and  con- 
sists principally  of  an  irregular  clayey  mass,  caused  by  the  union  of  several  seams 
of  clay,  which  show  themselves  in  the  vein  to  the  northward.  This  great  swell 
of  the  eastern  cla^y  unites  the  clay  bounding  two  subordinate  swells,  spanning 
at  the  same  time  what  was  supposed  to  be  a  nip  of  the  vein,  and  recent  develop- 
ments render  it  probable  that  clays  will  yet  be  found  to  the  east  of  apparent 
contractions  of  the  lode,  uniting  the  swells  which  bound  them  to  the  north  and 
south.  The  importance  of  thoroughly  understanding  this  feature  of  the  lode 
will  become  apparent  when  the  difficulties  of  exploring  the  Comstock  lode  come 
under  consideration. 

FILLING  or  THE  VEIN. — It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  the  whole 
of  this  immense  fissure  is  filled  with  valuable  ore.  Near  the  surface  the  aggre- 
gate thickness  of  the  quartz  seams  is  in  many  places'  not  more  than  five-sixths 
of  the  total  width  of  the  lode.  There  are  points  where  developments  show 
upwards  of  150  feet  of  quartz,  occurring  between  the  clays  without  any  inter- 
mixture-of  foreign  matter,  but  when  this  is  the  case  the  mineral  is  distributed 
through  the  whole  mass  too  sparingly  to  make  it  valuable  at  the  present  time. 
Considering  the  vein  as  a  whole,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  at  least  two-thirds  of  it 
are  filled  with  immense  "  horses"  or  masses  of  country  rock,  chiefly  detached 
from  the  hanging  wall,  between  which  are  found  the  belts  of  metalliferous 
quartz.  These  masses  of  country  rock  are  frequently  of  such  great  length  and 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS  343 

thickness  as  to  have  formed  one  of  the  strongest  arguments  in  favor  of  the  theory 
that  there  was  not  merely  one  lode,  but  a  bolt  of  lodes  running  along  the  foot  of 
Mount  Davidson.  They  are  usually  bounded  by  clay  selvages,  uniting  and 
dividing,  both  in  the  length  of  the  lode  and  vertically,  producing  a  complicated 
network  of  clay  seams  throughout  its  entire  length,  which  materially  interferes 
with  its  drainage.  Other  portions  of  the  lode  are  filled  with  a  brecciated  mass 
of  porphyry  quartz  and  clay,  which,  from  the  rounded -character  of  the  enclosed 
pebbles,  gives  evidence  of  the  intense  dynamic  action  of  the  vein. 

BONANZAS,  OR  ORE  BODIES. — The  ore  bodies  lie  chiefly  in  the  swells  of  the 
vein,  usually  forming  in  their  upper  portion,  at  or  near  the  eastern  clays,  and,  as 
their  position  is  more  vertical  than  the  dip  of  the  lode,  they  gradually  drop  down 
on  the  west  wall,  leaving  room  to  the  eastward  for  the  formation  of  new  bodies. 
In  Virginia  their  form  is  usually  that  of  lenticular  masses,  with  their  longer  axes 
in  the  direction  of  the  lode,  dipping  at  the  same  time  to  the  southward.  In 
Gold  Hill  the  ore  occurs  in  sheets,  lying  more  or  less  parallel  to  the  east  wall, 
the  change  from  one  structure  to  the  other  occurring  in  the  Chollar- Potosi  mine. 
The  bonanza  in  the  Ophir-Mexican  mines  was  about  200  feet  in  length  and 
330  in  depth,  attaining  a  maximum  thickness  of  about  45  feet,  and  tapering 
above  and  below  to  two  or  three  feet.  The  Gould  and  Curry  bonanza  was 
nearly  650  feet  long,  over  500  feet  in  depth,  and  about  one  hundred  feet  wide  at 
its  greatest  expansion.  The  immense  deposit  of  ore  in  the  Savage  and  Hale  & 
Norcross  mines  first  showed  at  a  depth  of  about  500  feet.  It  partakes  of  the 
crescent  shape  of  the  east  clay,  which  it  follows  closely,  varying  in  width  from 
10  to  50  feet.  It  is  known  to  extend  to  a  depth  of  over  250  feet,  and  will 
probably  continue  as  much  lower.  .  Its  total  length  is  upwards  of  800  feet.  In 
the  Chollar  mine  a  large  lenticular  mass  of  red  ore,  200  feet  long,  300  deep,  and 
about  25  wide,  has  been  developed.  In  the  Potosi  the  ore  lies  in  a  sheet  near 
the  eastern  clay. 

ORES. — The  ores  of  the  Comstock  consist  chiefly  of  vitreous  silver  ore, 
stephanite,  native  silver,  and  argentiferous  galena,  imbedded  in  a  quartz  gaii^ne. 
Beside  these,  ruby  silver,  horn  silver,  and  polybasito  occur  in  small  quantities; 
also,  native  gold,  iron  and  copper  pyrites  and  zinc  blend.  These  all  usually 
occur  in  an  amorphous  condition,  good  crystallized  specimens  being  remarkably 
rare.  In  the  Kentuck  mine  (Gold  Hill)  carbonate  of  lime  occurs  in  the  gangue, 
and  in  the  deep  workings  in  Virginia  sulphate  of  lime  is  an  abundant  mineral. 
The  Fairview  mine  formerly  produced  fine  crystals  of  the  latter. 

DEVELOPMENTS  ON  THE  COMSTOCK  LODE. — The  structure  of  the  lode,  as 
shown  by  the  underground  works,  has  already  been  spoken  of.  The  true  dip  of 
the  lode  was  not  understood  for  some  time  after  its  discovery.  The  false  dip  of 
the  east  wall  at  the  surface  induced  a  belief  that  the  vein  would  pitch  to  the 
westward,  and,  consequently,  the  first  working  shafts  wer»  located  accordingly. 
The  majority  of  these,  at  least  in  Virginia,  reached  the  west  wall  at  depths 
varying  from  450  to  600  feet,  and  owing  to  the  intensely  hard  nature  of  the 
western  country  rock  had  to  be  abandoned  as  far  as  deeper  explorations  were 
concerned ;  the  cost  of  sinking  and  drifting  back  into  the  vein,  the  constant 
repair  required  by  shafts'  located  in  the  vein,  and  the  necessity  of  more  powerful 
machinery  as  great  depth  was  attained,  all  tending  to  this  result.  The  principal 
companies  mining  on  the  Comstock,  in  Virginia  and  North  Gold  Hill,  have 
accordingly  erected  new -hoisting  works,  about  1,000  feet  east  of  the  old  shafts, 
on  ground  not  likely  to  settle  to  any  serious  extent,  and  in  these  shafts  the  fol- 
lowing depths  have  been  attained: 

Gould  &  Curry. • 850 

Savage 670 

Hale  &  Norcross 500 

Chollar  Potosi S:W 

Empire-Imperial  (Gold  Hill) 920 


344  RESOURCES     OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

These  shafts  are,  or  will  be,  furnished  with  machinery  of  the  finest  description, 
capable  of  working  to  depths  ranging  from  1,200  to  2,000  feet.  In  Southern 
Gold  Hill  the  original  shaft  of  the  Belcher  Company  has  been  earned  down  to 
a  depth  of  850  feet. 

While  many  of  the  originally  discovered  bonanzas  have  been  worked  out, 
depreciating  the  value  of  the  mines  where  they  occurred,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
Ophir  and  Gould  &  Curry,  the  comparatively  recent  discovery  of  the  Savage- 
Norcross  bonanza  gives  good  foundation  for  believing  that  they  will  again  become 
productive.  This  deposit  was  not  found  until  the  Hale  &  Norcross  Company 
had  been  at  work  for  nearly  five  years,  and  had  attained  a  depth  of  700  feet. 
Their  location  covered  what  was  supposed  to  be  a  nip  of  the  vein,  and  having 
exhausted  all  other  means,  as  a  last  resource,  the  supposed  east  wall  was  pierced 
and  a  drift  run  to  the  eastward  from  the  700  feet  level,  with  but  little  encourage- 
ment until,  at  360  feet  east  of  what  had  hitherto  been  considered  the  east  wall, 
this  magnificent  discovery  was  made.  The  body  of  ore  has  been  followed  up 
200  feet,  and  lying  so  far  from  the  west  wall,  will,  judging  by  analogy,  continue 
down  for  a  great  depth.  This  discovery  made  valuable  800  feet  of  ground, 
which  up  to  that  time  had  produced  nothing,  though  lying  between  the  valuable 
deposits  in  the  Gould  &  Curry  and  Chollar-Potosi  mines. 

Nearly  1,500  feet  of  ground  between  the  Gould  &  Curry  works  and  the  Ophir 
mine  is  to-day  in  the  former  condition  of  this  ground,  having  been  prospected 
only  to  a  depth  of  about  350  feet,  and  found  to  contain  nothing,  or  merely  ores 
of  too  small  a  value  to  pay  for  extraction.  Much  other  ground  which  has  been 
examined,  chiefly  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  west  wall,  should  be  prospected  to 
the  east,  experience  clearly  showing  that  all  valuable  ore  bodies  originate  on  that 
side  of  the  fissure.  The  bodies  of  quartz  forming  on  the  west  wall  are  uniformly 
barren,  or  of  very  inferior  quality. 

The  development  of  the  vein  has  been  greatly  retarded  by  various  causes. 
Among  these  the  most  prominent  have  been  the  fear  of  causing  litigation  by 
prospecting  to  the  eastward  and  making  discoveries  which  were  certain  to  be 
claimed  by  some  of  the  innumerable  locations  made  in  early  times,  and  the  fact 
that  almost  all  mining  stocks  are  here  owrned  only  temporarily  for  speculative 

C poses.  In  the  first  respect  a  happier  era  is  dawning.  Repeated  litigation 
only  tended  to  show  conclusively  that  the  many  parallel  outcrops  of  quartz, 
each  of  which  was  located  by  a  different  company,  unite  in  depth  or  disappear 
entirely,  and  the  titles  to  the  principal  mines  are  now  nearly  free  from  further 
dispute.  As  far  as  the  latter  cause  is  concerned,  the  trouble  will  probably  con- 
tinue for  many  years.  To  thoroughly  understand  any  arbitrary  section  of  ground 
a  knowledge  of  the  adjoining  property  is  almost  indispensable.  This  is  frequently 
attainable  only  to  a  limited  extent.  It  too  often  happens  that  the  true  condition 
and  structure  of  a  miife  is  concealed,  lest  the  information  should  affect  the  schemes 
of  those  who  are  operating  in  its  stocks.  A  combination  of  mining  superin- 
tendents and  the  establishment  of  a  general  office,  where  maps  of  the  various 
mines  could  be  consulted  by  those  desiring  information,  would  prove  prejudicial 
to  mining-stock  speculators,  but  would  tend  greatly  to  check  the  useless  expen- 
diture of  money,  and  materially  increase  the  legitimate  profits  of  our  mining 
enterprises,  by  enabling  superintendents  to  lay  out  their  work  with  judgment  and 
greater  certainty  than  is  at  present  the  case. 

MODE  OF  MIXING  ON  THE  COMSTOCK. — SHAFTS. — Mining  on  the  Comstock 
is  earned  on  almost  exclusively  through  perpendicular  shafts,  explorations  having 
penetrated  below  the  deepest  adits,  which  are  now  used  almost  exclusively  as 
drains,  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  hoisting  the  water  to  the  surface.  The  original 
shafts  were  much  less  substantial  than  those  now  in  use,  being  merely  lined  with 
planks  about  three  inches  thick,  the  compartments  being  two  or  three  in  number 
and  about  four  and  a  half  feet  square.  The  principal  shafts  now  in  use  are  fine 
specimens  of  mining  engineering.  The  f!nrH8  shaft  of  the  Savage  Company 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  345 

has  four  compartments,  three  of  them,  for  hoisting,  being  five  feet  square,  and 
the  fourth,  which  is  occupied  by  the  hoisting  machinery,  live  feet  by  six.  The 
Bonner  shaft  of  the  Gould  &  Curry  Company  and  the  Chollar-Potosi  and 
Empire-Imperial  shafts  arc  similar  in  their  character,  while  the  Hale  &  Norcross 
shaft,  being  intended  for  the  exploration  of  much  less  ground,  has  only  three 
compartments.  The  mode  of  construction  in  all  these  shafts  is  similar,  cribs  of 
12-inch  timbers  being  inserted  every  five  feet,  supported  by  vertical  posts  of  the 
same  size.  This  cribbing  is  covered  on  the  outside  by  lagging  of  three  or  four- 
inch  planks.  Wooden  guides  are  then  inserted  down*  each  side  of  the  compart- 
ments for  the  purpose  of  retaining  the  platform  cages,  used  for  ascent  from  and 
descent  into  the  mine,  in  their  places.  For  some  years  iron  guides  were  much  in 
use,  but  have  now  been  superseded  almost  entirely  by  wood,  as  less  liable  to 
accident.  The  cost  of  sinking  these  shafts  varies,  of  course,  with  the  nature  of 
the  ground  encountered.  The  Bonner  shaft  w-as  put  down  to  the  depth  of  525  J 
feet,  at  an  average  cost  of  $100  78  per  foot,  including  such  a  proportion  of  the 
total  cost  of  pumping  and  hoisting  as  was  chargeable  to  this  account.  The  fol- 
lowing table  shows  the  amount  expended  for  each  department  of  the  work.  It 
is  made  up  for  a  depth  of  692J  feet,  and  shows  that  the  last  67  feet  of  the  shaft 
cost  considerably  more  in  proportion  than  the  upper  portions,  as  it  raised  the 
average  cost  per  foot  to  $109  36. 

Cost  of  sinking  the  Bonner  shaft. 

Paid  for  excavation $22,324  50 

Lumber 5,460  05 

Timber -....  9,670  67 

Framing  timbers 3,518  00 

Placing  timbers , 1 , 570  50 

Carmen 3, 530  00 

Lowering  pumps,  &c.,  &c 4,683  75 

Picks  and  drills 2,041  50 

Powder  and  fuze 291  00 

Candles i 1,054  30 

Other  materials 1,777  13 

Cost  of  running  machinery,  keeping  pumps  in  order,  pitmen,  &c 19,817  00 

75, 738  40 


TUNNELS  AND  DRIFTS. — From  these  shafts  drifts  are  run  to  the  vein,  gener- 
ally about  100  feet  apart  vertically  ;  but  it  seldom  happens  that  the  levels  in 
any  one  mine  correspond  with  those  in  the  mines  adjoining.  This  arises  from 
the  mines  being  worked  entirely  independent  of  each  other.  But  few  of  these 
tunnels  will  stand  without  protection.  The  main  working  drifts  are  usually 
timbered  every  five  feet,  the  timbers  varying  from  eight  to  twelve  inches  square, 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  ground  to  be  sustained.  In  many  places,  even 
12-inch  timbers  cannot  resist  the  immense  pressure  brought  upon  them  by  the 
slacking  and  expansion  of  the  material  through  which  the  drifts  arc  run,  imme- 
diately on  its  exposure  to  the  atmosphere.  It  is  not  unoommon  to  see  timbers 
completely  crashed,  notwithstanding  the  utmost  precautions,  in  six  months  after 
they  have  been  placed  in  the  mine.  Main  working  drifts,  after  timbering,  are 
'  usually  about  six  feet  high  in  the  clear,  three  and  a  half  to  four  feet  wide  at  the 
top,  and  somewhat  more  in  the  bottom.  Temporary  prospecting  drifts  are  much 
smaller  in  size,  and  generally  left  untimbered,  if  practicable,  till  they  develop 
something  of  value.  In  each  drift  is  laid  a  wrooden  track  shod  with  irpn,  on 
which  the  material  extracted  from  the  mine  is  run  out  to  the  shaft  in  dumping 
cars,  holding  from  1,000  to  1,500  pounds.  To  avoid  repeated  handling  of  the 
ore  or  waste,  the  same  cars  are  hoisted  on  the  cage  to  the  surface,  and  their  con- 
tents there  distributed  to  the  proper  places.  The  following  tables  will  give 
some  idea  of  the  cost  of  this  branch  of  mining : 


346 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


•S 


I 

ss 

§ 


•eexoq  aty 


•aznj  PUB  japM.0,1 


•8M3JOS 

pire     uoai 


Qqraj}  Sato 
para 


•notjBA 
•Boxa  jo  ;soo  IB^O  j, 


•joojaadpiBdaouj 


JO  ' 


giSSSSSSSS 


S 
( 


<0  t-  «  00  ^J  00  - 


888888888 


cococonooo—  i 


i-T  i-T  r-T  cf  <N"  r-T  co"  co"  07"  --" 


888^88838888 


o^ 


£CDOO-<fasi 
TffOl-'I'm 
rHr-KNl-H 


888S88888888 

OO^^rHO-^C^^^PO^^flC 

•^ocrs-Htococoajnooor- 
ffjcoco— 'CooiOr-iTjonaif^ 

«*  '-" 


QQO-H'-i 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  347 

STOPING  is  universally  conducted  by  opening  a  level  below  the  body  of  ore 
to  br  extracted,  and  working-  upward  on  the  vein.  On  the  Comstock,  the  open- 
ings made  in  mining  the  ore  are  so  large;  that  a  complicated  system  of  timbering 
is  requisite  to  replace  the  material  extracted.  A  rectangular  system  of  timbers 
is  usually  adopted,  the  posts  being  about  seven  feet  in  length,  12  inches  square, 
and  placed  about  live  feet  apart  from  centre  to  centre.  These  are  retained  in 
their  places  by  "  caps"  and  "sills,"  arid  further  to  secure  the  mine  each  floor,  as 
far  as  practicable,  is  filled  up  with  waste  material  as  soon  as  it  is  worked  out. 
In  early  days  too  little  attention  was  paid  to  this  last  precaution,  resulting  in 
extensive  u  caves1'  or  giving  way  of  the  ground  from  the  superincumbent  pressure. 
If  a  body  of  ore  is  entirely  extracted  the  result  is  not  serious  ;  but  should  any 
remain  untouched,  the  cost  and  difficulty  of  securing  it  after  a  "cave77  has  occur- 
red in  its  vicinity  is  usually  greatly  increased  from  the  broken  and  shattered 
condition  of  the  ground.  The  quantity  of  timber  used  in  these  stopes  is  immense, 
as  will  be  seen  by  the  details  of  the  annual  consumption  on  a  future  page.  Any 
means  which  would  diminish  its  price  would  be  a  great  gain  to  the  entire  com- 
munity. 

PHOSPECTIXG  for  new  ore  bodies  forms  a  serious  item  in  the  cost  of  mining  on 
the  Comstock.  When  the  great  and  irregular  width  of  the  vein,  the  irregular 
distribution  of  the  ore  bodies,  the  uncertainty  of  their  occurrence,  and  our  imper- 
fect knowledge  of  the  structure  of  the  vein  are  taken  into  consideration,  the  diffi- 
culty of  laying  out  prospecting  works  to  the  best  advantage  becomes  apparent. 
Immense  sums  of  money  are  spent  annually  in  this  kind  of  work,  which  must  be 
taken  entirely  from  the  pockets  of  the  shareholders  when  a  mine  is  unproductive. 
If  only  moderately  productive  the  entire  revenue  may  be  consumed  in  looking 
for  more  valuable  bodies  of  ore  ;  at  the  same  time,  the  certainty  of  being  richly 
rewarded  for  years  of  waiting  if  they  are  found,  induces  the  continuation  of  work 
on  mines  which  have  not  yielded  a  dollar  for  years.  They  are  known  on  the 
main  fissure  of  the  Comstock  to  be  surrounded  by  good  property,  and  may  become 
valuable  at  any  moment.  The  Hale  and  Norcross  mine  is  a  good  illustration. 
The  following  extract  is  taken  from  the  annual  report  of  the  president  of  the 
company,  for  1866  : 

Heretofore  the  entire  expense  of  opening  the  mine,  erecting  machinery,  &c.,  had  to  be  borne 
from  money  collected  by  assessments,  until  they  aggregated  the  sum  of  $350,000,  equal  to 
$875  per  foot.  For  the  year  just  ended  the  trustees  have  been  enabled  to  return  to  the  stock- 
holders, in  dividends,  the  sum  of  $490,000,  equal  to  $1,225  per  foot,  or,  in  one  year  to  repay 
the  assessments  collected  in  five  years,  with  the  handsome  sum  of  $350  per  foot  in  addition, 
besides  carrying  over  the  large  surplus  in  cash  of  $133,288  99,  equal  to  a  further  sum  of 
$333  22  per  foot,  making  altogether  the  handsome  profit,  in  one  year,  of  §1,558  22  per  foot, 
or  155  per  cent,  on  the  par  value  of  the  stock. 

In  this  connection  the  advantages  of  a  community  of  knowledge  and  interest 
among  the  mining  superintendents  would  be  of  immense  value,  the  experience 
of  all  becoming  available  by  each,  thus  reducing  the  cost  of  explorations  by 
showing  in  what  portion  of  the  different  mines  deposits  of  ore  are  most  likely  to 
be  found,  and  thus  directing1  attention  more  particularly  to  them.  Every  dollar 
spent  on  an  unproductive  mine  is  so  much  taken  out  of  the  aggregate  net  profits 
of  the  mining  interest,  and  every  dollar  which  can  be  saved  would  be  equal  to 
the  same  amount  distributed  in  dividends.  But  because  a  mine  on  the  Comstock 
is  unproductive  to-day,  is  no  reason  why  it  should  be  abandoned.  The  only 
point  to  be  considered  is  how  it  may  be  developed  in  the  most  economical  manner, 
and  the  plan  suggested  above  appears  to  afford  a  solution  of  the  difficulty.  The 
inefficient  character  of  the  results  obtained  by  many  companies  working  on  the 
Comstock  lode,  when  compared  with  the  money  expended,  is  well  known  toper- 
sons  familiar  with  our  mines,  and  can  only  be  remedied  by  some  such  organiza- 
tion. 


348 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


Number  of  engines  on  the  lode. 


Name  of  mine. 

Hoisting. 

Pumping. 

Hoisting  and 
pumpiug. 

Number. 

Estimated  horse- 
power. 

Number. 

Estimated  horse- 
power. 

Number. 

Estimated  horse- 
power. 

Allen 

1 

30 

1 

60 
30 

1 
1 

200 
200 

Sides                                                   

1 

50 

2 
1 
3 
1 

*1 

60 
60 
60 
60 

1 

150 

1 
1 

250 
150 

Hale  &.  Norcross  old  shaft                       .           

Potosi 

M 

40 
60     \ 
20     I 
60 

Chollar  Potogi                           

1 
1 

60 
60 

Bullion  .            

I 

1 
1 
o 

60 
r>o 
30 
30 

Alpha                .     .                      ..                

Eclipse             

i 

Plsito  A-  Bowers 

1 

2 
1 
1 

10 

20 
35 

25 

Consolidated                   .             

Yollow  Jacket  old  shaft 

i 

2 

60? 
60 

1 

100? 

Kentuck 

1 

60 

1 

40 
60 

1 
I 

40 
40 

Belcher                                                          . 

Seg  Belcher 

2 

30 

1 

40 

1 

60 

1 



Total  

22 

11 

16 



*  Donkey  engine. 

These  engines  were  almost  universally,  in  early  times,  attached  to  friction 
hoisting  gear,  but  the  increase  of  depth  attained  has  almost  banished  this 
mode  of  operation,  the  great  weight  of  the  rope  and  car  rendering  it  unsafe.  Flat 
wire  ropes  have  almost  entirely  superseded  the  hemp  ropes  originally  employed. 
For  hoisting  ore  cages  are  employed  in  all  instances,  buckets  being  used  only 
for  sinking  in  the  shafts.  These  cages  are  fitted  with  a  variety  of  appliances  to 
insure  safety  in  case  of  accident  to  the  ropes'  or  hoisting  machinery. 

PUMPS.- — The  largest  pumps  in  use  are  14  inches  in  diameter  j  the  greater 
number,  however,  range  from  10  to  12  inches.  The  amount  of  water  to  contend 
with  varies  greatly  in  different  mines,  being,  as  a  whole,  more  abundant  in  the 
north  end  of  the  lode.  The  Ophir  Mexican  pump  throws  about  300  gallons  per 
minute,  and  must  be  run  steadily  to  keep  the  mine  free  of  water.  The  Bullion 
mine,  about  one  mile  to  the  southward,  is  comparatively  dry,  and  in  most  cases 
a  few  hours'  pumping  daily  is  sufficient  to  rid  it  of  water.  Small  pumping 
machinery  would  generally  be  sufficient  was  there  not  always  a  risk  of  tapping 
bodies  of  water  dammed  up  by  the  clay  seams  in  the  vein  already  spoken  of. 
These  reservoirs  generally  yield  a  large  volume  when  first  struck,  but  rapidly 
diminish  to  a  small  stream.  The  machinery  must  be  adequate,  however,  to  the 
duty  imposed  upon  it  at  such  times,  otherwise  serious  detention  and  damage  may 
be  the  result. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  349 

AMOUNT  OF  ORE  RAISED  FROM  THE  MIXES. — The  amount  of  ore  raised  from 
the  mines  on  the  Comstock  lode  mny  be  put  down  at  the  present  time  at  about 
1,500  tons  daily,  and  the  total  amount  raised  since  the  commencement  of  opera- 
tions at  about  2,000,000  tons.  The  following  table,  compiled  by  S.  H.  Marlette, 
the  surveyor  general  of  Nevada,  from  returns  made  to  the  assessor,  for  the  year 
1866,  shows  the  number  of  tons  produced  quarterly  by  the  several  mines  which 
yielded  more  than  $20  per  ton.  Some  mines,  owning  mills  of  their  own,  work 
rock  yielding  as  low  as  $15  per  ton,  but  no  record  of  this  becomes  public,  and 
is  very  difficult  to  obtain,  chiefly  owing  to  disinclination  on  the  part  of  owners  of 
unincorporated  mines  to  make  their  operations  public.  The  table  also  shows  the 
yield  of  the  ore  per  ton. 

"YIELD  OF  ORE  PER  TON. — From  information  furnished  by  the  superintendents 
of  the  following  mines,  the  yield  per  ton  appears  to  be — 

Savage  mine — 30,250  tons  produced  in  the  last  six  months  of  1866,  yielded 
an  average  of  $42  93  per  ton. 

Hale  and  Norcross  mine — 16,836  tons  produced  in  the  same  time,  yielded  an 
average  of  $50  33  per  ton. 

Gould  and  Curry  mine — 62;425  tons  produced  in  1866,  yielded  an  average  of 
$28  64  per  ton. 

The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  tons  of  ore,  worth  more  than  $20 
per  ton,  produced  quarterly  by  mines  on  the  Comstock  lode,  names  of  the  mines, 
and  yield  of  some  of  the  ores : 


350 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


P.  . 

Sd 
.ss 
£ 


•  Ol  <W  QD  I 


CO  of    .  <N  r-l  CO"CC  O  rlT       CO 


i  O  i-l  CO  <3J 
'  O  CO  r-*  O 

'•  IO  CO  (31  •* 
1  (M  -<Ji  •<?•  C* 


r^  •—  ( 

JCTCO 


I- 


<}>  CICi 


fi—  "     of 


•  o  o  t 
CO  in  C 


•«<  QO  • 

Gilf)  • 


n          t-  m 

^  Ci  J-i  CJ  CO  r-i  Ci 


t^  Cl 

O)  —  1 


o 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  351 

COST  OF  MINING  PER  TON. — The  following  items  are  from  official  sources: 

Savage  mine — average  cost  per  ton  of  the  last  six  months  of  1866. 

Officials $0  3D 

Extracting  ore 3  00 

Prospecting , 65 

Accessory  work 1  64 

Improvements 2  04 

Incidental  expenses 1  10 


Total  cost  per  ton 


Gould  and  Curry  mine — average  cost  per  ton  for  the  12  months  ending  November 

30,  1866. 

Officials $0  21 

Prospecting  and  dead  work 2  11 

Extracting • 3  10 

Accessory 1  82 

Improvements 62 

Total  cost  per  ton 7  86 

Hale  and  Norcross  mine — average  cost  per  ton  for  the  12  months  ending  March 

20,  1867. 

Managerial * $0  31.7 

Hoisting : 2  38.7 

Mining 4  79 

Improvements 6,5. 9 

Incidentals 92.9 

Total  cost  per  ton 9  08.2 


These  results  show  a  marked  improvement  on  previous  years,  and  enable  lower 
grade  ores  to  be  worked  more  profitably  than  was  formerly  the  case.  Some  portion 
of  the  diminution  in  cost  is  due  to  the  lower  price  pf  material,  but  by  far  the 
greater  part  to  more  efficient  management  and  systematization  of  labor. 


352 


RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Tabular  list  of  mills  crushing  ore  from  mines 


Names. 

Owners. 

Location. 

When  built. 

Estimated  cost. 

Assessed  value. 

STORK  Y  COUNTY. 

Atlas 

Lower  Gold  Hill  

1861 

$35  000 

$21  000 

George  Atwood  

Flowery  (Six  Mile  Creek)  

35  OCO 

If)  550 

Bay  Stute 

Bay  State  Mill  Co 

American  Flat  . 

40  000 

24  000 

Crown  Point  Ravine  (G.H.) 

ICO  000 

15  400 

Central 

J    B    Dickenson 

Virginia  

75  000 

23  000 

Crown  Point  (1  )  J  .  .  . 

Comet  (1) 

Crown  Point  G.  &  S.  M.  Co  . 
New  York  &  Nevada  M  Co 

Crown  Point  Ravine,  (G.H.).. 
Gold  Hill  

1862 

40,  000 
40  000 

20,  (CO 

C   S  Wheeler 

L-nvd-  Gold  Hill 

1862 

40  000 

12  000 

Eclipse 

Eclipse  M   &  M  Co 

Gold  Hill            

50  000 

35  000 

Wm   Sharon,  Agent-  

Seven  Mile  Canon  

35,  000 

8,800 

Empire  No  T  (1) 

W   S   Hobart 

1860 

75  000 

12  COO 

Empire  No  2  (1) 

Empire  M   &,  M  Co  

Lower  Gold  Hill  

1860 

80,  000 

26.  SCO 

Gold  Hill 

GoM  Hill  Q  M  &  M  Co 

Gold  Hill 

1860 

30  OCO 

25  COO 

Gould  &.  Curry 

Gould  &  Curry  M  Co 

Seven  Mile  Canon 

380  000 

305  000 

Clark  <fc  Hearst 

Virginia   

1862 

40  OCO 

14,  730 

Imperial  S   M  Co 

Lower  Gold  Hill 

I860 

75  000 

40  000 

Seven  Mile  Canon.  .     . 

'  60  000 

15,  000 

Mariposa   . 

J  V   McCurdy  . 

do  

20,  000 

10,  100 

Marysville  (1) 

O'Neale   Rule  &.  Glusier 

Lower  Gold  H'  11 

50  COO 

12  COO 

Opden 

O   S  Carvill 

Virginia   .            

50,  COO 

24,  000 

Pacific    

Sharon  &  Co  

Lower  Gold  Hill  

1863 

75,  000 

45,  600 

Petaluma  (I) 

30,  000 

12,  500 

Piute  

M   Livingston  

do  

1863 

80,  000 

47,  000 

Rhode  Island 

Crown  Point  G  &  S  M  Co 

Gold  Hill 

1862 

100  COO 

48,  COO 

Rigby's  (1)  

Rigby  &  Co  -  -.  

American  Flat.  .   

25,  OCO 

10,1(0 

Rogers's  (1)  

Rogers  S.  M.  Co  

Seven  Mile  Canon  

1862 

'A  coo 

10,  400 

Sapphire    .. 

W    S  Hobart. 

Lower  Gold  Hill    .         .    . 

1861 

60,  000 

23,  000 

A    Ba^ett  &  Co 

Seven  Mile  Canon 

35  000 

15  COO 

Stevenson's  (1) 

C   C   Stevenson 

Gold  Hill 

1860 

15  COO 

5,000 

Succor  (1)  

O'Neale,  Rule  &  Co  

Lower  Gold  Hill  

50,  000 

22,  500 

Summit 

Mason*  Carville  &  Wright 

(V) 

50  000 

20,  525 

Union.  . 

Wm.  Kidd  

Gold  Hill  

1861 

25,  000 

10,  000 

Winfield 

L  A  Booth 

80  000 

19  000 

Total  33 

2,  000,  001) 

JC3,  705 

LYON  COUNTY. 

Silver  City 

1863 

.  $85  COO 

Rirdsall  &  Carpenter 

Birdsall  &  Carpenter 

1865 

(1)110,000 

Coif  &.  Co 

Cole  «fc  Co 

1864 

10  000 

Silver  City 

1861 

35  000 

Winter^  Kiistell  &  Co 

1861 

50  000 

Dayton  No  2  (1) 

do 

1864 

40  000 

Daney    . 

Daney  M  &  M  Co  . 

3  miles  from  Dayton  

1863 

70,  000 

Eagle 

1864 

Below  Silver  City 

186° 

60  OCO 

Wheeler  Hurd  &  Dunker 

1861 

100  000 

Johntown 

1861 

25,  000 

Franklin 

1861 

50  000 

1861 

40  000 

tion  Works. 

1861 

Illinois 

1864 

30  000 

1861 

250  000 

mperm  x  .     o  

1QCO 

40  000 

1865 

6  000 

Ophir  S   M  Co 

1864 

75  000 

Phoenix  No  1  (I) 

Below  Silver  City 

1861 

40  000 

Pioneer  (1) 

Sheldon  &  Hickok 

Silver  City 

•1861 

40,000 

1861 

50  000 

q.icramtnto  (l;  

J  olmtown  -  

1861 

40  OCO 

Swansea  .. 

W.  Sharon,  aerent... 

Johntown  .  .  , 

1862 

60,  000 



WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 
on  the  Comstoclc  lode  during  the  year  1866. 


353 


Motive  power. 

Horse  power. 

STAMPS. 

WHEELS. 

WATER 

WOOD. 

Number. 

Weight,  pounds. 

Drop  in  inches. 

Drops  per  minute. 

Kind. 

Diameter,  feet. 

•s 
& 

! 

Amount,  inches. 

Cords  per  day. 

Cost  per  cord. 

36 

15 
16 
23 

20 

13 
8 
16 
10 
15 
15 
16 
16 

14 

80 
8 
44 
20 
(1)12 
9 
22 
30 
10 
20 
25 
10 
8 
16 
16 
(2)  8 
20 
20 

14 
18 

600 

4* 

$13 

do           

...  do  

6 

do 

(  10-600  \ 
\  10-700  i 

9 

70 

4 

g 

14 

...do... 

do 

35 

500 

9 

70 

5 

4* 

4 
5 

14 
14 
12i 
14 

do  

do            ... 

650 

8 

78 

do  

..     do        

do  

60 

60 

45 

650 
650 
C   6-750? 
\    8-600$ 

9 
9 

74 

80 
80 

84 

5* 
8 

3 

20 

15 
14 

14 

do          

do  

do  . 

do  

20 
60 

750 
600 

9 

8 

70 

3* 
6 
51 

14 
14 

do 

do  

do  

4 

do  

5 

do  

6 

do 

80 
30 
60 
(1)150 

650 
700 
650 
650 

10 

72 

8 

3* 
54 
8 
4 

14 
14 
14  . 
14 

..     do  

do. 

10 
10 

80 
80 

do 

do  

do 

34 

do  

45 

750 

9 

80 

5 

5 

13J 

do 

do  

500 

6 

76 

2* 
6 

14 

do  . 

...  do  

625 
C  10-650  ? 
\    4-5005 

70 

6 

21 
5 

14  • 

14 

do 

40 

10 

60 

do  

1804 

Steam  ............. 

60 

720 
613 
480 
900 
600 
800 
550 
400 
1,100 
650 
650 
600 
700 

850 
400 
(  16-600  \ 
\  40-550  5 
720 
450 
650 
650 
700 
750 
650 
900 

10 
9 
9 

75 
85 
65 

8 
I 
2 
5 

*«' 

1C 

20 
30 
5 
(1)12 
20 
15 
15 
5 
12 
20 
10 
10 
15 

10 
20 

56 

10 
5 
24 
16 
15 
12 
10 
12 

Water 

50 

Steam  

20 
35 

....do  
Water  

10 
10 

75 
75 

2  —  central  discharge 

54 

12 

1,500 

1 
5 
6 

8* 
84 

60 
45 

....do  

37 

.... 

100 

6 
3 

24 

"ii 

Steam 

60 

10 

50 

Water  

Turbine  

2,500 

Steam 

40 

Water  

Central  discharge 

2,500 

2 
6 

34 

"12, 

Strain 

30 

40 
30 

50 
25 

9 

75 

....do  
....do  

Su-am  and  water.  . 

....do.. 
Water 

5 
6* 
4 
4 
14 
6 

10 
10  - 

"io 

84 

80 

2—  Overshot  
Central  discharge  .  . 

Cl—  14    \ 
U-13H 
24-5 
32 
10 

141 

"32' 
14 

3,600 

1,800 
1,200 

....do  

Steam  .  . 

40 
45 
45 
40 
30 
40 

....do  
....do  

Steam  and  water  . 
Steam  

6 

5 

Central  discharge.. 

10 

.... 

1,100 

3 
fi 



23 


354 


RESOURCES  OF  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES 

Tabular  list  of  mills  crushing  ore  from  mines  on  the. 


Names, 

Owners. 

•   Location. 

When  built. 

Estimated  cost. 

Assessed  value. 

LYON  COUNTY.-Con. 

Silver  City 

1861 

$75  000 

Weston's  (1) 

Wm  Weston 

1862 

35  000 

Weston's  (1) 

Wm  Weston         

do  

1862 

8  000 

Total               27 

1  424  000 



25  mills 

ORMSBY  COUNTY. 

Williams  &,  Sharon  

1  mile  below  Empire  ......... 

1863 

$50  000 

W.  Sharon  agent  

3  miles  west  of  Carson  

1862 

25  000 

Rice  &.  Yerrington 

14  mile  below  Empire  

1862 

100  000 

Mexican  (1) 

Alsop  &  Co 

1862 

300  000 

Santiago  M  Co 

4  miles    below   Empire     on 

1862 

100  000 

Sierra        .......... 

Carson  river. 
3  miles  west  of  Carson  

25,  000 

1860 

75  000 

Yellow  Jacket 

Yellow  Jacket  M  Co 

1864 

150*  000 

Total           •-  8 

825,  000 

Washoe 

1862 

$75  000 

do  . 

1863 

60  000 

Manhattan  (1) 

New  York  &  Nevada  Co 

do  

1863 

100,  000 

do 

75  000 

Jamog  Hill  &  Co 

Galena  

34  000 

New  York  &  Wa«hoe 

Washoe 

1863 

100  000 

Ophir  Reduction 

Ophir  M   Co 

Pranktown  ................. 

1862 

150,  000 

Works  (1.) 

Washoe   

1865 

60,  000 

*  Washoe  Villpy  Re- 

J H  Dall 

1863 

140  000 

duction  Works.  , 

Total                9 

794  000 

WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 
Comstock  lode  during  the  year  I860 — Continued. 


355 


Motive  power. 

Horse  power. 

STAMPS. 

WHEELS. 

WATER. 

WOOD. 

B 

1 

& 
o 

Pi 

I 

Drop  in  inches. 

Drops  per  minute. 

Kind. 

Diameter,  feet. 

TJ 

h 

Amount,  inches. 

1 

1. 
1 
6 

Cost  per  cord. 

30 

40 

20 
15 
10 

600 
550 
250 

6 

do 

9 
9 

80 
70 

4t 

11 
11 

Water                 

Overshot  

40 

42 

80 

424 

29 

Wafer 

395 

1,000 

10 

80 

Central  discharge 

21 

1 
1 
2 
4 
1 

1 
i 

7i 
6 
7i 

H 
» 

'6  ' 
9 
31 

8 
10 

do     

de  

20 

44 

Water 

24 

3—  Central  discharge 

do 

g 

16 
40 

650 

10 

80 

Central  discharge.. 

7 

14 

Water 

170 

Steam 

fi 

20 

do 

10 
24 

IK 

6 

6 

6 

on 





4 

Steam 

24 

72 

g 

do 



°n 

15 



6 

....do  

300 

60 

.. 

Breast 

60 

0(1 

R<> 

261 



i 

"T" 

356 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

Tabular  list  of  mills  crushing  ore  from  mines  on  the 


Names. 

Owners. 

Location. 

When  built. 

Tons  capacity. 

Miles  from  mine. 

Men  employed. 

STOREY  COUNTY. 

Atlas 

Lower  Gold  Hill  

1861 

25 
20 
35 
25 
12 
8 
20 
16 
25 
15 
30 
33 
17 
100 
13 
30 
30 
15 
18 
20 
50 
12 
40 
50 
12 

H 
4 
o 

| 

0 
0 
H 
0 
3 
I* 
ft 

o 
i 

Sft 

2 
U 
li 
U 
1 
li 

21 

11 

Flowery  (Six  Mile  Creek)  

L  S  Bowers 

Crown  Point  Ravine  (G.  H)  .  . 

12 

Central  

Crown  Poiut  (!)  
Comet  (P 

J.  B.  Dickenson  

Crown  Point  G.  &  S.  M.  Co  . 
New  York  &  Nevada  M.  Co. 
C.  S.  Wheeler  
Eclipse  M   &  M  Co 

Virginia 

Crown  Point  Ravine,  (G.  H)  .  . 
Gold  Hill  

1862 

6 
13 
13 
15 

""ief 

15 

14 

"~12 

30 

""is 

9 
14 
15 

-Douglas  (1) 

Lower  Gold  Hill  

Gold  Hill 

1862 

Seven  Mile  Canon  

Empire  No.  1  (I)  ... 
Empire  No.  2  (1)  ... 
Gold  Hill 

W   S   Hobart 

1860 
1860 
1860 

Empire  Al  &  M  Co 

Lower  Gold  Hill            

Gold  Hill  Q  M   &  "M  Co 

Gold  Hill  

Gould  &  Curry  
Hooeier  State  

Gould  &  Curry  M.  Co  
OJark  &  Hearst  
Imperial  S.  M.  Co  

Seven  Mile  Canon 

Virginia  

Lower  Gold  Hill 

1862 
1860 

Imperial  

Seven  Mile  Canon      

J  V  McCurdy 

...do  

•  Marysville  (1) 

O'Neale,  Rule  &  Glasier  .  .  .  . 
O.  S.  Carvill  
Sharon  &  Co  

Lower  Gold  Hill    

Ogden  

Pacific 

Lower  Gold  Hill  

1863 

do  

do  

1863 

1862 

Crown  Point  G.  &  S.  M.  Co  . 

GoldHill       

'Riffhv's  (\\ 

Rogers'  (1). 

Rogers  S.  M.  Co  
W   S   Hobart 

Seven  Mile  Canon  
Lower  Gold  Hill  

1862 
•1861 

12 
28 
25 
5 
26 
35 
14 
30 

3i 

1 

3 
i 

21 
1 

3 

...„. 

""5 

""26" 

8 

A  Bassett  &  Co 

Seven  Mile  Canon 

Stevenson's  (1)  

C  C   Stevenson 

Gold  Hill  

1860 

O'Neale  Rule  &  Co 

Lower  Gold  Hill 

-  Summit.  

Mason,  Carville  &  Wright.. 
Wm   Kidd 

Virginia  
GoldHill  

(1) 

1861 

Winfield 

L   A  Booth 

Seven  Mile  Canon        ....... 

Total              33 

846 

48}       263 
19j  mills. 

LYON  COUNTY. 

1863 
1865 
1864 
1861 
1861 
1864 
1863 
1864 
1862 
1861 
1861 
1861 
1861 

1861 
1864 
1861 
1862 
1865 
1864 
1861 
1861 
1861 
1861 
1862 

30 
75 
5 

14 
20 
30 
20 
1 
20 
22 
18 
16 
25 

18 
18 
90 
19 

n 

40 
20 
2.1 
18 
14 
20 

3 

7* 
5 
01 

7 

7 
Ci 
3 
31 

6i 
5 
8 
3 

7 
7 

7 
7 
74 
3ft 
2^ 
5 
G* 
41 

18 
21 
5 

0 

10 
15 
10 
o 

11 
11 

11 
13 

13 

10 
48 
10 
3 
13 
10 
12 
12 
11 
14 

Birdsall&  Carpenter 
Cole  &Co 

Cole  &.  Co 

Silver  City 

Dayton  No.  1  

Winters,  Kiistell  &  Co  
do  do  

Daney  M  &  M  Co 

Davton  
...."..do  

3  miles  from  Dayton    

Dayton  No.  2  (1)... 

Eagle 

Silver  City  

Eastern  Slope  
Eureka  

Stevenson,  Winters  &  Co  .  . 
Wheeler,  Kurd  &  Dunker.  . 

Below  Silver  City 

Carson  River,  near  Dayton  . 

Franklin  

AVm.  Sharon,  agent  

Carson  River,  near  Dayton  . 
Silver  City 

Gold  Canon  Reduc- 
tion Works. 
Golden  Eagle  
Illinois 

O  Neale  Rule  &  Co 

Carson  River,  near  Dayton  . 
do                  do 

Imperial  (Rock  Pt.). 
Island  . 

...  do  do..  

O'Neale,  Rule  &  Co  

do  do  

Gold  Canon,  near  Dayton  .  .  . 

Ophir(New)  
Phoenix  No.  1  (1)  .  . 
Pioneer  (1)  .  . 

Ophir  S   M  Co 

Hentsch  <fc  Berton  
Sheldon  &  Hickok  
Hunt,  Woodruff  &  Co  
Charles  Schad 

Below  Silver  City  
Silver  City  

Sacramento  (1)  
San  Ffancisco  
Swansea... 

Carson  River,  near  Dayton.  . 
Johntown  .  .  , 

W.  Sharon,  acent... 

WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 
Comstock  lode  during  the  year  1866 — Continued. 


357 


Cost  per  ton  hauled. 

Cost  of  water  per  month. 

1 

PANS. 

Settlers. 

Agitators. 

Breakers. 

Grinders. 

Crushing  capacity  per 
month,  ton* 

i 

M 

Wheeler. 

Hepburn. 

>> 

I 

$1  75 

$250 

8 

4 

750 
000 
1,400 
750 
670 
250 
600 
415 
700 
700 
*900 
1,000 
475 
3,500 
400 
],100 
1,000 
600 
500 
1,000 
1,305 
300 
1,200 
1,350 
400 
360 
850 

roe 

150 
600 
900 
400 
1.000 

26,"8^0 

26 

2 
14 

2 

7 

250 
(1)   100 
(1)   100 
75 
350 
75 
300 

75 

(2)   30 

1 

(2)    4 

(2)   4 

6 

8 

1 

87i 

1 

8 
2 

4 

2 

(1)   20 

2 

1  75 
75 

87i 

300 
300 
225 

12 

6 

4 

(1)   5 

24 

39 

3 

fit 

1  00 
75 

200 
300 

(1)   24 
74 

3 
2 



10 

5 

(2)   3 

(B)   1 

2 

150 
75 



o 

6 

2 

12 

4 
(1)   5 
4 
(1)   6 
4 
4 

1  75 

1  00 
1  00 

70 

400 
150 
300 
400 
150 

15 

2 

18 

1 

12 

8 

1 

(2)   13 

2 

1 

5 

1  25 

250 

56 

2 
3 

1 

(1)    1 

2 

(1)4 
(3)  1 

2 

1  00 

30 
150 

10 

2 

1 

4 

1 
1 
1 

1  00 
1  00 

300 
200 

11 

(2)   1 

14 

8 

4 

(B)    1 

1 

5,380 
25  mills. 

27 

305 

91 

93 

9 

101 

17 

4 

8 

200 
3  00 
3  00 
1  75 
3  50 
3  50 
3  25 
2  00 
1  50 
3  25 
3  00 
4  25 
1  50 

3  50 
350 
3  00 
3  00 
3  00 
4  2.") 
2  00 
1  75 
3  00 
3  00 
2  75 

17 

(2)  10 
2 
5 
(2)   2 

2 
5 

20 

(B)    1 

1 

1,900 
125 
650 
500 
SCO 
500 
40 
550 
1,100 
530 
509 

teoo 

500 
500 

J2,  400 
500 

1,200 
500 
5.30 
550 
500 
600 

4 

8 

3 

(3)   2 
3 

Q 

8 

$15 

2 

6 

(1)   3 
5 

1 
2 

] 
2 

10 

(1)    1 

18 

5 

2 

2 
6 

(1)    7 
24 

1 
2 

a,  , 

6 
14 

3 

3 

(1)  27 

(B)  (2)  1 



8 

2 

12 

6 
4 

1 

1 

7 
(1)  22 

3 

3 

^Soon  will  be  1,200  per  month. 


t750  tons  per  month ;  October  15,  1866. 
J  Now  2,800  tons. 


358 


EESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Tabular  list  of  mills  from  mines  crushing  ore  on  the 


Names 

Owners. 

Location. 

When  built. 

Tons  capacity. 

g 

1 

1 

•o 

9 
§ 

! 

g 

LYON  COUNTY.-Con. 
Trench 

Joseph  Trench  .......  ...... 

Silver  City  

1861 

30 

2J 

15 

Weston's  (1) 

Wm  Weston 

1862 

25 

4 

15 

Western's  (1) 

Wm  Weston              .     . 

do  

1862 

7 

4 

4 

Total            .27 

64  U 

315 

4 

6374 

Brunswick  .     ... 

Williams  &  Sharon       . 

1  mile  below  Empire  ......... 

1863 

20 

9* 

10 

1862 

11 

18 

1862 

30 

9 

Mexican  (1.)  ........ 

Alsop  &  Co  

Empire  

1862 

45 

9 

Santiago  M   Co 

1862 

45 

g 

Sierra 

Carson  river. 

9 

18 

Vivian 

P  Frothingham            . 

3£  miles  below  Empire  ....... 

1860 

30 

9 

9 

Yellow  Jacket 

Yellow  Jacket  M  Co 

1864 

90 

81 

Total  8 

280 

VVASHOE  COUNTY. 
Atchison 

Savage  Co                  ... 

Washoe     

1862 

30 

14 

do 

1863 

20 

14 

Manhattan  (1) 

New  York  &  Nevada  Co 

do 

1863 

45 

13 

Minnesota  

Savage  M.  Co  
James  Hill  &  Co 

do  

30 
15 

14 
14 

New  York  &  Washoe 

New  York  &  Washoe  Co 

Washoe       

1863 

45 

14 

Ophir  M  Co 

1862 

33 

16 

43 

Works  (!.} 
Temelec 

Washoe 

1865 

30 

14 

*  Washoe  Valley  Re  - 

J  H    Ball 

Franktown        ...  .......  . 

1863 

60 

Auction  Works. 

Total               9 

308 

WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 
Comstock  lode  during  the  year  1866. — Continued. 


359 


1 

Cost  per  ton  hauled. 

jj 

I 

h 

1 

o 

1 

a 

4 
JB 

PANS. 

Settlers. 

•a 

<j 

i 

Grinders. 

| 
A 

£"«    ' 

|I 

11  • 

a  3 

1    1 
5 

j 

Wheeler. 

Hepburn. 

£ 
> 

$1  75 
2  00 
2  00 

800 

700 

g 

5 

i 

76 

51 

70 
9 

49 

24 

69 
5 

27 
1 

3 

1 

61 

64 

26 

400 

8 

4 

1 

'      600 

4 

15 

1 

(I)     6 

10 

1,350 
*l,2fiO 
'     1,  100 

12 
4 

14 

9 

(B)        1 

i  3  75 

g 

4 
15 

1 

2 

(1)         1 

75C 
2,300 

30 

2 

4 

37 

16 

8 

46 

9 

38 
8 

13 

2 

3 

—  — 

1 
1 

.,200 
700 
'      1,300 
J.OOO 

4 

8 
6 

1 

12 

] 

1 

16 

8 

1 

1,300 
1450 

eoo 

'1,  725 

12 

(1)     3 

6 

(2)         2 



48 

22 

33 

5 

5 

2 



By  wet  process  1,000,  and  dry  260  tons.  tFull  capacity  750  tons. 

JWet,  1,050;  dry,  675  tons. 


360  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

NOTES  ON  MILLS. 

STOREY  COUNTY. 

Bowers  (T) — Paid  this  for  5  months  only  ;  has  been  idle  four  months  ;  new  running,  with 
own  water  ;  (2)  5-foot  pans. 

Central  (1) — To  Virginia  and  Gold  Hill  Water  Companies;  also,  pays  $ to  Ophir 

Company. 

(2) — Hepburn  and  Peterson's,  working  500  tons  .per  month  wet ;  four  furnaces  and  six 
barrels,  working  170  tons  dry. 

Crown  Point  ( 1 ) — Just  dismantled ;  engine  used  to  drain  mine. 

Comet  (I) — Been  idle  for  seven  months  ;  just  started  again. 

Douglas  (1)— 10-inch  cylinder,  30-inch  stroke,  26  plain  pans. 

Empire  No.  1  (1) — Increasing  stamps  to  21 ;  capacity  to  be  40  tons  per  day;  to  employ 
16  men,  27  Wakelee  pans. 

Empire  No.  2  (1) — Concentrators  and  two  stamps  for  breaking. 

Empire  State  (I)— 4-foot  pans. 

Gold  Hill  ( I )— 6-foot  tubs. 

Hoosier  State  (1) — With  steam  chambers. 

Land's  (B) — Throughout  the  table  designates  Blake's  breakers. 

Mariposa  (1) — Also  one  prospecting  stamp;  (2)  large. 

Marysville  (1)— -30  5-foot  plain  pans. 

Pacific  (1) — Large. 

Pctaluma  (1)— Stamps  being  increased  to  16  ;  capacity  to  26  tons  per  day;  men  to  11 ; 
wood  to  five  cords ;  adding  eight  improved  Wheeler  pans,  four  settlers  and  one  agitator. 

Piute  (1)— 8-foot  settlers. 

Rhode  Island  (1)—  18-inch  cylinder;  (2)  7-foot  pans. 

Rigby's  (1) — One  extra  pan  and  settler  for  tailings  and  one  barrel. 

Roger  s^s  ( 1 ) — Not  running  for  four  months. 

Saphire(\)— Wheeler. 

Simcooc  (1) — Improved. 

Stevenson  (1)— 8|-inch  cylinder ;  (2)  Rowland's  rotary  battery;  can  crush  seven  tons  and 
amalgamate  five  tons  per  day ;  (3)  small. 

Succor  (1) — 24  Wakelee  flat-bottomed  pans. 

Summit  (1) — Burnt  and  rebuilt  in  1863;  (2)  small  pan  and  settler. 

LYON  COUNTY. 

Birdsa.ll  (I}— Mill,  $110,000;  ditch,  $40,000;  total,  $150,000. 
Carpenter  (2) — Large-sized  Wheeler. 

Dayton  No.  1  (1)— Four  of  these  for  prospecting;  (2)  8-foot  settlers  ;  (3)  Knox. 
Dayton  No.  2  (1) — Two  roasting  furnaces. 
Eastern  Slope  (1) — Large. 
Eureka  (1) — Break  80  tons  per  day. 
G.  C.  Reduction  Works  (1)— 5-foot  pans. 

Imperial  Rock  PL  (1)— 7-foot  tubs  and  settlers ;  (2)  breaker,  large  size. 
Phanix  No.  1  (1)— Eight  tubs  and  Wheeler  pans. 
Pioneer  (1) — 15  tubs  and  Wheeler  pans. 
Sacramento  (1) — 12  7-foot  iron  pans. 

Swansea  (1) — 6-foot  tubs  and  one  prospecting  battery  and  pan, 
Trench  (1) — 16  flat  7-foot  pans,  one  excelsior  and  two  Wheeler  and  Randall  pans.  " 
Weston's  (Steam) — (1) — Worked  but  about  1,000  tons  of  Comstock  ore  this  year ;  hauling 
about  $3  per  ton. 

Weston's  (Water)—  (1)— Six  flat-bottomed  pans ;  has  run  but  little  this  year  for  want  of  water 

ORMSBY  COUNTY. 

Merrimac  (1)— ~Also,  one  prospecting  battery  and  pan ;  (2)  large. 
Mexican  (1) — Four  furnaces  and  10  barrels. 
"rivian  (1) — Hanscom's. 

WASHOE  COUNTY. 

Manhattan  (1) — 16  pans. 

Ophir  (1) — Working  but  36  stamps — Freiberg  process — nine  furnaces. 

Reduction  Works — 24  amalgamating  barrels. 

Temelec  (1)— Large. 

*  Washoe  Valley  (1)— Wheeler  12-feet  breast;  full  capacity  about  300  horse-power. 

Reduction  Works — 40  stamps  used  for  Freiberg  process,  and  20  for  wet ;  eight  furnaces  and 
2  0  barrels  for  dry  process  ;  four  Wheeler  and  Randall's  pans  for  wet ;  four  more  Varney  pans 
to  be  introduced  ;  (2)  Blake's  improved  saw. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.'  361 

PitOGESS  OF  REDUCTION. — The  ores  from  the  Comstock  lode  are  probably  the 
most  docile  silver  ores  found  in  Nevada,  and  the  process  used  for  their  reduction 
is  of  the  simplest  kind.  After  crashing  by  the  stamps,  the  large  boulders  bein"- 
first  reduced  to  a  moderate  size  by  hand  labor  or  by  Blake's  patent  crushers,  the 
material  as  it  passes  from  the  battery  is  collected  and  settled  in  tanks  to  avoid 
as  much  as  possible  the  risk  of  fine  particles  passing  off  with  the  superfluous 
water.  In  spite  of  all  precautions  much  loss  is  sustained  from  this  source,  expe- 
rience showing  that  the  most  impalpable  of  the  slum  is  the  richest  in  proportion. 
Out  of  40,432  tons  of  ore  worked  at  the  Gould  &  Curry  mill  4,431  tons  were 
lost  in  this  manner. 

From  the  tanks  the  crushed  ore  is  passed  to  the  iron  grinding  pans,  a  descrip- 
tion of  which  will  be  found  in  preliminary  report,  pages  76  and  77.  The  charges 
vary  from  500  to  1,500  pounds,  according  to  the  character  and  capacity  of  the  pans 
used.  In  these  pans  the  ore  is  ground  from  four  to  six  hours,  being  in  that  time 
reduced  to  an  almost  impalpable  powder.  The  mode  of  treatment  varies  con- 
siderably, some  mill  men  using  a  variety  of  chemicals,  such  as  sulphate  of  iron, 
muriatic  and  sulphuric  acids,  &c.,  while  others  dispense  with  them  almost  entirely. 
Their  object  is  to  assist  the  reduction  of  the  silver  in  combination,  but  much 
uncertainty  exists  as  to  their  beneficial  operation.  Each  charge  is  invariably 
mixed  with  a  considerable  amount  of  salt,  varying  with  the  richness  of  the  ore. 
Towards  the  end  of  the  process  the  quicksilver  is  usually  added,  the  mullers  of 
the  pans  being  at  the  same  time  slightly  raised  to  prevent  the  grinding  or  "flour- 
ing n  of  the  mercury.  After  a  sufficient  time  has  elapsed  to  allow  a  thorough 
amalgamation,  the  pulp  is  thinned  by  the  addition  of  water,  and  revolved  in  such 
a  way  as  to  allow  the  amalgam  to  settle  to  the  bottom.  For  economy  of  time,  this 
is  usually  accomplished  in  large  vats  called  "  settlers,"  especially  adapted  for  that 
purpose.  The  refuse  matter  is  then  drawn  off  and  treated  1  >y  various  methods  of  con- 
centration, to  be  spoken  of  afterwards.  This  process  is  used  only  for  second  and 
third  class  ore,  it  being  found  better  to  employ  the  Freiburg  process  for  first-class 
ores.  The  Central  mill  in  Virginia,  and  the  Washoe  reduction  works  and  Ophir 
mill  in  Washoe  valley  are  the  only  ones  adapted  to  this  method,  the  amount 
of  ore  requiring  this  treatment  being  but  a  small  percentage  of  the  entire  product 
of  the  lode. 

Some  mill  men  amalgamate  in  the  battery  while  the  ore  is  being  crushed,  but 
the  practice  is  not  by  any  means  universal.  In  fact,  the  treatment  of  ores  is  in 
a  great  measure  empirical,  but  little  attention  being  given  in  Nevada  to  analyti- 
cal chemistry,  and  the  adaptation  of  the  working  processes  to  the  results  devel- 
oped. In  this  connection  the  following  assays  or  rather  analyses  of  Comstock 
ores  may  be  found  of  interest :  i 

Ophir  mine — a  first-class  ore  and  metal  produced  therefrom  by  the  Freiburg  process,  by 

George  Attwood.  .  .•• 

Gangue 63.380  .00 

Silver 2.786  41.51 

Gold 059  1.58 

Lead 4.151  39.01 

Antimony 087  .00 

Zinc 14.455  .56 

Sulphur 7.919  .00 

Copper 1.596  17.04 

Iron 5.463  .17 

99.896    99.87 


362 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


"r  Ore  from  California  mine,  Virginia.    No.  1  made  in  London ;  No.  2  at  Swansea. 

•  -                                                                            No.  1.  No.  2. 

Silica .%. 67.5  65.783 

Sulphur 8.75  11.35 

Copper 1.30  1.31 

Iron 2.25  2.28 

Silver 1.75  1.76 

Gold 059  .57 

Zinc 12.85  11.307 

Lead 5.75  6.145 

Loss 25 

100.00     100.00 
Yellow  Jacket  ores,  second-class ;  by  W.  F.  Rickard,  F.  C.  S. 

v                      .         .                                               White.  Brown.  Mixed. 

Gold 005=^3003  .001=  i$7  52  .002=$  10  04 

Silver 150=6283  .050=2199  .157=6598 

Iron 575  2.800  1.230 

Lead Traces.  Traces.  Traces. 

Copper Traces.  Traces.  Traces. 

Sulphur .' 693  .160  .457 

Lime Traces.  .000  Traces. 

Silica 98.310  96.560  97.850 

Loss 267  .429  .304 


100. 000  $92  86    100. 000  $29  51     100. 000    $76  02 


The  difference  in  the  composition  of  these  ores  is  worthy  of  notice.  The 
Ophir  and  California  mines  are  situated  in  the  northern  part  of  the  explored 
portion  of  the  lode,  where  a  much  larger  percentage  of  base  metal  is  encoun- 
tered than  elsewhere.  These  ores  are  evidently  unsuited  to  the  simple  process 
just  described.  The  analysis  of  Yellow  Jacket  ores  presents  a  fair  sample  of  the 
general  composition  of  second  and  third-class  rock  from  the  Comstock  mines.  It 
will  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  the  amount  of  base  metal  present  is  extremely  small, 
the  ore  consisting  almost  entirely  of  sulphuret  of  silver  and  iron  and  native 
metals. 

•  COST  or  REDUCTION. — The  following  details  taken  from  the  published  reports 
of  mining  companies  show  a  material  diminution  from  the  cost  in  former  years, 
due  in  great  measure  to  improvements  in  machinery,  systematization  of  labor, 
and  increased  knowledge  of  the  method  of  reduction  : 


mine,  average  for  12  months  ending  July  1,  1867 .  $14  04 

Savage  mine,  for  the  previous  year . 16  74 

Hale  &  Norcross  mine,  average  for  12  months  ending  March,  J  867 1 4  26 

Gould  &  Curry  mine,  average  for  12  months  ending  November,  1866 13  30 

•  The  following  table,  from  the  report  of  the  Gould  &  Curry  Company,  will 
show  the  relative  proportion  of  the  various  items.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the 
total  cost  per  ton  is  less  than  the  average  given  above.  This  arises  from  the  fact 
that  the  company  had  ores  worked  at  custom  mills,  the  cost  of  which  was  greater 
than  at  their  own  mill  as  given  below : 


WEST   OP   THE    EOCKY   MOUNTAINS.  363 

Cost  per  ton  in  detail  of  ore  reduced  at  the  Gould  8?  Curry  mill. 


!" 

1 

Castings. 

1 

1 

3 

Quicksilver. 

Sundries. 

£ 

$0  71.  33 
4  61.21 
0  44.  65 
0  97.  '22 
3  08.  96 
1  53.41 
0  90 

Foreman,  watchmen  and  laborers.... 

$0  71  33 

0  58.88 
0  41  32 

$3  97.  84 

$0  12.  49 
0  03.  33 
0  10.  39 
0  10.  96 
0  69.  41 
0  90 

Breaking  ore  

Batteries 

0  65.  98 
0  76.  81 
0  84.  10 

"6"64.~65 

$020.85 
059.3€ 

$6"43.'50 

|6"27."66 

$6"86.*59 

Amalgamating...  ....... 

Hauling  .  .                     .... 

Totals 

3  90.  42 

4  02.49 

0  80.  21 

0  43.  50 

0  27.  06 

0  86.  59 

1  96.48jl226.78 

Great  as  has  been  the  decrease  in  the  price  of  reducing  ores  since  the  com- 
mencement of  operations  in  Virginia,  the  construction  of  a  railroad  into  Virginia 
from  any  point  on  the  Truckee  river  (where  fuel  is  abundant)  would  result  in  a 
still  further  reduction.  In  this  connection  attention  is  called  to  the  follow- 
ing figures  from  the  last  report  of  the  State  surveyor  general : 

STOREY  COUNTY. 

The  table  contains  a  list  of  33  mills,  all  steam,  estimated  to  have  cost  $2,000,000,  with  an 
assessed  value  for  32  of  $953,705,  say,  for  the  33,  $970,000,  containing  607  stamps,  with  a 
crushing  capacity  of  846  tons  per  day,  nearly  1.4  tons  per  stamp,  consuming  180^  cords  of 
wood  per  day,  average  cost  about  $14  per  cord  ;  total,  $2,527,  or  nearly  $3  per  ton,  and  about 
$4  15  per  stamp. 

Twenty- four  mills  pay  the  Virginia  &  Gold  Hill  Water  Company  $5,280  per  month  for 
water;  add  water  tax,  $130  per  month;  total,  $5,410,  cost  of  water  per  month  for  24  mills, 
which  contain  399  stamps,  with  a  crushing  capacity  of  562  tons,  or  14,612  tons  per  month 
of  26  days.  Cost  per  ton  of  ore  worked  for  water,  37  cents,  or  52  cents  per  stamp. 

Aggregate  distance  of  33  mills  from  the  mines  about  48£  miles ;  average  distance  about 
H  mile,  (for  custom  mills  the  distance  is  estimated,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  from  the 
divide  between  Virginia  and  Gold  Hill;)  and  the  average  cost  of  hauling  is  about  $1£  per 
ton,  ranging  from  70  cents  to  $2. 

846  tons  per  day  for  26  days  would  equal — 

21,996  tons,  at  $3  for  wood $65,9&8  00 

*21,966tons,  at  37  cents  for  water 8,127  42 

21,966  tons,  at$l£for  hauling 27,457  50 

Total  per  month  for  wood,  water  and  hauling 101,572  92 

or  $4  62  per  ton. 

LYON  COUNTY. 

Total  mills,  27.  Steam,  16 ;  water,  8 ;  steam  and  water,  3.  Estimated  cost  of  15  steam, 
7  water,  3  steam  and  water  mills— $1,464,000. 

The  27  mills  contain  424  stamps,  from  which  deduct  4  used  for  prospecting,  and  we  have 
420  stamps,  with  a  crushing  capacity  of  641^  tons  per  day;  from  which  deduct  1  mill  with 
10  stamps,  capacity  7  tons,  which  has  run  but  little  during  the  year;  also  1  mill  with  15 
stamps,  capacity  25  tons,  which  has  crushed  but  about  1,000  tons  during  the  year  of  Comstock 
ore ;  and  we  have  25  mills  with  395  stamps,  with  a  capacity  of  619|  tons  per  day,  or  1.57 
tons  per  stamp ;  using  1 00  cords  of  wood  per  day,  costing  about  $10  per  cord.  Total,  $1 ,000 : 
equal  to  $1  61  per  ton,  or  $>2  53  per  stamp. 

The  aggregate  distance  of  25  mills  from  the  mines  is  about  135  miles:  average  distance 
5.4  miles,  and  average  cost  for  hauling  about  $2  75,  ranging  from  $1  50  to  $4  25. 

25  mills  employ  315  men,  or  one  man  for  1.97  tons. 

619|  tons  per  day  for  26  days  equal  16,107  tons ;  add  for  Weston'st  steam  mill  93  tons  per 
monthly  average;  total  per  month,  16,200  tons. 

16,200  tons,  at  $2  75  per  ton  for  hauling $44,550  00 

16,200  tons,  at$l  61  per  ton  for  wood 26,082  00 

Total  per  month  for  wood  and  hauling 70,632  00 

or  $4  36  per  ton. 


364  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

ORMSBY  COUNTY 

Six  water,  and  two  steam  and  water  mills.  Estimated  cost,  $825,000?  with  170  stamps, 
crushing-  capacity,  280  tons  per  day,  or  1.65  tons  per  stamp;  aggregate  distance  from  mines, 

80  miles;  average  distance,  10  miles  ;  average  cqst  for  hauling,  say  $4  per  ton;   I  If  cord 
of  wood  at,  say,  $8  per  cord,  $94,  or  33£  cents  per  ton,  or  55  cents  per  stamp. 

280  tons  per  day  for  26  days  equal — 

6,780  tons,  at  $4  for  hauling $27,120 

(5,780  tons,  at  33^- cents  for  wood 2,260 

Total  per  month  for  wood  and  hauling 29,380 

or  $4  33  per  ton. 

WASHOE  COUNTY. 

Five  steam,  and  four  steam  and  water  mills ;  estimated  cost,  $794,000 ;  containing  261 
stamps ;  crushing  capacity,  308  tons  per  day,  or  1.18  tons  per  stamp,  consuming  about  82 
cords  of  wood  at,  say,  $5  per  cord ;  total,  $410,  or  $1^  per  ton,  or  $1  57  per  stamp. 

Average  distance  of  mills  from  mines,  say  14  miles,  and  average  cost  of  hauling  $4  50 
per  ton. 

308  tons  per  day  for  26  days  equal — 

8,008  tons,  at  $4  50  per  ton  for  hauling $36,036  00 

8,008  tons,  at  $li  per  ton  for  wood 10,677  33 

Total  per  month  for  wood  and  hauling 46, 713  33 

or  $5  83  per  ton. 

From  these  tables  it  appears  when  wood  is  worth  in  Virginia  $14  per  "cord,  the 
cost  of  this  item  per  ton  of  ore  reduced  is  about  $3.  Any  railroad  could  put 
wood  down  at  the  same  mills  for  $9  per  cord,  with  great  advantage  to  the  com- 
pany. This  would  be  a  saving  of  $5  per  cord,  or  about  $1  07  per  ton.  Making 
this  alteration  in  the  details  of  Storey  county  mills,  the  cost  of  reduction  per  ton 
for  the  items  of  wood,  water  and  hauling,  the  total  would  be  $3  55  per  ton,  or 

81  cents  less  than  the  most  favorable  average  results  at  mills  working  Comstock 
ores,  or  $2  02  less  than  the  most  unfavorable.     Competent  judges  estimate  that 
by  taking  these  ores  to  the  Truckce  river  the  total  cost  of  reduction  per  ton 
would  not  exceed  about  $9  or  $10. 

PERCENTAGE  OF  YIELD  AND  Loss. — Experience  has  shown  that  for  the  ordi- 
nary ores  of  the  Comstock,  65  per  cent,  of  the  assay  value  of  the  ore  is  about  the 
proportion  which  can  be  extracted  by  the  process  in  use,  and  custom  mills  are 
required  to  return  at  least  that  proportion.  Careful  assays  are  made  daily  of  the 
ore  as  it  is  raised  from  the  mine,  it  being  customary  to  take  a  handful  of  ore  from 
each  car  load  as  it  is  brought  to  the  surface,  and  place  it  in  a  box  placed  near  the 
shaft  for  the  purpose.  Several  times  during  the  day  the  contents  of  this  sample 
box  are  thoroughly  mixed  and  several  assays  made  of  them ;  the  average  of 
which  will  show  very  nearly  the  quality  of  ore  being  raised  at  any  particular 
time.  In  some  cases  the  value  of  the  ore  is  ascertained  by  sampling  the  con- 
tents of  each  wagon  load  as  it  leaves  the  mine,  in  the  manner  just  described. 
During  the  process  of  reduction,  assays  are  taken  of  the  pulp  as  it  leaves  the 
batteries,  which  of  course  from  the  intimate  admixture  of  the  ore  will  be  more 
reliable,  but  if  amalgamation  for  free  metal  in  the  batteries  is  adopted,  as  at  some 
mills,  the  millman  can  gain  but  little  idea  of  what  he  is  doing,  as  the  quantity 
of  metal  saved  in  the  batteries  is  an  unknown  item,  to  be  ascertained  only  when 
a  thorough  clean  up  is  made.  To  avoid  unnecessary  detention  from  this  source, 
which  requires  a  stoppage  of  all  machinery,  this  is  not  done  much  oftener  than 
about  every  two  weeks.  The  following  tables  are  valuable  in  this  connection. 
The  statistics  from  the  Hale  and  Norcross  mine  may  be  taken  as  a  fair  illustra- 
tion of  the  average  results  of  milling  operations  in  this  section.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  percentage  of  gold  lost  is  small  compared  with  the  silver,  showing  the 
former  metal  to  be  present  chiefly  in  an  uncombined  form.  The  table  suggests 
some  important  questions.  It  shows  that  we  are  losing  annually  about  35  per 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


365 


cent,  of  the  value  of  the  ore  mined  from  the  Comstock.  The  yield  of  bullion 
last  year  was  in  round  numbers,  say,  $15,000,000,  which  would  show  the  loss  to 
have  been  about  $8,000,000.  The  enormous  extent  of  this  loss  is  well  understood, 
but  so  far  no  feasible  means  of  lessening  it  without  diminishing  the  net  profits 
on  the  result  have  been  suggested,  or  at  least  shown  to  be  practicable.  Excep- 
tional lots  of  ore  will  work  nearer  to  the  assay  value,  but  only  in  rare  instances. 
How  small  a  percentage  of  the  metal  which  escapes  the  mill  is  saved  by  future 
operations  will  appear  under  the  next  heading.  The  great  difficulty  to  contend 
with  lies  in  the  cost  of  labor  and  fuel.  The  average  yield  of  all  ores  worked  at 
the  present  time  does  not  probably  exceed  $35  per  ton,  equivalent  to  a  loss  of 
$18  90  per  ton,  supposing  $35  to  represent  65  per  cent,  of  the  assay  value  of 
the  ores.  If  by  using  the  Freiburg  process  we  saved  80  per  cent.,  the  average 
yield  per  ton  would  be  $43  12,  or  an  advance  of  $8  12,  which  would  not  cover 
the  additional  cost  of  labor  and  fuel.  The  price  charged  for  treatment  by  the 
Freiburg  process  in  this  district  is  $45  per  ton,  with  a  guarantee  of  only  80  per 
cent.  Its  non-applicability  to  low  grade  ores  is  at  once  apparent,  the  cost  of 
reduction  being  greater  than  the  average  yield  of  the  ores.  To  make  it  avail- 
able, it  is  evident  that  the  additional  15  per  cent,  of  the  assay  value  saved  must 
cover  the  increased  cost  of  reduction,  which  is,  say,  $31,  so  that  it  will  prove  val- 
uable only  when  the  ores  are  worth  $200  per  ton  and  upwards.  In  practice  a 
lower  grade  than  that  may  be  adopted,  it  being  found  by  experience  that  the 
percentage  of  loss  in  working  ores  by  the  net  process  increases  with  the  greater 
value  of  the  mineral.  Under  these  circumstances  we  must  look  rather  to  improve- 
ments on  the  present  modes  of  treating  the  ''tailings"  from  the  mill  by  concen- 
tration or  otherwise. 


HALE    AND   NORCROSS    MINE. 


Table  showing  the  assay  value  of  the  ore  extracted  during  twelve  months  oper- 
ations, also  the  yield  and  loss  per  ton,  the  percentage  of  yield  and  loss,  and 
the  entire  results. 


Ore. 

Assay  value  of  ores. 

Yield. 

Loss. 

£> 

1 
<§ 

Value  per  ton. 

Total  value. 

Per  ton. 

Per  cent. 

3 

"o 
H 

Per  ton. 

Per  cent. 

i 

O 

1H 

First  six  months  — 
Gold 

Tons. 

Lbs. 

$24  39 
40  79 

$306,  582  90 
5]  2,  895  43 

$20  92 
21  30 

85.8 
52.2 

$263,  043  90 
267,  764  65 

$3  46 
19  50 

14.2 

47.8 

$43,  539  00 
245,  130  78 

Silver 

Total        

12,  571 

],950 

G5  18 

819,  478  33 

42  42 

64.7 

530,  8C8  55 

22  96 

35.3 

288,  669  78 

Second  six  mouths- 
Gold 

29  18 
51  64 

468,  734  00 
829,  524  11 

24  90 
26  42 

85.3 
51.2 

400,  016  18 
424,  395  67 

4  28 
25  22 

14.6 

48.8 

68,  717  82 
405,  128  44 

gilver  

Total  

16  064 

30 

8082 

1.298,25?  11 

51  32 

63.5 

824,411  85   29  5036.5 

473,  846  26 

Total  for  12  months- 
Gold              

27  07 
46  88 

775,  316  90 
1,342,419  54 

23  IS 
24  17 

85.  5 
51.6 

663,  060  08 
692,160  32 

« 

22  71 

,,5 

48.4 

112,256  82 
650,  259  22 

Silver 

Total 

•28,  635 

1,980 

73  95 

2,  117,  736  44 

47  32 

63.9 

1,  355,  220  40 

26  63 

36.1 

762,516  04 

NOTE.— This  table  is  copied  from  records  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  company.  The  original,  prepared  by 
Mr.  Thompson,  was  marked  out  to  six  places  of  decimals  for  the  cents.  The  omission  of  these  will  account 
for  its  apparent  trifling  discrepancies. 


366  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

GOULD  AND  CURRY  MINE. — Table  showing  the  average  value  of  the  ore 
reduced  during  the  year  ending  November  30,  1866,  the  yield  at  the  mill  and 
the  loss  per  ton.  (Gr.  &  C.  annual  report  for  1866  :) 

Average  assay  per  ton $43  95 

Average  yield  per  ton,  75  per  cent 33  02 

Average  loss  per  ton,  25  per  cent - 10  93 

Total  value  of  ore  as  per  assay $1,582,247  43 

Bullion  produced : 

Gold $363,803  92 

Silver 825,277  85 

1,189,081  77 


Total  loss,  about  25  per  cent 393, 165  66 

NOTE. — This  table  does  not  show  the  entire  yield  of  the  mine  for  the  year,  large  quantities 
of  ore  being  reduced  at  "custom  mills."  The  statement  refers  only  to  oies  reduced  at  the 
large  mill  owned  by  the  Gould  and  Curry  Mining  company. 

CONCENTRATION. — Concentration  is  employed  only  in  the  treatment  of  the 
"tailings,"  or  sands  from  which  all  the  metal  has  been  extracted  which  could  be 
saved  in  the  mill.  The  tailings  are  usually  turned  inj;o  the  nearest  watercourse, 
(many  mills  being  so  situated  as  to  have  no  facilities  for  the  construction  of  reser- 
voirs,) and  the  right  to  use  them  rented  to  other  parties.  Many  plans  have  been 
>suggested  for  their  concentration,  but  the  one  in  general  use  is  extremely  simple. 
It  consists  merely  in  passing  the  sands  through  shallow  sluice  boxes,  the  bottoms 
of  which  are  covered  with  thick  blankets.  The  fall  of  these  sluices  is  consider- 
able to  prevent  packing  of  the  sands,  but  the  stream  of  water  ir  regulated  so  as 
to  cover  the  blankets  with  a  thin  sheet  only.  In  this  way  the  heavy  metalliferous 
particles  are  retained  in  passing  over  the  rough  surface  of  the  blankets,  the  lighter 
sands  passing  off  in  the  water.  After  a  sluice  box  has  been  running  several 
hours,  the  water  is  turned  off,  the  blankets  washed  in  a  tank  of  water,  and 
returned  to  their  places.  This  constitutes  the  entire  treatment.  When  the 
tank  is  nearly  full  of  tailings,  it  is  emptied  and  the  resulting  mass  considerably 
increased  in  value  by  the  elimination  of  waste  sands,  is  ground  and  amalgamated 
in  the  manner  already  described.  Latterly  this  has  become  quite  an  extensive 
branch  of  our  mining  business,  and  is  said  to  yield  a  good  return  on  the  capital 
employed. 

The  following  items  are  taken  from  the  report  of  the  surveyor  general  for  1866  : 

Details  of  blanket  washings  in  Six-mile  canon  for  1866  and  1867. 

Number  of  mills  discharging  tailings  into  the  canon,  12. 

Probable  number  of  tons  worked  during  the  year  1866,  100,000. 

Estimated  value  of  tailings  saved  and  worked  in  1866,  $72,000. 

Saving  per  ton  of  ore  worked,  72  cents. 

Length  of  sluices,  22,000  feet. 

Cost  of  sluices,  $20,000. 

Estimated  value  of  tailings  saved  and  worked  in  1867,  $164,000. 

Saving  per  ton  of  ore  worked  in  1867,  $1  64. 

Average  value  of  tailing  saved  per  ton,  $20. 

These  items  show  only  a  portion  of  the  operations.  The  total  value  of  all 
tailings  saved  in  this  manner  was  probably  about  $200,000  for  1866,  which  will 
be  doubled  for  1867.  These  figures  can  only  be  considered  approximations,  but 
they  serve  to  show  how  small  a  percentage  of  the  gross  loss  is  saved  by  these 
means,  and  how  large  a  field  is  yet  open  for  improvement. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


367 


SECTION    XVII. 

YIELD  OF  THE  MINES,  NET  PROFITS,  ETC. 

The  following  tables,  taken  from  tlie  circular  of  the  San  Francisco  Stock  and 
Exchange  Board,  will  be  found  of  interest  in  this  connection : 

Table  of  the  products  of  some  of  the  principal  mines  in  Virginia  and  Gold  Hill; 
also  slwuing  dividends  paid  and  assessments  levied  on  the  same  during  the  year 
1866. 


Company. 

Bullion  produced. 

Dividends. 

Assessments. 

$15  000 

26  000 

55  500 

Ophir                 

$450  000 

184  800 

Gould  &.  Curry 

1  605  228 

$252  000 

Savage             

1  805  800 

360  000 

1  190  768 

350  000 

Chollar-Potosi  

848*  750 

175  000 

32  000 

Alpha        .           

144  560 

910  187 

176  000 

486  778 

32  400 

18  000 

303  920 

78  or,o 

Yellow  Jacket 

2  310  000 

390  000 

180  000 

Crown  Point  ..              ....... 

1  313  357 

234  000 

Belcher 

143  520 

Overman  ....        

27  953 

208,  060 

13  000 

Total.                                         .     .  . 

11  261  741 

1,794  400 

1  273  3-»0 

Production  ofbidlion  ~by  Storey  county  during  the  year  ending  December  31,  1866. 

January $816,430  43 

February 971,643  46 

March 1,061,577  65 

April 1,052,759  89 

May 1,145,293  41 

Juno 1,244,297  54 

July 1,198,741  56 

August 1,420,902  35 

September 1,169,391  46 

October 1,409,220  00 

November 1,327,985  00 

December 1,348,828  80 


Total 14,167,071  55 


In  United  States  currency  this  represents  a  value  of  $18,072,934,  on  which 
federal  taxes  were  paid  as  follows : 

$56,412  37 
43,354  36 


From  January  to  July,  inclusive,  -fj  of  one  per  cent,  on  $9,402,062 

From  August  to  December,  inclusive,  $  of  one  per  cent,  on  $8,670,872 

Total  tax.. 


99,766  73 


368 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 


Production  of  bullion  in  Storey  county  for  flie  first  seven  months  of  1867. 

January $1,330,832  80 

February 1,233,811  63 

March 979,786  78 

April 1,567,427  60 

May 1,784,724  25 

June 1,594,794  22 


Total 8,501,377  28 

July 1,613,559  75 

Total 10,114,937  03 

NOTE. — The  month  of  March  was  characterized  by  the  most  severe  snow-storm 
which  has  yet  been  experienced  in  Virginia.  The  roads  were  nearly  impassable 
for  two  weeks — to  such  an  extent,  indeed,  that  firewood  rose  from  $16  to  $45  per 
cord,  and  was  scarcely  obtainable  even  at  that  price.  The  mills  situated  at  some 
distance  from  the  mines  were  entirely  cut  off  from  new  supplies  of  ore,  and  reduced 
only  such  reserve  as  had  been  accumulated;  hence  the  marked  diminution  in  the 
monthly  production  of  bullion. 

Table  of  assessments  levied  on  Comstock  mines  during  the  first  six  months  of  1867. 


Company. 

1st  quarter. 

2d  quarter. 

$5  200 

Belcher  

28  080 

$15  600 

Bullion 

25  000 

50  COO 

California                    ........... 

30  600 

Confidence    

39  000 

1,300 

Ophir 

84  000 

Overman  

32  000 

Sides 

]  500 

14  CCO 

Sierra  Nevada  .  .... 

12  000 

42  000 

226,  780 

153,  500 
226,  780 

Total  for  six  months  .........  ...........  .. 

380,  280 

Dividends  of  leading  claims  on  the  Corns took  lode. 

SECOND  QUARTER  IN  1867. 


Company. 

April. 

May. 

June. 

Total. 

Savage....  .       .     ...... 

$80  000 

$120  000 

$160,  COO 

$360,000 

50  000 

50  000 

50  000 

150  000 

60  000 

60  000 

40,  000 

160,  000 

60  000 

90  000 

150  000 

Chollar-Potosi       

70  000 

70  000 

140,  000 

Kentuck  

40,  000 

60,  000 

100,  000 

48  000 

48  000 

96,  000 

Gold  Hill  Q.  M.  <fc  M.  Co  

5,000 

5,000 

5,000 

'  15,  000 

7,200 

7,200 



Total               

243  000 

460,200 

475,000 

1,  178,  200 

First  quarter  1867  

790,000 

1,968,200 

WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


369 


Dividends  of  the  leading  claims  on  the  Comstock  lode — Continued. 

SECOND  QUARTER  OF   1866. 


$20  000 

$20  000 

$°0  000 

$60  000 

40  COO 

40*  flflfi 

Yellow  Jacket  

Chollar-Potosi  

Keutuck                        

Crown  Point 

48  000 

48  000 

48  000 

14  1  000 

Gold  Hill  Q.  M.  &  M.  Co     

96  000 

96  000 

192  000 

Total 

164  000 

108  000 

164  000 

436  000 

First  quarter  1866  

90  000 

Total  since  January  1866  ... 

526  000 

The  aggregate  yield  of  the  Comstock  lode  since  its  opening  has  been  so  fully 
spoken  of  in  the  preliminary  report,  that  I  shall  here  confine  myself  chiefly  to  a 
comparison  of  the  operations  of  1866  with  the  first  six  months  of  the  present 
year. 

Although  the  first  table  does  not  show  the  entire  yield  of  the  mines  for  1866, 
which  reached,  as  shown  elsewhere,  the  sum  of  $14*167,071,  it  will  answer  as  a 
basis  for  an  inquiry  into  the  actual  profits  of  mining  enterprises  in  this  district 
for  the  year,  inasmuch  as  mines  owned  by  private  companies,  the  returns  of  which 
are  not  madepublic,  are  generally  worked  only  while  they  prove  profitable,  or  at 
any  rate  yield  sufficient  bullion  to  cover  the  actual  expenses  of  their  development. 

By  striking  out  of  the  assessment  table  the  items  relative  to  the  Lady  Brian 
and  Daney  mines,  which  are  not  on  the  Comstock  lode,  we  have  the  following 
result : 

Dividends  paid  during  1866 $1,794,400  00 

Assessments  paid  during  1866 1,232,380  00 


Net  profit  for  the  year  1866. 


562, 020  00 


Equal  to  about  five  per  cent,  of  the  gross  yield  of  the  mines  under  consideration. 
Ihe  table  shows,  however,  that  out  of  the  11  mines  producing  bullion,  only  seven 
realized  sufficient  over  working  expenses  to  warrant  them  in  distributing  the 
surplus  to  the  stockholders  in  the  form  of  dividends.  These  dividends  show  the 
net  profits  of  the  seven  mines  for  the  year  1866  to  be  the  following  percentage 
of  the  gross  yield.  Gould  and  Curry  15.5,  Savage  20,  Hale  and  Norcross  29, 
Imperial  19,  Empire  6.5,  Yellow  Jacket  9,  and  Crown  Point  17. 

The  first  six  months  of  1867  show  a  very  marked  improvement  on  1866;  for 
there  is  not  only  an  actual  decrease  in  the  amount  of  assessments  levied,  but  an 
increase  in  the  number  of  dividend-paying  mines,  a  very  great  advance  on  the 
production  of  bullion,  and  a  really  gratifying  improvement  in  the  percentage  of 
profit  on  the  gross  operations. 

From  the  tables  it  will  be  seen  that  during  this  period  dividends  were  dis- 
tributed to  the  amount  of  $1,968,200,  from  which  deduct  the  assessments  of 
$380,280,  and  there  remains  $1,587,920  as  the  net  profit  on  $7,064,653,  or  about 
22  per  cent.,  against  five  per  cent,  for  the  year  1866.  This  result  is  due  to  many 
causes,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  freedom  from  litigation,  final  settlement 
of  conflicting  interests,  reduced  cost  of  milling,  and  small  expenditures  for  neces- 
sary outside  improvements.  In  1866  the  latter  item  was  unusually  heavy.  To 
such  causes  as  these  may  we  look  for  the  improved  financial  condition  of  mining 
interests  on  the  Comstock  lode. 

The  actual  profits  on  the  capital  invested  in  our  mines  is  a  difficult  question 
to  approach,  surrounded  as  it  is  by  so  many  uncertain  and  fluctuating  conditions, 
24 


370 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


and  has  probably  been  spoken  of  in  the  preliminary  report,  as  fully  as  the 
information  at  command  will  allow. 

The  San  Francisco  Bulletin  gives  the  following  figures  showing  the  aggregate 
gain  in  the  market  value  of  15  of  our  leading  mines  during  the  past  year : 


Company. 

July  1,  1866. 

January  1,  1867. 

July  1,  1867. 

Alpha           

$249,  600 

$150,  000 

$493,  200 

172,640 

137,  280 

457,  600 

142,500 

72,  500 

82,500 

540,  400 

585,  200 

1,  260,  000 

99,  840 

96,  080 

99,  840 

570,  000 

750,  000 

1,  086,  000 

168  000 

240,  000 

224  400 

840,  000 

804,  000 

846,  000 

600  000 

1,  000,  000 

1  240  COO 

412,  000 

528,  000 

1,  040,  000 

308  000 

198,  800 

532  000 

76,  800 

64,  000 

736,  000 

720  000 

1,  672  000 

3  640  GOO 

6,000 

9,000 

25,500 

Yellow  Jacket 

834  000 

1,488  000 

1  920  000 

Total 

5  739  780 

7  794  860 

13  683  040 

Using  the  valuation  for  July  1,  1867,  the  dividends  paid  during  the  first  six 
months  of  1867  (deducting  assessments)  would  show  a  profit  on  the  gross  opera- 
tions at  the  rate  of  rather  more  than  23  per  cent,  per  annum  for  this  period.  The 
majority  of  our  mining  stocks  are  held,  however,  for  purely  speculative  purposes, 
and  fluctuate  in  value  so  greatly  and  incessantly  that  such  a  calculation  is  of 
little  value,  most  stockholders  depending  for  their  profits  on  sudden  rises  in  the 
value  of  their  property,  caused  by  favorable  developments  or  skilful  "  manipula- 
tion," rather  than  on  the  dividends  paid  out  of  the  product  of  the  mines.  These 
have  been  looked  upon  too  much  in  the  light  of  means  by  which  to  "bull"  stocks, 
and  too  little  thought  has  been  bestowed  by  stockholders  on  the  means  by  which 
they  have  been  obtained. 

Instances  are  not  wanting  where  they  have  been  paid  out  of  borrowed  capital, 
and  in  many  cases  they  have  been  made  only  by  working  the  mine  in  a  ruinous 
manner.  Many  thousand  tons  of  rock  have  been  worked  during  the  past  year, 
which  ought  never  to  have  been  taken  from  the  mines  until  such  time  as  it  could 
be  worked  more  cheaply  than  at  present.  Had  the  stockholders  of  the  mining 
companies  looked  to  the  actual  profits  of  mining  enterprises  for  their  remuneration, 
they  would  have  extended  to  railroad  matters  a  helping  hand,  and  could  have 
been  realizing  to-day  on  low-grade  ores  a  profit  of  $10  or  $12  per  ton,  instead 
of  $4  or  $5.  The  fear  of  temporarily  reducing  the  value  of  their  mining  stocks 
by  granting  such  assistance  has  always  stood  in  the  way.  The  absolute  neces- 
sity, however,  of  better  modes  of  transportation  has  at  length  been  realized,  and 
before  the  expiration  of  another  year  we  shall  have  the  means  of  greatly  reducing 
the  cost  of  mining  and  milling  operations  at  our  command,  and  so  increasing  the 
amount  of  our  legitimate  profits. 

THE  COSTS  AND  LOSSES  IN  SILVER  MINING. — There  are  few  facts  connected 
with  the  development  of  the  mineral  resources  of  the  country  that  deserve  more 
immediate  attention  than  the  costs  and  losses  which  attend  gold  and  silver 
mining. 

The  following  tables,  compiled  with  the  greatest  care,  exhibit  details  connected 
with  the  subject  of  silver  mining  in  a  form  more  convenient  for  reference  than 
an  elaborately  written  treatise.  The  accounts  of  the  mine  named  have  been 
selected  for  compiling  these  tables  because  they  were  more  convenient  and  correct 
than  any  others  at  our  command,  and  because  this  mine  affords  a  fair  sample  of  a 
well-managed  enterprise  in  Nevada. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  371 

Similar  tables  have  not  been  prepared  for  gold  mining,  because  the  books  of 
no  gold  mining  company  afford  the  necessary  data  for  their  compilation. 

Table  No.  1  is  a  complete  balance  sheet  of  this  company's  operations  for  six 
months,  exhibiting  every  detail  of  its  expenditure  for  that  period,  divided  under 
appropriate  heads.  This  table  explains  the  numerous  expenses  attending  silver 
mining,  the  excessive  cost  of  material  and  labor,  and  the  large  proportion  of 
non-productive  work  necessary  to  be  done  in  developing  a  mine. 

Table  No.  2  shows  the  proportions  of  the  precious  metals  saved  and  lost ; 
gives  the  names  of  the  various  mills  at  which  the  ore  was  worked.  This  por- 
tion of  the  subject  is  very  suggestive,  as  exhibiting  the  fact  that  some  of  these 
mills  return  a  larger  per  cent,  of  metal  than  others.  This  table  also  exhibits 
the  varying  proportions  of  gold  and  silver  in  the  bullion  saved  by  the  various 
mills,  which  appear  to  be  influenced  by  the  processes  used  for  its  extraction. 
This  important  feature  in  the  table  would  have  been  more  valuable  had  the  books 
of  the  company  shown  the  depths  and  localities  from  whence  the  ore  reduced 
had  been  extracted. 

It  is  suggestive  also  to  mark  that  the  loss  of  metal,  according  to  assay,  foots 
up  $471,155  17,  while  the  total  quantity  saved  only  amounts  to  £816,9*79  62, 
out  of  $1,288,132  79.  Of  32  lots  sent  to  mill,  only  two  returned  over  70  per 
cent,  of  the  fire  assay  value ;  this,  too,  in  one  of  the  best  managed  companies, 
and  when  the  mills  are  boasting  of  the  improvements  in  their  machinery  and 
processes.  What  must  have  been  the  waste  during  the  early  days  of  silver 
mining,  before  the  present  incomplete  experience  had  been  attained  ? 

That  the  present  enormous  waste  of  the  precious  metals  by  custom  and  com- 
pany's mills  might  be  avoided,  is  clearly  demonstrated  by  the  success  of  the 
companies  which  re- work  the  tailings  thrown  away  by  these  mills.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Virginia  City  there  are  several  miles  of  flumes,  all  lined  with  blankets,  which 
require  hundreds  of  men  to  change  every  few  hours.  The  tailings  thus  collected 
yield  a  larger  profit,  according  to  the  cost  of  their  production,  than  the  ores 
worked  in  the  mills.  Nearly  one-third  of  the  bullion  shipped  from  Storey  county, 
Nevada,  is  obtained  from  the  waste  of  the  mills  collected  in  these  flumes. 

Table  No.  3  shows  the  total  product  of  this  mine  for  a  year;  exhibits  the  per- 
centum  of  metal  to  the  ore ;  the  costs  of  production  and  reduction.  It  is  hoped 
these  tables  will  be  carefully  studied,  as  they  contain  much  valuable  information 
conveniently  arranged  for  reference. 

TABLE  No.  1. 

Detailed  statement  of  the  cost  of  production  of  29,404j§gg  tons  of  ore  during 
the  year  ending  March  1,  1867,  by  the  Hale  and  Norcross  Silver  Mining 
Company  of  Nevada. 


MANAGERIAL. 
SALARIES. 
Officers  : 

dM    7rv>    OQ 

SALARIES  —  Continued. 
Materials  consumed: 

$434  60 

Total  

511  35 

Clerk  

...      2,27748 

Team  expenses  : 

Total 

7  030  76 

229  90 

Office  expenses: 

Horse  shoeing  

26  75 

25  00 

Total  ,  

401  65 

Newspapers  
Petty  cash  
Papering  

15  50 
16  25 
19  80 

Personal  property: 
Office  furniture  
1  stove  
18  towels  

$172  69 
1-J  L'5 
12  00 

Express  (barges  
Miscellaneous  

25  70 
3  50 

1  banner  ,  

1  buggy  and  robes  
2  horse  blankets  

$120  00 
350  00 
560  00 
17  CO 

Material*  connumed  : 

Total  

1,243  94 

$74  75 

.      $9,  331  25 

2  brooms.  .. 

2  00 

372 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


Detailed  statement  of  the  cost  of  production,  fyc. — Continued. 


SUMMARY. 

Salaries $7,030  76 

Office  expenses 143  55 

Materials 511  35 

Team  expenses 401  65 

Personal  property 1,24394 

Total...                   9,33125 


HOISTING. 

HOISTING  DEPARTMENT. 

Materials  consumed : 

2,665  pounds  tallow $296  78 

44  pounds  machine  oil 11  00 

36  pounds  sulphur 18  00 

60  pounds  spun  yarn 24  00 

133  pounds  white  lead 35  25 

98  yards  duck 131  35 

19  brooms 20  00 

Rope  and  freight 2,053  69 

Hardware 1,119  00 

Total 3,  707  07 

300  gallons  coal  oil $36675 

13  dozen  chimneys 63  29 

ISreflectors 48  87 

17  dozen  wicks 14  26 

8  gross  matches 19  40 


Total. 


512  57 


Cars,  cages,  &c. : 

1, 828  pounds  iron  for  cars $227  50 


247  pounds  nuts . 

653  bolts , 

52  gross  screws 

3, 303  pounds  iron  for  cages 
811  pounds  steel  for  cages  . 

1 , 020  bushels  charcoal 

2,046  pounds  stone  coal 
61  pounds  borax , 


60  68 
187  76 
138  27 
462  42 
150  33 
336  60 
132  11 

27  80 


Total 1,723  47 


Personal  property : 

9  yards  matting 

15  lamps 

24  fire-buckets 

Iclock 

1  set  stocks  and  dies. 


Labor : 


Total. 


$13  50 
86  00 
17  00 
25  00 
15  00 

156  50 


Brakeman,  1,415*  days $6, 186  00 

Blacksmith,  665  days 2, 810  00 

Carman,  730*  days 3,176  00 

Pitman,  1,078*  days 4,314  00 


Total 16,486  00 

Outside  works : 


7, 500  feet  timber $210  00 

17  shovels 34  00 

12  pick  handles 5  50 

2sledges $10  00 

Laborers,  585J  days 2,342  83 


Total 2,602  33 

Total  hoisting  department $25, 187  94 


ENGINE  DEPARTMENT. 

Materials  consumed: 

1,916*  cords  wood $26,770  16 


93  gallons  lard  oil. 
103  pounds  rubber  packing . 
31  pounds  hemp  packing  ... 
31 6  pounds  soap  and  soda .  . , 

38  gallons  oil  and  turps 

6  pounds  sponges 

1  gallon  varnish 

Sundries 


295  95 

179  13 

14  75 

5595 

8  25 

2073 

8  00 

3  00 


Total 27,355  92 

Auxiliary : 

Water,  1  year $2,767  50 

Hardware 701  03 

171  files 117  00 


Total. 


3,58553 


Pump: 

Foundry  bill,  pump,  &c $1, 565  96 

77  feet  pipe 462  00 

362£  pounds  pump  leather 130  87 

2  hides...  800 


Total. 


Repairs : 

Mason  work. . . 
Machine  work . 

Freight 

Foundry  bill .  . 
Boiler  work  . . , 


2, 166  83 


$101  05 

940  63 

238  30 

t,  4:37  25 

862  80 


Total. 


3,58003 

Labor: 

Engineers,  756J-  days $4, 673  00 

Wood  passer,  365  days 1,460  00 

Pumpman,  365  days 2, 190  00 


Total. 


8, 323  00 


SUMMARY. 

Hoisting  department : 

Materials  consumed $3, 707  07 

Lights 512  57 

Cars,  cages,  &e 1,723  47 

Personal  property 15650 

Labor 16,486  00 

Outside  works 2,602  33 


Total 25,187  94 


Engine  department : 

Materials  consumed $27, 355  92 

Auxiliary  expenses 3, 585  53 

Pump 2,16683 

Repairs 3,580  03 

Labor 8,323  00 


Total 45,  Oil  31 

Total  hoisting 7o7l99  25 


WEST   OF-THE  .  ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


373 


Detailed  statement  of  the  cost  of  production,  Sfc. — Continued. 


MINING. 

PROSPECTING  AND  DEAD  WORK. 


Prospecting. 

Materials  consumed. 

Labor. 

"3 

U 

H 

Location. 

Feet  run. 

Timber. 

Lagging. 

Miners. 

Carpenters. 

Name  of  drift. 

4 

« 

.! 

J 

1 

J 

a 

<j 

« 

Amount. 

in 

I 

Amount. 

1 

21 
41 
10 
94 
12 
85 
18 

+3 

a 

< 

400  foot 

450 

10,  770 
20,  760 
5.060 
47,  040 
6,265 
37.500 
9,000 

$368  45 
726  60 
177  10 
1,  646  40 
219  27 
1,312  50 
315  00 

1,257 
2,422 
591 
3,920 
728 
352 
1,050 

$251  40 
484  40 
118  20 
784  00 
145  60 
62  20 
21000 

$105  00 
205  00 
50  00 
470  00 
60  00 
425  00 
90  00 

865 

i,038 
252 
1,152 
312 
420 
30 

$4,  152  00 
1,008  00 
4,  608  00 
1,  248  00 
1.  680  00 
120  00 

Do 

211 
""26i 

70Cfoot  
Do    

980 

125 

780foot  

378 

Totals 

2,798 

472 

136,  3954,  765  32 

10,  320 

2,  055  80 

3,204 

12,816  00  281 

1,  405  OOJ$21,  042  12 

DEAD  WORK. 


Work  done. 

Materials  consumed. 

Labor. 

£ 

Timber. 

Lagging. 

Miners. 

Carpenters. 

Character. 

Location. 

i 

£ 

Amount. 

00 

Amount. 

1 
P 

Amount. 

CD 

Q 

*: 
a 

I 

< 

Retimbering  

Vein... 
700  foot  ... 
Incline  
535  foot  ... 
Vein 

10,  000   $350  00 
5,  000     175  00 
6,200     21700 
3,  600     126  00 

1,170 
830 

$234  00 
166  00 

125 
53 
108 
50 

480 

$500  00 
212  00 
432  00 
20000 
1,920  00 

3,264  00 

2C 

$156  00 

$15600 
400  00 

Do 

Do  

•;;;;i  

868  00 
3,  264  00 

Filling  in 

Totals 

1  

i  

26 

156  00 

24,800 

868  00 

2,000 

400  00       816 

PROSPECTING  —  ADDITIONAL 

Materials  consumed: 

EXPENSES. 
$1  474  00 

PROSPECTING  —  Continued. 
Contracts  : 

Contractor.            Location.        ~J 

>pt 
^        Amount. 

87  gallons  lubricating  oil  .       ... 

189  20 

1,070  bushels  charcoal  

35326 

8  kegs  powder  

875  feet  fuze             .               .... 

49  00 
25  50 

F,.  D.Owens  400  feetlevel.     4 
E.D.Owens  700  feet  level  . 

30        $2,  952  00 
40              192  00 
20              140  00 
71           2,  230  00 

162  50 

186  pick  handles  

116  25 

36  sledge  handles 

18  00 

E.  D.  Owens  780  feet  level  .     3 

Total  

2,38771 

Total                                      8 

61           5,  514  00 

Tools  : 
98ledges  

*  $114  00 
45  00 

Summary  of  prospecting  : 
Miners,  3,204  days  

$12,  816  00 
1,40500 

29  picks,  old  

280  pounds  steel  for  picks  

Total  

14  00 

80  00 

253  00 

Carm-ii,  981  days  

Blacksmiths,  285  days  
Timber,  136,395  feet  

3,  924  00 
1,  710  00 
4,76532 

Labor: 
Carmen,  981  days  v 

.     $3,  924  00 

Lagging,  10,  320  pieces  

2  387  71 

Additional  toola,  &c  

25  COO 
f  I  (40 

Blacksmiths,  285  days  
Total  

1,710  00 
5,634  00 

Total  

...      29,56723 

Auxiliary  : 
3casks   

$10  50 

Summary  of  dead  work  : 
Miners  816  days               ... 

$3,264  00 

Carpenters  2t>  days  

15600 

108  00 

Timber  24  800  feet  

868  00 

Ice 

131  90 

Lugging  2  000  pieces 

400  00 

Total 

250  40 

Total          .                   ... 

4  688  00 

374  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

Detailed  statement  of  the  cost  of  production,  fyc. — Continued. 


PROSPECTING—  Continued. 
Contracts  : 

$5  514  00 

FAIR  SHAFT—  Continued. 
Materials  consumed: 

|2  50 

1  50 

Ttl               t'          ddd        k 

$39  769  23 

1  750  bricks  &c 

4°  00 

P      P    w  & 

48  06 

30  pounds  white  lead  

7  00 

EXTRACTING  ORES 

3  00 

23  00 

.  .                      , 

51  1  813  feet  timber 

$14  330  76 

Total 

4  638  39 

2*969  87 

6°i  kegs  nails                               . 

908  92 

Materials  on  hand  : 

179  60 

8  windows          ......... 

$44  00 

398  25 

102  bolts  

39  66 

727  50 

12  coach  screws  .... 

3  84 

5°9  00 

30  tool  handles 

15  50 

367  15 

20  feet  belting  . 

19  20 

90  00 

3  brooms  

3  00 

300  00 

7  pairs  hinges 

13  15 

130  CO 

8  locks  and  latches  . 

8  50 

7  00 

Rope 

947  73 

482  pieces  pipe  and  joints......  .'.... 

189  88 

Total 

20  938  05 

8  50 

Total 

1  293  31 

115  shovels 

$175  30 

1  6  sledges  

91  13 

Engine  adjuncts  : 

16  axes 

33  50 

Sreels    

$258  00 

75  75 

135  00 

16  hoes 

16  21 

Boxes  collars  &c  ..... 

59  70 

62  50 

9  00 

454  tool  handles 

276  50 

7  25 

470  pounds  steel  for  picks  

120  00 

8  cocks  

32  00 

3  50 

Total  

850  89 

1  oil  cup...  .....  ... 

10  00 

Labor  • 

Total.......  ................. 

534  45 

Miners   14  938i  days 

$59  852  00 

Head  miners  614  days  

3  625  50 

Labor  : 

Carmen  1  963  days 

7  852  00 

$216  00 

Carpenters,  838  days      

4  463  50 

Machinist   16-J  days 

99  00 

Blacksmiths  326  days 

1  357  00 

34  50 

Foreman  365  days    

2  229  00 

Blacksmiths  54  days 

272  00 

1  330  75 

Total  

79  379  00 

'  328  00 

1  471  00 

Materials 

$20  938  05 

Total 

3  751  25 

Tools 

'850  89 

79  379  00 

$300  00 

Total  

101   167  94 

Materials  used* 

$37  12 

Mining  recapitulation  : 

1  shaft  hook                 

30  00 

$101  167  94 

100  00 

Prospecting  

29  567  23 

102  00 

5  514  00 

60  00 

Dead  work...  

4  688  00 

8  00 

1  can  ..   ..        

1  25 

Total  

140  937  17 

6  50 

14  pieces  furniture     .  .  .     ........ 

60  25 

IMPROVEMENTS. 

Total 

405  12 

FAIR  SHAFT. 

V1* 

Real  estate  : 
1  6  lots  and  expenses  

$1  Q70  50 

Tools,  &c.: 
20  shovels 

$40  00 

1  stable  

70  00 

33  picks 

122  50 

1  tract  and  expenses  

2  258  50 

17  00 

Closing  F  street  .  

ICO  00 

10  25 

Moving  dwelling. 

85  00 

14  durable  tools 

53  88 

11  25 

Total  

4,484  00 

17  75 

Materials    consumed  : 



1  paint  brush  

53  assorted  brushes  ................. 

2  50 
20  00 

127,015  feet  timber  

$3,  806  46 

186  pounds  steel 

46  50 

15J  kegs  nails  ... 

208  50 

1  1  gross  screws  

31  55 

Total  

341  63 

1  cord  wood  

1  box  candles  . 

14  00 
5  50 

Incidental  e     enses  • 

_  . 

112  bushels  charcoal  

40  32 

Hauling   .          

$107  50 

327  90 

4  00 

201^  pounds  nuts,  &c  

47  60 

3  kogs  powder  

21  00 

Total  

111  50 

300  feet  fuse  

8  50 

WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 
Detailed  statement  of  the  cost  of  production,  &fc. — Continued. 


375 


FAIR  SHAFT  —  Contin 

Summary  : 
Real  estate 

ued. 

$4  484  00 

CLASSIFICATION  Continued. 

Tools  : 
3  shovels                                         $6  00 

4  638  39 

2  brooms  .     .*                                 «>  00 

1  293  31 

3  brushes                                           4  25 

534  35 

Incidental  expenses  : 

Labor 

3  751  35 

Assaying                                  2  306  00 

300  00 

$n  406  "SO 

Materials  used                    .     ... 

405  12 

Tools  &c 

341  63 

Total  weighing  and  sampling                     4  °6°  58 

Incidental  expenses  ........... 

Ill  50 

Total 

15  859  65 

Auxiliary  expenses  : 

Hauling                                                               134  25 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Premium  on  coin  2,  012  01 

Assaying  bullion.                   $8  827  69 

Less  clips                                     605  90 

$J  050  00 

8  °°1  79 

Repairing  ditto 

*27l  04 

Total  10,868  05 

Total 

1  321  04 

Ore  house  • 

Taxes  : 
Federal  bullion    .                           $723983 

22  700  feet  timber 

$794  50 

State  bullion                                                   2  189  70 

19  000  shingles  

167  00 

City  bullion                               20320 

84  00 

830  pounds  iron  chutes  ........ 

91  30 

City  property  346  43 

Federal  license                                                    7  50 

Total 

1  ]36  80 

Labor  : 

Total  11,010  28 

Blacksmiths  19  days  

$22500 
114  00 

Contingent  expenses  : 

80  00 

Maps  5500 

Total          .          

419  00 

Scales  • 

Subscriptions                                                      250  00 

6  000  feet  timber 

$168  00 

Aledical  attendance                                            133  00 

130  60 

Gratuity  to  Mrs  Farge                                     387  00 

J  of  a  keg  spikes  

4  00 

Brandy  and  whiskey  53  50 

20  00 

7  20 

Total                                                     1  180  30 

Total 

329  80 

Labor  : 

Weighing  and  sampling  $4,  262  58 

Carpenters,  15  days  ........... 

$75  00 

Auxiliary  expenses                   .          .      10  868  05 

Blacksmiths  8  days 

48  00 

Taxes                                                             11  010  28 

Laborers,  24  days  ............. 

96  00 

Contingent  expenses    .            ..        ..        1,180  30 

Total  

219  00 

Total  relative  expenses  27,32121 

Expenses  : 
Freight  ...................... 

$71  01 

TOTALS. 

20  00 

Total 

91  01 

RECAPITULATION. 

Managerial  cost                                             $9  331  25 

Summary  of  improvements  : 
Fair  shaft 

$15  859  65 

Hoisting  expenses  : 
Hoisting  department            $25  187  94 

Real  estate  

1  321  04 

Engine.                          45,011  31 

1  555  80 

70  199  25 

Scales  

639  81 

Mining  expenses  • 

19  376  30 

Contracts                                  5  514  00 

04  rq=;  OQ 

RELATIVE 

- 

Dead  work                                   4  688  00 

Extracting  ore.  .                   .  .  .101,  167  94 

CLASSIFICATION 
Weighing  : 

$99  00 

!  105,  855  94 
Improvements  —  cost  : 
Fair  shaft  total  expenses..  15,859  65 

7  50 

Real  estate  purchased             1  321  04 

3  36 

Overman   396  days                   1 

608  00 

19,  376  30 

96  00 

Total                                 1 

813  86 

Relative  expenses  : 
Weighing  and  sampling..  ..     4,26258 

47  28 

Auxiliary  expenses                10  868  05 

_  $1  766  08 

Taxes             11,01028 

Sampling  : 

130  00 

Contingent  expenses  1,  180  30 
,,.  ._...,        «7  321  21 

9  00 

34  25 

Total  °ost  of  production.                .    26667918 

500 

376 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


1 
1 


8  I 

*  y 

,0    ^^ 

M     S>  cu 
^»<1 

hH     ^  5S 
pn     ^  ^^ 

H  h 


$ 


JO'PO  —  ^  CO  2  ^J  ^  X*^  *~  §f  3  ^  "£  g5  55 


o  co~  • 

«^  rH 


of  Tr"o"«o"«roT«o'-*"«o"  n'eo"  crTo"     «  «f 

Cii^rH         rH         COrHrH         r-HCOCO  rH 


i-ikrtQD^ 

18    ^ 


C^IOr-iCt        lOOCOr-iC^LOt^-OTf 
ri  n"i-i  O       r-1  >T5  O>  rH        CO  O5  <N  rH 


CO  O5  <N  rH   CO  d  rH 


«  -         -     -    - 


- 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


377 


fe'o 
>  to 


w 


8  :  :  :  :  :  ]?<  :  :  :88 


I 

Ss! 

I'a 


co  -*  o  <-i  <N    luo 
— .  <?j  m  o  r~    .  rt< 


s  ^^s 

5    SS 


?-OiCOC^Ot£7O^^OGDCOt^ 


S 


*  co 

CO       r»<OQO       CJ«SoJOoI2oi 


oiirsjj- netmoincDCDCD-itGixiii*      tncc3*-*- 

r^>-l          WfflC¥3C<t-l1-(          r-H          CO^rH          I-ICOCO  r-C* 


JSSS8SS«S88S5SSSSSS    KS: 

r^'tc  t-"— -"of  of  oT»rf"io"«"o"'T}'"i.'o'c'j'<ri"j--"Qo'     irf"io~< 


^•"kri"  O"  •*"  rn~ 


SS8J?5S8g»5:8828S 


'pH'ef     r-T     <N*cif-~     i-J" 


-T     ^'         cf 


I-H  LO  oo  r-  « » 

s  BS 


coQot^      L'5O5OCJ 
ci— >cj      mote— i 


^ 


«f^««^l«fi    5« 

a|>.||s§||.|>|§|   3||gj 


.-si! 


C 


378 


RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


1 

i 
1 

$* 

su 

K§ 

te 


SP 


Ore  produced 
and  delivered. 


Cl  O 

82 
efuf 


s 


$3  46.  3 
L9  49.8 


88 


90 
43 


36.  6216 
79.  6726 


oo  o 


90. 
41. 


83 


29  17.  913 
51  63.  865 


Occ 


e 


92.  01 
70.77 


s 

Irf 


24 


775,  316  90 
342,419  54 


^      EH 


8      * 


rH-  rH" 


38 


t  of  reclam 


Per 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


379 


tf5<N<O-^-««P^Q<OO'«»'   CT  r~ 

TP  «  ai  a»  in  ?5  FH  K  •*  5  a>  TT-I 
t^  ci  t^  «o  o  m  t~  m  05  QO  -<  a>  oo 


I-  05  r-l  O  ^  05  <0  O 


t>"2t"~':sfta5^3    !2j     S 
f  of  cTo'fo'o'od'rf'  "of     o~ 

^.0^.07,0^        S        rH 


338S  :8 


•w'si'''j<~^r 

C<  10  O  10 
•—  *  CO        i^ 


fcf  •«!»•" 

r-l      .0 


£888 


OOCOOCOOOgOO     ||0 

^^•tbSs^SiooS    •  cj 


8 

1O 

o*    of 

CO       ri 


>  «1<  <?l  O5  CO  O  O     -CO 


:£?    o 


ggSS^SSlS00  :S 


:^5    8 


OO  CO  ^ 


3  :S    8 


o  .  .  ® 


I  ilf|a_li|Jie 

«isi2iiillc!5S 


COO5-HO  —  — <  ,^  f^.  ^  (J7  ( 

S£S2££88S?$i 


33SSS8SSS 


t—  QO-^O3OC?OO 

cT^f  cTc?  V  >o*  —  "lo' 

.-<OOOJ-CO{OCOt~ 


5SSS5SSS8SSSB 

- 


380  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

BULLION  PRODUCT  or  THE  COMSTOCK  LODE. — The  foregoing  tables,  from  tlie 
Commercial  Herald  and  Market  Review,  show  the  bullion  product  of  the  lead- 
ing claims  on  the  Comstock  lode  during  the  year  1867,  as  compared  with  1866. 
The  bullion  product  of  the  Yellow  Jacket  claim  has  been  estimated  for  the  last 
six  months  of  1867.  The  total  product  of  the  Comstock  lode  for  the  year  ending 
December  31,  1867,  is  estimated  by  the  most  reliable  authorities  at  $17,500,000, 
It  is  estimated  that  other  districts  in  Nevada  have  yielded  during  the  same  period 
$2,500,000,  making  the  total  product  of  Nevada  for  the  calendar  year  1867, 
$20,000,000.  The  average  percentage  of  gold  and  silver  is  shown  in  table  2,  on 
the  workings  of  the  Hale  and  Norcross,  being  about  66  per  cent,  silver,  and  34 
per  cent.  gold.  In  the  outside  districts  the  proportion  of  gold  is  considerably  less. 

ASSAY  OFFICES,  &C. — There  are  four  assay  offices  in  Virginia  and  three  in 
Gold  Hill  j  some  few  of  the  mining  companies  assay  their  own  bullion. 

The  amalgam  is  usually  retorted  at  the  mill  and  delivered  to  the  assayer  in 
the  form  of  "  crude  bullion.7'  After  melting  and  refining  it  is  assayed  by  the 
ordinary  process  of  cupellation  with  lead,  the  accuracy  of  these  assays  being 
checked  from  time  to  time  by  the  humid  method. 

The  charge  on  bullion  for  transportation  to  San  Francisco  is  one  per  cent.,  and 
on  coin  from  San  Francisco  to  Virginia  one  and  one-eighth  per  cent.,  the  latter 
being  somewhat  the  highest,  to  cover  the  extra  risks  of  loss  and  robbery. 


STAGE  ROUTES  CENTRING  AT  OR  PASSING  THROUGH  VIRGINIA  CITY. 

ROUTE  No.  1.  Virginia  to  Sacramento,  via  tJie  Central  Pacific  Eailroad,  with 
which  it  connects  at  Cisco  depot.  Two  coaches  daily  each  way.  Fare,  including 
railroad  charges,  from  Virginia  to  Sacramento,  $20 ;  from  Sacramento  to  Vir- 
ginia, $25.  This  route  crosses  the  Sierra  by  the  Donner  Lake  Pass,  the  one 
selected  by  the  C.  P.  R.  R.  The  fall  of  snow  during  the  winter  is  very  heavy, 
and  sleighs  run  from  the  terminus  of  the  railroad  to  within  30  miles  of  Virginia. 
During  the  winter  of  1866  and  1867  they  ran  for  a  short  time  into  Virginia 
without  changing. 

ROUTE  No.  2.  Virginia  to  Sacramento,  via  Placerville  and  the  Sacramento 
Valley  railroad,  passing  through  Gold  Hill,  Silver  City,  Empire,  Carson,  and 
Genoa,  connecting  with  the  railroad  at  Shingle  Springs.  One  coach  daily  each 
way.  This  route  crosses  the  Sierras  at  the  south  end  of  Lake  Tahoe.  Snow 
on  the  summits  of  the  mountains  heavy.  During  the  severest  portion  of  the 
winter  sleighs  run  from  the  summit  nearly  down  to  Carson  valley.  Before  the 
construction  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  nearly  the  entire  freighting  business 
between  California  and  Nevada  passed  over  this  route.  At  the  present  time  the 
Donner  Lake  road  takes  probably  three-fourths,  and  will  gradually  secure  the 
balance  as  the  railroad  approaches  Virginia. 

ROUTE  No.  3.  Overland  route,  from  tlw  Atlantic  to  tJie  Pacific  States,  passes 
through  Virginia,  one  coach  arriving  and  departing  daily.  Passengers  com- 
plete the  journey  to  Sacramento  by  either  of  the  two  previously  mentioned  routes. 
Fare  to  Austin  from  Virginia,  about  $15 ;  to  Salt  Lake,  $70 ;  to  the  eastern  rail- 
road terminus,  $100. 

ROUTE  No.  4.  Virginia  to  Carson,  passing  through  Gold  Hill,  Silver  City, 
and  Empire,  one  coach  each  way  daily. 

ROUTE  No.  5.  Virginia  to  Dayton,  passing  through  Gold  Hil  and  Silver  City, 
one  coach  each  way  daily. 

ROUTE  No.  6.  Virginia  to  Waslioe  and  Ophir,  one  coach  each  way  daily. 

ROUTE  No.  7.  Virginia  to  Idaho  Territory,  passing  through  the  Humboldt 
county  settlements,  one  coach  each  way  every  other  day.  This  line  connects 
with  the  stages  on  route  No.  1,  at  Hunter's  crossing  of  the  Truckee  river,  about 
24  miles  from  Virginia. 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  381 

ROUTE  No.  8.  Fast  freight,  via  Donner  Lake  and  the  C.  P.  E.  JR.,  one  coach 
each  way  daily.  Brings  perishable  freight  to  Nevada,  carrying  passengers  only 
from  Nevada  to  California,  the  amount  of  return  freight  being  small. 

ROUTE  No.  9.  Fast  freight,  via  Placerville  and  tlie  Sacramento  Valley  railroad, 
details  the  same  as  route  No.  8. 

ROUTE  No.  10.  Fast  freight  to  Belmont,  in  Central  Nevada,  via  Austin,  one 
coach  each  way  weekly.  Carries  freight  and  passengers  both  ways. 

ROUTE  No.  11.  Fast  freight  to  Belmont,  one  coach  twice  a  week  each  way, 
carrying  passengers  and  freight. 


STAGE  LINES  CENTRING  AT  CARSON  CITY. 

ROUTE  No.  1.  Carson  to  Dayton,  via  Empire,  one  coach  each  way  daily. 

ROUTE  No.  2.  Carson  to  Washoe,  via  Franktown  and  Ophir,  one  coach  each 
way  daily. 

ROUTE  No.  3.  Carson  to  Aurora,  via  Genoa  and  Wellington's  station,  one 
coach  each  way  every  other  day.  The  mines  at  Pinegrove  lie  a  few  miles  to  the 
east  of  Wellington's.  At  Genoa  this  route  connects  with  stages  for  Silver 
mountain  and  Markleeville,  and  at  Aurora  with  stages  for  Blind  Springs,  Fort 
Independence,  Kearsarge,  and  Owen's  River  valley. 

The  majority  of  these  routes  have  been  established  for  several  years,  and,  as 
will  be  seen  by  the  following  table  of  postal  routes,  usually  receive  government 
aid,  in  the  form  of  subsidies  for  carrying  the  United  States  mails.  But  few  of 
them,  especially  those  operating  between  distant  settlements  and  through  thinly 
settled  countries,  could  exist  without  such  assistance.  Though  suffering  less 
severely  from  Indian  depredations  on  this  side  of  the  Rocky  mountains  than  on 
the  eastern  slope,  these  lines  of  travel,  in  some  instances,  absolutely  require  the 
presence  of  soldiers  to  make  them  safe  modes  of  communication. 


SECTION    XVIII. 

VIRGINIA  AND  ADJACENT  DISTRICTS-FACILITIES  FOR  OBTAINING  FUEL. 

COAL. — No  coal  deposits  which  are  likely  to  prove  of  permanent  value  have 
been  found  in  the  neighborhood  of  Virginia.  Considerable  prospecting  has  been 
done  in  the  neighborhood  of  El  Dorado  canon,  a  few  miles  from  Dayton,  where 
inferior  lignite  is  found  associated  with  triassic  (?)  limestones  and  shales,  and  at 
Crystal  Peak,  on  the  Truckee  river,  near  the  California  State  line,  where  lustrous 
black  lignite  is  found  in  small  quantities,  in  recent  geological  deposits.  In  the 
Palmyra  mountains,  a  few  mile£  from  Como,  a  small  vein  of  lignite  is  also  found, 
but  none  of  these  localities  can  be  relied  upon  for  a  supply  sufficient  to  wan-ant 
an  outlay  of  capital.  Many  other  points  have  been  located  as  coal  lands,  with- 
out any  foundation  whatever,  the  deceptive  appearance  of  some  metamorphic  or 
igneous  rocks  having  misled  persons  ignorant  of  geological  formations  into  costly 
and  useless  expenditure  of  time  and  money.* 

The  entire  district  is  dependent  on  wood  for  fuel.  When  the  mines  on  the 
Comstock  lode  were  first  discovered,  the  surrounding  mountains  were  covered 
with  a  scanty  growth  of  scrubby  pines,  (known  as  the  piiion  or  pinenut,)  and  a 
variety  of  juniper,  generally  called  cedar.  This  supply  has  been  entirely  exhausted, 
the  nearest  remaining  timber  of  these  kinds  coming  to  the  market  from  the  mountains 
east  and  south  of  Dayton,  and  north  of  Virginia,  both  localities  about  12  miles  dis- 
tant from  the  place  of  consumption.  Even  at  these  points  the  amount  easily  acces- 
sible is  rapidly  diminishing.  The  rugged  character  of  the  mountains  compels 

*  See  article  on  coal  deposits  of  Nevada,  section  2,  page  312. 


382  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

the  lumbermen  to  pack  the  wood  on  mules,  frequently  two  or  three  miles  to 
places  which  are  accessible  to  wagons.  This  and  the  distance  from  market 
make  the  price  high,  ranging  from  $14  to  $16  per  cord.  The  pinon  is  considered 
the  most  valuable  firewood,  being  a  hard,  resinous,  fine-grained  variety,  growing 
from  10  to  30  feet  in  height,  and  commands  about  $2  per  cord  more  than  th£ 
cedar.  The  whole  district  will  ere  long  be  entirely  dependent  on  the  practically 
inexhaustible  forests  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas.  Even  now  large  quantities  of  fire- 
wood are  brought  from  this  source,  though  the  fuel  is  considered  inferior  to  the 
pinon.  There  are  many  mills  working  ore  from  the  Comstock  mines,  located  at 
the  foot  of  the  Sierras,  and  the  teams  hauling  ore  to  these  points  bring  return 
loads  of  firewood  or  lumber.  Large  quantities  are  floated  down  the  Carson  river 
yearly,  a  distance  of  60  to  100  hundred  miles  from  the  forests  at  the  headwaters 
of  the  river  to  Empire  City,  in  Eagle  valley,  and  are  shipped  from  that  point  to 
the  mines  and  mills.  The  vicinity  of  Carson,  Washoe  valley  and  Galena  also 
yield  an  abundant  supply,  but  a  wagon  freight  of  12  to  18  miles  keeps  the  price 
at  about  the  figures  mentioned. 

CONSUMPTION  or  FIREWOOD  AND  LUMBER. — The  following  table  shows 
approximately  the  daily  consumption  of  firewood  in  the  district : 

Cords. 

By  hoisting  works  on  mines 70 

By  mills  crushing  ores 378 

For  domestic  use 120 

Total 568 

The  average  cost  of  this  firewood  will  be  about  $10  per  cord  or  $5,680  per 
day,  giving  a  yearly  total  of  over  $2,000,000.  Of  this  sum  at  least  60  per  cent. 
i$  paid  for  hauling  to  the  place  of  consumption. 

The  consumption  of  lumber  and  mining  timbers  in  the  district  will  reach  some- 
where near  25,000,000  feet,  (board  measure,)  of  which  about  17,900,000  feet  are 
used  in  and  around  the  mines  on  the  Comstock  lode.  The  total  annual  value 
of  this  branch  of  business  will  not  fall  far  short  of  $800,000  per  annum. 

OTHER  MINERAL  DEPOSITS. — The  mining  district  under  consideration  may 
be  called  exclusively  a  silver  region,  its  other  mineral  deposits  being  relatively 
of  small  value. 

GOLD  occurs  in  small  quantities  in  many  of  the  ravines  along  the  foot  hills  of 
the  Sierras,  and  Gold  canon  was  worked  as  a  placer  mine  before  the  discovery 
of  silver;  but  both  of  these  operations  have  been  discontinued  for  some  years. 

COPPER  ORES  are  found  in  many  localities,  both  east  and  west  of  Carson,  but 
the  difficulty  of  making  copper  mining  remunerative  in  Nevada,  with  the  existing 
high  rates  of  labor,  transportation,  and  supplies  have  prevented  their  development. 

IRON  ORES  are  abundant  in  the  mountains  southwest  of  American  Flat,  and 
about  four  miles  south  of  Virginia,  but  they  are  unfavorably  situated  for  working, 
and  not  likely  to  be  of  value. 

LEAD  ORES  containing  a  considerable  percentage  of  silver  occur  frequently 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Galena,  in  Washoe  county.  The  mines  have  been  opened 
to  some  extent,  passing  into  the  hands  of  several  different  parties,  who  have  failed 
to  work  them  profitably,  though  admirably  situated  as  regards  both  water  power 
for  concentration  and  fuel  for  smelting.  The  galena  is  associated  with  conside- 
rable quantities  of 'mispickel,  which  renders  careful  sorting  essential  to  the  pro- 
duction of  good  marketable  lead,  but  the  manner  of  the  association  is  such  that 
no  difficulty  need  arise  on  this  account. 

PLUMBAGO  of  inferior  quality  is  found  extensively  in  the  mountains  east  of 
the  Carson  river,  a  few  miles  from  Empire,  but  has  never  been  utilized.  It  also 
occurs  between  Virginia  and  Washoe,  in  the  Washoe  mountains,  and  at  one  time 
was  used  in  the  manufacture  of  crucibles. 

SULPHUR  occurs  at  the  Steamboat  Springs,  condensed  in  the  earth  from  the 
rising  vapors,  but  not  in  any  large  quantity. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


383 


LIMESTONE  of  fine  quality  is  plenty  in  the  mountains  east  and  south  of  Virginia. 

NUMBER  OF  MINING  LOCATIONS  CLAIMED  AND  OPENED. — The  number  of 
mining  claims  recorded  on  the  books  of  the  mining  recorders  of  Virginia  and 
Gold  Hill  does  not  fall  far  short  of  5;000.  If  to  these  are  added  other  claims 
throughout  the  district  under  consideration,  the  number  will  not  fall  far  short  of 
8,000.  When  we  compare  this  number  with  the  claims  on  which  work  is  being 
done  at  the  present  time,  (probably  not  more  than  50)  we  begin  to  realize  the 
character  of  the  wild  mining  fever  which  raged  here  from  I860  to  1863.  It 
must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  all  claims  at  present  lying  untouched  are 
worthless.  Many  of  them  developed  ore,  but  too  low  in  quality  to  pay  a  profit 
at  the  time  they  were  abandoned.  Still  all  the  claims  which  may  at  any  time 
in  the  future  become  valuable  will  not  exceed  a  few  hundred,  a  vast  proportion 
of  the  8,000  locations  having  no  foundation  whatever,  and  many  of  which  could 
scarcely  be  pointed  out  even  by  the  locators  themselves. 

COST   OF    MATERIALS. 

The  following  table  may  be  taken  as  a  fair  illustration.  The  few  articles 
used  in  the  mines  not  occurring  in  this  table  are  added  at  the  end,  the  average 
price  being  derived  from  the  same  source : 

Materials  consumed  at  the  Gould  fy  Curry  mill  during  the  year  ending  Novem- 
ber 30,  1866. 


Articles. 

Quantity. 

Cost. 

Average  price. 

"Wood  cords       

11,442 
17-2,  857 
21,500 
5,848 
12,  639 
450 
395,  099 
853 
1,253 
178 
262 
3,  832 
172 
25 
2,888 
494 
393 
136 
87,  353 
345,  668 
1,360 
985 
40 
675 
923 
743 
2.980 
71 
42 
239 
487 
196 
116 
280 
10,  863 
15 
189 
126 
157 
531 
76 
1,241 
43 
575 
9,751 

$168,  830  00 
3,v<25  00 
185  00 
1,  659  00 
1,  698  00 
258  00 
33,  880  00 
175  00 
315  00 
142  00 
120  00 
417  00 
42  00 
72  00 
2,  192  00 
497  00 
96  00 
97  00 
17,  588  00 
10,  943  00 
2,  487  CO 
1,  615  00 
99  00 
35,  013  00 
214  00 
633  00 
819  00 
67  00 
20  00 
231  00 
2,  C87  00 
1,  120  00 
58  00 
280  00 
1,361  00 
60  00 
147  00 
46  00 
77  00 
174  00 
71  00 
242  00 
347  00 
246  CO 
714  00 
6,  835  00 
3,  833  00 

$14  72 
(perM)          42  40 
8  60 
28 
13* 
57* 
8* 
20 
25 
80 
46 
11 
25 
3  00 

Rivets  nuts  &c    pounds  

1  00 

25 

Sulphate  of  copper  pounds  

20 
3 
1  83 
1  64 
2  47 
51  89 
23 
1  to  .  75 
27| 

Lard  oil   gallons       

Axes  and  handles..  

Picks 

50 

1  39 

Shovels 

50 
1  00 
12* 

4  00 
77 
32 
50 
32 
1  00 
20 
8  00 
42* 
(per  ton)  ..150  00 

Hoes 

White  and  red  lead     

Blankets 

Leather                      

Water                 

$28  to  $30  per  M  feet. 
$37  50  per  ton. 
4i  per  pound. 

Hay 

Barley  

384 


RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


POPULATION  OF  TOWNS. — In  the  absence  of  census  tables  it  is  extremely 
difficult  to  give  accurate  information  on  this  head.  The  population  of  the  differ- 
ent towns  may  be  estimated  at  about  the  following  figures,  which  will  probably 
be  found  rather  over  than  under  the  mark : 

Virginia,  Gold  Hill  and  Silver  City 12,  000 

Carson 1,  000 

Washoe 1,  000 

Dayton 1,  000 

Empire 500 

The  entire  district  under  consideration 20,  000 

Of  this  number  about  1,500  are  employed  directly  in  the  mines,  and  about 
1,200  in  the  various  mills,  the  remainder,  whether  engaged  in  farming,  lumber- 
ing or  in  trade,  being  more  or  less  dependent  on  the  mining  interest  for  their 
support.  Were  it  not  for  its  mining  attractions,  the  district  would  in  all  proba- 
bility have  remained  the  desert  it  was  in  1859,  before  the  discovery  of  the  Corn- 
stock.  Previous  to  that  time  it  supported  only  a  scanty  population,  who  made 
a  livelihood  out  of  the  annual  emigration  over  the  plains. 

PKICE  OF  LABOR. — Miners  receive  from  $3  50  to  $4  per  diem,  and  black- 
smiths, carpenters,  brakemen  and  engineers,  from  $5  to  $8.  Mill  hands  earn 
from  $3  to  $5,  according  to  the  responsibility  of  their  positions. 

MODE  AND  COST  OF  LIVING. — The  following  list  of  prices  current  for  articles 
of  domestic  consumption  is  taken  from  the  daily  papers : 
Flour,  per  100  pounds $6  00  a$G  50 


California  bacon 25  a      27 

California  hams 28  a      30 

Eastern  bacon 20  a      25 

Easternhams 20  a      25 

Butter,  ranch 42-£a      50 

Butter,  eastern  firkin 40  a      50 

Green  coffee,  per  pound,  Rio. . .  35 

Green  coftee,  per  pound,  Java.  40 

Coffee,  Chartres,  1  Ib.  papers..  50 

Cheese,  new  California,  per  Ib..  25  a      37£ 

Candles,  per  pound 30  a      37^ 

Corn-meal,  per  pound 10 

Lard,  California,  per  pound..  .  25  a      30 

Crushed  sugar,  per  pound 19  a      25 

Brown  sugar,  per  pound 16  a      20 

Powdered  sugar,  per  pound.  ..  25 

Golden  sirup,  per  gallon 1  50  a  2  00 

Tea,  black,  Comet,  per  pound.  1  12  a  1  35 

Tea,  green,  Comet,  per  pound.  1  25  a  1  50 

Tea,  Japanese,  per  pound..  ..  1  00  a  1  25 

Plug  tobacco 85  a  1  50 

Salt,  10-pound  sacks 75 

Salt,  5-pound  sacks 50 


Salt,  3-pound  sacks $0  25 

Whiskey,  Monongahela 5  00  a$6  00 

Whiskey,  Bourbon 4  00  a  6  00 

W'hiskey,  quart  bottles 1  25  a  1  50 

Coal  oil,  per  gallon 1  20  a  1  50 

Eggs,  per  dozen 62^ 

Eggs,  per  box  50  dozen 50 

Mackerel,  per  kit 5  00 

Mackerel,  per  barrel 18  00  a20  00 

Trout,  Lake  Tahoe 20  a      25 

Codfish,  per  pound 20  a      25 

20  a      25 
20  a      25 
25  a      37^ 
25 
25 


Salmon,  salt,  per  pound 

Salmon,  smoked,  per  pound 
Salmon,  fresh,  per  pound  — 
Herrings,  fresh,  per  pound  . 
Herrings,  salt,  per  pound... 

Potatoes,  per  pound 

Potatoes,  sweet,  per  pound  .. 

Cabbage,  per  pound 

Green  peas,  per  pound 

Asparagus,  per  pound 

Onions,  per  pound 

Beets,  per  pound 


7  a 
12£ 

20  a 
6  a 
4  a 
4  a 


3 
16 

8 

25 
10 
5 
5 


Turnips,  per  pound 

Even  in  the  towns  a  large  proportion  of  the  population  board  at  restaurants 
or  hotels,  at  rates  varying  from  $8  to  $12  per  week.  Many  mills  are  so  situated 
that  they  are  compelled  to  keep  a  boarding-house  for  the  men  employed,  in  which 
case  they  are  usually  paid  so  much  a  month  including  their  board.  This  system 
is  the  inevitable  result  of  the  unsettled  disposition  of  much  of  our  population, 
who,  in  spite  of  oft-repeated  warnings,  are  yet  ready  to  believe  that  every  new 
mining  camp  discovered  is  better  than  the  one  in  which  they  are  located,  and 
rush  to  it  accordingly,  in  the  hope  of  making  the  "big  strike"  which  shall  bring 
them  wealth  and  comfort  in  a  day,  instead  of  winning  them  by  the  old  well-tried 
rule  of  patient  industry  and  perseverance.  There  are  many  signs,  however,  of 
improvement  in  this  respect  j  but  the  number  of  those  who  have  come  to  look 
upon  Nevada  as  a  permanent  home  are  very  few,  indeed. 

House  servants  receive  from  $30  to  $40  a  month.  Many  Chinamen  are  employed 
in  this  capacity  at  about  the  same  wages. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  385 

The  great  majority  of  private  residences  in  this  district  are  built  of  wood 

BENEFITS  OF  THE  PACIFIC  RAILROAD  AND  ITS  BRANCHES. — The  Central 
Pacific  railroad  at  the  nearest  point  will  be  about  20  miles  distant  from  Virginia. 
1C ven  were  there  no  railroad  connection  between  the  two  points,  we  should  yet 
feel  the  advantage  of  this  great  thoroughfare,  in  more  rapid  and  certain  com- 
munication with  the  seaboard,  and  in  reduced  rates  of  freight.  But  its  benefits 
ire  likely  to  be  largely  increased  by  the  construction  of  a  line  from  Virginia  to 
a  point  on  the  Truckee  river,  about  26  miles  east  of  the  State  line.  This  line 
ias  been  carefully  surveyed,  its  chief  features  being  enumerated  in  the  following 
abstract : 

Length  of  road  from  the  Savage  mine  in  Virginia  to  the  Truckee  river  and 
Central  Pacific  railroad,  20  miles. 

Total  length  of  road,  22  miles. 

Total  elevation  to  be  overcome,  1,996  feet. 

Average  grade  per  mile,  115T5y4o  feet. 

Heaviest  grade  per  mile,  180  feet. 

Minimum  curve,  radius,  300  feet. 

Percentage  of  straight  line,  65. 

Total  estimated  cost,  including  equipment,  &c.,  $1,105,743. 

Total  estimated  revenue  per  annum,  $1,368,320. 

Probable  net  profits,  60  per  cent,  of  gross  revenue. 

This  line  follows  a  hillside  grade  along  the  Washoe  mountains  to  a  point  J  J 
miles  north  of  Virginia,  where  it  descends  into  Long  valley,  and  follows  the 
waters  of  that  valley  to  the  Truckee  river.  These  flow  through  smooth  valleys, 
occasionally  interrupted  by  deep  gorges  bounded  on  either  side  by  lofty  precipitous 
>lufTs  of  trachyte  or  basalt;  but  in  all  cases  the  bottom  of  the  cafion  is  compara- 
ively  smooth,  and  wide  enough  to  admit  of  the  construction  of  a  good  road  with- 
out being  compelled  to  adopt  a  hillside  grade,  except  in  one  instance,  for  about 
miles.  Owing  to  these  circumstances,  a  good  road  can  be  built  for  a  very 
noderate  outlay,  though  the  route  lies  through  very  rough  and  broken  moun- 
tains. 

A  preliminary  reconnoissance  of  this  route  was  made  early  this  spring,  and  the 
lotailed  location  has  just  been  completed  with  very  flattering  prospects.  The 
mportance  of  the  early  completion  of  this  road  to  the  mining  interest  of  this  dis- 
rict  is  almost  beyond  calculation.  Its  effects  will  be  felt  in  the  reduced  price  of 
reight  on  general  merchandise,  in  the  reduced  cost  of  firewood  and  lumber,  and 
11  the  possibility  of  working  ores  at  present  valueless  iVom  their  too  poor  quality. 

At  the  present  time  about  30,000  tons  of  general  merchandise  are  brought  from 
California  to  Nevada  annually  for  consumption  in  this  district,  at  a  cost  for  trans- 
)ortation  of  about  $1,800,000.  Through  railroad  communication  with  Sacra- 
mento will  result  in  a  saving  of  upwards  of  $900,000  per  annum,  of  which  about 
10  per  cent,  or  $90,000  may  be  credited  to  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  railroad. 

The  road  will  also  make  the  pine  forests  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas  easily  accessible 
xom  Virginia,  and  from  this  source  both  lumber  and  firewood  can  be  supplied  to 
Virginia  .and  Gold  Hill  at  a  reduction  of  fully  35  per  cent,  on  present  rates.  The 
'ollowing  details  of  the  probable  business  of  the  road  are  from  the  report  of  the 
chief  engineer,  J.  E.  James.  The  figures  show  the  present  actual  consumption 
n  the  localities  where  the  opening  of  railroad  communication  with  the  Truckee 
river  and  the  Central  Pacific  railroad  would  affect  their  price : 

According  to  the  estimate  of  parties  likely  to  be  well  informed,  firewood  can  be  delivered 
at  the  Truckee  terminus  of  the  read  at  $;J  or  $3  CO  per  cord.  They  propose  to  cut  this  fire- 
wood in  the  Sierras  and  float  it  down  the  Truckee  river.  Logs  are  at  present  furnished  to 
Eastman's  saw-mill  (only  a  few  miles  higher  up  the  river)  from  this  source,  showing  the  plan 
o  be  feasible,  and  furnishing  data  on  which  to  base  an  estimate.  Supposing,  however,  that 
these  estimates  are  too  low,  and  that  the  price  at  the  terminus  is  $5  per  cord,  your  company 
can  supply  the  entire  demabd  of  Virginia,  Gold  Hill  and  Silver  City  at  $10  per  cord.  In 
Virginia  and  Gold  Hill  this  would  be  $4  per  cord  less  than  ruling  rates  to  large  consumers, 

25 


386  RESOURCES   OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

and  $6  or  $7  less  than  is  usually  paid  by  private  families,  and  would  certainly  control  the 
entire  business,  shown  by  the  accompanying  tables  to  be  as  follows : 

For  mills  as  per  schedule,  daily - 223cords. 

For  mines  as  per  schedule,  daily 72     ' 

For  domestic  use 60     ** 

Total 355     " 

The  present  price  of  timber  and  lumber  for  mining  purposes  ranges  from  $28  to  $30  per 
1,000  feet,  board  measure. 

In  the  report  of  the  county  assessor  to  the  surveyor  general  of  the  State,  for  J866,  the  cost 
of  delivering  logs  and  manufacturing  them  into  lumber  at  Russell  &  Crowe's  mill,  at  Empire 
City,  is  given  at  $12  per  1,000  feet,  which  is  probably  not  far  from  a  correct  estimate.  These 
logs  are  floated  down  the  Carson  river  a  distance  of  from  60  to  100  miles,  from  the  forests  of 
Alpine  county,  California.  Lumber  can  be  manufactured  on  the  Truckee  at  rates  equally 
favorable,  thus  enabling  your  company  to  place  it  in  the  market  at  a  price  not  exceeding 
$21  per  1,000  feet.  The  following  condensed  statement  shows  nearly  the  present  annual 
consumption : 

Required  by  mines 17,910,100  feet. 

Required  by  mills 920,000     " 

Required  for  other  purposes 5,000,000    ' 

Total 23,830,  100     " 

We  have  then  the  following  result  per  annum  : 

Saving  on  127,800  cords  of  wood,  at  $5 $639,  000 

Saving  on  23,800,000  feet  lumber,  at  $7  per  1,000 16G,  600 

Saving  on  30,000  tons  merchandise 90,  000 

895,  600 

equal  to  $1  50  on  every  ton  of  ore  raised  from  the  mines. 
We  again  quote  from  the  report  of  the  chief  engineer  : 

The  facilities  afforded  by  the  Truckee  river  will  doubtless  create  an  immense  business  in 
the  transportation  of  low-grade  ores  to  that  river  for  reduction  by  water-power.  Competent 
judges  estimate  that  rock  yielding  $12  per  ton  can  be  reduced  with  profit  both  to  mine  and 
mill  by  taking  advantage  of  its  capabilities.  All  persons  at  all  familiar  with  our  mines  are 
aware  of  the  vast  amount  of  low-grade  ores  now  standing  in  the  Comstock  mines.  We 
believe  that  1,000  tons  of  this  class  of  ore  would  be  extracted  daily  in  a  short  period  after  the 
completion  of  the  road,  but  allowing  for  the  gradual  growth  of  the  traffic,  have  based  our 
estimate  on  500  tons  daily  for  the  first  year  of  operations. 

On  a  basis  of  500  tons  daily,  there  would  be  from  this  source  alone  an  increase 
on  the  annual  production  of  bullion  as  follows :  180,000  tons,  averaging  $15 
per  ton,  $2,700,000  or,  supposing  the  quantity  to  be  increased  to  1,000  tons,  the 
amount  would  be  $5,400,000. 

This  bullion  can  be  secured  to  circulation  in  no  other  way. 

Neither  will  the  advantages  cease  at  this  point.  The  ability  to  work  Si 5  ores 
to  advantage  will  immediately  enable  many  mines  at  present  lying  idle  to  resume 
operations,  and  very  materially  lessen  the?  annual  assessment  list.  Neither  can 
it  be  doubted  that  the  reduced  cost  of  working  will  gradually  cause  the  removal 
of  other  mills  to  the  Truckee.  If  all  the  ores  were  worked  at  that  point  the 
saving  to  the  community  would  amount  to  upwards  of  $1,000,000  per  annum, 
equal  to  nearly  seven  per  cent,  on  the  gross  yield  per  annum  of  the  Comstock 
lode.  The  minimum  cost  of  mining  ores  has  probably  been  reached ;  we  must, 
therefore,  look  to  improvements  in  the  mode  and  cost  of  reduction,  as  an  offset 
to  the  increased  expenditure  necessary  to  deeper  "mining  operations,  if  we  would 
keep  our  net  profits  at  their  present  position. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  387 

SECTION    III. 

THE    SUTRO    TUNNEL. 

One  of  the  most  important  enterprises  connected  with  the  mining  interests  of 
the  Pacific  coast  is  the  proposed  Sutro  tunnel,  briefly  referred  to  in  prelim- 
inary report.  • 

The  magnitude  of  the  work,  its  "bearing  upon  the  future  yield  of  the  mines 
located  upon  the  Comstock  lode,  and  its  probable  influence  in  demonstrating  the 
continuity  of  mineral  lodes  in  depth,  in  other  parts  of  our  territory,  where  the 
conditions  may  be  similar,  have  been  set  forth  in  various  reports  upon  the  subject. 

The  Mechanics'  Institute  of  San  Francisco,  a  body  composed  of  highly  intel- 
ligent men,  some  time  since  appointed  a  committee  to  make  a  report  upon  the 
proposed  tunnel,  as  being  a  work  beneficial  to  the  mechanical  interests  of  the 
coast.  The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  the  report,  which  is  quite  an  elab- 
orate document : 

YIELP  OF  BULLION. — These  mines  have  now  a  world-wide  reputation  ;  the  yield  of  the 
precious  metals  from  the  Comstock  lode  far  exceeds  that  of  any  other  locality. 
The  annual  produce  for  the  past  five  years  has  been  in  round  numbers  as  follows  : 

1862 $4,000,000 

18KJ 12,000,000 

1864 16,000,000 

1865 15,000,000 

1866 16,000,000 

Total  produce  in  five  years $63,000,000 

The  total  annual  production  of  silver  in  the  world  in  1854  is  stated  by  Professor  Whitney 
at  $47,44:5,200.  The  bullion  obtained  from  the  Comstock  lode  in  1866  is,  therefore,  equal  to 
more  than  one-third  in  value  of  all  the  silver  produced  in  1854.  Mexico,  in  its  most  flour- 
ishing days,  from  1795  to  1810,  produced  an  annual  average  of  $24,000,000  from  several 
thousand  mines.  After  1810,  when  the  revolution  took  place,  the  yield  of  the  mines  fell  in 
some  years  to  as  low  a  f.gure  as  $4,500,000,  but  the  average  from  1810  to  1825  shows 
$10,000,000.  At  the  present  time  the  entire  product  of  Mexico  does  not  exceed  that  of  the 
Comstock  lode. 

The  celebrated  mines  of  Potosi  averaged  about  $4,000,000  per  annum  for  300  years;  those 
on  the  Veta  Madre  (mother  vein)  of  Guanajuato  about  $3,000,000  for  an  equal  period,  and 
the  mines  of  the  Real  del  Monte  Company,  on  the  Biscanya  vein  in  Mexico,  over  $400,000 
for  the  last  110  years,  or  a  total  of  $44,000,000,  a  less  amount  than  has  been  obtained  from  the 
Comstock  lode  in  the  last  three  years. 

PROFITS  OF  MINING. — The  immense  yield  of  bullion  from  the  Comstock  lode  will  lead  one 
to  suppose  that  the  profits  realized  by  the  owners  have  been  proportional  to  the  yield,  but 
this  has  not  been  the  case. 

It  is  true  that  the  value  of  bullion  obtained  by  some  companies  has  greatly  exceeded  the 
current  expenses,  as,  for  example,  the  Gould  and  Curry  ;  the  net  profits  of  which  amount  to 
over  $3,000,000.  But  some  Other  companies  have  expended  large  sums  of  money  and  realized 
little,  and  some  nothing  at  all.  We  have  no  accurate  figures  for  the  earlier  years,  but  com- 
paring the  dividends  with  the  assessments  levied,  we  fiud  that  the  aggregate  produce  of  the 
mines  has  been  swallowed  up  by  expenses.  In  1.8f)5  the  dividends  puid  amount  to  $  1 ,900,000, 
and  the  assessments  levied  to  $1,950,000,  or  $50,000  more  than  the  dividends. 

lu  1866  the  dividends  paid  were  $1,794, 400;  the  assessments  levied,  $1,232,380.  Dividends 
over  assessments,  $662,020.  In  the  first  years  of  operations  on  the  Comstock  lode,  the 
expenditures  for  machinery,  which  had  to  be  transported  from  California  across  the  Sierra 
Nevada  mountains,  for  the  erection  of  costly  reduction  works,  and  for  other  permanent 
improvements,  together  with  the  extravagant  prices  paid  for  reducing  ores  in  a  very  imperfect 
manner,  absorbed  nearly  the  whole  produce.  Latterly,  the  only  increase  of  expense  has  been 
in  mining  operations  ;  as  greater  depths  were  reached  a  largo  amount  of  prospecting  or  dead 
work  had  to  be  done,  and  additions  made  to  the  pumping  and  hoisting  machinery,  almost 
counterbalancing  the  reduction  in  the  cost  of  crushing  the  ore,  of  labor,  and  of  freight,  and 
we  consequently  find  that  the  aggregate  profits  of  the  mines  at  the  end  of  the  last  year  bear 
but  a  small  ratio  to  the  production. 

The  cost  of  labor  and  of  reducing  ores  will  gradually  diminish  from  year  to  year,  and  on  the 
completion  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad  from  Sacramento  to  the  valley  of  theTruckee  river, 
which  will  certainly  be  effected  in  the  year  1868,  the  price  of  transportation  from  San  Francisco 
to  the  mines  will  not  be  more  than  one-third  of  the  average  rates  heretofore  paid.  But  we  do 
not  believe  that  any  reduction  of  expenses  on  these  items  which  can  be  made  will  be  sufficient 
to  meet  the  increased  cost  of  working  the  mines,  after  a  few  years,  when  greater  depths  are 


388  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

attained,  if  the  present  system  of  pumping  out  the  water,  and  of  raising  the  ore  and  refuse 
through  shafts  to  the  surface,  is  continued. 

In  the  late  report  of  R.  H.  Stretch,  esq,,  State  mineralogist  of  Nevada,  we  find  it  stated 
that  47  steam  engines  are  now  in  operation  on  the  Comstock  lode,  which  answer  all  the  present 
requirements,  but  every  addition  to  the  depth  demands  additional  power,  correspondent 
augmentation  of  Capital  invested  in  machinery,  and  a  larger  annual  demand  for  fuel.  The 
little  wood  there  was  originally  in  the  vicinity  of  Virginia  City  was  long  since  exhausted;  it 
has  now  to  be  obtained  almost  exclusively  from  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  moun- 
tains, and  as  the  nearer  timber  is  destroyed,  it  must  be  hauled  a  greater  distance  and  at  an 
increased  price. 

If  we  take  into  consideration  the  cost  of  machinery,  of  annual  additions  and  repairs,  and 
of  consumption  of  fuel,  wages  of  employes,  delays  caused  by  breaking  of  pumps,  expense  of 
explorations,  obstacles  in  securing  good  ventilation  and  increase  of  heat  with  the  depth,  and 
the  financial  result  of  past  years,  we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  the  mode  now  adopted 
of  working  these  mines  cannot  long  be  prosecuted  with  profit  to  the  owners. 

The  result  of  similar  operations  in  other  countries,  as  furnished  by  Humboldt,  Ward,  St. 
Clair  Duport,  and  other  writers,  conveys  an  instructive  lesson  to  persons  interested  in  min- 
ing enterprises.  These  authorities  agree  that  mining  from  the  surface  must  always  prove 
suicidal  to  the  interests  of  the  owners  when  the  position  of  the  mines  will  allow  the  construc- 
tion of  adits  or  tunnels,  which  will  drain  the  water,  ventilate  the  mines,  and  diminish  the  cost 
of  removing  the  ore  and  valueless  mateiial. 

Humboldt,  in  his  "Assay  Politique  sur  la  Nouvelle  Espagne,"  published  in  1803,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  Veta  Madre  of  Guanajuato,  a  lode  much  resembling  the  Comstock,  exclaims: 

"It  is,  indeed,  strange  that  mines  of  such  richness  have  no  tunnels  for  draining,  when  the 
neighboring  ravines  of  Cata  and  Marfil  and  the  plains  of  Turaascatio,  which  are  below  the 
level  of  the  lowest  works  of  the  Valenciana  mine,  would  seem  to  invite  the  miner  to  com- 
mence works  which  would  serve  for  drainage,  and  at  the  same  time  afford  facilities  for  trans- 
porting materials  to  the  smelting  and  amalgamation  works." 

A  gentleman  of  intelligence,  whom  Humboldt  questioned  in  regard  to  this  want  of  wisdom, 
replied  "that  the  excavation  of  a  general  tunnel  would  be  a  work  very  expensive,  and  per- 
haps impossible,  on  account  of  the  want  of  union  among  the  proprietors  of  the  different  mines." 

THE  VALENCIANA  MINE. — Upon  this  lode  is  located  the  celebrated  Valeneiana  mine, 
which,  according  to  Humboldt,  was  first  opened  by  Obregon,  a  young  Spaniard,  who,  with- 
out means,  commenced  prospecting  on  a  part  of  the  vein  which  up  to  that  time  had  been 
unproductive. 

After  undergoing  many  privations,  he  at  last  struck  an  immense  body  of  ore,  from  which 
alone  was  extracted,  from  the  1st  of  January,  1787,  to  the  llth  of  June,  1791,  the  sum  of 
$14,764,492  of  silver,  out  of  134,988  tons  of  ore.  Seuor  Obregon,  afterwards  known  as  the 
Count  of  Valeneiana,  became  the  richest  man  in  Mexico,  and  probably  in  the  world,  at  that 
time.  As  greater  depths  were  attained,  the  increase  of  expense  became  such  that  the  mine 
ceased  to  yield  a  profit,  and  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  revolution  in  1810,  it  was  allowed 
to  fill  with  earth  and  water.  In  1825,  this  mine,  together  with  many  others,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  a  wealthy  English  company,  who  expended  21  months  in  draining  it  of  water,  but 
the  expenses  of  mining  and  pumping  were  so  great  that  after  some  years  the  lower  works 
were  again  abandoned. 

THE  ENGLISH  REAL  DEL  MONTE  COMPANY. — The  most  remarkable  and  disastrous  expe- 
rience made  by  any  foreign  company  in  Mexico  has  been  that  of  the  English  Real  del  Monte 
Company. 

They  became,  in  the  year  1823,  the  possessors  of  the  Biscanya  and  several  other  veins,  the 
former  having  been  worked  for  many  years,  and  having  yielded  large  amounts  of  silver, 
prior  to  .1749.  At  that  date  an  intelligent  miner,  named  Bustamente,  concluded  to  run  an 
adit,  or  tunnel,  in  order  to  effect  their  drainage.  He  labored  long  and  patiently,  and  was 
supplied  with  means  by  Don  Pedro  Terreros,  who  continued  the  work  after  the  decease  of 
Bustamente.  In  1759  the  vein  was  reached,  after  running  a  tunnel  9,000  feet  in  length, 
cutting  the  vein  at  a  depth  of  COO  feet  beneath  the  surface,  and  exposing  to  view  an  immense 
body  of  ore.  Terreros,  in  the  12  succeeding  years,  drew  from  his  mines  a  clear  profit  of 
$6,000,000;  he  obtained  the  title  of  Count  of  Regla  by 'the  munificence  of  his  donations  to 
the  Court  of  Madrid ;  he  presented  Charles  III  with  two  ships  of  the  line,  (one  of  112  guns, 
constructed  at  Havana  of  the  most  costly  material, )  and  accommodated  him  besides  with  a 
loan  of  $1,000,000,  no  part  of  which  has  been  repaid. 

His  successor,  the  second  count,  continued  the  working  of  the  mines,  but  not  with  equal 
profit,  for  the  upper  portions  of  the  vein  being  worked  out,  he  was  compelled  to  go  below  the 
adit,  and  the  water  encountered  required  1,200  horses  to  pump  it  out,  at  an  annual  expendi- 
ture of  $250,000.  After  struggling  for  many  years,  and  after  a  depth  of  324  feet  under  the 
adit  had  been  reached,  the  work  was  abandoned,  and  the  mine  allowed  to  fill  with  water. 

It  was  in  this  state  when  the  English  Real  del  Monte  Company  took  possession ;  they 
expected,  by  substituting  powerful  steam  machinery  for  the  horse  whims  which  had  been 
employed  by  the  Mexicans,  to  make  the  mines  again  profitable.  The  result,  however,  was 
very  disastrous,  for  in  the  23  years  they  held  the  mines  the  expenditures  were  $J  5,381, 633; 
while  the  total  yield  was  $10,481,475,  showing  a  loss  of  nearly  $5,000,000. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  389 

They  first  erected  two  steam  engines  of  36-inch  cylinders  each,  which  freed  the  mine  from 
water  to  a  depth  of  324  feet  under  the  adit ;  at  this  point  another  one  was  required  and  erected 
of  54-inch  cylinder,  by  which  the  working  was  carried  to  724  feet  under  the  adit ;  but  here 
again  the  engines  were  overpowered,  and  still  another  engine  of  75-inch  cylinder  was  erected. 

Mr.  John  Buchan,  the  superintendent  of  the  mine,  in  one  of  his  reports,  made  in  1852,  says: 

44  After  the  mine  had  reached  a  depth  of  710  feet  under  the  adit  (1,310  feet  below  the  sur- 
face) the  difficulties  of  drainage  had  so  increased,  both  from  augmented  quantity  of  water 
and  the  greater  height  to  raise  it  to  the  point  of  discharge,  that  three  powerful  steam  engines 
could  barely  stem  the  coming  waters  ot  the  mine. 

"With  the  increased  difficulty  of  drainage,  seeing  three  bunches  of  ore  worked  out,  and 
a  debt  of  $5,000,000  still  outstanding,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  energy  and  perseverance 
of  the  English  adventurers  were  at  last  exhausted. 

44  Had  the  company  prosecuted  a  projected  deeper  drain  tunnel,  it  would  have  secured  the 
continued  prosperity  of  the  mines  for  many  years  to  come.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the 
first  Count  of  Regla  distinguished  himself  and  made  the  fortune  of  his  family  by  driving 
the  present  adit ;  the  second  count  reached  down  324  feet  below  it,  being  the  limit  to  which 
the  mines  could  be  worked  with  profit  by  horse  power  drainage.  The  English  company,  by 
the  powerful  aid  of  steam  machinery,  carried  down  the  workings  to  720  feet  below  the  adit ; 
but  nere  we  fiud  another  limit  to  profitable  working,  as  the  deeper  excavations  of  the  Bis- 
canya  vein  are  again  abandoned  to  fill  with  water. 

"  A  deeper  adit,  which  had  to  be  driven  a  distance  of  13,500  feet,  had  been  commenced  by 
the  second  count.  The  English  company  unfortunately  adopted  the  more  speedy  plan,  as  it 
was  supposed,  of  employing  steam  engines,  instead  of  the  slower  but  surer  plan  of  driving 
home  the  deep  adit,  which  could  have  been  done  with  the  investment  of  but  little  more 
capital  than  that  expended  in  applying  steam  engines,  and  would  no  doubt  have  given  a 
very  different  turn  to  the  fortune  of  that  company." 

Mr.  W.  P.  Robertson  thus  relates  the  financial  history  of  this  company : 

44 The  London  Real  del  Monte  Company  commenced  working  on  a  magnificent  scale; 
then,  under  the  influence  of  a  panic,  suddenly  deserted,  in  the  most  critical  time,  their  judi- 
cious and  indefatigable  agent  at  the  mine,  and  the  result  has  been  unmitigated  ruin.  The 
mania  in  London  at  the  time  (1823  to  1825)  was  so  strong  and  so  general  that  no  expenditure 
was  for  a  moment  grudged.  People  thought  they  were  laying  out  tens  to  receive  back 
thousands,  so  they  paid  up  their  tens  with  surprising  alacrity.  The  management  in  London 
of  many  of  the  new  companies  under  the  reaction  was  miserably  bad,  and  in  the  end  many 
of  the  shareholders  were  completely  ruined  and  retired  to  cottages,  there  to  abandon  forever 
their  4  Chateaux  en  Espagne.' 

44  In  1825,  the  late  Mr.  Kinder,  the  enthusiastic  leader  of  the  Real  del  Monte  Company, 
was  offered  $8,000  for  each  of  his  30  shares  of  $500  paid  up  in  that  concern ;  he  refused  to 
sell,  that  is,  he  would  not  take  $240,000  for  what  had  cost  him  $15,000.  The  reaction  set 
in,  and  down  went  all  shares.  In  1845-'46,  those  of  Real  del  Monte  were  to  be  had  at 
$12  50  each;  that  is,  Mr.  Kinder's  30  shares,  which  in  1825  were  worth  $240,000,  had  grad- 
ually dwindled  down  to  $375!  The  company  was  all  but  bankrupt ;  no  more  assessments 
were  listened  to  ;  and  the  debts  could  not  be  paid  with  unsalable  engines,  though  they  kept 
up  the  steam,  nor  yet  with  stones,  although  silver  was  in  them.  The  shares  have  since  gone 
to  nil;  no  one  will  have  them  fenced  in,  as  they  are  with  unknown  responsibilities  and 
debts.  In  vain  did  their  new,  active,  intelligent,  and  enterprising,  though  prudent  manager 
and  agent,  Mr.  Buchan,  write  to  the  shareholders  to  take  heart  and  not  to  throw  away  their 
property.  They  had  been  panic-stricken  in  the  first  instance,  they  had  got  sick  of  the 
business  in  the  second,  and  in  this  last  and  most  helpless  fit,  they  entered  into  negotiations 
for  the  sale  of  the  property  to  a  Mexican  company.  A  bargain  was  struck,  and  the  perpetual 
lease  of  Real  del  Monte,  with  everything  on  it,  passed  from  the  hands  of  the  Real  del  Monte 
bondholders  for  an  old  song.  The  entire  sum  paid  was  $130,000,  fora  business  on  which 
$7,000,000  had  first  and  last  been  expended ;  and  even  of  the  mite  to  be  recovered,  three- 
fourths  were  not  to  go  into  the  hands  of  the  bondholders  at  all,  but  to  be  appropriated  in 
Real  del  Monte  itself  in  the  liquidation  of  sums  still  due  to  the  servants  of  the  old  company. 
What  a  winding  up  !  Shares  once  worth  $8,000  euch,  now  not  worth  30  cents!  and  the 
actual  movable  property  on  the  estate,  in  houses,  workshops,  machinery,  crushing  establish- 
ment, timber,  wood,  iron  implements,  utensils,  steam  engines,  horses,  horned  cattle,  mules, 
and  many  valuable  miscellaneous  materials,  must  bo  worth  altogether  some  millions  of 
dollars.  The  house  of  Reglu  alone  cost  a  million  and  a  half,  and  now  is  valued  at  a  million 
of  dollars— all  gone  for  $130,000. 

44 Thus  did  Real  del  Monte  pass  from  the  Counts  of  Regla  in  Mexico,  and  thus  has  it 
passed  from  the  luckless  shareholders  in  London — the  first  paying  the  penalty  of  personal 
extravagance,  the  other  an  equally  severe  one  of  wild  speculation  and  injudicious  manage- 
ment. It  is  now  in  wiser  hands  than  theirs,  and  prosperity  dawns  again  on  this  almost 
national  establishment  or  colony." 

This  history  of  the  Real  del  Monte  mine  teaches  a  valuable  lesson,  confirmed  by  the  result 
of  almost  every  similar  enterprise  in  Mexico.  They  show  that  after  a  certain  depth  has  been 
reached  and  no  drain  tunnels  constructed,  the  mines  have  been  abandoned  and  the  proprie- 
tors ruined. 


390  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

St.  Clair  Duport,  who  published  a  work  on  the  mines  of  Mexico  in  1843,  gives  a  general 
sketch  of  raining  operations,  which  is  a  perfect  representation  of  recent  experience  in  Cali- 
fornia and  Nevada.  He  says  : 

"Opening  a  mine  by  accident,  somebody  discovers,  guided  by  the  croppings  elevated 
above  the  soil,  quartz  containing  some  metal.  He  exposes  some  pieces  to  white  heat,  and  if 
he  discovers  thereon  globules,  or  pearls  of  silver,  he  takes  up  the  claim.  The  discoverer 
now  seeks  partners  with  capital  to  work  this  claim,  as  generally  the  means  of  one  man  are 
not  sufficient  for  such  an  enterprise.  At  first  they  generally  seek  to  extract  the  ore  by  fol- 
lowing down  on  the  vein,  and  open  a  number  of  shafts  along  its  course ;  but  in  the  same  ratio 
as  these  shafts  increase  in  depth  the  water  increases  too  ;  galleries  and  new  shafts  become 
necessary,  and  finally,  as  is  generally  the  case  when  the  largest  portion  of  the  yield  hus  been 
expended  in  such  operations,  particularly  in  mines  which  are  not  extraordinarily  rich  in 
minerals,  the  work  has  to  stop  on  account  of  bad  air  and  abundance  of  water,  the  improve- 
ments being  of  no  further  use. 

"The  owners  now  look  for  new  partners  ;  if  the  vein  presents  probabilities  of  richness  at 
a  greater  depth,  persons  can  be  found  who,  for  a  portion  of  the  stock,  generally  for  half, 
advance  the  necessary  means,  which  is  to  be  repaid  out  of  the  first  yield  of  the  mine. 

"After  the  water  has  been  removed,  and  the  shafts  and  galleries  are  made,  and  really  rich 
ore  is  found,  then  commences  the  good  time  of  the  mine.  Arrived  at  a  depth  where  silver 
generally  is  abundant,  and  when  the  expenses  to  bring  the  water  and  ore  to  the  surface  are 
not  too  great,  mining  is  a  good  paying  business ;  that  is  what  is  called  in  the  miner's  lan- 
guage lla  bonanza.1  This  time  is  hoped  for  with  ardent  desire,  not  only  by  the  owners  of  the 
mine  and  the  miners  employed,  but  also  by  the  entire  neighborhood.  In  this  case  labor,  and 
all  necessary  articles  for  mining,  are  in  demand,  and  well  paid  for;  the  money  earned  with 
ease  is  spent  freely,  and  everybody  in  the  whole  mining  region  having  any  claims  is  full  of 
hopes  to  strike  it  equally  rich.  The  buildings  for  the  reduction  of  ores  are  now  erected,  and 
veiy  often  in  a  style  altogether  too  costly  for  their  use.  Next,  underground  works  are  con- 
structed to  facilitate  the  hoisting  of  ore  and  water.  In  case  the  mines  in  '  bonanza'  belong  to 
private  individuals,  these  works  are  executed  on  a  substantial  basis,  with  a  view  of  useful- 
ness for  the  future.  But  in  most  cases,  when  a  mine  is  divided  amongst  a  number  of  share- 
holders, they  present  such  a  diversity  of  ideas  that  they  often  cannot  agree  upon  anything  at 
all,  except  to  extract  the  most  money  from  their  mine  in  the  shortest  time  possible,  without 
even  looking  ahead  for  a  few  months.  For  this  reason  we  cannot  find  one  single  well- 
worked  gallery  in  such  mines.  The  richest  ore  is  torn  from  the  mine,  and  less  rich  ore 
remains  untouched  to  be  taken  out  when  'la  bonanza'  ceases.  It  is  difficult  to  understand 
why  in  times  of  prosperity  a  small  portion  of  the  yield  is  not  spent  to  make  new  developments. 

ABANDONMENT  OF  THE  MINE. — "  The  pay  streak  once  traversed,  and  the  increased  depth 
rendering  the  price  of  extraction  too  considerable,  the  'bonanza'  ceases.  The  less  rich  ore 
left  in  the  mine  is  now  taken  out,  and  one  of  the  greatest  expenses  being  the  keeping  down 
of  the  water,  the  lower  qualities  of  ore  are  abandoned. 

"The  reserved  middle  class  of  ores  will  pay  expenses  to  explore  the  mine  for  a  while,  but 
the  time  arrives  when  a  day's  work,  or  the  value  of  a  pound  of  ore,  ceases  to  pay,  and  the 
mine  is  thereafter  entirely  abandoned." 

The  author  of  the  above  description  of  mining  operations  in  Mexico,  written  25  years  ago, 
could  not  have  given  a  more  truthful  account  of  operations  in  the  Cornstock  lode  had  he 
spent  the  last  six  or  seven  years  in  Virginia  City.  Our  mining  companies  have  been  pur- 
suing exactly  the  same  course,  and  have  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  their  Mexican  prede- 
cessors. Ruin  of  the  owners  and  abandonment  of  the  mines  has  been  the  result  there  ;  ruin 
and  abandonment  must  follow  upon  the  suicidal  course  pursued  here. 

MINING  IN  EUROPE. — If  we  turn  to  Europe,  however,  we  find  that  mining  is  carried  on 
with  intelligence,  economy,  and  with  a  view  to  permanency.  In  England  but  few  mines 
are  located  at  any  considerable  elevation  above  sea  level,  and  deep  drainage  by  adits  is 
impossible.  But  each  mine  has  its  adit,  however  small  its  depth  may  be  beneath  the  surface, 
and  in  stating  the  depth  of  shafts  in  England  they  are  given  from  the  adit  downwards  ;  what 
is  above  the  adit  is  not  counted  at  all. 

The  most  remarkable  work  of  this  kind  in  Great  Britain  is  the  great  adit  in  Cornwall,  of 
which  an  English  writer  says : 

"The  advantages  of  working  mines  by  adits  are  well  shown  at  the  United  mines,  near 
Redruth,  where  an  adit  has  been  driven,  commencing  only  a  few  feet  above  the  sea  level, 
which,  with  its  branches,  has  a  length  of  from  30  to  40  miles,  and  a  depth  under  the  mines 
of  from  180  to  420  feet.  By  means  of  this  work  a  saving  in  the  consumption  of  coal  is 
effected  amounting  to  24,000  tons  per  annum.  This  magnificent  undertaking  was  completed 
in  1768." 

MINES  IN  GERMANY.  —The  mines  in  Germany  present  by  far  the  finest  field  for  studying 
mining  operations  reduced  to  a  science.  There  mining  schools  and  learned  professors  have 
for  years  prepared  young  men,  who  were  to  be  placed  in  charge  of  mines,  with  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  all  the  varied  branches  required  of  mining  engineers.  It  is  owing  quite  as 
much  to  intelligent  management  as  to  the  low  rates  of  wages  that  mines  are  profitably 
worked  in  Germany  which  would  be  considered  valueless  in  California  or  Nevada.  There 
\ve  see  the  most  complete  systems  of  drainage  and  ventilation,  and  mines  placed  beyond  the 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  391 

usual  contingencies  of  such  enterprises,  yielding  nearly  uniform  dividends,  and  regarded  by 
capitalists  as  good  security  for  investment. 

THE  FRIEBERG  DISTRICT. — A  few  years  since  it  was  proposed  to  drain  the  Frieberg  min- 
ing district  by  an  adit-level  of  the  extraordinary  length  of  24  miles,  which  would  cut  the 
vein  at  a  mean  depth  of  2,000  feet.  This  plan  was  vigorously  supported  by  Von  Beust  and 
other  eminent  mining  engineers,  and  received  the  sanction  of  tae  Saxon  government.  This 
gigantic  work  has  not  yet  been  commenced,  but  a  deep  adit  is  now  being  driven,  which  will 
drain  the  mines  400  feet  below  the  present  deepest  natural  drainage,  and  will  have  a  length 
of  a  little  over  eight  miles.  It  IB  eight  feet  wide,  nearly  10  feet  high,  and  rises  in  the  whole 
distance  12  feet  6  inches. 

In  the  Harz  district  some  mines  have  attained  an  immense  depth.  Tho  mine  of  Andreas- 
berg  has  a  depth  of  2,450  feet,  being  one  of  the  deepest  mines  in  the  world  :  adits  have  been 
there  for  centuries,  the  largest  of  which  was  completed  three  years  ago. 

THE  ERNST  AUGUST  TUNNEL. — We  make  the  following  condensed  extract  from  a  report 
made  by  Dr.  Geissler  concerning  this  great  work,  called  the  Ernst  August  tunnel,  after  the 
late  King  of  Hanover: 

"On  the  22d  of  June,  1864,  a  drain  tunnel  was  completed  which  may  be  called  the  great- 
est work  of  the  kind  ever  executed.  To  explain  its  objects  and  importance  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  give  the  following  details: 

"The  mines  of  the  Harz  were  about  to  be  abandoned,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  about 
to  be  drowned  out  by  water  beyond  redemption.  In  the  course  of  time  the  explorations  in 
those  mines  went  deeper  and  deeper,  until  they  reached  a  depth  of  2,000  feet.  While  the 
higher  situated  galleries  ceased  to  yield  pay  ore  in  sufficient  quantity,  the  exceedingly  rich 
ores  discovered  in  the  lowest  levels  could  not  be  reached  on  account  of  great  bodies  of  water, 
which  pumps  and  engines  could  not  master,  and  the  lower  levels  had  to  be.  for  the  time 
being,  abandoned, 

"  There  have  been  drain  tunnels  in  the  Harz  for  a  long  time,  which  were  used  as  canals 
for  the  transportation  of  ores.  Already  at  the  commencement  of  the  16th  century  mechani- 
cal means  to  remove  the  water  from  the  mines  were  insufficient,  and  drain  tunnels  were  con- 
structed at  that  early  period.  The  first  tunnel  was  commenced  in  1525,  another  in  1549,  one 
in  1551,  and  still  another  in  1573.  By  aid  of  these  tunnels  mining  was  continued  in  those 
districts  for  200  years,  but  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century  it  became  difficult  again  to 
master  the  water. 

"In  1799  another  deep  tunnel — having  a  length,  including  galleries,  of  57,000  feet,  or 
nearly  11  miles — was  completed.  But  this  also,  afterwards,  was  considered  insufficient  for 
future  purposes,  for  notwithstanding  additional  engines  might  have  been  used  for  a  while, 
their  dimensions  and  cost  in  mines  which  had  reached  such  an  enormous  depth  would  have 
been  very  great.  And,  after  all,  the  surest  and  cheapest  way  for  water  to  be  removed  is  by 
its  natural  flow ;  the  engines  have  enough  to  do  in  pumping  tbe  water  up  to  the  Ernst  August 
tunnel,  as  that  gives  the  deepest  natural  drainage  which  can  ever  be  obtained. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  TUNNEL.— "In  1850,  after  careful  surveys  and  due  consideration,  the 
construction  of  the  Ernst  August  Tunnel  was  resolved  upon ;  it  was  to  commence  at  Gittelde, 
a  little  town  at  the  foot  of  the  Harz  mountains,  and  it  was  estimated  that  22  years  would  be 
required  for  its  completion,  but  it  only  took  a  little  over  half  that  time,  for  it  was  entirely 
completed  in  12  years  and  11  months.  Nine  shafts  had  been  sunk,  from  which  18  gal- 
leries or  drifts  were  run,  and  one  from  the  mouth,  so  that  the  work  progressed  from  19  ditfer- 
ent  points.  The  connections  were  made  with  such  perfection  that  they  could  not  be  recog- 
nized after  they  were  completed. 

"This  tunnel  has  a  uniform  fall  of  5  YV  inches  to  each  630  feet,  or  1  in  1,400;  its  height 
is  eight  feet  three  inches ;  its  width,  five  feet  six  inches,  and  its  shape  that  of  an  egg.  The 
water  has  a  sufficient  depth  to  allow  the  use  of  long  flat-boats,  for  the  transportation  of  ore. 
A  part  of  the  water-course  is  covered  over,  to  be  used  as  a  sidewalk  for  the  miners." 

NECESSITY  OF  A  TUNNEL  TO  THE  COMSTOCK  LODE.— We  have  thus  far  reviewed  the 
results  of  mining  experience  where  drain  tunnels  have  not  been,  and  where  they  have  been 
constructed,  and  the  conclusion  your  committee  arrives  at  is,  that  a  deep  drain  tunnel  to  the 
Comstock  lode  will  not  only  greatly  facilitate  mining  operations,  but  is  an  absolute  necessity ; 
the  sooner  it  is  constructed  the  more  benefit  will  be  derived  therefrom,  and  without  it  nothing 
is  more  certain  than  the  abandonment  of  those  mines  before  the  lapse  of  many  years. 

The  necessity  of  the  tunnel  having  been  sufficiently  demonstrated,  it  remains  to  show  that 
the  ore  which  will  probably  be  obtained  from  these  mines  will  justify  the  cost  of  construction. 

The  first  question  to  be  examined  is,  whether  the  ore  in  the  Comstock  lode  extends  to  an 
unlimited  depth.  This  question  has  been  so  ably  handled  by  Baron  Richthofen,  an  eminent 
geologist  of  the  highest  European  reputation,  that  we  content  ourselves  by  giving  some 
extracts  from  a  letter  written  by  him  upon  this  subject,  in  February,  1865,  and  published  in 
one  of  the  pamphlets  issued  by  the  Sutro  Tunnel  Company.  For  a  more  detailed  account 
of  the  geology  of  the  Washoe  country  we  refer  to  his  able  report,  to  be  seen  on  the  tables  of 
this  institute. 

CONTINUITY  OF  THE  COMSTOCK  LODE. — The  learned  Baron  says:  "The  value  of  a  deep 
tunnel  will,  of  course,  chiefly  depend  upon  the  question  whether  these  mines  will  ever  be 
worked  to  considerable  depth ;  that  is,  whether  the  Comstock  vein  will  extend  far  down,  and 


392  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

whether  it  will  retain  its  metalliferous  character  in  depth.  Both  questions  will  have  to  bo 
decided  from  the  study  of  the  structure  and  nature  of  the  Comstock  vein,  and  from  compar- 
ing the  results  with  the  observations  at  such  mines  in  other  countries  which  have  already- 
been  worked  to  great  depth.  My  experience  on  the  Comstock  vein  is  based  on  close  and 
repeated  examinations  of  nearly  all  the  mines  on  its  course.  I  believe  I  concur  with  almost 
everybody  who  has  had  equal  experience  about  them,  in  the  opinion  that  it  is  a  true  fissure 
vein,  of  extraordinary  length,  and  extending  downwards  much  further  than  any  mining 
works  will  ever  be  able  to  be  carried  on.  It  would  be  too  lengthy  to  enumerate  the  various 
reasons  which  lead  most  positively  to  this  conclusion.  It  is  now  assumed  almost  universally 
as  a  fact,  and  the  number  of  those  who  consider  it  as  a  gash  vein,  or  a  system  of  gash  veins, 
is  fast  diminishing. 

"As  to  the  downward  continuance  of  .the  ore-bearing  character,  every  instance  goes  to 
show  that  the  average  yield  in  precious  metals  remains  about  the  same  at  every  depth. 
Some  mines  had  accumulations  of  ore  near  the  surface,  (Ophir,  Mexican,  Gold  Hill;)  in 
others  they  commenced  very  near  under  the  surface,  (Gould  and  Curry,  Potosi,  Yellow 
Jacket,  Belcher;)  at  others,  again,  considerable  work  had  to  be  done  before  bodies  of  ore  of 
any  amount  were  struck,  (Chollar,  the  southern  part  of  Gold  Hill,  Uncle  Sam,  and  others;) 
and  some  which  had  no  ore  heretofore,  appear  to  have  good  prospects  to  find  it  soon.  The 
fact  that  some  rich  bodies  of  ore,  which  were  found  near  the  surface,  gave  out  at  a  depth  of 
a  few  hundred  feet,  induced  the  common  belief  that  the  Comstock  vein  was  becoming  poorer 
in  its  lower  parts.  But  the  explorations  of  the  last  few  months  have  entirely  defeated  this 
opinion.  On  the  contrary,  the  enormous  amount  of  bullion  which  is  being  produced  by  the 
mines  at  present  may  almost  appear  to  prove  that  the  vein  is  improving  in  depth.  But  this 
conclusion  is  probably  equally  fallacious,  as  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  many  mines  have 
been  developed  at  different  levels  and  ore  is  being  extracted  from  several  of  those.  Hoisting 
works  and  the  mode  of  extracting  the  ore  have  also  been  improved,  and  of  course  help  to 
increase  the  daily  produce.  This  average  equality  of  the  produce  of  the  vein  at  different 
levels  is  not  only  true  for  the  amount  of  ore  extracted  but  also  for  its  yield.  The  rich  body 
of  ore  in  the  Ophir  and  Mexican  mines  forms  the  only  exception  to  this  rule,  as  none  of  equal 
average  percentage  in  silver  and  gold  has  been  found  again.  Even  the  relative  proportion 
of  gold  and  silver  in  the  ore  has  not  undergone  any  material  change,  though  the  bullion,  on 
account  of  the  more  imperfect  process  of  reduction,  contained  at  first  proportionally  more 
gold  than  at  present. 

"There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  equality  of  average  produce  and  yield  throughout 
the  entire  length  of  the  vein  will  continue  downward  to  any  depth ;  besides  the  very  obvi- 
ous theoretical  conclusion  that  vast  amounts  of  silver  could  not  be  carried  into  the  fissure 
from  the  overlying  or  enclosing  rocks,  but  naturally  had  to  rise  from  unknown  depths, 
through  the  channel  of  the  fissure  itself,  to  be  deposited  in  it  where  the  conditions  for  subli- 
mation or  precipitation  were  given  in  its  open  space ;  experience  in  other  countries  by  no 
means  shows  of  a  regular  decrease  or  increase  in  yield  as  of  common  occurrence,  though 
either  of  them  may  happen.  More  commonly,  the  produce  of  true  fissure  veins  in  precious 
metals  has  been  found  to  be  about  constant." 

The  Baron  wrote  the  above  over  two  years  ago ;  the  explorations  made  since  that  time  in 
the  Hale  and  Norcross  and  other  mines,  strongly  confirm  the  views  expressed  by  him. 

Nearly  all  writers  who  have  specially  studied  the  question  of  the  continuance  of  mineral 
veins  in  depth  have  arrived  at  the  same  conclusion.  We  will  give  an  extract  upon  this  sub- 
ject from  an  eminent  French  writer,  M.  Burat.  He  says : 

"In  all  countries  where  isolated  veins  are  worked,  a  large  number  of  them  have  been 
abandoned  and  taken  up  again  ;  abandoned  because  accidents  or  barren  streaks  rendered  the 
working  burdensome,  and  afterwards  taken  up  again,  when  they  have,  by  the  aid  of  capital, 
been  made  productive  mines.  The  same  veins  have  been  declared  to  be  rich  or  exhausted 
for  these  reasons  at  different  times ;  exhausted  always  when  the  owners  were  discouraged, 
and  rich  after  the  execution  of  further  works  had  pierced  the  barren  places.  These  are  the 
facts  of  which  we  will  iclate  several  examples,  and  by  which  we  intend  to  prove  that  each 
reworking  of  a  vein  after  an  abandonment  more  or  less  long,  bears  witness  of  the  continuity 
of  mineral  veins  in  depth." 

Burat  and  other  prominent  writers  recite  numerous  instances  of  this  kind,  but  we  cannot 
give  place  to  them  in  this  report. 

THE   SUTRO  TUNNEL. 

The  proposed  tunnel  begins  3-J  miles  below  Dayton,  between  Corral  and  Webber  canons. 
The  distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel  to  the  Savage  Works  is  a  little  over  four  miles,  but 
as  the  Comstock  lode  dips  to  the  east,  it  will  be  cut  in  20,178  feet.  It  will  pass  through  the 
different  ledges  in  Silver  Star  and  other  districts  nearly  at  right  angles.  Allowing  a  grade 
of  one  inch  in  100  feet,  or  four  and  four-tonths  feet  per  mile,  it  will  be  1,922  feet  below  the 
floor  of  the  Savage  Works.  The  topography  of  the  country  is  admirably  adapted  for  sinking 
shatts,  four  of  which  are  proposed  to  be  put  down.  They  will  not  only  supply  the  tunnel 
with  fresh  air,  but  will  greatly  expedite  work,  as  drifts  can  bo  run  each  way  alter  reaching 
the  grade  of  the  tunnel.  The  distance  of  the  first  shaft  from  the  mouth  of  the  tunnei  is  4,070 
feet;  depth,  443  feet;  second  shaft  from  first,  5,150  feet;  depth,  980  feet;  third  shaft  from 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  393 

Pecond,  4,060  feet ;  depth,  1,436  feet;  fourth  shaft  from  third,  4,654  feet;  depth,  1,360  feet ; 
from  fourth  shaft  to  Comstock  lode,  2,244  feet ;  depth,  1,942  feet.  These  are  convenient  dis- 
tances for  working  and  ventilation.  The  mouth  is  about  one  and  a  half  mile  from  Carson 
river,  and  150  feet  above  high-water  mark.  There  is  a  gradual  descent  for  about  one-third 
of  a  mile,  in  which  a  fall  of  100  feet  is  obtained,  giving  sufficient  area  for  dumping  and  mill 
sites. 

The  vertical  section  of  the  tunnel  through  rock  not  requiring  any  support  is  a  circle  of  12 
feet  diameter,  with  offsets  3<|  feet  from  the  bottom,  about  one  foot  wide,  which  support  the 
superstructure  of  the  railroad  track  to  be  used  for  removing  ore  and  debris  from  the  mine. 
The  space  under  the  superstructure  is  for  drawing  the  water  from  the  lode.  Where  timber 
supports  are  required  to  sustain  the  adjacent  rock,  the  top  is  level,  and  10  feet  wide,  clear  of 
the  framing;  height  eight  feet  to  the  bottom  of  the  timbers  supporting  the  railroad,  where  it 
is  12  feet  wide  in  the  clear.  Below  this  there  is  a  triangular  space,  three  feet  seven  inches  in 
depth,  forming  the  water  way. 

The  estimates  of  the  cost  of  construction  have  been  very  ably  discussed  in  a  lengthy  report 
by  K.  G.  Carlyle,  esq.,  covering  some  200  pages  of  manuscript,  and  illustrated  by  numerous 
well-executed  diagrams.  Mr.  Carlyle  has  resided  some  years  in  Virginia  City,  when  he  was 
the  engineer  of  the  Gould  and  Curry  Company,  and  appears  to  be  thoroughly  familiar  with 
everything  connected  with  mining  in  that  country.  The  minuteness  with  which  he  goes  into 
the  details  of  the  proposed  work,  the  elaborate  calculations  into  which  he  enters,  and  the 
scrupulous  manner  in  which  he  weighs  his  conclusions,  entitle  his  report  to  careful  consider- 
ation. 

It  is  impossible  for  us  to  give  more  than  a  condensed  abstract  of  the  results  he  has  obtained. 
The  basis  of  his  calculations  is  the  experience  of  himself  and  others  in  mining  near  Virginia 
City,  and  the  statements  of  Baron  Kichthofen  in  regard  to  the  character  of  the  material 
encountered  in  the  construction  of  the  tunnel.  The  Baron  says : 

"The  facilities  of  excavating  the  tunnel  would  depend  mainly  upon  the  quality  of  the 
rock  through  which  it  will  pass.  It  is  a  remarkably  fortunate  incident  that  the  route  selected 
by  Mr.  Sutro  not  only  gives  the  greatest  depth,  is  the  shortest,  has  the  best  facilities  for 
working  shafts,  but  promises  also  in  this  respect  to  be  the  most  advantageous.  The  first 
6,000  or  7,000  feet  will  be  through  trachyte  and  trachytic  breccia,  which  in  a  broad  semicir- 
cular belt  of  prominent  hills,  swing  from  Dayton  by  the  Sugarloaf  to  Washoe  valley. 
Trachytic  breccia  may  easily  be  worked  by  the  pick,  yet  is  ordinarily  solid  and  dry  enough 
to  require  no  timbering.  An  idea  of  its  excellent  qualities  for  tunnelling  may  be  formed 
from  the  fact  that  in  Hungary  wine  cellars  hundreds  of  feet  in  length  are  with  preference 
excavated  in  this  kind  of  rock.  The  solid  trachyte  is  an  excellent  blasting  rock.  Its  supe- 
rior qualities  have  caused  its  general  use  in  Washoo  for  building  material ;  it  was  as  such 
applied  in  the  construction  of  the  solid  masonry  of  Gould  and  Curry  mill.  With  the  use  of 
the  drilling  machine  of  Mount  Cenis,  speedy  work  will  be  made  in  this  rock.  The  next 
2,500  feet  will,  to  all  probability,  exhibit  a  great  variety  of  rock,  some  of  which  will  be  rather 
hard.  The  following  10,000  feet  to  the  cutting  of  the  vein  will  most  likely  consist  of  the 
same  material  as  is  traversed  by  the  numerous  tunnels  which  lead  at  present  to  the  Comstock 
vein.  This  rock  (trachytic  greenstone)  would  ofler  some  obstacles  if  k  were  in  an  undecom- 
posed  state.  But  from  the  general  nature  of  its  decomposition,  which  evidently  was  per- 
formed from  below  by  ascending  steams  and  vapors  during  a  time  of  volcanic  action,  we 
believe  we  are  justified  in  the  conclusion  that  it  will  be  found  for  the  entire  length  of  10,000 
feet  of  the  same  rotten  nature  as  in  the  shallow  tunnels  at  present  in  existence,  and  it  may 
have  to  bo  timbered  the  whole  distance." 

Mr.  Carlyle  speaks  as  follows  in  regard  to  his  experience  with  the  two  principal  kinds  of 
rock  to  be  encountered  : 

"While  I  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Gould  and  Curry  as  their  chief  engineer,  we  used  solid 
trachyte  for  building  purposes,  taken  from  a  quarry  on  the  side  of  the  Sugarloaf  mountain. 
I  had,  therefore,  considerable  opportunity  of  learning  the  particular  characteristics  of  the 
stone.  It  is  not  porous,  but  is  very  close  in  its  nature,  has  very  few  seams,  no  grains  or 
special  tendency  to  fracture  in  any  particular  direction.  It  is  rather  soft,  and,  in  consequence, 
is  easily  drilled  to  any  desired  shape.  The  rock  drills  well  and  blasts  freely,  as  it  does  not 
seem  to  have  much  cohesion  on  account  of  its  many  component  parts.  The  rock  does  not  air- 
slack  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  grows  harder  by  exposure." 

This  rock  is  extensively  used  for  building  purposes  ;  all  the  stone  buildings  in  the  town  of 
Dayton  are  constructed  of  it. 

His  experience  in  working  greenstone  porphyry  ho  gives  as  follows: 

"This  class  of  rock  is  traversed  by  several  tunnels  to  the  Comstock  lode,  all  of  which  were 
easily  worked,  and  they  had  to  be  supported  by  timber.  The  Gould  and  Curry  lower  tunnel 
is  the  only  exception  to  this,  as  it  passed  through  1,400  feet  of  undecomposed  rock,  which 
was  not  difficult  to  work  on  account  of  its  favorable  stratification;  powder  was  used  but  to 
a  small  extent,  and  this  for  the  purpose  only  of  shaking  the  mass.  The  remaining  800  feet 
to  the  lode  had  to  be  timbered,  as  the  rock  would  not  support  itself.  The  whole  length  of 
this  tunnel,  2,200  feet,  was  run  from  one  working  point  in  486  working  days,  or  16  months  ; 
the  work,  however,  was  distributed  over  a  period  of  two  years,  as  it  did  not  progress  steadily. 
The  average  daily  progress  was  nearly  five  feet." 


394  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Mr.  Carlyle  estimates  that  10,535  lineal  feet  of  tunnel  will  be  through  solid  rock,  and 
9,643  through  decomposed  rock  requiring  timbering, 

Shaft  No.  1  is  7|  feet  by  13£  feet,  and  shafts  Nos.  2,  3,  and  4  are  7£  feet  by  14  feet,  outside 
of  planking.  They  are  timbered  and  planked  from  top  to  bottom,  and  divided  into  two  com- 
partments— one  for  pumping  out  the  water,  and  the  other  for  raising  the  excavated  material. 
Preliminary  tunnels  are  driven  from  the  bottom  of  these  shafts  in  both  directions  till  they 
meet.  These  tunnels  are  in  solid  rock,  five  feet  in  width  and  seven  feet  high,  the  top  being 
a  semicircle.  In  rock  requiring  timbering  they  are  of  a  box-shape,  four  feet  wide  on  top,  five 
feet  on  bottom,  and  six  feet  four  inches  inside  of  the  timbering,  with  a  channel  below  for 
drainage. 

TIMK  REQUIRED  TO  FINISH  TUNNBL. — "The  time  required  to  sink  the  different  shafts 
on  the  Sutro  tunnel,  and  make  connections  of  the  drifts  from  the  same,  I  estimate  as  fol- 
lows, on  the  basis  that  four  feet  can  be  sunk  per  day  on  the  shafts,  and  five  feet  made  on 
the  drifts : 

'  Connection  from  drift  No.  1  in  462  working  days. 

'  Connection  from  drift  No.  2  in  693  working  days. 

'  Connection  from  drift  No.  3  in  708  working  days. 

'Connection  from  drift  No.  4  in  815  working  days. 

'  Since  all  these  shafts  would  be  progressing  at  the  same  time,  the  connections  from  shafts 
Nos.  1,  2,  and  3  will  be  made  before  those  of  No.  4,  and  the  whole  time,  therefore,  required 
to  finish  a  preliminary  tunnel  to  the  Comstock  lode  would  be  815  days. 

"The  enlargement  of  this  preliminary  tunnel  will  progress  from  the  mouth  from  time  to 
time  as  the  connections  are  made,  and  will  be  completed  up  to  a  point  midway  between  shafts 
three  and  four  by  the  time  the  last  connection  is  finished.  From  that  point  4,618  feet  would 
still  remain  to  be  enlarged,  which  would  occupy  J16  days.  The  total  time,  therefore, 
required  to  complete  the  Sutro  tunnel  to  the  Comstock  lode  would  be  931  days,  or  two  years, 
six  months,  and  21  days." 

The  committee  would  remark  in  regard  to  the  removal  of  the  rock  for  4,618  feet,  that  esti- 
mating the  sectional  area  at  nine  yards,  the  amount  is  only  13,854  cubic  yards,  on  which,  as 
the  cut  can  be  worked  all  along  the  top  and  at  the  two  ends,  sufficient  number  of  men  can 
be  employed  to  remove  it  in  the  time  indicated. 

Mr.  Carlyle  then  cites  numerous  instances  of  shafts  sunk  by  different  companies,  and  tun- 
nels driven  to  the  Comstock  lode,  which  prove  that  his  estimate  of  four  feet  per  day  in  sinking 
shafts,  and  five  feet  in  driving  tunnels,  whenever  prosecuted  with  energy,  is  confirmed  by 
experience,  making  due  allowance  for  their  size  and  other  circumstances,  which  in  some  cases 
have  retarded  work. 

Your  committee  are  of  the  opinion  that,  with  proper  energy,  a  sufficiency  of  capital,  and 
provided  no  extraordinary  obstacles  are  encountered,  the  tunnel  might  be  finished  in  the  time 
stated,  but  it  is  so  well  known  that  delays  are  met  with  in  works  of  this  kind,  from  causes 
impossible  to  anticipate,  that  it  is  probable  that  an  additional  time  of  least  one  year  may  be 
occupied.  It  is  safe  to  say  that,  making  all  due  allowance  for  contingencies,  the  tunnel  can 
be  completed  in  from  three  and  a  half  to  four  years. 


SECTION    IX. 

EASTERN   NEVADA. 

The  eastern  Nevada  mining  region,  as  the  term  is  used,  is  understood  to  include 
that  part  of  Nevada  constituting  the  counties  of  Lander,  Nye,  and  Lincoln  j  being 
considerably  more  than  half  the  State ;  or  embracing  an  area  of  three  and  a  half 
degrees  of  longitude  and  seven  of  latitude,  if  we  include  the  portion  of  territory 
taken  from  Arizona  and  added  to  this  State  by  an  act  of  the  39th  Congress ; 
making  an  aggregate  of  about  60,000  square  miles,  or  an  area  equal  to  the  entire 
State  of  New  York,  with  several  of  the  lesser  New  England  States  added.  This 
great  region,  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  decade,  was  almost  entirely  unknown 
to  the  world,  as  it  was  unoccupied  and  unexplored,  save  one  or  two  routes  travelled 
by  the  emigrant  from  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  Pacific  coast.  It  had 
been  crossed  along  the  line  of  the  Hnmboldt  river,  and  upon  the  more  direct 
route,  part  of  which  is  now  the  road  taken  by  the  great  overland  mail.  Fremont 
and  other  explorers  had  also  crossed  by  different  routes,  but  they  had  regarded 
it  as  a  sterile  waste,  and  without  looking  for  minerals  or  what  might  give  value 
to  the  country,  sought  only  for  routes  or  passes  by  which  they  could  most  expe- 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  395 

<litiously  leave  it.     So  little  was   learned   from  these  explorations  that  until 
withia  a  few  years  past  the  country  had  been  marked  upon  the  maps  as  an  unex- 
plored region,  generally  destitute  of  vegetation  and  water,  and  sparsely  occupied 
by  a  homeless,  wandering,  and  degraded  race  of  Indians.     The  desolation  and 
sterility,  not  only  of  this  particular  region,  but  of  all  the  country  lying  between 
the  Rocky  mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevada,  had  become  so  generally  acknowl- 
edged, that  the  wish  had  been  expressed  that  these  ranges  of  mountains  might 
come  together,  and  this  great  region  be  obliterated  from  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
The  general  appearance  of  the  country  throughout  the  "  great  basin"  indicates 
that  a  partial  elimination  has  taken  place,  as,  topographically  it  presents  the 
appearance  of  having  once  been  a  vast  plain,  which  being  pressed  by  the  two 
great  mountain  ranges  bordering  on  the  east  and  west,  broke  or  wrinkled  the 
surface  into  parallel  ridges  and  valleys  whose  axial  lines  quite  regularly  extend 
north  and  south.    These  corrugations  are  a  prominent  characteristic  of  the  country 
south  of  the  Humboldt  river,  and  north  of  the  36th  parallel  of  latitude.     A  pecu- 
liar feature  of  this  seotion  is,  that  it  has  no  outlet  to  the  sea,  but  its  streams, 
which,  though  generally  small,  are  quite  numerous,  flow  from  the  mountains  to 
the  valleys,  sometimes  for  a  considerable  distance  in  the  valleys,  and  then  are 
lost  in  the  sand.      The  mountains,  which  rise  precipitously,  are  from  a  few 
hundred  to  5,000  feet  above  the  subjacent  plain,  and  as  the  general  elevation 
of  the  plains  is  about  5,000  feet  above  the  sea,  the  most  lofty  peaks  attain  an 
altitude  above  tide-water  of  10,000  feet.     These  hills  and  mountains  are  usually 
covered  with  scanty  patches  of  pine,  cedar,  and  mahogany  trees,  furnishing  excel- 
lent fuel,  but  generally  valueless  for  building  material,  although  th've  are  local- 
ities where  there  are  groves  of  pine,  from  which  a  fair  quality  of  lumber  is  manu- 
factured.    These  hills  and  valleys,  if  forbidding  in  their  general  aspect,  and 
apparently  barren,  produce  a  most  excellent  and  nutricious  species  of  bunch  grass, 
and  constitute  a  very  superior  grazing  country  ;  while  in  the  many  canons  of  the 
mountains,  and  in  all  the  large  valleys,  arc  tracts  of  land  of  an  exceedingly  pro- 
ductive character.     The  lands  susceptible  of  profitable  tillage  amount  in  the 
aggregate  to  a  considerable  area,  and  are  capable  of  furnishing  most  of  the  pro- 
ducts, of  the  farm  grown  in  temperate  climates.     The  grasses,  grain,  and  vege- 
tables arc  of  good  quality.     Agriculture  and  manufactures  can  be  conducted  on 
a  limited  scale,  and  will  be  great  assistants  to  the  chief  resource  of  the  country — 
mining.     The  mineral-bearing  veins  of  eastern  Nevada  were  first  made  known 
in  1862,  at  the  time  when  attention  was  called  to  the  subject  by  the  develop- 
ments made  upon  the  "  Comstock  ledge,"  and  from  which  near  $75,000,000  of 
silver  have  been  taken.     The  history  of  this  discovery  says : 

Early  in  the  month  of  May,  1862,  William  H.  Talcott,  an  attache  of  the  stage  station  at 
Jacobs's  Springs,  a  post  on  the  transcontinental  stage  route,  while  hauling  wood  from  the 
hillside,  now  within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Austin,  discovered  a  vein  of  metal-bearing  quartz, 
and  carried  a  small  quantity  with  him  to  the  station.  The  rock  proving  to  contain  silver,  tho 
ledge  was  located  as  a  mining  claim,  and  named  tho  Pony,  as  the  discoverer  had  formerly 
been  a  rider  of  the  pony  express.  On  the  10th  day  of  May,  18(52,  a  mining  district  was 
formed,  including  an  area  75  miles  in  length  east  and  west,  and  20  miles  north  and  south, 
arxl  named  the  Keese  river  mining  district.  A  code  of  laws  was  adopted  alter  the  custom 
of  miners,  and  William  M.  Talcott,  the  discoverer,  elected  recorder,  and  the  claims  already 
discovered  were  recorded. 

The  extent  of  the  district  east  and  west  is  nominally  75  miles,  but  really  it 
only  extends  from  the  western  base  of  the  mountain  to  the  summit,  about  three 
miles. 

This  was  the  inauguration  of  the  Reese  river  mining  region.  Its  name  is 
derived  from  a  small  stream  called  Reese  river,  flowing  from  south  to  north 
through  1  he  \  alley  which  borders  the  western  base  of  the  mountains.  The  extreme 
lengih  of  Reese  river  is  about  150  miles,  when  it  empties  into  the  Humboldt, 
but  the  water  usually  sinks  and  is  lost  before  reaching  tho  latter  stream.  Tho 
valley  averages  about  live  miles  in  width,  and  contains  some  good  agricultural 


396  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

land.  The  mountain  range  in  which  the  silver  was  found  received  the  name  of 
"Toiyabee,"  an  Indian  word,  meaning  a  range  of  hills.  This  range  is  of  about 
the  same  length  as  the  river,  and  is  from  5  to  15  miles  broad  through  its  base, 
and  rises  above  the  subjacent  valley  from  1,000  to  5,000  feet.  It  is  geologically 
composed  of  primitive  rocks,  of  which  granite  or  gneiss  and  slate  are  the  princi- 
pal, with  qnartzite,  limestone,  serpentine,  porphyry,  and  others  as  occasional 
varieties.  In  all  are  found  veins  of  quartz-bearing  gold,  silver,  copper,  lead, 
antimony,  and  other  metals.  In  its  general  character,  appearance,  and  forma- 
tion it  resembles  the  numerous  other  ridges  running  parallel  to  it  through  the 
country,  and  from  10  to  30  miles  distant  from  each  other,  separated  by  valleys 
generally  containing  a  proportion  of  tolerable  soil,  yet  unoccupied  and  irreclaimed. 

The  discovery  of  silver  being  made  known,  the  news  spread  rapidly  and  the 
people  flocked  to  the  locality.  Situated  on  the  line  of  the  overland  stage  and 
telegraph,  it  was  convenient  to  reach.  The  site  for  a  large  town  was  surveyed, 
and  Austin  was  built ;  now  incorporated  as  a  city,  with  its  mayor  and  board  of 
aldermen,  city  officers,  police,  a  city  hall,  a  daily  newspaper,  saloons  and  stores, 
a  national  bank,  private  banks  and  assay  offices,  costly  churches,  public  and  pri- 
vate schools,  public  halls  and  lecture  rooms,  comfortable  private  dwellings,  gas- 
works for  lighting  the  city,  water- works  and  pipes  supplying  the  houses,  sewered 
streets,  stages  running  in  all  directions,  and  the  telegraph  connecting  it  with  all 
parts  of  the  world — in  fact,  possessing  the  usual  features  of  a  city.  Referring  again 
to  the  history  of  Austin  in  the  directory  of  the  city,  the  writer  says  :  "  Centrally 
in  the  State  of  Nevada  is  the  young  and  happy  city  of  Austin.  Should  its 
locality  be  sought  for  on  the  map  of  America,  it  will  be  found  where  is  usually 
marked  the  vacancy  of  the  l  unexplored  regions/  in  latitude  30°  29'  30",  and 
in  longitude  west  from  Washington  40°  4',  or  117°  5'  west  from  Greenwich, 
England,  being  almost  precisely  in  the  geographical  centre  of  Nevada." 

This  centre  is  conveniently  reached  from  the  east  or  west,  and  without  hard- 
ship or  danger.  The  great  trans-continental  highway  runs  through  it  with  a 
daily  stage,  mail,  and  express.  Two  other  stages,  running  between  Austin  and 
the  Pacific,  carry  passengers  and  freight  at  very  low  rates.  By  daily  stage  the 
journey  from  San  Francisco  to  Austin  is  performed  in  four  days,  at  the  cost  of 
$50.  By  the  other  stages  the  timte  is  greater  by  one  or  more  days ;  the  cost  is 
from  $15  to  $30.  The  road  is  good,  and  freight  wagons  bearing  10,000  to  15,000 
pounds  weight  are  taken  over  it.  The  distance  to  S&n  Francisco  is  473  miles, 
of  which  more  than* half  is  travelled  by  steamboat  and  railroad.  From  the  east 
the  traveller  leaves  the  Missouri  river  by  the  cars  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad 
or  its  branches.  After  the  present  year  (1867)  the  cars  will  quickly  and  easily 
bear  him  600  miles  westward  over  the  great  plains,  and  thence  by  stage  900 
miles  through  Bridger  Pass  by  Salt  Lake  to  Austin,  requiring  about  10  days  of 
travel.  Great  bodies  of  immigrants  cross  annually  with  their  own  conveyances, 
subsisting  their  animals  upon  the  native  grasses,  or,  as  may  be  clone  at  the  present 
time,  purchasing  forage  which  is  produced  at  the  settlements  along  the  road. 
This  mode  of  travel  greatly  lessens  the  expense,  but  requires  from  40  to  60  days 
for  the  journey. 

The  laws  and  customs  of  Nevada,  which  are  recognized  by  the  government  of  the 
United  States,  permit  miners  upon  the  discovery  of  metal-bearing  lodes  in  an  unoc- 
cupied locality  to  organize  a  mining  district,  designate  its  bounds,  pass  a  code  of 
laws  regulating  the  location  and  tenure  of  mining  property,  and  choose  a  recorder 
of  locations.  These  districts  are  usually  from  10  to  20  miles  square,  though  gov- 
erned by  the  physical  features  of  the  country  and  the  contiguity  of  other  districts. 

REESE  RIVER  DISTRICT — How  CLAIMS  ARE  ACQUIRED. — Reese  River  dis- 
trict, Lander  county,  was  the  first  organized,  and  has  given  its  name  to  the 
surrounding  country.  Its  mineral  belt  comprises  an  area  on  the  western  slope 
of  the  Toiyabee  mountains,  about  two  miles  in  width  and  seven  in  length. 
Tne  dimensions  were  formerly  greater,  but  the  area  mentioned  comprises  what 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  397 

is  now  considered  as  the  district.  Upon  organization  a  code  of  laws  was  adopted 
regulating  the  size  and  manner  of  location  of  ruining  claims.  The  law  as  first 
passed  accorded  to  the  locators  of  a  vein  the  ground  and  all  the  mineral  it  con- 
tained for  a  width  of  200  feet  on  each  side  of  the  vein  located.  In  a  few  months 
large  additions  were  made  to  the  population,  and  the  law  was  amended  so  as  to 
restrict  ownership  to  the  lode  or  vein  actually  discovered  and  located,  with  the 
privilege  of  occupying  the  surface  necessary  for  working  the  mine.  The  mining 
laws  of  other  districts  in  eastern  Nevada  do  not  differ  materially  from  those  of 
Iteese  river.  The  laws  of  Congress  acknowledge  the  validity  of  these  rules 
and  permit  miners  to  go  upon  the  public  lands  and  take  possession  of  the  mines, 
promising  no  interference.  These  laws  explain  themselves.  The  ground  is 
public  and  open  to  all  the  world.  Any  man  can  go  upon  it,  and  by  finding  a 
vein  of  gold,  or  silver,  or  any  other  ore  can  make  it  his  own,  and  is  assured  and 
protected  in  his  title.  In  no  other  country  is  such  a  privilege  given.  A  country 
stored  with  wealth  invites  the  people  of  all  the  earth  to  come  and  take  possession 
and  become  independent  land-owners  and  miners. 

Within  the  limits  of  the  district  over  6,000  locations  have  been  made,  but  this 
does  not  indicate  the  number  of  distinct  silver-bearing  veins  known  to  exist. 
There  are  many  hundreds  of  known  value.  These  veins  are  in  the  granite  rock, 
and  are  from  six  inches  to  three  feet  in  thickness.  They  generally  lie  parallel 
to  each  other,  with  a  strike  northwest  and  southeast  and  a  dip  to  the  northeast. 
A  movement  of  the  rock  has  at  some  places  been  made,  and  these  ledges  are 
broken  or  have  "  faults,"  and  the  angle  of  their  dip  is  not  so  great. 

MODE  OF  WORKTNG. — The  veins  are  usually  explored  by  means  of  an  inclined 
shaft  commencing  where  the  ore  appears  at  the  surface,  and  following  down  with 
the  dip  of  the  ledge.  When,  after  thus  sinking  a  distance  sufficient  to  render 
certain  the  existence  and  character  of  the  vein,  it  is  thought  desirable  to  open  it 
as  a  mine,  and  to  work  it  conveniently,  a  perpendicular  shaft  is  sunk  at  a  point 
.some  distance  from  the  outcrop,  as  the  ground  permits,  calculating  to  pierco  the 
vein  at  a  depth  of  100  feet  or  more  beneath  the  surface.  These  shafts  are  of 
different  dimensions,  the  best  being  about  5  by  15  feet.  The  cost  of  sinking 
such  a  shaft  and  securely  timbering  it  is  about  $60  per  foot  of  depth. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  ORES. — A  belt  of  silver-bearing  veins  runs  from  Marshall 
canon,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  district,  northerly  to  the  Amador  district,  a 
distance  of  about  six  miles.  This  belt  is  about  half  a  mile  in  width.  In  it  are 
a  great  number  of  parallel  veins  similar  in  character  and  generally  rich.  The 
different  localities  are  designated  as  follows,  commencing  at  the  south  :  Miguel 
canon,  Marshall's  canon,  Union  hill,  Central  hill,  Lander  hill,  Emigrant  canon, 
Telegraph  cafion,  Yankee  Blade,  and  New  York  ravine,  the  northern  line  of  the 
district  separating  it  from  Amador.  Each  of  these  localities  is  locally  known 
for  its  particular  mines  in  the  more  advanced  stages  of  development.  Those  of 
the  district  most  systematically  opened  are  the  Great  Eastern,  Timoke,  Oregon, 
North  Star,  Florida,  Magnolia,  Savage,  Diana,  Troy,  Buel  North  Star,  Provi- 
dencia,  Kaleseed,  and  some  others  on  Lander  hill,  in  the  city  of  Austin,  and 
within  an  area  of  a  few  hundred  yards  square.  These  are  veins,  the  gangue 
being  quartz,  of  10  inches  to  two  feet  in  width,  of  highly  concentrated  ore,  easily 
and  cheaply  mined.  On  Central  hill  are  the  North  River,  Ilubbard,  Naiad 
Queen,  Penobscot,  and  others,  which  are  well  developed  and  have  produced  a 
considerable  amount  of  bullion.  On  Union  hill  are  the  Whitlatch  Union, 
Camargo,  Silver  Chamber,  and  Tuscarora,  from  which  bullion  has  been  taken. 
At  Yankee  Blade  and  in  the  vicinity  are  the  Confidence,  Maggie,  Ontario,  Yan- 
kee Blade,  Whitlatch  Yankee  Blade,  Miami,  Chase,  Metacom,  Midas,  Green 
Immigrant,  Vineyard,  Vedder,  and  Sclavonia,  most  developed  and  of  the  best 
promise,  while. many  others  aref located,  partially  developed,  and  regarded  as 
valuable.  A  catalogue  of  the  locations  made  in  the  district,  or  an  opinion 
regarding  them,  would  be  useless  j  many  have  been  abandoned  after  some  slight 


398  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

developments.  The  general  character  of  the  ore  throughout  the  district  is  the 
same  in  the  same  relative  positions.  At  the  surface,  and  to  the  depth  of  50  to 
70  feet,  where  water  is  found,  the  vein  matter  is  loose  and  friable,  has  a  dirty  or 
earth-stained  appearance,  and  the  silver  is  found  in  the  form  of  a  chloride  ore, 
presenting  a  dark  or  straw-colored  appearance.  When  the  water  is  reached  the 
vein  matter  shows  the  white,  clear  quartz,  and  the  ore,  then  usually  an  antimo- 
nial  sulphuret,  is  quite  black,  and,  contrasted  with  the  white  quartz,  presents  a 
beautiful  appearance.  Its  value  is  readily  ascertained  by  one  experienced  in 
observing  it.  The  ore  taken  from  below,  where  the  water  has  long  existed  in 
the  earth,  often  contains  beautiful  crystals  of  silver.  From  these  mines  are 
obtained  specimens  which  adorn  the  cabinets  of  the  mineralogists,  the  lovers  of 
the  beautiful  and  unique,  and  the  curiosity  hunter. 

The  limits  of  this  report  do  not  permit  a  full  description  of  the  varieties  of 
ores,  nor  the  discussion  of  the  formations  of  the  veins.  It  will  suffice  to  notice 
the  manner  of  their  development,  and  to  show  their  value.  In  the  district,  as 
has  been  said,  are  more  than  6,000  locations  of  mines  of  500  to  2,000  feet  each. 
Probably  1,000  of  these  have  been  so  far  developed  as  to  prove  that  they  pos- 
sess a  value;  but  of  this  number  only  a  few  are  at  present  mined.  A  descrip-. 
tion  of  a  few  of  the  most  noted  on  Lander  hill  will  give  an  insight  into  the 
character  of  all  and  an  idea  of  the  extent  of  operations  to  be  undertaken  in  the 
future. 

THE  NORTH  STAR,  belonging  to  the  Manhattan  Company,  was  located  in 
1862.  In  its  first  stages  of  development  it  was  opened  by  an  incline,  which 
exposed  chloride  of  silver  ore,  and  was  mined  with  some  profit.  At  a  greater 
depth  the  ore  was  a  sulphuret,  Subsequently  a  perpendicular  shaft  was  sunk, 
piercing  the  vein  at  the  depth  of  200  feet,  and  with  powerful  steam  hoisting 
machinery  the  mine  is  still  worked  with  profit.  The  vein  is  encased  in  granite, 
is  generally  about  14  inches  in  width,  and  is  mined  without  the  aid  of  powder. 
In  February  last,  of  some  hundreds  of  tons  mined  and  reduced  at  the  mill  of  the 
company,  the  average  product  was  $240  per  ton  of  2,000  pounds.  The  work- 
ings of  the  quarter  ending  June  30  show  507  tons,  and  a  product  of  $149  40 
per  ton.  The  ore  found  in  this  mine,  as  in  all  the  others  in  the  district  when 
below  the  line  of  permanent  water,  is  commonly  denominated  a  sulphuret, 
although  it  comprises  several  varieties  of  ore  containing  sulphur. 

THE  OREGON  is  a  parallel  vein  within  a  few  hundred  feet  of  the  North  Star, 
belongs  to  the  same  company,  is  worked  by  the  aid  of  the  same  machinery,  and 
in  all  respects  resembles  it. 

THE  GREAT  EASTERN  is  opened  by  a  perpendicular  shaft,  and  is  advanta- 
geously worked.  In  one  month,  to  the  labor  of  30  men  it  produced  137  tons  of 
ore,  which  returned  of  bullion  an  average  of  $346  77  per  ton,  or  an  aggregate 
of  $47,507  50.  The  vein  is  from  10  to  30  inches  in  thickness,  averaging  per- 
haps 18  inches.  The  gangue  is  a  clear  white  quartz,  and  the  ore,  which  consti- 
tutes a  large  percentage  of  the  vein,  is  an  antimonial  sulphuret,  or,  as  locally 
termed,  a  ruby  silver,  from  its  dark  red  or  ruby  color.  The  mine  was  first  opened 
by  an  incline  following  the  inclination  of  the  ledge,  which  dipped  at  an  angle 
of  about  30°  from  a  horizontal,  to  the  depth  of  250  feet,  developing  much  good 
ore,  although  the  vein  was  very  narrow.  For  the  better  opening  of  the  mine  a 
perpendicular  shaft  was  sunk  at  a  distance  of  400  feet  northeast  of  the  croppings, 
which  pierced  the  ledge  at  a  depth  of  300  feet,  At  this  depth  it  was  found  of 
greater  size  and  value  than  in  the  incline.  It  is  unfortunate  that  at  the  date  of 
this  report  the  workings  should  be  in  barren  rock.  A  depth  of  350  feet  has 
been  reached,  and  extensive  explorations  have  been  made  without  finding  ore  of 
the  quality  which  heretofore  made  its  workings  so  profitable.  The  mine  is 
worked  through  the  vertical  shaft  before  spoken  of,  which  is  divided  into  com- 
partments to  create  a  current  of  air,  that  passes  down  one  compartment  and  up 
another,  affording  excellent  ventilation.  At  the  greatest  depth  (350  feet)  the 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  399 

temperature  is  60°  Fahrenheit.*  The  altitude  of  the  surface  is  about  6,000  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  mine  is  easily  drained,  discharging  20,000  gallons  daily. 
The  water  is  raised  in  a  bucket  by  a  steam  engine  of  50-horse  power,  which  also 
does  the  work  of  hoisting  the  ore  and  waste  rock  from  the  mine,  which  amounts 
to  GO  tons  per  diem.  The  cost  of  transporting  the  ore  to  the  mill  and  milling 
is  as  agreed  upon.  If  the  entire  amount  of  bullion  produced  or  the  "clean-up" 
is  returned,  the  charge  is  $65  per  ton ;  but  if  the  miller  agrees  to  return  80  per 
centum  of  the  assay  value  of  the  ore,  the  charge  is  $45  per  ton. 

THE  FLORIDA  vein  presents  many  characteristics  of  the  Great  Eastern,  is  in 
size  about  the  same,  and  furnishes  the  same  quality  of  ore.  It  is  owned  by  the 
New  York  and  Austin  Silver  Mining  Company,  and  is  mined  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Mr.  Edwin  A.  Sherman,  a  skilful  mining  engineer.  The  claim  is 
800  feet  in  length,  and  is  situated  near  the  centre  of  the  belt  passing  through 
Lander  hill.  Its  strike  follows  the  general  direction  of  veins  through  the  hill, 
being  northwest  and  southeast,  its  dip  being  29°  from  a  horizontal  plane.  Its 
development  under  the  present  management  commenced  August  18,  1866.  It  is 
opened  by  an  inclined  shaft  following  the  vein,  and  has  now  reached  a  depth  of 
350  feet.  From  this  incline  three  levels  are  running ;  the  first  at  a  depth  of  150 
feet,  which  has  extended  to  the  northwest  65  feet,  and  above  which  for  a  width 
of  30  feet  the  ore  is  mined  out.  Through  this  mining  the  average  width  of  the 
vein  is  10  inches.  The  second  level  is  50  feet  below  the  first,  and  between  the 
two  all  the  ore  has  been  mined.  This  level  extends  to  the  southeast  a  distance 
of  230  feet,  and  the  ore  has  been  taken  out  for  a  width  of  30  feet  above  the 
level  along  100  feet  of  it.  The  average  width  of  the  vein  through  this  working 
was  eight  inches.  A  third  level  is  run  at  a  depth  of  300  feet,  which  has  reached 
a  length  of  about  30  feet  on  each  side  of  the  incline.  Along  this  level  the  vein 
has  a  thickness  of  16  inches.  The  amount  of  levels  run  in  the  past  year  aggre- 
gate 760  lineal  feet,  making  32,000  cubic  feet  of  rock  removed  from  the  ave- 
nues alone  in  the  development  of  the  mine,  and  about  18,000  more  have  been 
removed  in  the  excavations  necessary  in  taking  out  the  ore,  making  an  aggre- 
gate of  50,000  cubic  feet  of  country  rock  actually  removed  from  the  mine,  or  a 
small  fraction  over  4,000  tons.  The  number  of  tons  of  ore  taken  from  the  mine 
in  this  time  is  317,  28  of  which  have  not  been  worked.  From  the  ore  worked, 
288  tons  and  1,679  pounds,  there  has  been  produced  $74,823  82,  or  an  average 
of  $259  per  ton  of  2,000  pounds.  The  actual  cost  of  working  this  mine  to  pro- 
duce the  above  sum  has  been  &65,740  '21,  leaving  a  net  profit  of  $9,083*61. 
The  expenses  include  officers,  rent,  taxes,  &c.,  &c.  To  the  profits  should  be 
added  the  value  of  the  levels  run  to  be  used  in  the  further  operations  of  mining, 
which,  at  a  reasonable  estimate,  should  be  $15,000  j  also  a  property  above  ground 
on  the  mine  worth  $5,000  more.  The  above  statement  is  for  the  10  months 
ending  June  30,  1867.  Since  then  machinery  has  been  erected  for  hoisting,  of 
the  value  of  $10,000,  and  about  $5,000  worth  of  ore  taken  out  and  hauled  to 
the  mill  ready  for  crushing ;  so  that  thus  far  it  may  be  fairly  stated  that  the  mine 
has  paid  the  expense  of  its  development,  including  the  cost  of  machinery,  &c., 
with  a  value  of  not  less  than  $30,000  above  ground,  and  the  value  of  work 
performed  for  future  benefit. 

THE  SHERMAN  SHAFT. — On  the  7th  day  of  February  last  was  commenced 
the  Sherman  shaft  by  the  superintendent  of  the  Florida  mine,  in  honor  of  whom 
it  is  named.  This  shaft  it  is  designed  to  sink  to  the  depth  of  1,000  feet,  and  as 
much  deeper  as  it  shall  be  found  practicable  to  go.  Its  dimensions  are  5  by  15 
feet  j  it  is  timbered  or  lined  with  plank  three  inches  in  thickness,  and  by  the 
•;ame  character  of  planking  is  divided  into  three  compartments.  Up  to  July  28 
i  depth  of  175  feet  had  been  reached,  all  of  which  is  substantially  timbered. 
Water  was  reached  at  a  depth  of  145  feet.  The  cost  of  sinking  the  shaft  to  the 
present  time  has  averaged  $61  per  foot,  including  all  expenses. 

*  At  1st  of  August  the  temperature  at  the  surface  is  82°. 


400  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

THE  BURNS  SHAFT  is  projected  by  the  same  engineer,  is  for  the  same  com- 
pany, and  is  of  the  same  plan  and  dimensions,  and  is  named  in  honor  of  B.  J. 
Burns,  local  editor  of  the  Daily  Reese  River  Reveille.  It  is  situated  on  the 
crest  of  Lander  hill,  as  is  the  Sherman  shaft;  is,  at  its  stalling  point,  150  feet 
lower,  and  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  northwest  ctf  the  latter.  It  has  reached  a 
depth  of  80  feet,  (July  28,)  and  has  cost  about  the  same  per  foot  as  the  Sherman 
shaft. 

These  two  shafts  are  the  enterprises  of  the  New  York  and  Austin  Silver  Min- 
ing Company,  and  are  designed  for  working  the  Florida,  Semanthe,  Rubicon, 
Saratoga,  and  other  ledges  belonging  to  the  company,  and  such  other  blind  or 
non-cropping  ledges  as  may  be  discovered  in  sinking  ;  but  more  especially  for 
the  penetration  of  the  basin  which  is  supposed  to  lie  below  the  crust  in  which 
the  numerous  and  parallel  fissure  veins  are  found.  To  continue  these  shafts  to 
a  great  depth,  heavy  and  powerful  steam  machinery  of  not  less  than  200-horse 
power  will  be  required  on  each,  and  deep  levels  must  be  run  connecting  the  two 
shafts.  The  machinery  for  the  Sherman  shaft  has  already  been  contracted  for, 
and  will  be  placed  on  the  mine  by  .the  1st  of  October  of  the  present  year.  These 
shafts  are  important  and  most  promising  enterprises,  and,  if  carried  out  as  designed, 
will  prove  the  wealth  of  Lander  hill  at  a  great  depth.  It  is  expected  they  will 
be  completed  in  about  three  years. 

THE  MAGNOLIA  is  a  location  upon  the  same  vein  as  the  Florida,  joining  that 
claim  on  the  northwest,  and  of  course  in  many  respects  it  bears  the  same  charac- 
teristics. The  vein  is  explored  to  the  depth  of  about  250  feet,  and  bodies  of 
good  ore  have  been  developed.  This  mine  is  locally  distinguished  for  the  high 
grade  of  ore  that  has  been  taken  from  it  near  the  surface.  Its  greater  depths 
are  but  little  developed. 

THE  TIMOKE. — Lying  between  the  Great  Eastern  and  the  mines  of  the  Man- 
hattan Company  is  the  Timoke,  a  small  mine,  but  one  that  has  been  profitably 
worked  under  the  superintendence  of  W.  F.  Leon,  for  a  companj^  residing  in 
Boston,  Massachusetts.  The  vein  is  from  one  to  two  feet  in  thickness,  and  in 
general  character  is  the  same  as  the  others  of  Lander  hill. 

PLYMOUTH  SILVER  MINING  COMPANY. — The  Plymouth  Silver  Mining  Com- 
pany is  organized  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York.  It  owns  the  Kale- 
seed,  Parent,  Zimmerman,  and  Jacob  mines  on  Lander  hill,  lying  in  close  prox- 
imity to  each  other  and  parallel,  so  that  they  may  be  well  opened  and  worked  by  one 
perpendicular  shaft.  Such  a  shaft  is  in  course  of  construction  under  the  super- 
intendence of  Charles  C.  Lane.  It  is  the  intention  to  sink  this  shaft  400  feet, 
108  of  which  has  already  been  reached,  (August  1.)  No  very  extensive  mining 
has  been  done  upon  these  veins,  only  sufficient  to  give  proof  of  their  value 
and  to  encourage  thorough  opening.  A  few  tons  of  ore  from  the  Kaleseed  lode 
was  lately  reduced  and  showed  a  value  for  first-class  ore  of  $1,763  02  per  ton, 
and  the  second  class  a  value  of  $280  53  per  ton.  This  ore  was  taken  from  a 
depth  of  25  feet  from  the  surface.  The  veins  are  quite  small,  seldom  exceed- 
ing a  foot  in  width,  but  the  high  grade  of  ore  which  characterizes  these  and  other 
veins  of  the  neighborhood  has  made  their  working  profitable. 

THE  SAVAGE  AND  OTHER  MINES. — The  Savage,  Morgan  and  Muncy,  Diana, 
Providencia,  Whitlatch,  Union,  Troy,  Buel  North  Star,  and  many  others  in  the' 
neighborhood,  have  been  extensively  mined  and  at  times  have  been  productive. 
A  description  of  each,  where  all  are  so  much  alike,  would  be  exceedingly  tedious. 
It  may  be  remarked  that  those  mentioned,  as  well  as  Others,  are  within  an  area 
of  a  few  hundred  yards  square,  and  that  in  the  district  are  several  miles  of  area 
of  equally  good  ground,  judging  from  the  slight  developments  made  upon  the 
surface,  and  where  undoubtedly  as  good  mines  could  be  opened  as  those  men-' 
tioned.  In  the  great  mining  enterprises  of  Virginia  and  Gold  Hill  in  western 
Nevada,  where  in  the  last  six  years  near  $70,000,000  have  been  taken  from 
the  mines,  there  exists  but  one  grand  lode,  the  Comstock,  which  is  divided  through 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  401 

its  length  into  a  great  number  of  claims,  or  mines,  many  of  which  return  largely 
to  their  owners,  while  some  return  nothing.  This  has  been  the  most  productive 
vein  in  the  world.  In  the  Reese  River  district  such  a  gigantic  lode  has  not  been 
found,  but  there  extends  a  belt  some  six  miles  in  length  and  half  a  mile  in  width, 
in  which  are  innumerable  small  veins,  such  as  here  described,  of  highly  concen- 
trated ore,  easily  and  cheaply  mined.  From  a  few  mines  upon  this  belt  there 
were  produced  in  the  last  month  $109,221  87.  There  appears  to  be  room  for 
many  times  the  present  mining  operations,  with  the  same  proportion  of  produc- 
tion, yet  the  resulting  figures  are  so  great  that  one  scarcely  ventures  to  make 
the  calculation.  An  increase  based  upon  the  full  development  of  all  the  mines 
of  known  value  would  amount  to  several  millions  of  dollars  monthly,  from  an 
area  not  exceeding  fifteen  square  miles,  the  utmost  capacity  of  the  district.  Upon 
a  close  examination  of  the  ground  the  conviction  is  irresistible  that  there  will  be 
a  greatly  increased  production  within  a  few  years.  A  full  development  of  the 
district  awaits  the  coming  of  the  railroad,  with  capital,  labor,  and  cheap  subsist- 
ence.* 

THE  MILLS. — An  enumeration  of  the  mills  in  eastern  Nevada,  and  their  capa- 
city, would  give  a  wrong  impression  and  seem  incongruous  in  calculating  the 
production  of  bullion,  without  some  explanation.  It  must  be  understood  that  it 
requires  more  to  constitute  a  mill  than  a  set  of  stamps  placed  in  battery,  with  an 
engine  to  work  them,  and  pans  to  amalgamate,  or  furnaces  to  roast  the  ore.  The 
building  requires  to  be  well  and  substantially  constructed;  all  its  successive* 
parts  to  be  systematically  arranged;  the  power  full  and  sufficient;  and  then 
energetic,  economical,  and  scientific  management.  Many  mills  have  been  built 
without  due  consideration  as  to  what  was  required,  and  some  upon  expcriiih 
plans  which  wrere  not  successful.  These  have  been  failures,  and  now  stand  idle., 
and  should  not  be  counted  in  the  list. 

*Mr.  J.  P.  Kimble,  in  an  interesting  communication  to  the  American  Bureau  of  Mines,, 
of  New  York,  says : 

"The  interests  of  the  Reese  river  district  are  rapidly  advancing  under  the  improved  treat- 
ment of  its  ores  of  all  varieties,  and  more  especially  the  utilization  of  those  of  lower  grade, 
which  at  first  were  generally  discarded:  Formerly  only  very  rich  ores  would  bear  the  cost 
of  milling  and  amalgamating,  so  greatly  was  this  augmented  by  the  incomplete,  extraction 
of  silver,  as  well  as  by  their  supply  far  below  the  capacity  of  the  extensive  mills,  which 
therefore  could  not  steadily  be  kept  in  operation.  Dry  crushing  and  roasting  preparatory  to 
amalgamation  have  effected  something  towards  the  utilization  not  only  of  the  more  refractory 
autimoniated  ores,  but  also  those  of  medium  grade  and  the  richer  tailings.  In  the  mills  of 
Reese,  river  the  standard  of  yield  is  as  high  as  from  80  to  85  per  cent,  of  the  absolute  value 
of  the  ores  in  silver,  attained  at  a  cost  which  has  gradually  fallen  from  $75  to  from  $40  to 
$50  per  ton.  The  mills  of  Storey  county  using  Comstock  ores  produce  not  more  than  65 
per  cent,  of  their  value,  though  enabled  to  work  ores  yielding  as  low  as  $15.  Thus  there  is 
entailed  upon  the  Comstock  lode  an  annual  loss  of  $7,000,000  ;  upwards  of  $9,000,000  this 
year,  (18G7.)  The  one  thing  needful  above  all  in  Nevada  is  the  adoption  of  means,  accord- 
ing to  the  varying  circumstances  and  resources  of  different  localities,  to  concentrate  ores  of 
low  grade,  and,  what  is  practically  the  same,  the  tailings  or  residue  obtained  in  the  dressing 
of  ores  of  better  class.  This  is  an  object  of  far  greater  moment  at  present  than  the  discovery 
of  mining  ground  in  addition  to  what  is  already  far  in  excess  of  available  capital  to  develop. 
The  greater  bulk  of  Reese  river  ores  are  at  present  valueless  for  want  of  cheap  dressing  and 
concentration.  In  the  deposits  of  that  district  as  well  as  in  the  Comstock  lode,  first-class 
ores  in  heavy  bodies  are  of  unfrequent  occurrence.  The  average  yield  per  ton  of  all  Gould 
&  Curry  ores  reduced  was  nearly  three  times  as  rich  in  1863  ($80  07)  as  in  1866,  ($28,) 
and  in  I860  (.$156  62)  was  nearly  twice, as  rich  as  in  1863.  That  of  other  leading  mines  on 
the  Comstock  lode  does  not  at  present  exceed  §40  per  ton,  while  in  a  majority  of  cases  it  falls 
below  $30.  The  books  of  the  assessor  for  Lander  county  show  46  mines,  mainly  in  the 
Reese  river  district,  to  have  produced  more  or  less  bullion  during  the  quarter  ending  Decem- 
b<T  31,  1866.  The  largest  production  of  ore  was  by  the  Savage  Consolidated  mine,  being 
••!.">  I  ions  of  an  average  yield  of  $103  25.  The  Great  Eastern  gave  287  tons,  averaging  $217  94. 
Of  these  44  mines,  two,  producing  lightly,  yielded  about  $400  per  ton  of  ore;  three  between. 
$300  and  $400  ;  five  between  $200  and  $300 ;  18  between  $100  and  $200 ;  18  below  $100." 

26  \ 


402 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


The  mills  of  all  classes  now  standing,  tlie  power,  stamps,  and  districts,  are  as 
follows : 


Name  of  mill. 

District. 

Power. 

No.  of 
tttuuipg. 

Manhattan 

Reese  River  .... 

Steam  .  .  .  . 

23 

Boston  

..,.do  

..do  

10 

Silver  Hill 

do            .   . 

..do  

5 

do 

..do  

3JO 

do 

..do  

5 

do  

..do  

20 

Midas 

do 

..do  

15 

do 

do  .     .. 

10 

do 

..d<>  

Butte  .                                                       

do  

..do  

8 

do 

..do  

10 

Parrott                                                                 .  ..........       .   .   . 

Big  Creek  

..do  

16 

Phelps 

do 

Wat  IT  .. 

5 

Union 

Steam  -  . 

10 

do 

.  do  

2'j 

Riebv 

..do  

4 

do 

do 

10 

Silver  Peak 

..do  

10 

Stirling      .               

Bunker  Hill  

Water  

20 

Twin  River 

Steam  ..  .. 

20 

La  Plata 

North  Twin  River 

..do  

10 

Bui'l'^ 

Philadelphia 

..do  

10 

Hot  Creek 

do 

*10 

Rutland 

Reveille 

do  ... 

5 

Social 

Gold  Canon 

..do  

5 

do  

..do  

5 

..do  

5 

Valley 

d.* 

..do  

]() 

do 

..do  

Cortez 

..do  

13 

Total 

311 

*  Light. 

Other  mills  have  been  constructed  and  removed  or  dismantled,  which  Lave 
been  mentioned  in  other  reports  but  do  not  appear  in  this.  The  above  are  either 
in  operation  or  in  condition  to  be  put  in  operation,  although  the  arrangements  of 
some  are  such  that  they  are  run  at  too  great  expense  to  be  profitable,  or  cannot 
compete  with  others  in  doing  custom  work.  The  majority  are  standing  still. 
Mills  are  in  course  of  construction  as  follows :  One  of  20  stamps  at  Smoky  Val- 
ley district;  one  of  10  at  Hot  Creek 5  one  of  40  and  one  of  20  at  Philadelphia; 
one  of  20  at  Pahranagat;  one  of  5  at  Bunker  Hill  j  one  of  20  at  Newark;  one 
of  20  ,at  Egan,  (Gold  caiion ;)  and  others  are  in  contemplation. 

THE  KEYSTONE  MILL,  at  Austin,  may  be  taken  as  a  sample  of  its  class,  from 
its  arrangement,  construction,  and  cost.  It  was  built  in  1865,  by  Mr.  A.  L.  Page, 
"its  chief  owner  and  manager,  with  several  additional  buildings,  as  residence  of 
superintendent,  stables,  blacksmith  shop  and  store-house,  all  of  brick,  at  a  total 
cost  of  $91,800.  The  mill  is  divided  into  four  rooms  or  divisions:  1st,  boiler 
.and  engine  room  ;  2d,  battery  room  j  3d,  furnace  room  ;  and  4th,  amalgamating 
room.  The  first  three  occupy  the  front,  and  the  last  is  in  the  rear  of  the  battery 
room.  Their  dimensions  are  as  follows:  engine  room,  45  feet  deep  by  25  front; 
battery  room,  45  by  35;  furnace  room,  50  by  140 ;  and  the  amalgamating  room, 
45  by  35;  making  a  total  frontage  of  200  feet  with  a  depth  of  90  feet.  The 
engine  is  of  60  horse-power.  There  are  20  stamps  of  750  pounds  each,  drop 
•eight  inches  and  78  times  each  minute.  There  are  eight  reverberatory  furnaces 
with  hearths  11  by  13  feet;  14  pans  or  tubs,  five  feet  in  diameter;  six  settlers, 
six  feet  in  diameter;  with  retorts,  smelting  furnaces,  &c.  The  total  amount  ol% 
freight  hauled  from  California  for  this  mill,  as  machinery,  lumber,  and  material 
for  building,  was  140  tons,  at  a  cost  for  freight  of  nine  cents  per  pound  from 
San  Francisco.  (The  price  is  now  six  cents.)  The  cost  of  the  machinery  in 
•San  Francisco  was  $18,000,  and  the  total  cost,  as  stated,  $91,800.  It  crushes 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  403 

dry,  roasts  and  amalgamates,  producing  burs  of  bullion  at  a  cost  to  the  mill  of 
£-'•">  per  ton.  For  custom  work  it  charges  $45  per  ton  and  agrees  to  return  80 
per  cent,  of  the  assayed  value  of  the  ore.  Twenty  tons  of  ore  can  be  reduced  in 
each  24  hours.  Four  cords  of  wood  are  used  per  day  in  making,  steam  for  the 
engine  and  for  heating  the  pulp  in  the  pans,  and  eight  cords  for  the  roasting 
furnaces.  Wood  usually  costs  $7  per  cord.  Salt,  of  which  a  considerable  quan- 
tity is  used  in  chloridizing  the  ore,  is  furnished  from  the  large  fields  in  different 
parts  of  the  State,  at  from  $30  to  $40  per  ton.  About  200  pounds  of  quicksilver 
is  used  at  each  charge  of  a  pan,  but  varying  with  the  amount  of  silver  in  the 
ore.  The  quicksilver  costs  60  to  75  cents  per  pound;  about  one  per  cent,  of  it 
is  lost.  The  wages  paid  are,  for  amalgamator,  $10  per  day;  first  engineer,  $8; 
second  engineer,  $G;  fireman,  $6;  blacksmith,  $7;  carpenter,  $6;  pan  attend- 
ants, roasters,  and  battery  feeders,  $4  each. 

The  expenses  attending  the  production  are:  first,  mining  the  ore,  exceedingly 
variable;  second,  hauling  to  the  mill;  third,  the  State  tax  of  1^  per  cent,  upon 
ore  after  deducting  $40  per  ton ;  fourth,  cost  of  milling,  $45  per  ton ;  fifth,  internal 
revenue  tax  on  bullion  of  J  of  one  per  cent. ;  melting  and  assaying  one  per  cent., 
and  transportation  to  San  Francisco  three  and  a  half  per  cent.,  making  a  total 
tax  of  six  and  a  half  per  cent.,  besides  the  cost  of  mining,  hauling,  and  milling. 
To  these  are  to  be  added  the  income  tax,  the  many  stamps  used  on  receipts,  certi- 
ficates, checks,  &c.,  incident  to  the  constant  hanolling  and  exchaiige  of  valuable 
property,  the  customs  and  internal  revenue  tax  levied  on  machinery,  raw  and 
manufactured  material,  of  which  the  miner  is  a  destructive  consumer.  Thus  it 
will  be  observed  how  disproportionate  are  the  taxes  imposed  upon  the  miner,  com- 
pared to  other  occupations;  the  tax  being  both  upon  what  he  produces  and  vhat 
lie  consumes,  while  he  is  without  the  protection  given  to  others.  A  tax  on  iron 
may  be  added  by  the  miner  to  the  price  of  the  iron,  but  a  tax  on  silver  is  ne\vr 
returned,  and  the  silver  miner  pays  the  two  taxes.  All  taxes  are  paid  in  currency, 
but  estimates  are  also  made  in  currency  when  taxes  are  so  paid.  The  biiMness 
throughout  the  State,  with  the  exception  of  the  district  of  Pahranagat,  is  carried 
on  in  coin,  estimated  at  par,  and  all -expressions  of  money  used  in  this  report 
mean  in  coin,  unless  currency  is  expressly  mentioned. 

OFFICIAL  RETUHXS. — A  law  of  the  State  of  Nevada  levying  a  tax  upon  the 
products  of  mines  compels  the  county  assessor  of  each  county  to  collect  from 
the  mills  and  mines  quarterly  statements  of  the  amount  of  ore  mined  and  reduced, 
and  the  average  production  per  ton  for  the  quarter  of  bullion  obtained.  This 
statement  is  given  under  oath,  and  the  amounts  produced  are  estimated  in  coin.  The 
assay  value  of  the  ore  is  from  20  to  40  per  cent,  higher  than  the  amounts  given 
in  these  reports,  these  being  only  the  amounts  obtained  from  the  working,  a 
portion  always  being  lost.  The  reports  are  for  Lander  county,  but  large  quan- 
tities  of  ore  are  brought  to  Austin  from  districts  in  Nye  county,  and  are  included 
in  the  returns.  These,  in  the  returns  for  the  quarter  ending  September  30,  1866, 
are  marked  thus:  Philadelphia,*  Danville,!  and  Northumberland.}:  The  returns 
for  one  year  furnished,  taken  from  the  assessor's  report,  as  published,  in  the  Daily 
Reese  River  Reveille. 


404 


EESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

Quarter  ending  September  30,  1866. 


Name  of  mine. 

Tons. 

Pounds. 

Average 
per  ton.    • 

412 

659 

$176  8° 

23 

85  71 

39 

536 

217  56 

2 

1  000 

8'J  8° 

1 

'  402 

]3'2  57 

2 

1,968 

128  64 

o 

774 

£76  97 

Othello                                                       

5 

1,135 

36  53 

16 

1  237 

212  62 

Highbridge  *                                        

17 

ll>5  36 

1 

86  46 

Footer                                                            

26 

1,212 

48  47 

La  Plata                                                                                     -  -- 

50 

882 

71  60 

4 

1  000 

362  04 

6 

1  500 

13°  90 

El  Dorado*                                                             

2 

568 

294  58 

4 

1  171 

259  93 

4 

88 

187  45 

Vauderbiltt 

2 

1  670 

115  4fi 

17 

631 

107  75 

17 

503 

180  40 

Richey  &  Hussey  J  

7 

612 

201  75 

Detroit]:                                                                      .                  ........ 

4 

1,800 

116  18 

39 

90  77 

Timoke                                                                                                               

28 

253 

167  92 

Green  &  Oder* 

I 

600 

178  43 

Dover 

o 

450 

161  64 

Isabella  ..             .  .                  

19 

503 

40  18 

1 

1    1  233 

87  19 

Providential                                            .                      .              .               

79 

1  000 

39  04 

227 

66  07 

19 

330 

161  00 

Folsoin          .'  

5 

1,019 

166  00 

160 

156  83 

230 

74  06 

Quarter  ending  December  31,  1866. 


Name  of  mine. 

Tons. 

Pounds. 

Average 
per  ton. 

Amsterdam  ....   .... 

1 

250 

$168  75 

Buel  North  Star 

4 

1  920 

336  57 

Camar^o           .           .           .... 

12 

'973 

116  57 

Chase 

4 

1  438 

405  10 

Diana.                .                    ..             .                                 .... 

143 

1  909 

91  18 

Enterprise  (  White  Pine  district)  

1 

111  53 

4 

779 

137  65 

Empire  State  

7 

619 

99  22 

1 

667 

66  25 

Fortuneteller  

4 

416 

177  28 

Florida            .     . 

13 

1  900 

2?5  60 

Fenian  Star  .           ... 

7 

1  359 

54  24 

1 

1  520 

30  33 

Parrel      .     . 

3 

1  453 

71  12 

287 

217  94 

Idoia                 .... 

22 

1  695 

220  42 

J   R  Murphy 

1 

100 

"51   18 

Joseph  Cole             

1 

1  350 

27  85 

I 

116  80 

Keystone  .                                              

2 

350 

194  66 

Kihock  

1 

197  27 

Zaidee 

1 

728 

100  61 

Lodi 

7 

1  019 

32  54 

Livermore      .                                              ... 

3 

500 

157  79 

Morgan  &  Muncey 

4 

626 

25  69 

Q 

1  671 

238  23 

Metacom...  y 

26 

10  J  99 

69 

288 

83  90 

May  &  Davis  

2 

430 

136  80 

North  River 

13 

1  9°4 

56  03 

3 

1*700 

46  16 

Providential                 .... 

64 

844 

54  91 

Pimiey,  Rev... 

6 

600 

51  73 

WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 
Quarter  ending  December  31,  1866 — Continued. 


405 


Name  of  mine. 

Tons. 

Pounds. 

Average 
per  ton. 

P-ttti»n 

0 

8^4 

6 

1  500 

4()  fi'l 

Sav;i"v  Consolidated  -  

451 

103  °5 

14 

1  913 

1 

171  60 

o 

150 

3'3°  5'"1 

Tinii'kc        ..                       

79 

1  138 

148  41 

5 

982 

l(j()  4'} 

Tannehill,  (Eureka)  

3 

1  3.'S8 

106  35 

Victoria 

4 

1  176 

91  20 

Washington  -  

12 

'   67 

479  5° 

Whitlatch                                  .  . 

18 

546 

105  ()7 

5 

1  278 

71  7r> 

The  above  table  embraces  47  mines,  which  have  yielded  more  or  less  bullion  during  the 
quarter,  and  with  few  exceptions  the  ore  reduced  is  of  a  good  grade,  sufficiently  so  to  admit 
its  being  worked  here  remuneratively.  It  will  be  observed  that  a  number  of  mines,  which  were 
included  in  the  previous  quarters  of  the  year,  do  not  appear  in  the  present  list,  as  well  as 
that  several  mines  appear  for  the  first  time.  According  to  the  assessor's  returns  there  are  in 
Lander  county,  and  mainly  in  the  Reese  River  district,  about  75  mines  which  have  produced 
bullion  during  the  past  year.  As  we  have  remarked,  the  ore  worked  is  generally  of  a  high 
grade,  as  the  average  yield  per  ton  will  show.  A  considerable  number  of  the  mines  embraced 
in  the  quarterly  lists  were  subjected  only  to  testing  operations,  and  the  general  result  must 
be  deemed  encouraging.  In  the  case  of  the  Savage  mine,  the  average  yield  of  the  ore  is  less 
than  in  several  quarters  preceding,  but  is  still  high,  being  $103  25  per  ton.  The  yield  of 
the  Washington,  Chase,  Buel  North  Star,  Great  Eastern,  Semanthe,  Magnolia,  Florida, 
Timoke,  Idora,  Metacom,  Taylor,  and  Passmore,  &c.,  is  excellent,  and  as  most  of  them  are 
pretty  well  developed,  they  may  be  fairly  classed  henceforth  among  the  producing  and  paying 
mines  of  the  Reese  River  district. 

Quarter  ending  March  31,  1867. 


Names. 

Tons. 

Pounds. 

Average 
per  ton. 

Black  Ledge        .              -  -     

5 

569 

$210  32 

31 

400 

182  56 

Buel  North  Star,  2d  class  

16 

161 

51  52 

47 

1  678 

238  69 

Dolerhide           

3 

1,735 

239  90 

Diana                    .                             ....       ..       

195 

717 

94  30 

101 

1  394 

351  96 

Farrell  Co            

12 

981 

204  67 

3 

36  44 

Puller          

4 

349  34 

137 

669 

345  93 

2 

700 

200  75 

1 

192  58 

Kelly  and  Ensign 

3 

81 

129  18 

5 

1,121 

50  62 

1 

134  48 

4 

738 

267  54 

13 

1  536 

371  82 

1 

150  78 

Miller  &  Co                     -                                           -.-                -              

1 

1,  836 

234  45 

384 

360 

141  37 

28 

782 

103  36 

Miller 

1 

634 

76  36 

1 

1,295 

144  00 

1 

900 

88  90 

3 

148 

60  08 

O'Dair                        

4 

1,753 

284  71 

1 

96  66 

Patriot 

1 

467 

64  08 

5 

657 

53  73 

Red  Bluff 

1 

650 

55  01 

'     3 

1,635 

48  00 

7 

254 

132  88 

1 

1,895 

520  05 

Story...                                                            ...... 

3 

1,700 

204  98 

406  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

Quarter  ending  March  31,  1867 — Continued. 


Names. 

Tons. 

Pounds. 

Average 
per  ton. 

290 

$62  77 

3 

1  492 

88  44 

100 

1  042 

276  5  i 

5 

1  392 

66  0 

1 

193  3 

4 

1  561 

312  37 

1 

427 

250  04 

W  C  Blake                                                         .            

1 

1,628 

76  08 

On  comparing  this  table  with  that  of  the  preceding  quarter  a  marked  improvement  will  be 
observed  in  the  average  yield  of  the  ore  produced  by  several  of  the  leading  mines,  as  well 
as  in  their  increased  production.  For  instance,  the  Florida  produced  during  the  last  quartei 
101  tons  of  ore,  which  gave  an  average  yield  of  $351  96  per  ton,  against  13  tons  yielding  an 
average  of  $255  60  the  previous  quarter ;  the  Diana,  195  tons  which  averaged  $94  30, 
against  143  tons  which  averaged  $91  18;  the  Great  Eastern,  137  tons  which  averaged 
$345  93,  against  287  tons  which  averaged  $217  94 ;  the  Magnolia,  13  tons  which  averaged 
$371  82,  against  6  tons  which  averaged  $338  23 ;  the  North  Star  of  the  Manhattan  Company, 
384  tons  which  averaged  $141  37,  against  69  tons  which  averaged  $83  90  ;  the  Timoke,  100 
tons  which  averaged  $276  59,  against  79  tons  which  averaged  $J48  41 ;  and  the  Savage,  290 
tons  which  averaged  $62  77,  against  451  tons  which  averaged  $105  25.  The  falling  off  in 
the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  ore  from  the  Savage  is  remarkable,  but  we  believe  the  expla- 
nation is  that  only  a  small  proportion  of  the  ore  reduced  was  extracted  from  the  mine  during 
the  last  quarter,  but  that  the  great  bulk  of  it  was  taken  from  their  dump  pile.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  improvement  in  the  production  of  ore  from  the  North  Star  of  the  Manhattan  Com- 
pany, and  its  increased  average  yield  of  bullion,  is  more  remarkable.  Perhaps  the  most 
striking  increase,  both  as  regards  the  product  of  ore  and  its  yield  of  silver,  is  presented  by 
the  Florida,  the  exhibit  for  the  two  quarters  being — December  31,  1866,  13  tons,  averaging 
$255  60;  March  31,  1867,  101  tons,  averaging  $351  96.  A  number  of  the  mines  embraced 
in  the  present  returns  are  strangers  in  previous  lists  ;  indeed,  there  is  reason  to  believe  that 
several  .of  them  are  not  the  names  of  mines,  but  of  the  persons  who  delivered  ore  to  the  mills 
for  reduction.  Two  lots  are  returned  from  "  Yankee  Blade,"  not  from  the  mines  bearing  that 
title — both  of  which  belong  to  companies  and  are  lying  idle — but  from  that  part  of  the  Reese 
River  district.  One  large  lot  of  47  tons  of  high  grade  ore  is  returned  from  "Cortez;"  we 
presume  it  was  brought  from  the  Cortez  district,  but  from  what  particular  mine — whether 
from  the  St.  Louis,  Taylor  and  Passmore,  or  Nonesuch — is  not  mentioned  in  the  quarterly 
statement  of  the  assessor.  This  loose  and  inaccurate  method  of  making  the  return  is  in 
direct  violation  of  the  statute,  and  defeats  one  of  its  principal  objects.  Every  mill,  or 
arrastra,  or  reduction  works  of  any  character,  is  required  by  the  law  to  keep  an  accurate  list 
of  the  name  of  every  mine  from  which  ore  was  delivered,  and  to  furnish  a  sworn  statement 
of  the  same  to  the  assessor.  Of  course,  in  a  district  having  the  numberless  locations  of 
Reese  river,  a  person  bringing  ore  to  mill  may  easily  impose  a  fictitious  name  on  the  super- 
intendent ;  but  the  name  of  the  mine  should  be  required  in  every  instance,  and  no  such 
unmeaning  entries  as  "  Yankee  Blade,"  "Cortez,"  &c.,  should  be  allowed  to  appear  in  the 
statement. 

Quarter  ending  June  30,  1867. 


Name  of  mine. 

Tons. 

Pounds. 

Average 
per  ton. 

Amigo  .... 

2 

320 

$56  19 

Black  Ledge 

°0 

936 

104  09 

Buel  North  Star. 

127 

331 

163  (53 

J3onner  Ledge 

2 

882 

324  45 

Carter  and  Drake.                                                         • 

3 

"    1  295 

77  55 

Cuba  

o 

1,095 

114  13 

Chase  .         ' 

3 

359 

314  81 

Cray  croft  and  Brown  

2 

222 

49  47 

Diana  

37 

936 

103  60 

Elkhorn  

1 

1,145 

535  41 

Empire  State  

6 

740 

101  38 

Fuller  

13 

1,300 

741  67 

Florida,  (New  York  and  Austin  Company) 

173 

385 

206  10 

Farrell  and  Hixou  

5 

825 

266  77 

WEST    OF  THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 

Quarter  otdiny  June  30,  1867 — Continued. 


407 


Name  of  mine. 

Tons. 

Pounds. 

Average 
per  ton. 

Great  Fa  tern 

33 

1  235 

$70  91 

] 

'  •>_•<) 

232  7:2 

2 

1  412 

i>v>  :K> 

4 

1,  130 

155  48 

c 

173 

201  84 

2 

1,200 

73  FO 

jibrrtv                                                                     .                                                           

3 

1  :>;: 

50  23 

53 

394 

12U   2ii 

I 

009 

50  88 

1 

1  490 

2.7)  70 

North  Star   (Manhattan  Company)            

507 

1,  5.77 

149  40 

"North  UiviT 

19 

1,  r>.r;.} 

2)1  39 

2 

354 

113  40 

1 

]20 

y.r>3  SM 

i 

92f> 

J43  74 

3 

963 

214  44 

Hiintero            

1 

90 

63  61 

2 

LOO 

123  9.) 

21 

1,250 

•j.v  :,.; 

Storey 

1 

170 

2:.::  79 

State  of  New  York 

7 

1,  fi:tO 

165  26 

^('inuuthe   (\cw  Yovk  and  Austin  Company)                            

9 

530 

94  14 

Silvrr  (  v>rd 

1 

1,000 

313  P(i 

2 

195 

73  TJ 

4 

1,290 

77  24 

150 

90  00 

J'n>\-    (\   Y    S  M   Company)                                                                       

38 

4P8 

87  (,'G 

J'minl;..                                         

9(i 

1,460 

241  49 

Virginia                                                                                                                                      

2 

930 

9 

124 

3 

1,005 

447  tj<> 

14 

1,  560 

137  07 

i 

500 

3(lfi  TS 

9 

1  458 

187  re 

1 

158 

80  61 

Tito  whole  number  of  tons  of  ore  reduced  during  the  quarter  was  1,438,  which  produced 
the  sum  of  $>M, :'>:;:>  57.  The  average  yield  of  J,438  tons  was  ?Kil  .%  per  ton—  a _  result 
that  maintains  the  character  of  Lander  hill,  from  which  it  was  chiefly  obtained,  for  yielding 
;i  high  grade  of  ore.  On  comparing  the  present  table  with  that  of  the  previous  quarter, 
notable  lluctuations  and  uniformity  will  be  observed.  For  instauce,  the  North  Star  mine  of 
the  Manhattan  Company  produced  during  the  last  quarter  508  tons  of  ore,  which  averaged 
$149  40  per  ton,  against  384  tons,  averaging  $141  37  per  ton,  in  the  former  quarter;  the 
Florida  produced  J73  tons,  which  averaged  $2Ub*  1U  per  ton,  against  101  tons,  averaging 
>:;.">!  00,  of  the  former  quarter;  the  Buel  North  Star  produced  127  tons,  which  averaged 
$i63  63  per  ton,  against  31  tons  of  first-class  ore,  averaging  ^!8'J  f>G,  and  16  tons  of  second- 
class  ore,  averaging  §>51  5*2  per  ton.  of  the  former  quarter;  the  Timoke  produced  97  tons, 


1'he  most  marked  fluctuation  is  that  of  the  Great  Eastern,  which  produced  during  the  last 


quarter  only  34  tons,  which  averaged  $70  91  per  ton,  against  137  tons,  with  the  remarkable 
average  of  $345  93,  for  the  quarter  ending  31st  of  March.  Considerable  exploration  has 
been  carried  on  in  the  Great  Eastern  during  the  last  three  months,  the  result  of  which  has 


not  been  made  public.  Several  mines,  which  produced  bullion  in  the  former  quarter,  are 
not  included  in  the  above  table;  and  others  again,  which  were  not  mentioned  then,  appear 
in  the  present  return.  The  most  noticeable  of  the  latter  is  the  Gilligan  mine  of  the  Social 
and  Step  toe  Company,  in  Egan  canon,  which  appears  in  the  present  table  with  the  good 
product  of  150  tons,  averaging  $90  per  ton,  which  is  scarcely  GO  per  cent,  of  the  silver  con- 
tained in  its  peculiar  ore.  The  returns  of  the  last  quarter  are  generally  encouraging. 

Following  the  organization  of  Reese  River  district,  were  in  the  same  year  dis- 
covered and  organized  those  of  Simpson's  Park,  adjoining  it  on  the  south,  and 
fnnlicr  south  that  of  Big  Creek;  north  was  Mount  Hope  and  Grass  Valley j 
southeast  won;  Smoky  Valley  and  Santa  Fe,  and  northwest  was  Ravmswood. 
Tlics<'  nearly  surrounded  Austin,  and  were  from  live  to  fifteen  miles  distant. 
All  1'iit  Ravenswood  were  in  the  Toiyabee  mountains;  and  the  fact  that  large 
veins  of  silver-bearing  quartz  were  found  outside  of  this  district  gave  an  impetus 


408  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

to  prospecting,  and  the  mountains  in  their  entire  length  were  explored  and  dis- 
tricts formed  throughout  before  the  termination  of  the  year  1863. 

AMADOU  DISTRICT. — Immediately  north,  in  Lander  county,  was  formed  the 
district  of  Amador,  where  the  veins  and  croppings  created  a  great  excitement, 
and  a  populous  and  busy  village  was  built  in  a  lew  weeks'  time.  This  appeared 
the  most  promising  of  the  districts  during  the  fall  of  1863,  but  many  of  the 
ledges  not  proving,  from  the  depth  to  which  they  were  explored,  as  rich  as  their 
croppings  promised,  the  district  is  not  so  favorably  regarded  as  formerly. 

The  Amador  Ledge  has  been  explored  by  an  incline  to  the  depth  of  200  feet 
and  upwards.  It  dips  to  the  northeast,  at  an  angle  of  about  15  degrees.  During 
this  exploration  much  good  ore  was  taken  out,  and  its  owners  express  confidence 
that  when  the  reduction  of  ores  becomes  simplified  and  cheapened  the  mine  can 
be  worked  at  a  profit.  There  are  many  veins  like  the  Amador,  which  await  the 
same  events  for  their  development. 

The  Chase  Mine. — In  the  southern  part  of  the  district  is  the  Chase  mine, 
which  has  the  appearance  of  being  rich.  It  is  but  slightly  developed,  yet  shows 
quantities  of  ore  of  an  almost  pure  sulphuret  of  silver.  Operations  have  been 
suspended  on  it  for  several  months,  but  it  has  lately  passed  into  the  hands  of  an 
eastern  company,  and  work  will  be  prosecuted  on  it  hereafter. 

Other  Mines"— In '  the  vicinity  of  the  Chase  are  veins,  some  of  which  give 
assurance  of  value.  The  want  of  capital,  and  the  lack  of  knowledge  of  mining 
engineering,  have  been  obstacles  in  the  way  of  development  of  many  mines  in 
this  district  supposed  to  be  rich. 

MOUNT  HOPE,  CUMBERLAND,  COLUMBUS,  MOUNT  VERNON,  INDIAN,  AND 
WALL  STREET  DISTRICTS. — As  before  said,  the  year  1863  was  distinguished 
for  explorations,  but  prospecting  was  then  chiefly  confined  to  the  Toiyabee  range, 
and  to  those  ranges  east  and  west,  next  parallel.  In  the  Toiyabee  to  the  north 
of  Austin  and  Amador,  and  in  Lander  county,  were  organized  the  districts  of 
Mount  Hope,  Cumberland,  Columbus,  Mount  Vernon,  Indian,  and  Wall  Street, 
extending  as  far  as  35  miles  north,  being  continuous  and  including  both  sides  of 
the  mountain.  The  mines  of  these  districts  are  almost  entirely  undeveloped,  their 
croppings  alone  being  known.  From  these  croppings  some  rock  has  been  taken 
from  which  encouraging  results  have  been  obtained,  but  this  vast  area,  probably 
well  stored  with  silver,  is  neglected  and  comparatively  unknown,  awaiting  the 
coming  of  the  capitalist  and  a  denser  population.  It  offers  favorable  conditions 
for  working  mines,  as  it  includes  one  of  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Toiyabee  moun- 
tains— Mount  Hope — which  attains  an  altitude  of  about  10,000  feet  above  the 
sea,  in  the  deep  canons  of  which  run  a  number  of  streams  capable  of  furnishing 
water-power  for  driving  machinery.  Its  sides  are  covered  with  groves  of  pine, 
and  where  its  streams  debouche  into  the  plains  at  its  base  are  tracts  of  good  agri- 
cultural lands.  In  the  valleys  which  skirt  its  foot  are  some  farms  ;  but  its  min- 
eral wealth  lies  entirely  neglected.  One  district  has  been  noticed  by  an  expe- 
rienced mining  engineer,  Mr.  J.  II.  Boalt,  who,  after  as  close  an  examination  of 
the  ledges  as  their  slight  development  would  allow,  reported  that  they  were  true 
fissure  vepis,  of  size  from  4  to  15  feet  in  width,  and  of  unmistakable  value. 
Several  of  the  veins  were  cut  transversely,  and  the  ore  taken  for  trial ;  and  it  was 
proved  that  they  contained  silver  in  paying  quantities ;  the  assays  showing  a 
value  of  $100  and  upwards  to  the  ton.  This  is  the  only  reliable  examination 
made  of  the  ledges  of  the  district.  Superficial  as  it  is,  it  presents  some  proof  of 
the  value  of  a  neglected  district,  and  an  indication  that  the  great  extent  of  country 
which  this  mountain  embraces  bears  in  its  bosom  the  same  precious  veins  which 
lalx>r  has  proved  to  exist  in  other  pails  of  the  Toiyabee  range. 

CORTEZ  DISTRICT. — The  Cortez  district,  Lander  county,  comprises  the  north- 
ern terminus  of  the  range  east  of  the  Toiyabee,  and  includes  the  lofty  peak  of 
Mount  Tenabo.  It  is  65  miles  north,  by  15°  east  of  Austin.  It  was  organized 
in  1863,  and  operations  were  instituted  on  a  number  of  small  veins  in  the  northern 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  409 

part  of  the  district.  In  1864  a  mill  was  constructed  which  attempted  tlie  reduc- 
tion of  the  ores ;  but  from  the  incompleteness  of  the  mill,  and  the  inexperience 
of  the  managers,  the  workings  were  not  successful,  and  as  a  consequence  disap- 
pointment ensued,  and  the  district  was  long  neglected.  Subsequently,  discoveries 
were  made  of  mineral  existing  in  a  mammoth  vein  or  broad  stratum  of  quart zite 
which  coursed  through  Mount  Tenabo,  and  these  bodies  of  mineral  having  proved 
valuable,  attention  is  again  attracted  to  the  district.  The  following  description 
of  this  mountain  and  the  stratum  or  vein  which  bears  the  mineral,  is  from  the 
Reveille,  of  January  4,  1867  : 

This  vein  is  embedded  in  the  bosom  of  Mount  Tenabo,  a  peak  11,500  feet  above  the  level  of ' 
the  sea,  and  upwards  of  5,000  feet  above  the  surrounding  valleys.  Its  base,  up  its  side  to 
the  vein,  is  covered  with  a  scrubby  pine;  while  its  summit,  and  1,500  feet  below  is  over- 
grown with  grass  and  shrubs.  The  scarred  and  rugged  mountain  looks  eternal.  Some  3,OCO 
leet  above  its  base  a  vein  of  silver-bearing  quartz  cuts  its  face  obliquely,  burying  itself  in 
the  mountain  atone  end,  and  penetrating  into  the  valley  at  the  other,  after  stretching  out  in 
palpable  view  to  the  length  of  18,650  feet.  Its  width  is  400  feet.  This  vein,  or  perhaps  more 
pronerly  stratum,  of  the  mountain  formation  bears  beds  of  ore,  the  extent  of  which  is  only 
conjecture.  The  workings  at  various  mills  have  proved  encouraging.  The  vein  is  encased 
in  crystalline  limestone.  Twenty  locations  have  been  made,  with  the  following  names  and 
dimensions  :  Commencing  at  its  greatest  point  of  altitude  is  the  Chieftain,  Genesee  county, 
1,400  feet;  Murphy  Company,  800  feet;  Gill  Company,  800  feet;  Taylor  and  Passmore, 
800feet;  De  Witt  Company,  450  feet ;  St.  Louis  Company,  2, 000  feet ;  Meacham  and  Brothers, 
400  feet;  Niagara,  400  feet;  Savage  Company,  400  feet;  Nebraska  Company,  1,200  feet; 
Cortez  Giant,  Mount  Tenabo  Company,  4,000  feet ;  Elmore  Company,  200  feet ;  Russell 
Company,  600  feet;  Continental  Company,  1,000  feet;  Argentine  Company,  1,000  feet; 
Empire  Company,  800  feet;  Conn  and  Brothers,  400  feet ;  Traverse  Company,  400  feet ;  and 
the  Anna  Burr  Company,  2,000  feet.  The  latter  claim  is  somewhat  broken,  and  at  its  ter- 
mination the  vein  penetrates  the  earth  and  is  lost  altogether.  The  vein  disappears  also  at  the 
upper  boundary  of  the  Chieftain.  It  has  been  opened  at  several  points  along  its  course,  in 
every  case  disclosing  mineral.  The  Gill,  Taylor  and  Passmore,  and  St.  Louis  locations,  near 
the  upper  end  of  the  vein,  have  been  worked,  the  two  latter  considerably :  the  Cortez  Giant, 
which  lies  near  the  centre  of  the  vein,  is  the  most  fully  developed,  and  has  yielded  a  consid- 
erable amount  of  bullion  this  seasbn.  Some  work  has  also  been  done  on  the  Continental, 
situated  towards  the  lower  end  of  the  vein,  with  about  the  same  results  as  in  the  other  cases 
specified.  Of  this  vein  there  is  little  exact  knowledge,  but  that  it  stands  out  upon  the  moun- 
tain face,  a  large,  palpable  fact.  It  will  probably  be  developed.  And  when  that  day  arrives 
we  believe  the  Nevada  Giant  will  be  regarded  as  among  the  remarkable  veins  of  the  world. 

The  Continental. — There  are  but  few  claims  upon  this  vein  developed  to 
any  great  extent.  Upon  the  Continental,  explorations  have  been  conducted 
under  the  superintendency  of  D.  T.  Elmore,  which  have  shown  a  lode  about  300 
feet  in  width,  containing  three  strata  of  ore  of  from  five  to  eight  feet  in  thick- 
ness. These  have  been  mined  to  some  extent,  and  the  ore  reduced  at  the  mills 
at  Austin,  with  a  result  of  about  $150  per  ton.  This  is  owned  by  a  Maryland 
company,  which,  being  assured  of  the  value  of  the  property,  has  thought  best  to 
await  the  coming  of  the  railroad,  that  operations  may  be  carried  on  cheaply,  and 
the  greatest  profit  secured.  The  trans-continentalrail  road  will  pass  within  a  few 
miles  of  these  mines.  When  completed  to  this  point  it  will  cheapen  material  of 
consumption  by  the  lessening  of  freight,  and  the  time  of  its  completion  is  so  near 
that  none  can  doubt  the  propriety  of  waiting  for  it. 

The  Cortez  Giant. — The  Mount  Tenabo  Mining  Company,  a  San  Fran- 
cisco organization,  was  formerly  called  the  Cortez  Company,  and  its  operations 
have  been  previously  noticed.  It  possesses  a  claim  called  the  Cortez  Giant,  of 
4,000  feet  in  length,  upon  the  Nevada  Giant  ledge,  and  has  prosecuted  mining 
upon  it  to  some  extent.  It  has  lately  been  under  the  charge  of  H.  J.  Hall,  but 
is  at  present  superintended  by  H.  H.  Day.  A  main  shaft  has  been  sunk,  which 
has  now  a  depth  of  214  feet,  partly  planked,  and  divided  into  two  compartments. 
From  the  shaft  several  levels  have  been  run;  the  second  from  a  depth  of  121 
i'ccr,  which  has  explored  the  vein  for  a  length  of  217  feet,  finding  a  stratum  of 
<>rc  of  eight  feet  in  thickness,  worth  from  $65  to $100  per  ton.  The  shaft  passed 
through  the  ore  following  the  dip  of  the  ledge  at  a  depth  of  171  feet.  From  the 
greatest  depth  a  third  level  has  been  started,  which  it  is  expected  will  find  ore 


410  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

as  good  as  that  developed  above.  Steam  hoisting  works  are  expected  to  be  com- 
pleted within  two  months,  when  work  wijl  be  prosecuted  to  greater  advantage 
than  at  present.  A  mill  of  15  stamps  belongs  to  the  company,  and  is  usually 
employed  in  working  the  ores  of  this  mine.  In  this  property  the  vein  assumes 
its  greatest  proportions.  Its  croppings  tower  many  hundred  feet  in  the  air,  in 
wild  and  rugged  grandeur.  Viewred  from  a  distance,  as  it  skirts  the  brow  of  the 
mountain,  this  curious  line  of  croppings  presents  the  appearance  of  a  huge  balus- 
trade to  some  colossal  architectural  structure,  with  the  round  and  treeless  summit 
of  Mount  Tenabo,  11,000  feet  above  the  sea,  rising  gently  and  gracefully,  as 
the  crowning  dome  above. 

'The  St.  Louis. — North  of  the  Cortez  Giant  is  the  St.  Louis,  owned  chiefly 
by  A.  L.  Page  and  Simeon  Wenban.  In  the  claim  is  a  body  of  silver  ore 
from  which  selected  lots  have  been  transported  to  Austin,  producing  from  $200 
to  $300  per  ton.  Work  is  now  progressing,  and  an  incline  in  the  body  of  ore, 
some  50  or  60  feet  in  depth,  gives  promise  that  the  mine  will  prove  remunerative. 

Taylor  and  Passmore,  GiU,  &c. — The  Taylor  and  Passmore,  Gill,  and  a  few 
other  locations  have  been  slightly  developed,  and  good  ore  obtained.  Upon 
no  others  than  those  mentioned  has  sufficient  work  been  done  to  demonstrate  any 
value  in  the  property. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  district  are  some  small  veins  encased  in  granite, 
which  in  time  may  prove  valuable.  Among  these  are  the  Berlin,  Wenban,  Veatch, 
and  a  few  others,  upon  which  work  has  been  done,  and  ore  of  a  favorable  charac- 
ter obtained.  There  is  no  mining  doing  upon  them  at  present.  There  is  some 
grazing  and  agricultural  land  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  district  is  pleasantly  situated.  No  grander  scenery  is  furnished  by  the 
wild  mountains  of  the  interior,  nor  of  the  Pacific  coast.  From  the  high  peak 
may  be  seen  nearly  all  Nevada,  with  its  ranges  of  mountains,  its  isolated  hills, 
broad  valleys,  and  desert  plains.  The  Indians  called  it  "  Tenabo,"  which  we 
translate  to  "  look  out ;"  and  it  is  really  a  lookout  mountain.  Looking  westward 
from  the  summit  in  a  clear  day,  the  white  peaks  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  are  seen 
stretching  along  the  eastern  boundary  of  California,  and  many  a  hill,  bearing 
silver,  gold,  and  copper,  lie  between.  Northward,  but  25  miles  distant,  drawn 
athwart  the  vision,  is  the  long  and  winding  line  of  the  Humboldt  river  and  its 
Valley  of  meadow  or  sandy  plain.  Eastward  successions  of  hills  and  valleys 
meet  the  eye.  In  the  other  direction  the  dim  atmosphere  of  Smoky  Valley 
limits  the  sight,  but  glimpses  of  the  summit  of  Mount  Hope,  Bunker  Hill,  and 
other  peaks  of  the  Toiyabee  range  which  pierce  the  clouds,  trace  the  line  for  150 
miles  to  the  south.  The  district  is  attractive  both  for  its  scenery  and  its  resources. 

NEWARK  DISTRICT. — Newark  district,  Lander  county,  was  organized  in  Octo- 
ber, 1866.  It  lies  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Diamond  range  of  mountains,  about 
85  miles  east  of  Austin.  Its  geological  formation  is  of  slate  and  limestone,  the 
latter  carrying  a  great  abundance  of  fossil  shells.  Deep  chasms  are  cut  in  the 
mountain  side  which  exhibit  the  character  of  the  rocks.  One  of  these  chasms 
or  canons  is  called  the  Minnehaha.  With  its  towering  rocks,  sparkling  stream, 
and  luxuriant  verdure,  it  offers  to  the  eye  a  scene  of  rare  beauty.  Another  is  the 
Chihuahua  canon,  where  the  rocks  seem  burst  in  twain  by  some  great  convulsion, 
and  stand  in  perpendicular  walls,  towering  to  the  height  of  a  thousand  feet.  This 
deep  fissure  exposes  veins  of  silver-bearing  quartz,  varying  from  2  to  20  feet 
in  width.  The  ore  exposed  is  an  antimonial  sulphuret,  and  is  supposed  to  be 
valuable.  A  number  of  the  veins  have  already  been  tested  by  workings  at 
the  mills  in  Austin  and  good  returns  obtained.  A  mill,  the  property  of  the  Cen- 
tenary company,  is  now  in  course  of  construction  in  the  district,  which  it  is  hoped 
will  soon  add  its  product  of  bullion  to  the  silver  current  of  eastern  Nevada. 
The  ledges  of  the  Centenary  company  best  known  are  the  Lincoln  and  the  Chi- 
Imahna.  Upon  the  Chihuahua  tunnels  have  been  run  which  exposed  the  ledge 
in  several  places,  favorably  developing  the  property.  The  district  is  as  yet  but 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  411 

little  known.  Like  many  others  in  its  neighborhood,  it  invites  capital  and  labor. 
Now  a  wide  and  an  almost  unoccupied  wilderness,  it  offers  many  advantages  to 
the  miner  and  the  agriculturist.  These  occupations,  being  the  basis  of  wealth, 
will  attract  in  their  train  other  branches  of  trade  and  industry.  The  mountain  is 
partially  covered  with  pine  and  mahogany,  furnishing  lumber  and  fuel.  At  the 
base,  and  between  it  and  the  White  Pine  range  to  the  east,  is  a  broad  valley 
where  farms  can  be  secured.  The  small  streams  which  run  from  the  moun- 
tains, on  either  side,  will  supply  water  for  irrigation  and  mining;  the  neighboring 
hills  will  furnish  a  market  for  agricultural  products.  Within  the  valley  are 
salt  springs,  and  acres  of  land  are  covered  with  this  useful  article,  a  demand  for 
which  is  created  in  the  reduction  of  silver  ores.  A  visitor  to  this  district  about 
the  time  of  its  organization  writes :  "  The  future  of  our  State  is  encouraging. 
The  good  time  may  be  delayed,  but  it  will  come.  Where  there  is  a  foundation 
for  prosperity,  there  need  be  no  apprehensions  for  the  future.  The  foundation 
lies  broad  and  deep  in  Nevada  ;  the  rest  is  the  wrork  of  time  and  man." 

WHITE  PIXE  DISTRICT. — The  District  of  White  Pine  was  organized  in  the 
autumn  of  18G5,  and  received  its  name  from  the  species  of  wood  growing  upon 
the  mountain.  That  portion  of  the  range  bearing  the  name  of  White  Pine  is 
about  two  degrees  in  length,  is  lofty,  and  generally  covered  with  pine.  It  has 
not  been  much  explored  for  mines,  except  in  the  district  now  mentioned.  Here 
a  number  of  veins  have  been  located  wrhich  are  represented  to  be  valuable.  The 
district  is  about  90  miles  east  of  Austin,  and  is  in  Lander  county.  A  company 
called  the  Monte  Christo  commenced  in  July  last  the  development  of  a  property, 
but  the  progress  made,  or  the  results  obtained,  have  not  been  ascertained. 

DIAMOND  DISTRICT. — Diamond  district,  also  in  Lander  county,  lies  upon  the 
western  slope  of  Diamond  mountains,  and  is  80  miles  east,  by  a  few  degrees 
north,  of  Austin.  It  has  been  organized  about  three  years,  and  some  work  has 
been  done  in  exploring  and  demonstrating  the  value  of  the  ledges,  of  which  a 
great  number  are  located.  Ore  has  been  taken  to  Austin  for  reduction,  which, 
returning  $150  and  upwards  to  the  ton,  gave  proof  of  value  of  the  veins.  They 
are  yet  the  property  of  the  discoverers,  who  for  want  of  means  were  unable  to 
erect  the  machinery  necessary  for  their  development,  and,  consequently,  have  in 
ihr  Atlantic  States  and  in  Europe  sought  the  aid  of  capital. 

EUREKA  DISTRICT. — The  Eureka  district,  Lander  county,  was  organized  in 
1864,  and  lies  CO  miles  almost  directly  east  of  Austin.  The  geological  forma- 
tion is  limestone,  with  veins  or  bodies  of  metal-bearing  quartz.  The  chief 
characteristic  of  the  ore  is  an  argentiferous  galena,  which  might  be  reduced  by 
smelting.  Several  tons  sent  to  the  mills  in  Austin  yielded  from  $150  to  $450 
per  ton.  These  results  are  encouraging.  As  some  of  the  veins  are  owned  by 
men  of  wealth  in  New  York,  it  is  expected  that  measures  will  be  taken  for  their 
development.  The  district  is  in  the  midst  of  a  good  agricultural  and  grazing 
country,  and  offers  inducements  to  those  wishing  a  free  and  independent  home. 

EGAN  OR  GOLD  CANOX  DISTRICT. — Gold  Canon  district,  Lander  county,  better 
known  as  Egan  Canon,  is  one  of  the  farthest  east  of  Nevada,  being  165  miles  from 
Austin.  It  was  organized  in  1863,  and  native  gold  showing  plainly  in  the  quartz 
of  some  of  the  veins  first  discovered,  gave  it  the  name  of  Gold  Caiion.  It  lies 
upon  the  great  trans-continental  highway  where  passes  daily  the  overland  mail 
stage,  and  is  connected  with  the  world  by  two  lines  of  telegraph.  A  small  mill 
cm-led  in  the  year  1864,  by  Mr.  John *0'Dougherty,  met  with  success.  It  is 
.'i^aiu  in  operation,  reducing  ore  which  returns  about  $150  to  the  ton.  A  mill  of 
increased  capacity  is  in  process  of  construction  which  it  is  expected  will  add  to 
the  product  of  bullion.  It  is  favorably  located  for  accessibility,  and  the  abund- 
ance of  wood  and  water  give  it  some  advantage. 

IVIXSLEY  DISTRICT. — The  Kinsley  district,  Lander  county,  is  distinguished 
for  its  massive  lodes  of  copper-bearing  ore.  It  is  in  the  Antelope  range  of  moun- 


412  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

tains  near  the  eastern  border  of  the  State,  45  miles  northeast  of  Egan  and  200 
miles  from  Austin.  The  lodes  are  large,  and  ore  is  represented  as  being  upon 
the  surface  which  shows  by  assay  from  35  to  50  per  cent,  of  copper,  and  from 
$60  to  $100  per  ton  in  silver.  The  district  is  but  little  known ;  its  distance  from 
the  centre  of  population  and  a  market  render  the  copper  mines  valueless  for  the 
present.  The  Pacific  railroad  now  in  course  of  construction  is  expected  to  pass 
through  this  neighborhood,  when  the  ores  may  be  transported  to  market.  The 
Kinsley  may  then  become  a  valuable  mining  district. 

YREKA  DISTRICT. — Yreka  district,  Lander  county,  is  about  75  miles  northeast 
of  Austin.  Reports  of  silver-bearing  veins  have  been  made  j  but  it  is  almost 
entirely  undeveloped,  and  its  value  is  unknown.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  good 
agricultural  and  grazing  country. 

BATTLE  MOUNTAIN  DISTRICT. — Battle  Mountain  is  a  copper-bearing  hill, 
situated  about  70  miles  north  of  Austin  and  is  probably  in  Humboldt  county. 
In  1866  it  was  formed  into  a  mining  district  bearing  that  name.  It  is  an  igneous 
formation,  and  through  the  eruptive  rocks  are  veins  of  quartz  associated  with  red 
oxide  of  copper.  The  ore  is  brilliantly  red  and  very  beautiful.  The  district 
borders  upon  the  valley  of  the  Humboldt  river,  which  will  soon  be  traversed  by 
the  great  Pacific  railroad,  when  its  ores  will  find  a  market. 

The  district  derives  its  name  from  the  range  of  hills  or  mountains  containing 
the  cupriferous  veins.  In  these  hills  a  battle  was  fought  in  the  summer  of  1857 
between  some  Indians  and  a  government  expedition  under  the  superintendence 
of  John  Kirk,  engaged  in  the  survey  of  a  road  bearing  the  name  of  the  Fort 
Kearney  wagon  road,  Pacific  division.  It  is  a  low  range  of  hills  of  about  12 
miles  in  length  by  five  in  breadth,  fronting  on  Reese  River  valley  on  the  east, 
and  terminating  in  the  valley  of  the  Humboldt  on  the  north.  At  the  southern 
end  is  Copper  canon,  where  the  Troy  and  other  copper  veins  are  found  j  and  at 
the  northern  end  is  Long  canon,  where  the  Trojan,  President,  Mayflower,  Blue 
Bell,  Capitol,  Henrietta,  Fanny,  Morning  Star,  and  others  lie. 

There  are  but  few  companies  formed  for  operating  in  Battle  Mountain  district. 
The  principal  are  the  Emerson  and  the  Austin  companies.  These  are  unincor- 
porated. 

Tlie  Emerson  Company. — The  Emerson  Company  is  composed  of  General 
W.  S.  Rosecrans,  G.  W.  Emerson,  William  Plunihof,  and  others.  The  company 
owns  the  Morning  Star,  Henrietta,  Surprise,  Fanny,  President,  Trojan  and  Cap- 
itol ledges,  and  extensions  on:  some  others.  Upon  those  named,  the  location 
upon  each  is  from  1,400  to  1,600  feet,  and  the  veins  are  from  10  to  30  feet  in 
width.  All  are  developed  to  the  extent  of  a  cut  of  from  5  to  10  feet  in  depth 
crossing  the  vein  from  side  to  side.  By  this  means  the  width  of  each  vein  has 
been  ascertained,  and  the  character  of  the  ore  shown.  The  gangue  is  quartz  and 
spar  intermixed  with  nodules  and  numerous  veins  of  red  oxide  of  copper.  These 
veins  are  of  various  thicknesses,'  from  a  narrow  filament  to  several  inches  through, 
arid  run  irregularly  through  the  mass  of  the  vein.  They  contain  native  copper  j 
also  considerable  silver.  The  mass  of  the  rock  will  require  crushing  and  con- 
centrating for  profitable  mining  and  exportation.  This  set  of  mines  is  at  the 
northern  end  of  Battle  mountain,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Long  canon.  The 
surveyed  route  of  the  Pacific  railroad  passes  about  two  and  a  half  miles  north 
from  the  locations,  and  as  this  great  road  is  expected  to  be  completed  to  this  point 
before  the  close  of  another  year  it  enhances  the  prospective  value  of  the  property. 

Tlie  Austin  Company. — The  Austin  Company  owns  the  Troy,  Mayflower, 
Blue  Bell,  and  other  veins  in  the  district,  some  of  which  are  at  Copper  canon 
and  others  at  Long  canon.  The  developments  on  the  Troy  consist  of  an  exca- 
vation some  12  feet  in  width  and  about  15  feet  in  depth,  showing  the  size  and 
character  of  the  vein.  It  is  estimated  that  one-fourth  of  the  vein  is  composed  of 
red  oxide  of  copper  having  40  per  cent,  of  metal. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  413 

Upon  other  claims  some  work  lias  been  done,  the  general  aim  being  merely 
to  hold  possession  of  the  property,  awaiting  the  construction  of  the  railroad. 

ItAVENSWOOD  DISTRICT. — Ravenswood,  Lander  county,  situated  but  15  miles 
northwest  from  Austin,  was  one  of  the  earliest  districts  organized  in  the  Reese 
River  country,  having  been  formed  in  the  first  year  of  the  discovery  of  silver  here. 
It  is  in  the  same  range  as  Battle  mountain,  though  the  latter  is  almost  separated 
by  a  low  depression,  yet  it  is  the  northern  terminus  of  the  Shoshone  mountains. 
The  veins  of  Ravenswood,  which  w.ere  located  for  silver,  being  found  rich  only 
in  copper,  disappointed  the  locators,  and  as  a  consequence  the  district  has  been 
abandoned.  It  contains  veins  which  assay  as  high  as  40  to  50  per  cent,  of  copper, 
and  contains  silver  and  gold.  The  district  is  well  situated  for  economical  work- 
ing, bordering  on  the  valley  of  the  Reese  river,  and  is  tolerably  well  supplied 
with  timber.  Like  many  others  it  awaits  the  corning  of  the  railroad,  cheap  trans- 
portation and  subsistence. 

BIG  CREEK  DISTRICT. — The  Big  Creek  district,  Lander  county,  was  the 
second  organized  in  the  Toiyabee  mountains,  and  it  seemed  likely  at  one  time  to 
eclipse  everything  else.  A  village  was  built,  with  post,  express  and  telegraph 
offices  connecting  with  Austin,  with  schools,  courts,  stores  and  mills,  and  its 
prosperity  and  stability  seemed  beyond  a  doubt.  Veins  were  found  appearing 
full  of  metal,  but  upon  further  trial  their  value  consisted  in  copper,  which  was 
not  profitable  to  work,  and  interest  in  the  district  died  away.  Now  no  attention 
is  paid  to  the  mines.  It  is  situated  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Toiyabee  moun- 
tains, twelve  miles  south  of  Austin.  The  creek  is  a  small  mountain  stream, 
affording  sites  for  water  or  steam-power  mills.  It  flows  through  a  deep  canon, 
along  which  are  some  good  farms  and  gardens.  If  the  district  has  not  proved 
remunerative  to  the  miner,  it  has  furnished  pleasant  homes  for  the  husbandman. 

WASHINGTON  DISTRICT. — South  of  Austin  28  miles,  in  Nye  county,  and  on 
the  western  slope  of  the  Toiyabee,  is  Washington  district,  organized  in  1863,  then 
and  the  subsequent  year  the  scene  of  busy  operations.  The  mineral  is  an  argen- 
tiferous galena,  abundant  in  quantity.  None  who  have  examined  the  mines  with 
attention  can  hesitate  to  decide  that  they  possess  value.  The  veins  are  from  4 
to  16  feet  in  width,  and  regular  in  their  formation.  Attempts  have  been  made 
to  reduce  the  ores,  but  owing  to  want  of  skill  on  the  part  of  the  operators  they 
have  not  been  successful.  A  great  number  of  veins  were  located,  a  pretty  village 
was  built,  and  hopes  of  prosperity  were  entertained,  but  the  district  following  the 
usual  course  has  become  almost  deserted.  Its  mineral  resources,  however,  may 
yet  be  advantageously  developed. 

MARYS  VILLE  DISTRICT. — South  of  Washington  about  15  miles,  in  Nye  county, 
is  Marysville  district,  organized  in  the  same  year  and  possessing  many  similar 
characteristics.  Numerous  claims  were  here  located,  and  great  expectations  were 
once  entertained.  It  is  now  entirely  deserted  except  by  a  few  farmers  who  cul- 
tivate the  soil  of  the  valleys,  irrigating  it  by  the  streams  which  run  down  from 
the  mountain?  The  district  is  well  watered  and  timbered,  and  offers  advantages 
to  the  settler. 

THE  TOYABEE  MOUNTAINS. — On  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Toiyabee,  and 
south  of  Austin,  were  organized  during  the  summer  of  1863  a  number  of  districts, 
covering  that  side  of  the  mountain  almost  continuously  for  a  distance  of  75  miles. 
Throughout  its  southern  extent  the  mountain  rises  from  the  valley  of  Reese  river 
on  the  west  and  Smoky  valley  on  the  east,  and  attains  an  altitude  of  2,000  to 
5,000  feet  above  them. .  From  valley  to  valley  through  the  base  of  the  mountain 
tin-  distance  is  from  7  to  10  miles.  From  its  high  peaks  and  through  its  deeply 
chasmed  sides  run  many  streams  of  water  affording  good  sites  for  mills. 

SMOKY  VALLEY  DISTRICT. — Of  the  numerous  districts  organized  on  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  mountain  that  of  Smoky  Valley  was  among  the  first.  It  is  in  Lander 
county,  12  miles  south  of  Austin,  and  includes  what  were  once  the  busy  little 
hamlets  of  Geneva  and  Clinton.  Through  it  run  in  deep  canons  Birch  and 


414  EESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Willow  creeks  and  several  smaller  rivulets,  all  of  which  are  lost  in  the  valley. 
There  have  been  many  locations  of  mines  made  in  the  district,  but  they  have 
been  generally  neglected  until  the  present  year.  Latterly  labor  has  been  prose- 
cuted upon  the  Smoky  Valley  ledge,  which  has  developed,  at  the  depth  of  200 
feet,  a  lode  or  series  of  veins  50  feet  in  thickness,  of  which  about  20  feet  contain 
pay  streaks  of  ore.  Average  specimens  assay  $60  to  $150  per  ton.  The  upper 
part'  of  the  lode  has  proved  quite  barren,  but  the  results  obtained  from  below 
give  encouragement  to  the  miners.  In  this  district  the  lodes  are  generally  large, 
and  exhibit  themselves  in  some  instances  for  miles  in  length  upon  the  surface. 
They  are  situated  conveniently  for  mining,  and  the  district  possesses  advan- 
tages of  wood,  water,  and  arable  land  for  carrying  on  cheaply  extensive  opera- 
tions. 

SANTA  FE  DISTRICT. — South  of  Smoky  Valley  district,  in  the  same  county, 
is  that  of  Santa  Fe,  IS  miles  from  Austin.  It  is  composed  of  high  peaks,  pre- 
cipitous ridges,  and  deep,  rocky  canons.  The  bare  rocks  of  the  ridges  and  canons 
expose  to  view  the  white  ledges  of  quartz  in  great  numbers.  A  feature  in  the 
mineralogy  of  the  district  is  the  presence  of  gold  in  considerable  quantities  in 
some  of  the  veins.  Notwithstanding  the  undoubted  value  of  the  veins,  however, 
in  both  gold  and  silver,  no  successful  mining  has  yet  been  carried  on. 

BUNKER  HILL  AND  SUMMIT  DISTRICTS. — Bunker  Hill  and  Summit  districts, 
Lander  county,  occupy  both  sides  of  Big  Smoky  creek,  and  are  20  miles  south 
of  Austin.  Ore  paying  from  fifty  to  some  hundreds  of  dollars  per  ton  has  been 
mined;  but  the  veins  have  been  found  broken  and  irregular,  and  but  little  success 
has  attended  mining  operations.  This  is  generally  attributed  to  improper  man- 
agement, and  lack  of  scientific  knowledge  of  the  business  of  mining  and  the 
reduction  of  ores.  The  stream  is  one  of  the  largest  flowing  out  of  this  moun- 
tain range,  and  affords  water-power  sufficient  for  a  number  of  extensive  mills. 
Some  failures  have  retarded  progress  in  what  appears  a  superior  district.  This 
cannot  long  continue,  for  where  nature  has  done  so  much  by  offering  valuable 
minerals,  building  material,  and  inexpensive  power,  a  pleasant  climate  and  a  rich 
soil,  man  will  sooner  or  later  take  advantage  of  it  and  reap  the  reward. 

BLUE  SPRINGS  DISTRICT. — Blue  Springs  district,  in  Nye  county,  30  miles 
south  of  Austin,  is  so  named  from  a  number  of  deep  springs  or  ponds  which  lie 
in  the  valley  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  It  contains  veins  of  quartz  of  large 
size,  reputed  to  be  rich  in  silver,  but  developments  upon  them,  are  so  slight  that 
their  value  is  not  really  known. 

SMOKY  VALLEY  SALT  FIELD. — Near  Blue  Springs,  in  the  great  Smoky  valley, 
is  an  extensive  field  of  2,000  acres  of  salt  lands,  from  which  is  obtained  most 
of  the  salt  used  in  Eastern  Nevada  both  for  domestic  purposes  and  the  reduction 
of  ores.  Upon  this  salt  field,  as  upon  some  others  with  which  the  State  abounds, 
the  salt  rises  as  an  efflorescence,  half  an  inch  or  more  in  thickness,  upon  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  from  which  it  is  gathered.  A  slight  rain  drives  the  salt 
beneath  the  surface,  but  under  the  influence  of  the  sun  it  soon  reappears.  Hun- 
dreds of  tons  are  obtained  from  this  field  annually,  and  the  supply  coming  from 
deep  springs  seems  to  be  inexhaustible.  It  is  furnished  for  the  use  of  the  mills 
at  from  $30  to  $50  per  ton.  When  it  is  known  that  salt  in  large  quantities  is 
essential  to  the  reduction  of  silver  ores,  the  beneficence  of  a  Divine  Providence 
in  furnishing  it  in  such  vast  deposits  and  at  convenient  localities  throughout  the 
country  can  be  appreciated. 

NORTH  TWIN  RIVER  DISTRICT. — Forty  miles  south  of  Austin,  in  Nye  county, 
is  the  North  Twin  River  district.  Although  this  region  was  examined  and  many 
claims  located  early  in  the  settlement  of  the  country,  it  was  not  considered  of 
importance  until  recently,  when  work  upon  some  of  the  veins  has  proved  them 
to  be  of  large  size  and  great  value.  Deep  cations,  with  running  streams,  open 
to  the  plain,  offering  access  to  the  mines  and  sites  lor  reduction  mills. 

The  La  Plata  Mining  Company,  owning  mines  in  this  district,  is  organized 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  415 

under  the  laws  of  Pennsylvania.  Its  chief  stockholders  are  residents  of  Reading. 
This  company  owns  the  Twin  Ophirs,  the  William  Bigler,  and  other  veins  sit- 
uated in  Park  canon.  Some  of  the  veins  are  large,  and  have  shown  bodies  of 
good  pay  ore.  Work  upon  one  of  the  Twin  Ophirs  has  developed  a  chimney  or 
mass  of  ore  of  a  very  singular  character,  being  chiefly  iron  and  resembling  steel, 
but  containing  from  $70  to  $150  per  ton  in  silver.  A  mill  is  in  course  of  con- 
struction, which,  in  a  few  months,  will  probably  add  something  to  the  stream  of 
bullion  already  beginning  to  flow  from  the  districts  bordering  the  Smoky  valley. 
It  is  mainly  built  of  stone,  with  furnaces  and  chimney  stack  of  brick.  These 
materials  are  conveniently  obtained  in  the  neighborhood.  It  will  contain  10 
stamps  of  about  700  pounds  each,  crushing  the  rock  dry  and  in  a  condition  for 
roasting.  The  property  of  the  company  is  managed  by  G.  B.  Montgomery. 

The  Buckeye  Mining  Company  is  a  New  York  company,  and,  under  the  super- 
intendence of  Mr.  Stephen  Kidd,  is  developing  the  Buckeye  mine,  situated  in 
Summit  canon.  The  vein  was  discovered  and  located  in  1865.  The  claim 
consists  of  1,400  feet  of  the  lode  running  north  from  the  canon.  The  vein  is 
encased  in  limestone,  and,  although  it  sometimes  narrows  down  to  a  mere  clay 
seam  in  the  rock,  it  appears  to  be  a  true  fissure  vein.  Its  general  width  is  five 
feet,  occasionally  reaching  to  seven.  It  has  been  developed  by  an  incline  fol- 
lowing the  dip  of  the  ledge,  which  is  westerly  65°,  to  the  depth  of  100  feet,  and 
"by  different  levels  several  hundred  feet  north  and  south.  From  these  excava- 
tions a  quantity  of  ore  has  been  taken  which  has  yielded,  at  the  Austin  mills, 
$106  per  ton.  The  company  has  located,  under  the  laws  of  Nevada,  800  acres 
of  woodland,  mill-sites,  &c.  Neither  lands  nor  mines  are  entered- under  any  law 
of  Congress,  nor  are  any  lands  or  mines  throughout  this  region.  The  lands  arc 
Tin  surveyed,  and  there  is  no  land  office  in  eastern  Nevada.  The  laws  of  the 
United  States  give  permission  to  occupy  the  mines  subject  to  the  local  rules  of 
miners.  Survey  and  purchase  appears  to  them  a  useless  expense,  serviceable 
only  to  the  surveyors  and  land  officers. 

In  Summit  canon  are  other  claims,  as  the  Scottish  Chief,  which  is  an  extension 
of  the  Buckeye  south  of  the  canon.  This  has  been  but  slightly  developed, 
having  a  shaft  40  feet  in  depth ;  its  real  worth  is  therefore  known  only  from  the 
greater  explorations  on  the  Buckeye.  A  short  distance  to  the  southwest  is  the 
Canada  vein.  This  appears  on  the  surface  to  be  about  nine  feet  in  width,  but 
the  explorations  upon  it  are  not  sufficient,  it  being  encased  in  limestone,  to 
determine  its  extent  and  character.  From  the  surface  several  tons  of  ore  have 
been  taken,  which  give  promise  of  worth. 

Twix  RIVER  DISTRICT. — The  Twin  River  district,  Nye  county,  is  50  miles 
south  of  Austin,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Toiyabee  range,  and  is  at  present 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  important  districts  south  of  Austin.  It  receives  its 
name  from  two  pretty  streams  on  the  southern  border,  which,  flowing  through 
deep  and  rugged  canons,  enter  the  valley  near  each  other,  and  continuing  parallel 
for  some  miles  sink  in  the  plain.  The  characteristics  of  the  district  arc  its  rug- 
gedness,  high  and  precipitous  mountains,  deep  canons,  and  its  geological  forma- 
tion being  granite  and  slate,  while  the  districts  north  of  it  are  of  limestone.  The 
principal  mines  are  situated  in  Ophir  canon.  These  were  discovered  in  1863  by 
S.  Boulerond  and  a  party  of  Frenchmen,  who  located  several  veins,  but  did  not 
publish  to  the  world  their  discovery  nor  do  much  towards  developing  their  prop- 
erty. The  year  following  the  canon  was  entered  by  George  H.  Willard  and 
others,  ledges  located,  a  district  formed,  and  laws  made.  From  that  date  the 
district  has  been  somewhat  noted.  In  entering  the  canon  from  Srnoky  valley, 
one  feels  almost  forbidden  to  advance,  so  towering  and  precipitous  are  the  rocks 
on  either  side,  which  appear  to  close  the  narrow  pass  ;  but  winding  along  at  the 
base  of  the  cliffs  is  now  a  well-constructed  road.  Following  this  a  mile  or  more 
the  narrow  gorge  of  granite  is  passed  and  a  canon  of  more  gently  sloping  sides,  a 
slate  formation,  is  reached.  The  granite  is  generally  barren  of  soil,  but  upon 


41 G  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

the  summits  of  the  ridges  a  few  low  and  dwarfed  pinon  trees  arc  found,  which  are 
cut  for  fuel  and  with  great  labor  brought  to  the  brink  of  the  precipice  and 
tumbled  into  the  cafion  below,  whence  it  is  hauled  to  its  place  of  consumption. 
Fuel  is  difficult  to  obtain,  and  costs  about  $10  per  cord.  At  the  present  date  a 
mill  is  in  operation,  and  a  village  called  Toiyabee,  of  300  inhabitants,  has  been 
built, 

The  Ophir. — The  first  vein  noticed  in  passing  up  the  canon  is  the  Ophir. 
This  was  discovered  and  claimed  by  S.  Boulerond  and  Company  in  1863,  and 
is  still  owned  by  the  same  parties.  It  is  a  large  vein,  showing  chiefly  white 
quartz,  but  deposits  of  good  ore  have  been  found  in  it.  The  claim  consists  of 
2,400  feet  along  the  ledge.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  to  the  depth  of  60  feet,  from 
which  a  small  quantity  of  ore  was  obtained,  worth  at  the  rate  of  $500  per  ton. 
The  developments  upon  the  mine  are  very  slight. 

The  Orphee,  Central  Favorite,  and  numerous  other  claims  have  been  slightly 
developed,  but  have  not  yet  been  productive. 

The  Murphy  is  the  only  developed  and  productive  mine  in  this  neighborhood, 
and  its  success  has  given  celebrity  to  the  district.  It  was  located  by  G.  H. 
Willard,  John  Murphy,  Jo.  Patty,  and  others,  in  1864,  and  is  1,000  feet  in  length. 
Its  course  is  north  and  south,  dipping  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  46°,  and  the 
lode  is  about  20  feet  in  thickness.  It  has  been  developed  by  an  incline  130  feet 
in  depth,  from  which  levels  have  been  run  and  ore  extracted,  worth  about  $130 
per  ton.  It  appears  from  the  working  that  the  ore  is  not  continuous  throughout 
the  vein,  but  exists  in  chimneys  of  one  to  seven  feet  in  thickness,  and  from  100 
to  150  feet  bread,  with  nearly  a  corresponding  interval  of  barren  rock.  These 
chimneys  arc  inclined,  having  a  dip  to  the  north  of  about  30°.  Although  ranch 
valuable  ore  has  been  extracted,  a  map  of  the  mine,  showing  its  whole  size  and 
the  excavations  made,  indicate  that  but  a  small  portion  is  touched.  There  are 
41  men  emplo}^ed  in  the  mine,  working  eight  hours  each,  at  $4  per  day,  and 
keeping  up  the  labor  without  intermission.  The  miners  are  usually  natives  of 
Cornwall,  England.  The  hoisting  of  water  and  ore  is  done  by  steam  power. 

The  Murphy  Mill,  belonging  to  the  Twin  River  Mining  Company,  is  a 
substantial  structure  of  stone,  having  20  stamps  and  corresponding  machinery, 
driven  by  an  engine  of  95  horse-power.  The  ore  is  brought  from  the  mine,  a 
few  hundred  feet  distant,  in  cars.  The  first  process  is  to  pass  it  through  a 
Blake's  rock  breaker,  which  will  in  a  few  hours  break  sufficient  rock  into  frag- 
ments of  less  than  a  cubic  inch  in  size  to  supply  the  stamps  for  24  hours.  This 
effects  a  saving  of  $2  per  ton  in  the  cost  of  crushing  the  ore.  From  the  breaker 
the  ore  is  placed  upon  a  large  pan  or  dryer,  which  is  heated  by  the  gases  passing 
from  the  roasting  furnaces  to  the  smoke-stack,  and  is  thoroughly  dried.  It  is 
then  ready  for  the  stamps.  Of  these  there  are  20,  weighing  850  pounds  each, 
and  the}'-  crush  16  tons  per  day  fine  enough  to  pass  through  a  No.  60  screen,  or 
a  screen  with  3,600  holes  to  the  square  inch.  Falling  from  the  screens  into  a 
tight  bin,  it  is  removed  into  cars  standing  on  a  track  passing  over  the  tops  of  the 
roasting  furnaces,  and  is  thus  transported  to  the  furnaces,  of  which  there  are 
eight,  capable  of  roasting  16  tons  in  24  hours.  Seven  to  nine  hundred  pounds 
of  ore  mixed  with  a  certain  quantity  of  salt,  according  to  the  composition  of 
the  ore,  varying  from  eight  to  fifteen  per  cent.,  constitutes  a  charge,  and  this  is 
roasted  from  five  to  seven  hours,  being  constantly  stirred.  It  is  then  taken  to 
the  amalgamating  room,  in  which  are  six  pans  taking  one  ton  of  the  roasted 
pulp,  now  mixed  with  water,  at  a  charge.  Here  the  silver,  which  in  the  furnaces 
was  changed  from  its  native  condition  to  a  chloride,  is  again  changed  to  metallic 
silver,  and  is  amalgamated  with  quicksilver.  The  pulp  is  agitated  and  ground 
by  revolving  iron  mullers  for  about  six  hours,  when  it  is  drawn  off  into  settlers, 
of  which  there  are  six,  where  more  water  is  added,  and,  after  several  hours' 
agitation,  the  quicksilver  bearing  the  silver  is  drawn  off,  the  pulp  allowed  to  run 
to  waste,  and  the  silver  taken  out.  This,  after  being  strained  and  pressed  in 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


417 


leather  bug's,  exhausting  the  quicksilver  as  far  as  possible,  is  placed  in  a  close 
retort,  and  the  remaining  quicksilver  expelled  by  heat.  The  crude  bullion 
remaining  is  then  taken  to  the  smelting  room,  where  it  is  melted  and  run  into 
ingots,  ready  for  the  assayer  and  for  commerce.  The  establishment  is  veiy  com- 
plete, and  presents  an  imposing  appearance.  The  officers  of  the  company  having 
charge  and  carrying  on  the  works,  are  R.  B.  Canfield,  general  agent ;  II.  M. 
U rant,  bookkeeper;  H.  Richards,  mining  superintendent  5  Charles  V.  Baesler, 
as.suyer ;  and  Alonzo  Monroe,  engineer.  In  working  the  mill  at  full  capacity, 
41  men  are  required.  Besides  those  in  the  mine  and  mill  are  blacksmiths,  ore 
assorters,  and  wood  choppers,  making  100  men  employed.  In  one  month  417 
tons  of  ore  were  milled,  producing  $36,865.  The  assay  of  the  ore  was  over 
$100  per  ton.  At  the  present  date  the  mill  is  working  to  its  full  capacity,  and 
better  results  than  formerly  are  obtained. 

The  McDonald  mine. — The  Murphy  and  McDonald  are  locations  upon  the 
same  lode,  the  first  extending  from  the  canon  northwardly  and  the  latter  south 
of  it.  It  is  anticipated  that  they  are  of  equal  value,  although  the  McDonald  is 
undeveloped.  Preparations  are  making,  under  the  superintendence  of  John  H. 
Boalt,  for  a  New  York  company  to  commence  explorations  and  developing  the 
mine. 

These  mines  constitute  the  basis  of  support  to  a  busy  and  prosperous  little 
village,  called  Toiyabee  City,  of  about  300  inhabitants.  This  place  is  connected 
with  Austin  by  a  tri-weekly  stage,  carrying  the  United  States  mail  once  a  week. 
The  distance  is  55  miles,  and  the  time  of  passage  about  nine  hours.  From  the 
valley  to  the  town  is  about  two  and  a  half  miles  along  the  canon,  and  through 
this  distance  a  road  has  been  constructed  at  a  cost  of  about  $6,000.  The  work 
has  been  very  heavy,  and  under  the  circumstances  a  good  road  is  constructed, 
although  its  grade  at  some  places  is  as  great  as  10°.  The  road  continues 
through  this  canon  over  the  summit  of  the  Toiyabee  mountain,  and  forms  a  con- 
venient avenue  for  summer  travel,  but  the  passage  is  generally  impeded  by  snow 
during  the  winter.* 

*  The  books  of  the  county  assessor,  according  to  the  Silver  Bend  Reporter,  give  the  fol- 
lowing returns  of  bullion  and  yield  per  ton  of  the  mines  of  If  ye  county  for  the  quarter  ending 
September  30,  made  under  oath.  The  amounts  are  for  coin : 


Name. 

Tons. 

Gross. 

Amount 
per  ton. 

i 

Murphy  Mine                 

J     800 

$107,  544  00 

$143  43 

i 

Transylvania   1  

J     736 

28,  856  88 

39  33 

) 

5     21 

837  06 

3966 

Following  are  the  returns  of  small  lots  of  ore  from  this  county,  worked  at  mills  in  the 
vicinity  of  Austin,  and  forwarded  by  the  assessor  of  Lander  ceunty.  We  merely  give  the 
number  of  pounds  of  ore  worked  and  the  gross  product : 

•  Pounds.        Gross  yield. 

Indian  Jim,  Hot  Creek  district 1,915  $90  80 

OldDominion do , 3,630  2.06  24 

Gazelle do 11,314  753  30 

Desert  Queen,  Reveille  district 3,083  474  86 

Wild  Rose do 2,277  149  69 

North  America do 1,172  68  75 

Manhattan do 2,639  29201 

Lord  Byron do 2,254  10685 

Button do 600  8  84 

Regan do 2,792  30  68 

Lexington do 2,764  235  00 

Peta,  Union  district 1,971  68  46 

Holmau,  Union  district 2,031  295  34 

The  books  of  the  county  assessor  show  the  following  annual  product  of  two  of  the  leading 
mines  of  Nye  county:  From  October  1  to  December  31,  1866,  the  Buel  mill  (now  the  Bel- 

27 


418  RESOURCES    OF   STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

SOUTH  TWIN  RIVER,  HOT  SPRINGS,  EL  DORADO,  AND  PEAVINE  DISTRICTS. — 
The  districts  of  South  Twin  River,  Hot  Springs,  El  Dorado,  and  Peavine,  all 
in  Nyc  county,  continue  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  named  to  near  where  the 
mountain,  which  we  have  traced  for  150  miles,  falls  away  into  the  plain.  Although 
but  slightly  explored,  the  opinion  is  expressed  that  the  mines  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  Toiyabee  range  will  equal  those  of  other  parts,  and  that  this  exten- 
sive country  offers  an  inviting  field  to  the  explorer  and  the  capitalist. 

SMOKY  VALLEY. — The  great  Smoky  valley,  traversed  by  Fremont  in  1845, 
who  mapped  Big  Smoky  creek  and  Twin  rivers,  is  worthy  of  special  mention. 
In  the  centre  of  it  are  found  remarkable  springs  of  boiling  water,  throwing  a 
large  and  constant  stream,  in  which  meat  and  vegetables  are  readily  cooked, 
and  tea  and  coffee  quickly  prepared  for  use.  The  basin  of  the  spring  is  from  20 
to  30  feet  in  diameter,  and  the  fountain  of  boiling  water  rises  in  the  centre,  a 
constant  column  ascending  by  its  subterranean  force  several  feet  above  the  sur- 
face. There  are  several  smaller  springs  in  the  neighborhood,  one  of  which 
furnishes  cold  water.  The  soil  about  them  is  fertile,  and  the  climate  pleasant 
and  healthy. 

The  fields  of  salt  in  the  northern  part  of  the  valley  have  already  been  men- 
tioned. Throughout  it  are  found  good  agricultural  lands.  The  climate  is  more 
agreeable  than  generally  prevails  in  Nevada,  without  extremes  of  heat  or  cold. 
Snow  seldom  falls  and  frosts  are  never  severe,  although  there  are  localities  where 
frosts  have  occurred  as  early  as  September,  sufficient  to  blight  certain  species  of 
vegetation.  The  valley  continues,  although  slight  elevations  divide  it  into  dif- 
ferent basins,  into  the  desert  upon  the  southern  borders  of  the  State.  In  it  are 
other  vast  fields  of  salt,  and  beds  of  sulphur,  alum,  and  soda,  and  bordering 
upon  it  are  the  mountains  of  San  Antonio  and  Silver  Peak.  These  are  isolated 
and  singular  in  their  formation,  and  appear  as  if  thrown  into  position  by  some 
violent  convulsion  of  nature.  The  mining  districts  of  this  region  are  among 
the  most  important  of  the  State. 

SAN  ANTONIO  DISTRICT,  comprising  the  mountain  of  that  name,  is  situated 
about  20  miles  southeast  of  the  southern  terminus  of  the  Toiyabee  mountains, 
and  about  90  miles  from  Austin.  Several  companies  are  engaged  in  mining 
here  with  some  success,  and  ore  is  extracted  which  returns  from  reduction  an 
average  of  $200  per  ton. 

The  Liberty  mine,  owned  by  George  Seitz,  has  been  continuously  worked 
during  the  present  year.  It  is,  so  far,  the  most  extensively  worked  mine  in  the 

mont  Company's)  reduced  904  tons  of  ore,  producing  bullion  of  the  value  of  $52,712  24, 
being-  an  average  per  ton  of  $58  31 ;  the  three  months  following — January,  February,  and 
March,  1867—554  tons  and  a  fraction  were  reduced,  yielding  $33,041  39,  or  $59  64  per  ton; 
the  next  quarter,  125  tons,  1,339  pounds,  producing  $6, 903  02,  $54  93  per  ton;  and  676  tons, 
1,010  pounds,  which  produced  $26,439  77,  or  $39  08  per  ton.  The  amounts  added  to  the 
production  of  the  quarter  ending  on  the  30th  of  September,  of  736  tons,  yielding  $28,856  88— 
$39  33  per  ton,  and  21  tons,  yielding  $837  06— $39  86  per  ton,  swells  the  total  product  of 
this  mine  for  the  past  year  to  $148,790  36  in  coin.  The  aggregate  number  of  tons  of  ore 
worked  is  a  fraction  over  3,917 — averaging  very  nearly  $50  per  ton.  It\vas  reduced  in  a 
10-stamp  mill,  at  best  but  an  inferior  one,  by  the  wet  crushing  process,  by  which  it  is  not 
claimed  that  more  than  about  65  per  cent,  of  the  silver  is  saved.  In  connection  with  the  fact 
that  the  mine  from  which  the  ore  was  obtained  is  practically  inexhaustible,  and  can  be  made 
to  furnish  almost  any  amount  of  ore,  the  above  figures  will  furnish  a  basis  upon  which  to 
estimate  its  great  value.  During  the  same  period,  the  Murphy  mine,  of  the  Twin  River 
Company,  situated  in  Ophir  canon,  as  is  shown  by  the  books  of  the  assessor,  has  yielded  as 


making  a  total  of  $363,190  21  in  coin  in  a  twelvemonth.  The  aggregate  quantity  of  ore 
worked  is  3,393^  tons,  and  the  average  yield  per  ton  a  fraction  over  $107.  We  are  informed 
that  the  Murphy  mine  is  now  in  a  condition  to  supply  ore  for  another  mill  of  equal  capacity 
as  the  one  in  use,  a  number  of  levels  having  already  been  run  which  disclose  hundreds  of 
feet  in  length  along  the  vein,  and  for  a  depth  of  near  200  feet  a  compact  mass  of  solid  ore 
some  10  or  12  feet  thick. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  419 

district,  and  bids  fair  to  be  remunerative.  A  depth  of  200  feet  has  been  reached 
and  no  water  obtained.  The  mountain  is  dry,  barren,  and  broken.  A  few  miles 
to  the  northwest  are  the  Indian  springs,  where  two  small  quartz  mills  have  been 
constructed.  As  more  vigorous  work  is  now  prosecuted  upon  the  mines  of  this 
district  than  formerly ;  they  will  probably  soon  take  the  rank  in  public  esteem 
to  which  their  value  entitles  them. 

SILVER  PEAK,  RED  MOUNTAIN,  PALMETTO,  LIDA,  AND  EDMONTON  DIS- 
TRICTS.— The  districts  of  Silver  Peak,  Red  Mountain,  Palmetto,  Lida,  and 
Edmonton  comprise  the  southwestern  part  of  the  territory  which  has  been  pros- 
pected by  people  who  have  made  Austin  their  base  of  operations. 

Silver  Peak  and  Red  Mountain  are  contiguous,  lying  about  150  miles  south 
by  west  from  Austin.  Silver  Peak  is  a  small,  precipitous  mountain,  through 
which,  lying  at  a  low  angle,  cuts  the  Vanderbilt  vein,  cropping  on  all  sides. 
The  value  of  this  vein  has  been  very  highly  estimated.  Other  good  veins  exist 
in  the  district. 

In  the  valley  skirting  the  eastern  base  of  the  mountain  is  an  extensive  salt 
field,  covering  an  area  of  30  square  miles,  and  capable  of  furnishing  an  unlimited 
supply  of  salt. 

The  Red  Mountain  district,  a  few  miles  east  of  Silver  Peak,  is  distinguished 
for  its  production  of  gold. 

Great  Salt  Basin  Company. — The  mines  of  these  two  districts  are  chiefly 
owned  by  a  single  company,  the  Great  Salt  Basin  G.  &  S.  M.  Company,  organ- 
ized by  S.  13.  Martin  and  John  W.  Harker.  They  have  already  a  mill  of  10 
stamps,  which  has  produced  considerable  bullion.  The  company  is  about  to 
erect  two  other  mills  of  greatly  increased  capacity.  Mining  is  to  be  earned  on 
systematically.  The  superintendent  is  Mr.  J.  E.  Clayton,  a  competent  mining 
engineer,  and  the  nominal  capital  $3,000,000.  The  company  owns  many  mines 
in  these  districts,  the  principal  of  which  are  the  Vanderbilt,  Pocatillo,  and  Sisson. 
The  bullion  obtained  at  the  mill  from  the  Vanderbilt  ore  is  worth  $2  per  ounce, 
while  that  of  Red  Mountain  is  chiefly  gold. 

The  developments  in  Palmetto  district  have  proved  several  of  the  veins  to  be 
large  and  valuable.  Gold-bearing  quartz  is  also  found,  which  indicates  an  abun- 
dance of  that  metal.  The  district  derives  its  name  from  a  species  of  date  tree, 
which  was  mistaken  by  the  discoverers  for  the  palmetto. 

COLUMBUS,  VOLCANO,  CLARENDON,  PARADISE,  PILOT,  MAMMOTH,  UNION, 
AND  NORTH  UNION  DISTRICTS. — These  districts  are  generally  classed  as 
belonging  to  eastern  Nevada  or  Reese  river,  although  they  are  in  the  western 
half  of  the  State.  Each  has  peculiarities,  which  to  describe  in  detail  would  be 
beyond  the  limits  of  this  report. 

Clarendon  district  contains  silver-bearing  veins,  the  character  of  the  ore 
being  the  same  as  that  of  Silver  Bend,  southeast  of  Austin.  It  has  a  pleasant 
village  of  about  80  inhabitants,  with  families,  a  school,  and  church  society, 
indications  of  the  respectability  and  good  order  of  the  community. 

Volcano  district  is  peculiar  in  its  formation,  and  is  supposed  to  possess  quick- 
silver and  coal  mines,  as  well  as  gold,  copper,  and  silver,  but  is  most  familiarly 
known  from  its  fossils,  which  are  rare  and  beautiful. 

Paradise  district  receives  its  name  from  its  pleasant  location,  and  its  abundant 
wood,  water,  and  vegetation. 

These  are  situated  from  90  to  150  miles  southwest  of  Austin. 

Mammoth  district  is  situated  65  miles  southwest  of  Austin,  and  its  condi- 
tion is  promising.  The  Mount  Vernon  Company  are  prosecuting  an  extensive 
system  of  works,  which  will  develop  the  mines  and  prove  the  value  of  the  dis- 
trict. The  Hamilton  Gold  and  Silver  Mining  Company  have  several  excellent 
mines  in  this  district,  but  they  are  not  yet  developed  to  any  considerable  extent. 

Union  district  lies  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Shoshone  mountains,  the  first 
range  west  of  Reese  river,  and  is  about  55  /niles  southwesterly  from  Austin. 


420  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

It  contains  ledges  of  undoubted  value  and  facilities  for  the  reduction  of  ore,  such 
as  an  abundance  of  wood  and  water.  The  district  was  early  brought  into  notice, 
yet  its  progress  has  been  slow  and  its  production  of  bullion  slight.  It  is  inter- 
esting from  the  beauty  and  abundance  of  geodes,  valuable  to  the  jeweller  and 
lapidary,  found  in  it.  Chalcedory,  agate,  jasper,  and  other  precious  stones  also 
abound. 

North  Union  district  is  almost  entirely  undeveloped,,  but  is  favorably  regarded 
by  those  who  are  acquainted  with  its  mines  and  resources. 

NEW  PASS  DISTRICT  lies  almost  directly  west  of  Austin,  25  miles  distant.  It 
has  been  organized  two  years  and  is  yet  undeveloped.  Mineralogists  and  engineers 
have  given  it  a  partial  examination  and  have  pronounced  favorable  opinions 
respecting  its  resources.  The  predominant  metal  is  gold.  The  veins  are  numer- 
ous and  well  situated  for  mining. 

We  may  now  turn  to  that  portion  of  Nevada  southeast  from  Austin.  This 
until  within  the  past  year  was  to  the  general  public  a  terra  incognita,  and  believed 
to  be,  as  it  was  represented  upon  the  maps,  an  inhospitable  desert,  treeless  and 
verdureless,  and  barely  subsisting  the  few  miserable  Indians  who  wandered  over 
its  barren  plains.  But  the  prospector  at  last  ventured  upon  its  exploration,  and 
the  results  have  been  unexpectedly  important.  A  country  of  vast  extent  has 
been  unveiled  to  the  world ;  the  rocks  seamed  with  veins  of  silver,  and  the  valleys 
abounding  in  valuable  grasses.  Not  repelling  the  explorer,  it  invited  him  on, 
until  at  last  the  chorography  of  the  country  has  been  made  known.  The  west- 
ern slope  of  the  mountain  bordering  Smoky  valley  on  the  east  had  been  slightly 
explored,  and  the  districts  of  Jefferson,  Manhattan  and  Santa  Clara  formed. 

Under  the  general  belief  prevailing  that  silver-bearing  ledges  found  elsewhere 
than  in  the  Toiyabee  were  exceptional,  little  attention  was  paid  to  the  discoveries 
reported  to  have  been  made  in  these  districts  until  subsequent  to  the  discovery 
of  the  ledges  of  Silver  Bend.  Since  then  more  attention  has  been  paid  to  them, 
and  they  are  now  found  to  be  of  some  importance.  Little,  however,  has  been 
done  towards  the  development  of  any  mine  in  them. 

SILVER  BE:NT>. — A  section  of  country  southeast  of  Austin  bears  the  general 
name  of  Silver  Bend.  It  was  first  entered  by  prospectors  at  an  early  day  in  the 
settlement  of  eastern  Nevada,  but  no  discoveries  of  mineral  were  made  until 
October,  1865,  when  ledges  cropping  out  in  massive  proportions  and  showing  sil- 
ver-bearing ore  were  found.  But  little  work  was  done,  or  attention  paid  to  these, 
until  May,  1866,  when  Dr.  William  Geller,  now  general  agent  of  the  Combi- 
nation S.  M.  Company  of  New  York,  was  attracted  by  the  statement,  and  paid 
the  locality  a  visit.  He  was  at  once  convinced  of  its  worth,  and  purchased  the 
interest  of  the  locators  of  the  Highbridge  ledge,  being  3,000  feet  in  length,  for 
the  sum  of  $24,000  in  currency.  Soon  afterwards  work  was  commenced  under 
the  superintendence  of  L.  B.  Moore,  who  is  now  carrying  on  the  company's 
operations.  Mr.  D.  E.  Buel  and  others  subsequently  visited  the  district,  and 
reports  of  its  wealth  were  published  in  the  Reese  River  Reveille,  with  descrip- 
tions of  the  mines  and  surrounding  country.  From  that  time  it  began  to  attract 
attention  from  all  parts  of  the  State.  People  gathered  in  the  vicinity;  the  terra 
incognita  of  the  southeast  was  explored  and  many  districts  organized.  The  town 
of  Belmont  was  built,  which  is  now  a  flourishing  village  and  the  shire  town  of 
Nye  county.  The  following  particulars  of  the  mines  have  been  obtained  chiefly 
from  Mr.  J.  E.  Moloney  of  Belmont.  He  says  of  the 

PHILADELPHIA  DISTRICT. — This  district,  erroneously  called  "  Silver  Bend," 
is  situated  about  85  miles  south  by  east  from  Austin,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Smoky  range  of  mountains,  in  the  county  of  Nye.  The  principal  mines,  as  yet 
developed,  are  situated  down  towards  the  eastern  base  of  the  mountain,  near 
Monitor  valley.  It  was  organized  in  1865  with  laws  similar  to  those  of  Reese  River 
district.  The  facilities  for  building  are  good,  the  preferred  material  being  stone, 
but  brick  of  a  fine  quality  is  made  in  the  neighborhood.  Fire-wood  exists  in  such 


WEST   OF   THE   KOCKY   MOUNTAINS.  421 

abundance  that  mills  are  famished  with  fuel  at  the  rate  of  $4  50  per  cord.  Tim- 
ber suitable  for  purposes  of  building  exists  in  the  surrounding  hills,  and  several 
saw-mills  find  profitable  employment  and  a  good  market  for  their  products.  The 
better  quality  of  lumber,  however,  is  brought  from  the  Sierra  Nevada,  near  ^50 
miles  distant.  A  more  convenient  source  of  supply  would  be  the  White  Pine 
range  of  mountains,  lying  about  75  miles  to  the  east.  There  a  species  of  fir  tree 
grows  from  which  an  excellent  quality  of  lumber  could  be  obtained.  Elsewhere 
throughout  the  State,  with  slight  exceptions,  the  forests  are  of  pirlon,  cedar  or  juni- 
per, mountain  mahogany  and  cotton  wood,  with  a  few  other  varieties,  all  of  a 
dwarfish  character,  and  although  excellent  for  fuel,  make  very  poor  lumber.  It, 
however,  answers  many  purposes,  and  in  the  district  and  neighborhood  are  five 
saw-mills  engaged  in  its  manufacture.  Water  is  found  in  quantities  sufficient 
to  supply  the  demand,  through  the  medium  of  natural  springs,  some  of  which 
furnish  considerable  streams  of  water.  Already  water  has  been  obtained  in  mines 
and  wells,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  deep  mining  will  supply  an  abund- 
ance of  the  element  for  a  large  population  and  an  unlimited  amount  of  steam 
machinery. 

The  geological  formation  is  of  slate,  with  a  stratification  running  north  and 
south  and  dipping  to  the  east  at  a  high  angle,  and  the  veins  follow  the  stratifi- 
cation. A  large  number  of  veins  have  been  discovered  and  located,  the  principal 
of  which  are  the  Transylvania,  Highbridge,  El  Dorado,  and  Achilles. 

In  the  district  is  the  village  of  Belmont,  the  shire  town  of  Nye  county.  It  is 
situated  in  or  about  the  centre  of  the  mineral  belt,  on  a  flat  through  which  flows 
a  stream  of  water.  At  this  point  a  spur  of  mountains  branches  off  from  the 
Smoky  range  and  trends  to  the  southeast,  dividing  the  valley  into  two  parts — 
that  on  the  north  called  Monitor,  and  that  on  the  south  called  Ralston  valley. 
In  this  spur,  and  east  of  the  town,  are  the  principal  mines  of  the  district.  The 
site  opens  out  southward  into  Ralston  valley,  presenting  a  fine  view  of  the 
country  south,  and  the  range  of  mountains  in  which  are  the  districts  of  Manhat- 
tan, Argentoro  and  others.  Though  this  place  is  scarcely  a  year  old,  it  presents 
the  appearance  of  a  well-established  centre  of  trade,  having  substantial  stone 
and  brick  fire-proof  buildings,  and  many  good  frame  ones.  A  weekly  mail  route 
is  established  from  Austin  to  this  place,  and  is  extended  on  to  Pahranagat. 
Between  Belmont  and  Austin  the  mail  is  carried  in  a  four-horse  stage,  which 
runs  tri- weekly,  and  carries  Wells,  Fargo  &  Company's  express  every  trip.  The 
express,  therefore,  does  the  chief  letter-carrying)  its  superior  convenience  entirely 
eclipsing  the  weekly  mail.  A  weekly  newspaper,  the  "  Silver  Bend  Reporter/7 
is  published,  and  is  evidence  of  the  enlightened  state  of  society  peopling  this 
distant  frontier.  Banks,  assay  offices,  schools,  &c.,  are  established,  with  other 
institutions  and  business  that  go  to  make  up  a  flourishing  town. 

The  Combination  Gold  and  Silver  Mining  Company,  already  spoken  of,  is  a 
New  York  organization,  owning  mines  and  other  property  in  different  parts  of 
eastern  Nevada.  In  Philadelphia  district  it  has  a  claim  of  3,000  feet  upon 
the  Transylvania  ledge,  which  is  so  developed  as  to  leave  no  doubt  of  its 
worth.  This  is  the  most  northerly  portion  of  the  vein  yet  developed.  An 
incline  has  been  sunk  on  the  ledge  to  a  depth  of  170  feet,  where  it  shows  a  width 
of  22  feet  inside  of  casings,  with  a  large  body  of  ore.  It  is  estimated  that  the 
vein  will  average  by  the  wet  process  of  working,  $150  per  ton.  This  seems  a 
very  high  estimate  and  needs  the  corroboration  of  thorough  trial.  The  vein  is 
pierced  by  two  tunnels  at  a  depth  of  120  feet,  and  separated  by  a  distance  of  700 
feet,  from  the  termini  of  which  levels  have  been  run  north  and  south,  in  all  about 
800  feet,  thus  to  some  extent  proving  the  ledge  and  preparing  it  for  mining. 

The  company  have  in  course  of  construction  a  mill  of  40-stamp  capacity.  It 
is  rapidly  approaching  completion,  and  will  soon  be  in  operation.  For  the  better 
working  of  the  mine  a  perpendicular  shaft  is  sunk,  which  will  pierce  the  ledge 
at  a  depth  of  600  feet.  The  sinking  is  now  in  progress. 


422  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

JBelmont  Silver  Mining  Company  is  composed  of  Messrs.  J.  A.  McDonald, 
J.  TV.  Gashwiler  and  S.  M.  Buck.  The  mining  property  lies  south  of  the  Com- 
bination Company's  and  joins  it,  being  on  the  same  ledge.  It  was  formerly 
known  as  BuePs  Highbridge,  having  been  owned  and  developed  by  Mr.  D.  E. 
Buel.  This  gentleman,  when  attention  was  first  drawn  to  the  district,  purchased 
the  location,  300  feet,  for  the  sum  of  $9,000.  This  was  in  June,  1866,  and  he 
immediately  commenced  the  erection  of  a  10-stamp  mill,  putting  it  into  operation 
on  the  1st  of  September  following.  The  mill  was  prepared  only  for  wet  crush- 
ing, or  working  ores  without  roasting,  and  was  expected  to  save  only  60  per  cent, 
of  the  silver  contained  in  the  ore.  It  was  very  incomplete,  having  for  some 
months  only  the  machinery  standing,  without  roof  or  enclosing  building ;  yet  in 
about  seven  months  it  turned  out  upwards  of  $100,000  in  bullion.  The  ores 
worked  were  chiefly  from  or  near  the  surface.  Since  it  has  gone  into  the  posses- 
sion of  its  present  owners,  extensive  developments  have  been  undertaken  under 
the  direction  of  S.  M.  Buck,  civil  and  mining  engineer.  The  results  are  said  to 
be  satisfactory.  At  the  present  time  the  company  is  constructing  a  20-stamp 
mill  which  they  hope  to  have  in  operation  before  the  close  of  the  year.  The 
same  parties  are  also  owners  of  a  claim  of  400  feet,  known  as  the  Wood  &  Buel 
mine,  on  the  Transylvania  No.  1,  a  parallel  vein  to  the  Transylvania  No.  2,  or 
Highbridge,  and  100  feet  from  it.  There  is  some  difference  of  opinion  respect- 
ing these  veins — whether  they  are  really  two  distinct  veins,  or  one  a  break  from 
the  other.  Their  parallel  course  and  great  similarity  of  gangue  and  ore  impress 
many  with  the  belief  that  explorations  will  prove  them  to  be  but  one  lode.  Upon 
the  claim  last  mentioned  some  work  has  been  done,  and  a  depth  of  75  feet 
attained  on  it,  where  it  is  found  to  be  from  six  to  ten  feet  in  width.  The  ore 
taken  out  has  been  reduced  at  the  mill,  and  is  said  to  have  produced  from  $70 
to  $100  per  ton.  A  less  return  is  given  in  the  report  published  by  the  assessor. 

The  McAleer  Company  is  a  company  formed  in  Frederick  City,  Maryland, 
and  has  been  previously  mentioned  as  the  Continental,  owning  property  in  the 
Cortez  district.  Its  mining  property  was  the  location  of  Moore  and  Martin,  and 
comprises  153  feet  on  the  great  Transylvania  vein,  next  south  of  the  Wood  and 
Buel  location.  Since  it  has  been  the  property  of  the  McAleer  Company  it  has 
been  under  the  management  of  D.  T.  Elmore,  who  has  prosecuted  work  on  the 
mine  to  the  depth  of  140  feet,  at  which  depth  the  vein  is  from  6  to  10  feet  in 
width,  nearly  the  entire  body  being  ore  estimated  to  be  worth  from  $60  to  $130 
per  ton.  Developments  are  still  going  on  in  preparation  for  a  mill  of  20  stamp 
capacity,  now  in  course  of  construction,  and  which  it  is  expected  will  be  in  ope- 
ration this  year.  The  mine,  though  less  in  length  of  vein  than  the  others,  is  none 
the  less  valuable  in  proportion,  and  like  the  others  is  well  situated  for  working. 

The  Silver  Bend  Company  owns  the  next  location  south  on  the  vein,  and  is 
locally  known  as  the  Childs  and  Canfield.  The  claim  extends  2,000  feet  along 
the  vein,  and  the  developments  show  it  to  be  similar  in  size  and  quality  of  ore 
to  the  others  previously  mentioned.  An  incline  shaft  has  been  sunk  to  the  depth 
of  115  feet,  and  a  level  run  150  feet  along  the  vein,  proving  it  permanent  and 
valuable  throughout.  At  a  point  800  feet  south  of  the  incline  mentioned  another 
was  sunk  to  the  depth  of  105  feet,  and  levels  run  north  and  south,  from  which 
100  tons  of  ore  worked  at  the  Belmont  mill  (wet  process)  yielded  $91  per  ton. 

These  mines  are  all  on  one  ledge,  and  produce  good  ores. 

Most  writers  stop  when  the  mines  of  the  Transylvania  are  described,  not 
thinking  that  others  are  worthy  of  note,  but  an  examination  reveals  the  fact  that 
others  of  a  promising  character  exist. 

The  El  Dorado  lies  about  1,000  feet  west  of  the  Transylvania,  and  parallel 
to  it.  This  vein  was  discovered  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  place.  It  is  now 
owned  by  Leon,  Mullen,  Singleterry,  and  Brown.  An  incline  shaft  has  been 
sunk  upon  it  to  a  depth  of  70  feet,  developing  a  vein  8  to  10  feet  in  width,  from 
which  pay  ore  is  obtained. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


423 


The  Independence  and  Arizona  lie  north  of  the  El  Dorado,  and  are  supposed 
to  be  on  the  same  vein.  They  are  not  much  developed,  but  being  on  the  El 
Dorado  vein  are  esteemed  valuable. 

North  of  Belmont  one  mile  is  the  Silver  Champion,  which  has  produced  some 
good  ore.  It  has  lately  been  purchased  by  T.  F.  White  for  an  eastern  company, 
and  work  will  probably  be  commenced  upon  it  soon. 

Adjoining  this  is  the  Silver  Queen,  upon  which  developments  are  progressing. 

Northeast  of  Belmont  is  the  Silver  Cord,  Magnolia,  and  other  veins,  and 
southeast,  near  the  Silver  Bend  Company's  mine,  is  the  Achilles.  These  have 
been  worked  to  some  extent  and  give  evidence  of  value. 

West  of  Belinont  is  what  is  termed  the  "  Spanish  Belt,"  where  numerous 
ledges  are  found.  There  are  other  veins  and  claims  than  those  mentioned  which 
may  prove  of  value,  and  many  which  doubtless  deserve  the  name  of  "  wild-cat." 

OFFICIAL  RETURNS. — The  official  returns  of  Nye  county  have  been  published 
for  the  quarter  ending  June  30,  1867.  The  following  list  contains  the  names  of 
the  mines,  the  amount  worked,  and  the  average  rate  per  ton : 


Name  of  mine. 

Tons. 

Lbs. 

Average  per 
ton. 

805 

1  000 

$92  94 

100 

632 

66  20 

676 

1  110 

39  08 

125 

•      1  330 

54  93 

Liberty  (San  Antonio)                      *      "  

100 

208  00 

Teutonia  (Milk  Springs) 

1 

46 

56  23 

Westrield  (Reveille)           

1,679 

408  00 

J  Hitter  (Reveille) 

1  320 

101  73 

Adriatic  (Reveille) 

940 

102  32 

1 

1  620 

611  37 

2 

296 

262  89 

Canada  (North  Twin  river)                                    .-  

1,748 

367  76 

During  the  quarter  a  considerable  amount  of  ore  from  Nye  county  was  reduced 
at  the  mills  of  Austin,  and  not  mentioned  in  the  above  returns.  The  mills 
working  were  the  Murphy,  at  Twin  river,  20  stamps;  the  Belmont,  at  Belmont, 
10  stamps;  the  Rigby,  at  San  Antonio,  four  stamps;  and  the  Rutland,  at  Rev- 
eille, five  stamps.  The  last  reduced  very  little  ore. 

NORTHUMBERLAND  DISTRICT. — Sixty  miles  southeast  of  Austin  is  the  dis- 
trict of  Northumberland,  which  from  recent  developments  shows  evidences  of 
value,  and  is  attracting  some  attention.  It  lies  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Smoky 
range,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  pass  through  which  goes  the  road  leading  from 
Austin  to  Belmont.  The  district  was  organized  in  June,  1866,  and  a  number 
of  ledges  located,  few  of  which  were  tested.  Those  now  most  developed  are 
the  Northumberland  and  Lady  Cummings.  From  these  20  or  more  tons  of  ore 
have  been  taken  and  reduced  at  the  mills  of  Austin,  and  from  $70  to  $150  per 
ton  have  been  obtained.  Ore  of  this  quality  is  reported  to  be  abundant. 

DANVILLE  DISTRICT  lies  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Monitor  range,  being 
the  next  east  of  the  Smoky  range.  Between  the  two  lies  Monitor  valley,  similar 
in  its  appearance  and  general  characteristics  to  the  Smoky  valley  and  others 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State.  The  district  lies  directly  east  of  Northumber- 
land, and  80  miles  distant  from  Austin.  It  was  organized  in  the  summer  of 
1866,  and  mawy  ledges  located.  Of  these  the  Vanderbilt  and  Silveropolis  have 
furnished  ores  which,  assaying  largely,  have  given  some  notoriety  to  the  district. 
From  first-class  ores  of  the  Vanderbilt  assays  have  been  obtained  ranging  from 
ssoo  to  $1,700  per  ton,  and  from  the  Silveropolis  as  high  as  $300  and  $400  per 
ton.  The  assay er  remarks  that  the  ores  are  unusually  free  from  base  metals.* 

*  It  must  be  observed  that  these  assays  afford  no  reliable  indication  of  the  value  of  a  vein. 
Generally,  the  ores  are  selected.  There  is  ore  in  every  district  and  almost  every  mine  from 
which  high  tissays  can  be  obtained;  -but  $1,000  or  $10,000  ore  may  exist  in  a  worthless 
mine.— J.  R.  B. 


424  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

The  veins  at  the  outcrop  are  from  20  inches  to  12  feet  in  width.  The  develop- 
ments are  slight,  and  none  appear  to  be  in  progress  at  the  present  time.  The 
district  is  represented  to  he  well  supplied  with  wood  and  water. 

HERCULES'  GATE  DISTRICT  is  situated  east  of  and  about  150  miles  distant 
from  Austin,  in  the  Egan  range  of  mountains.  It  receives  its  name  from  a  deep 
chasm  cutting  the  mountain  in  two,  and  through  which  Major  Simpson  passed 
with  his  exploring  expedition  in  1859.  Silver-bearing  veins  of  good  character 
are  reported  as  existing,  but  the  mineral  resources  of  the  district  are  little  known. 
Bordering  on  the  great  Steptoe  valley,  with  numerous  streams  furnishing  powei 
for  mills  and  manufacturing  and  water  for  irrigation,  it  presents  features  of  attrac- 1 
tion  and  value  aside  from  its  mines.  Copper  ore  is  found  in  small  irregular  veins 
running  through  the  lime-rock  or  marble  in  some  portions  of  the  district. 

HOT  CREEK. — The  district  of  Hot  Creek  is  situated  about  100  miles  south- 
east from  Austin,  in  Nye  county.  It  was  organized  in  February,  1866,  and  is  of 
the  usual  dimensions,  20  miles  square.  It  receives  its  name  from  a  great  natural 
curiosity,  being  a  stream  of  hot  water  of  several  hundred  inches  in  measurement, 
and  running  for  several  miles  in  a  deep  chasm  through  the  mountains.  The 
stream  rises  from  the  ground  in  a  large  boiling  spring  at  the  western  base  of  the 
Hot  Creek  range  of  mountains,  and  runs  eastward  through  a  narrow  pass  and 
sinks  in  a  tule  marsh  in  the  valley  east  of  the  mountain.  For  several  hundred 
yards  the  water  retains  a  high  degree  of  heat,  but  being  supplied  by  numerous 
cold  springs  its  temperature  is  reduced.  The  water  is  pure,  and  is  used  for  culi- 
nary purposes.  The  heat  furnished  by  nature  is  highly  appreciated  by  those 
dwelling  on  its  banks.  There  is  in  the  valleys  flanking  the  mountains  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  agricultural  land,  and  experiments  in  cultivation  have  been 
made  with  some  success.  The  chasm,  which  in  places  is  but  a  few  rods  wide, 
offers  facilities  for  a  road  through  the  mountain.  A  town  has  been  laid  out  in 
the  district,  and  is  occupied  by  about  100  people.  The  geological  formation  is 
of  limestone,  slate,  and  porphyry,  all  containing  silver-bearing  quartz.  The 
limestone  appears  chiefly  on  the  surface.  The  mountain  rises  about  1,500  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  valleys,  and  being  very  precipitous,  offers  good  opportuni- 
ties for  opening  mines  by  tunnelling.  The  mining  claims  of  chief  notoriety 
located  in  the  district  are  the  Indian  Jim,  1,500  feet;  Merrimac,  1,500  feet;  Old 
Dominion,  1,400  feet ;  Gazelle,  1,200  feet ;  and  the  Old  Joe,  Keystone,  Hot 
Creek,  and  Silver  Glance. 

Old  Dominion  Company. — Upon  the  Indian  Jim  and  Merrimac  some  devel- 
opments have  been  made.  These  and  the  Old  Dominion  are  the  property  of 
the  Old  Dominion  Company,  formed  under  the  laws  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
company  is  prosecuting  work  on  their  mines,  and  constructing  a  mill  of  20  stamp 
capacity.  Upon  the  Merrimac  a  shaft  has  been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  40  feet,  and 
from  this  a  drift  is  run  which,  on  the  1st  of  August,  had  penetrated  the  vein  a 
distance  of  six  feet,  showing  a  body  of  ore  estimated  to  be  worth  from  $100  to 
$300  per  ton.  From  cuts  through  the  vein  at  the  surface,  it  is  found  to  be  40 
feet  in  thickness.*  It  runs  north  and  south,  crossing  the  Hot  Creek  canon ;  that  part 
north  of  the  canon  being  the  Indian  Jim  location,  and  that  south  the  Merrimac. 
The  shaft  proves  that  the  limestone,  covering  the  surface  has  only  a  depth  of  30 
feet,  and  is  underlaid  by  slate  and  porphyry. 

The  Consolidation  Company  is  a  New  York  organization,  and  owns  veins 
throughout  various  pails  of  eastern  Nevada,  but  the  scenes  of  its  principal  oper- 
ations are  in  Hot  Creek  district.  Here  it  owns  a  number  of  veins  of  some  prom- 
ise, though  they  have  not  been  remunerative.  The  company  has  built  a  10-stamp 
mill,  called  the  Manchester.  Each  stamp  is  but  250  pounds  weight.  The  mill 
has  not  been  run  successfully  and  is  now  idle.  The  chief  mine  of  the  company 

*It  should  be  understood  that  veins  of  this  width  do  not  contain  pay  ore  all  the  way  through. 
Generally,  the  ore  runs  in  streaks  or  is  found  in  pockets.  The  thickness  of  a  vein,  therefore, 
cannot  of  itself  be  regarded  as  infallable  evidence  of  value. — J.  E.  B. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  425 

is  the  Keystone.  Upon  the  vein  a  shaft  was  sunk  33  feet  in  depth,  when,  after 
passing  a  body  of  pay  ore,  the  walls  came  together  and  the  ledge  was  lost.  But 
slight  excavations  have  been  made  to  recover  it,  and  all  work  of  the  company 
has  ceased  for  the  present.  There  are  several  other  veins  in  the  district  belong- 
ing to  the  same  company,  upon  which  work  has  been  done,  but  while  the  pros- 
pects were  encouraging,  there  were  no  profitable  results. 

The  district  has  advantages  of  wood,  which  can  be  procured  at  $5  per  cord; 
fine  water,  a  pleasant  climate,  and  is  surrounded  by  good  agricultural  land. 
These,  with  the  silver-bearing  veins,  will  probably,  at  no  distant  day,  bring  it 
into  notice. 

REVEILLE  DISTRICT. — During  the  summer  of  1866  explorations  through  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  State  were  earned  on  extensively,  and  many  discoveries  of 
im  portance  were  made.  This  region  of  country  had  previously  been  regarded  as  an 
i  1 1  hospitable  desert,  and  was  entered  with  great  caution.  The  impression  of  its  ster- 
ility was  found  to  be  erroneous,  and  it  is  now  ascertained  that  north  of  the  38th  paral- 
lel, that  part  of  Nevada,  at  least,  contains  but  little  country  that  can  with  propriety 
be  called  a  desert.  In  August,  1866,  a  party  composed  of  M.  D.  Fairchild,  A. 
Monroe,  and  W.  O.  Arnold,  discovered  an  extraordinary  outcrop  of  silver-bear- 
ing veins  upon  the  eastern  slope  of  a  range  next  east  of  the  Hot  Creek  moun- 
tains, and  about  135  miles  southeast  of  Austin.  They  immediately  proceeded 
to  organize  a  mining  district  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Reveille,  in  com- 
pliment to  the  Reveille  newspaper,  Austin.  They  adopted  the  mining  law 
of  the  State,  and  under  it  claims  were  recorded  and  held.  The  most  promising 
claims  located  are  the  Crescent,  August,  Mediterranean,  Atlantic,  National, 
Antartic,  Fisherman,  and  Adriatic.  Many  others  are  located.  The  last  two 
named  are  situated  on  the  western  slope  of  the  mountain,  while  the  others  are 
on  the  eastern  side.  The  rock  formation  is  chiefly  limestone,  and  the  metal- 
bearing  quartz  appears  in  veins  or  vast  beds  in  the  crust  and  extending 
above  the  surface.  These  appear  of  various  widths  from  20  to  upwards  of  100 
feet.  The  excavations  upon  them  have  not  determined  their  depth,  nor  whether 
they  are  true  fissure  veins  or  detached  beds.  Being  in  limestone,  and  appearing 
in  such  masses  at  the  surface,  has  given  rise  to  questions  as  to  their  true  charac- 
ter. From  the  August,  Crescent,  Fisherman,  Adriatic,  and  others,  some  ore  has 
been  taken  and  reduced  at  the  mills  at  Austin,  producing  $150  and  upwards  to 
the  ton.  The  outcropping  masses  of  this  district  are  distinguished  for  the  amount 
of  silver  they  contain.  There  is  but  little  water  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mines, 
but  to  the  west,  from  seven  to  ten  miles,  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley 
separating  the  Reveille  from  the  Hot  Creek  range,  are  streams  affording  water 
for  reduction  mills  should  deep  mining  fail  to  obtain  water  for  the  purpose  close 
at  hand.  Upon  one  of  these  streams  the  Rutland  mill  of  five  stamps  has  been 
erected,  but  as  it  was  prepared  only  for  wet  crushing,  or  from  want  of  efficient 
management  and  metallurgical  skill,  it  has  not  been  successful. 

EMPIRE  DISTRICT. — Joining  Hot  Creek  district  on  the  south,  and  about 
eight  miles  distant  from  that  singular  stream,  is  Empire  district.  Tliis  was  organ- 
ized in  1866,  shortly  after  that  of  Hot  Creek.  It  is  represented  as  containing 
valuable  ledges.  Ore  from  them  reduced  at  Austin  has  yielded  as  high  as  $400 
per  ton.  Specimens  of  great  richness  are  often  exhibited,  showing  chloride, 
sulphuret,  and  native  silver.  The  true  character  and  real  worth  of  the  district 
has  not  been  demonstrated. 

MILK  SPRINGS  DISTRICT  is  in  the  Hot  Creek  range  of  mountains,  and  south 
of  Empire.  It  receives  its  name  from  the  peculiar  appearance  of  the  water 
arising  from  a  large  spring,  which,  although  to  the  taste  pure,  is  of  a  milky 
color.  Numerous  veins  have  been  located,  and  some  good  ore  has  been  obtained. 
But  little  work  has  been  done  in  the  district,  and  its  true  character  cannot  bo 
stated.  Some  of  the  veins  are  regarded  as  of  value  by  persons  qualified  to  judge. 

MOREY  DISTRICT. — The  mineral  veins  of  Morey  district  were  noticed  in  1 865,  by 


426  RESOURCES   OF  'STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

T.  J.  Barnes,  who  penetrated  the  southeastern  country.  This  gentleman  made 
extensive  explorations,  and  with  others  organized  several  districts.  Accounts  of 
these  were  reported  at  the  time  in  the  Reese  River  Reveille,  but  they  led  to  no 
general  occupation  of  the  country,  nor  to  the  development  of  any  mines.  The  year 
following  Morey  district  was  reorganized,  and  labor  upon  some  of  the  veins  is  now 
progressing  with  fair  prospects.  It  is  situated  about  100  miles  east  and  a  little 
south  of  Austin,  on  a  spur  of  mountain  running  east  from  the  Hot  Creek  range. 
It  is  as  yet  but  little  known. 

PAHKANAGAT  DISTICT  lies  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Nevada,  near  the  38th 
parallel  of  latitude,  and  about  115°  west  from  Greenwich.  Its  distance  from 
Austin  is  estimated  at  180  miles.  The  mines  were  first  discovered  in  March, 
1865,  by  T.  C.  W.  Sayles,  John  H.  Ely,  David  Sanderson,  Samuel  S.  Strut, 
William  McClusky,  and  Ira  Hatch,  Indian  interpreter.  These  parties  were  from 
Utah,  and  were  guided  to  the  locality  by  an  Indian.  A  district  was  formed 
and  many  ledges  located.*  The  name  given  it  was  the  name  borne  by  the 
Indians  living  in  an  extensive  valley  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  bearing 
the  mineral ;  the  word  "  pah"  meaning  water,  and  "  ranagat"  any  vegetable,  as 
melon,  squash,  or  pumpkin,  growing  on  vines.  It  is  indicative  of  the  agricul- 
tural value  of  the  section.  The  mountain  bearing  the  mineral  was  named  Mount 
Irish,  in  honor  of  Mr.  Irish,  the  United  States  Indian  agent  for  the  Territory  of 
Utah.  The  place  where  the  discoverers  encamped,  being  at  a  spring  of  water 
in  the  valley,  was  called  by  the  Indians  Hiko,  meaning  white  man,  and  the 
village  now  at  that  place,  and  county  seat  of  Lincoln  county,  bears  that  name. 
The  chief  physical  features  of  the  district  are,  Mount  Irish,  a  lofty  peak  attaining 

*  Messrs.  Adelberg  and  Raymond,  metallurgists  and  mining  engineers,  of  New  York,  in 
a  report  on  the  character  of  certain  silver  ores  from  the  Pahrauagat  district,  say :  The  silver 
ores  from  Pahranagat  district,  the  value  of  which,  as  determined  by  22  assays  made  for 
F.  Prentice,  esq.,  of  New  York,  will  be  found  in  our  certificates,  present,  with  but  one  excep- 
tion, a  single  typical  class  of  argentiferous  rock,  viz :  polybasite,  of  great  richness.  This 
mineral  contains  a  somewhat  variable  proportion  of  silver,  although  it  has  a  distinct  habitus 
and  chemical -character.  It  is  a  sulphuret  of  arsenic  (or  antimony)  and  silver,  with  the  for- 
mula U  Ag  S  -J-  As  S3 ;  but  a  portion  of  the  silver  may  be  represented  by  copper,  and  the 
arsenic  by  antimony,  so  that  the  general  formula  may  be  given  thus  :  9  (Cu  S.  Ag  S)  -f-  (S 
C  S3  As  S3. )  The  percentage  of  silver,  according  to  careful  analyses  made  in  Europe,  varies 
from  64  to  72  per  cent.,  and  even  more. 

Pahranagat  district,  aside  from  its  well-known  veins  of  argentiferous  galena,  one  of  which 
is  represented  in  the  specimens  submitted  to  us,  seems  to  carry  in  its  silver  lodes  principally 
polybasite.  This  mineral  must  be  looked  upon,  therefore,  as  the  characteristic  ore  of  the 
district,  and  the  principal  basis  of  that  silver  production,  which  is  rapidly  springing  up  in 
that  rich  locality.  This  mineralogical  feature  distinguishes  Pahranagat  from  other  centres 
of  silver  production,  such  as  the  Washoe  and  Reese  River  districts  ;  and  will  determine  for 
it  a  peculiar  metallurgical  process  for  the  treatment  of  its  ores.  We  cannot  undertake,  with- 
out a  more  extended  examination,  to  describe  in  detail  such  a  process  ;  and  content  ourselves 
on  this  occasion  with  the  following  brief  opinion  : 

1.  In  the  case  of  ores  of  such  quality  as  the  samples  marked  ITampden,  Saturn,  Mars, 
Williams,  Moscow,  Comanche,  Vesuvius,  Leonidas,  London,  Pittsburg,  Cliff,  Hamburg, 
Judson,  Steuben,  Iiica,  and  Mazeppa,  we  do  not  see  any  objection  to  the  use  of  the  well- 
known  process  of  chloride  roasting  and  subsequent  amalgamation,  as  carried  on  in  and  around 
Austin ;  although  it  is  obvious,  that  only  a  careful  roasting  of  long  duration  will  convert 
these  ores  into  a  form  of  chlorides  for  amalgamation. 

2.  On  the  other  hand,  such  exceedingly  rich  ores  as  those  marked  Braganza,  Exenica, 
Gibraltar,  and  Manchester,  would  best  be  beneficiated  by  the  smelting  process,  the  choice  of 
which  is  indicated  by  their  very  character,  and  the  use  of  which  is  especially  feasible  in  Pah- 
ranagat, inasmuch  as  the  galena  veins  of  that  district  furnish  the  very  material  upon  which 
that  process  is  founded.     Another  most  favorable  circumstance  is  the  existence  of  coal  beds 
in  the  neighborttood.   Although  these  coal  beds,  like  others  of  the  western  coast,  belong,  no 
doubt,  to  the  tertiary  formation,  they  will  still  be  of  great  value  to  the  mining  industry  of  the 
country,  especially  as  they  occur  within  four  miles  of  the  lode. 

3.  In  conclusion  we  desire  to  say,  that  most  of  the  specimens  submitted  to  us  are  obviously 
from  near  the  surface ;  and,  judging  from  the  analogy  between  the  mineralogical  character- 
istics of  the  poorer  and  the  richer  ores,  we  regard  it  as  most  probable  that  future  develop- 
ments in  depth  will  prove  all  these  lodes  to  carry  rich  polybasite,  which  could  unquestionably 
be  more  thoroughly  and  easily  treated  by  smelting  than  by  amalgamation. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  427 

an  elevation  of  11,000  feet  above  the  sea,  with  other  hills  and  peaks  constituting 
a  range  of  mountains ;  the  Pahranagat  valley,  of  some  30  miles  in  length  and 
about  12  in  width,  a  portion  of  which  is  agricultural  land ;  and  its  large  and 
singular  springs.  The  mountain,  as  described  by  Mr.  R.  H.  Stretch,  State  min- 
eralogist of  Nevada,  "is  a  mass  of  white  porphyritic  rock,  the  flanks  consisting 
of  a  blackish  limestone  (abounding  in  fragments  of  crinoids  and  corals)  overlying 
slates  and  capped  with  a  heavy  body  of  quartzite.  On  Silver  hill  and  Sanderson 
mountain,  the  outcroppings  of  the  lodes  are  in  limestone.  On  the  western  slope 
of  the  range,  crystalline  eruptive  rocks  are  abundant."*  The  trend  of  the  moun- 
tain range  is  north  and  south,  and  the  strike  of  the  veins  is  generally  northeast 
and  southwest,  with  a  slight  dip  to  the  southeast,  or  stand  nearly  vertical.  There 
have  been  upwards  of  1,000  locations  made,  the  principal  of  which  are  the  Illi- 
nois, List,  Crescent,  Bay  State,  New  Hampshire,  Eclipse,  Utah,  Ulric  Dahlgren, 
and  Victoria.  Many  others  are  worthy  of  mention,  but  their  developments  are 
slight,  and  the  catalogue  would  be  useless. 

The  valley  of  Pahranagat  lies  at  an  elevation  estimated  at  from  6,000  to  7,000 
feet  above  the  sea,  but,  for  so  great  an  altitude  the  climate  is  comparatively  warm 
and  pleasant.  This  is  accounted  for  by  its  being  in  a  measure  open  to  the  valley 
of  the  Colorado  and  the  warm  region  of  the  south.  Very  slight  snow-storms  are 
experienced  in  winter,  and  frosts  are  not  severe.  Springs  and  streams  afford 
water  for  irrigating  a  large  area,  which,  with  the  good  soil  and  mild  climate,  will 
enable  it  to  furnish  such  products  of  the  farm,  garden,  and  field  as  a  mining 
population  may  require.  The  springs,  of  which  there  are  three,  Hiko,  Logan, 
and  Ash,  are  natural  curiosities,  from  the  amounts  of  water  they  pour  forth, 
being  from  1,000  to  2,000  inches,  and  the  peculiarity  of  their  high  temperature, 
which  is  from  65°  to  75°  Fahrenheit.  In  the  neighborhood  of  each  of  these  are 
farming  settlements,  and  at  Hiko  and  Logan  are  small  villages.  The  total 
number  of  inhabitants  in  the  district  is  now  about  300.  There  are  several  families 
residing  in  the  valley,  but  no  schools  are  yet  established.  This  section  having 
been  first  occupied  by  people  from  Utah  and  the  east,  where  United  States  legal- 
tender  notes  is  the  currency,  this  currency  is  adopted  here,  and  in  that  differs 
from  other  portions  of  the  State.  Early  in  the  present  year  a  mill  of  five-stamp 
capacity  was  erected  by  W.  II.  Raymond,  and  put  in  operation ;  but  either  from 
inexperience  or  bad  management  it  proved  a  failure,  and  is  not  operating  now. 
Another  mill  of  five  stamps,  to  work  the  ores  of  the  List  lode,  lias  been  con- 
structed and  is  more  successful,  although  very  incomplete.  A  10-stamp  mill  is 

*  The  Mining  and  Scientific  Press,  of  San  Francisco,  California,  of  December,  1865,  makes 
the  following  allusion  to  the  Pahranagat  mines : 

We  have  had  placed  upon  our  table  some  very  fine  specimens  of  silver  ore  from  an  entirely 
new  mining  district,  lately  discovered  about  100  miles  easterly  of  Mono  lake,  and  at  least  75 
miles  distant  from  any  already  existing  district.  It  has  been  named  the  Pahranagat  Lake 
district,  the  Indian  name  of  the  lake  and  valley  near  which  the  mines  are  located.  The 
discovery  was  made  in  March  last,  by  Messrs.  J.  Ely,  W.  McClosky,  S.  S.  Shutt,  and  three 
others.  The  location,  as  ascertained  by  running  out  a  line  from  a  known  point,  is  in  lati- 
tude 37°  34'  north,  and  115°  29'  west,  which  places  it  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  State  of 
Nevada. 

The  ore  from  this  newly  discovered  region  is  mainly  silver-bearing,  and  judging  from 
samples  of  the  croppings  before  us,  the  mines  must  prove  rich  in  depth. 

Assays  have  been  made  by  Mr.  G.  Kustel  from  five  different  samples  of  ore,  taken  from  as 
many  different  lodes,  three  of  which  present  marked  peculiarities,  and  duplicates  of  all  of 
which  are  before  us.  We  append  the  assays,  with  a  description  of  each  sample :  ] 

No.  1.  Principally  carbonate  of  lead  and  antimony,  yielded  at  the  rate  of  $867  10,  in  silver, 
to  the  ton  of  ore. 

No.  2.  Carbonate  of  lead,  copper,  and  antimony,  $282  25  in  silver. 

No.  3.  Carbonate  of  lead  and  copper,  with  argentiferous  gray  copper  ore  and  copper  silver 
glance,  $1,036  75  in  silver. 

No.  4.  A  specimen  presenting  same  characteristics  as  No.  3  yielded  at  the  rate  of  $263  '.H) 
to  the  ton. 

No.  5.  Another  specimen  similar  to  No.  3  yielded  at  the  rate  of  $337  30  to  the  ton.  The 
two  last  each  presented  traces  of  gold. 


428  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

now  in  course  of  construction  upon  the  plan  of  the  best  mills  at  Austin.  Its 
architect  and  builder  is  Benjamin  Evans,  whose  experience  gives  hopes  of  suc- 
cess. Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  smelt  the  ores,  some  of  which  bear 
considerable  quantities  of  galena,  but  so  far  they  have  proved  failures.  It  is  proba- 
ble these  failures  are  the  consequence  of  want  of  knowledge  of  the  composition  and 
inexperience  in  the  reduction  of  the  ores.  They  have  retarded  the  development  of 
1  he  district,  and  depleted  the  pockets  of  the  miners. 

A  remarkable  mountain  of  salt  exists  about  70  miles  south  of  the  mines.*  It 
is  reported  to  be  about  five  miles  in  length  and  600  feet  in  height.  The  body 
of  salt  is  of  unknown  depth.  It  is  chemically  pure  and  crystalline,  and  does 
not  deliquesce  on  exposure  to  the  atmosphere.  Like  rock,  it  requires  blasting 
from  the  mine,  whence  it  is  taken  in  large  blocks  as  transparent  as  glass.  This 
would  afford  an  abundant  supply  to  the.  world  could  it  be  cheaply  mined  and 
transported,  but  it  now  stands  in  the  wilderness,  an  object  for  the  admiration  of 
the  curious,  and  the  inspection  of  the  scientific.  The  salt  to  be  used  in  bene- 
ciating  the  ores,  or  for  domestic  purposes,  is  more  easily  obtained  from  the 
fields  in  White  Pine  valley,  where  it  is  gathered  ready  for  the  table  or  the  mill. 
This  salt  field  is  about  60  miles  north  of  the  mines  on  Mount  Irish,  and  from 
it  salt  can  be  delivered  at  the  mills  at  Pahranagat  at  a  cost  of  $40  in  coin  per 
ton.  The  district  receives  its  machinery  and  most  of  its  supplies  from  San 
Francisco.  The  different  routes  from  that  city  are  by  sea  around  Cape  St. 
Lucas  and  up  the  Gulf  of  California,  thence  in  small  steamers  up  the  Colorado 
river  about  600  miles  to  Callville,t  thence  by  land  about  175  miles  5  or  by 
sea  to  San  Pedro,  thence  by  land  via  Los  Angeles  475  miles  ;  or  by  Sacra- 
mento, the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  and  Austin.  The  total  distance  by  the 
latter  route  is  650  miles,  and  freight  is  taken  through  at  the  rate  of  $200  in  coin 
per  ton.  The  preference  is  now  given  to  the  land  route  via  the  railroad. 

The  Illinois  Mine. — The  Illinois  lode  is  situated  high  up  on  the  eastern 

*  Dr.  O.  H.  Conger,  assayer  and  metallurgist,  says  in  a  report  on  the  resources  of  this  dis- 
trict : 

"  Timber  is  very  abundant  in  the  mountains  of  this  region,  particularly  in  those  in  which  the 
mines  are  situated.  The  water-power  is  also  almost  unlimited  along  the  valley  streams. 
Coupled  with  these  great  natural  advantages,  which  are  indispensable,  are  immense  deposits 
of  salt  and  the  silicate  of  alumina,  and  the  latter  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  mines. 
The  outcroppings  of  it  over  a  very  large  extent  of  country,  which  are  apparent,  prove  it  abso- 
lutely inexhaustible.  Its  capability  of  withstanding  any  degree  of  heat,  to  the  state  of  incan- 
descence, is  most  remarkable.  It  possesses  the  property  also  of  hardening  by  heating,  so 
that  in  a  very  short  period  it  becomes  almost  adamantine.  Another  very  desirable  property, 
as  a  furnace  material,  is  in  its  scarcely  perceptible  expansion  and  contraction  under  the  most 
intense  degree  of  heat  or  cold.  Its  constituents  appear  to  be,  from  a  hasty  test  made,  silica, 
alumina,  magnesia,  and  asbestus,  the  two  first  minerals  greatly  predominating,  and  some 
strata  indicating  silica  and  alumina  only.  In  appearance  it  resembles  chalk,  and  is  as  easily 
carved  into  any  desirable  shape.  The  strata  vary  in  thickness  from  four  inches  to  six  feet. 

"  These  varying  thicknesses  enable  blocks  of  it  to  be  obtained  of  any  desired  size,  so  that 
the  floors  or  hearths  of  reverbaratory  and  cupelling  furnaces,  as  also  pieces  entire  for  the 
arches  can  be  obtained  whole.  This  will  greatly  lessen  the  expense  in  the  construction  of 
the  furnaces  in  this  district,  which  are  required  Yor  the  proper  working  of  the  ores,  and  also 
they  can  be  much  more  strongly  and  perfectly  built  than  with  the  usual  fire  brick.  Already 
it  is  being  carried  to  different  parts  of  the  country  for  refractory  purposes.  Mountains  of 
limpid  salt  boldly  project  through  the  floor  of  the  valley,  and  in  many  places  from  100  to  200 
feet  in  height  and  thickness,  so  that  blocks  of  a  ton  in  weight  or  more  are  easily  obtained. 
One  remarkable  feature  about  it  is,  that  it  is  perfectly  pure,  containing  not  a  trace  of  any- 
thing but  the  two  elements  chlorine  and  sodium.  I  believe  there  is  but  one  other  place  on 
the  globe  where  it  exists  in  such  a  state  of  purity  in  workable  quantities,  and  that  is  Cracow, 
Poland.  This  is  but  another  evidence  of  the  state  of  purity  in  which  the  force  of  nature  has 
left  her  mineral  deposits  in  this  interesting  portion  of  the  continent.  Native  silver  is  common 
in  many  of  the  lodes  of  this  district  on  the  outcropping  ore. 

"  Copper  ore,  of  the  sub-oxide  and  gray  varielies,  80  per  cent,  metal,  and  also  iron  ore  of 
equal  richness,  are  abundant." 

t  Callville  has  been  reached  with  great  difficulty  by  one  small  steamer  ;  but  the  naviga- 
tion of  the  Colorado  to  that  point  can  scarcely  be  considered  practicable  for  commercial  pur- 
poses, in  its  present  condition.— J.  R.  B. 


WEST  OF  THE  KOCKY  MOUNTAINS.  429 

slope  of  the  mountain,  and  is  cut  through  by  a  deep  canon,  giving  an  opportu- 
nity to  examine  the  vein,  and  to  open  it  by  tunnels  at  a  great  depth.  It  crops 
out  boldly,  showing  an  apparent  width  of  from  15  to  20  feet.  The  vein  has  been 
opened  at  several  places,  and  found  to  be  valuable.  The  Illinois,  Indiana,  Web- 
ster, and  other  veins  of  good  repute,  are  the  property  of  W.  II.  Raymond  &  Co., 
of  New  York. 

The  Indiana,  on  Peters's  mountain,  has  been  tapped  by  a  tunnel  of  125  feet, 
at  a  depth  of  120  feet  below  the  eroppings,  showing  a  pay  streak  of  6  feet  in  a 
vein  of  10  feet  between  the  walls. 

The  Webster,  on  Raymond  mountain,  has  been  struck  by  a  vertical  shaft  100 
feet  below  the  croppings,  with  a  pay  streak  of  about  10  feet. 

The  Alameda  Company. — This  is  a  New  York  organization,  and  owns  the  List 
and  other  mines.  The  List  is  a  location  of  400  feet  in  length  upon  a  vein  which 
extends  through  several  similar  locations.  In  the  claim  of  the  Alameda  Com- 
pany it  is  most  developed,  and  shows  a  width  of  from  5  to  10  feet,  bearing  two 
strata  of  ore,  respectively  6  and  18  inches  in  width.  Several  tons  of  this  ore 
have  been  taken  to  Austin  for  reduction,  and  produced  at  the  rate  of  $100  per 
ton,  and  a  number  of  tons  worked  at  the  Crescent  mill,  near  the  vein,  yielded 
$80  per  ton.  The  developments  consist  in  an  incline  23  feet,  and  a  shaft  50 
feet  in  depth,  from  the  bottom  of  which  a  tunnel  has  been  run,  but  it  has  not  as 
yet  penetrated  the  vein.  Wm.  Fleming  is  the  superintendent.  The  wages  paid 
for  first-class  miners  in  this  district  are  $6  per  day  in  currency.  Mr.  Islin,  Cap- 
tain Dahlgren,  and  others,  are  about  to  commence  operations  on  mines  of  which 
they  are  owners  or  agents.  The  district  bids  fair,  with  its  mineral-bearing  ledges 
and  agricultural  resources,  to  become  one  of  importance.  It  is  connected  with 
Austin  by  a  weekly  mail,  and  the  road  between  the  two  places  is  naturally  good, 
and  has  been  well  improved,  so  it  is  easily,  safely,  and  pleasantly  passed  by 
heavy  freight  wagons  and  travellers.  It  lies  on  a  practicable  route  for  a  railroad 
from  the  Central  Pacific,  at  several  points  on  the  Humboldt  river,  to  the  Colo- 
rado at  the  head  of  navigation,  or  to  the  crossing  of  the  Atlantic  arid  Pacific  rail- 
road, should  such  a  road  be  constructed. 

COLORADO  DISTRICT: — A  recent  act  of  Congress  annexed  a  portion  of  Arizona 
to  Nevada,  and  in  the  section  transferred  is  Colorado  district,  or  the  mining  region 
of  El  Dorado  canon.  This  is  on  the  banks  of  the  Colorado  river,  and  as  yet 
has  had  but  little  intercourse  with  the  original  Nevada.  It  may  not  be  regarded 
as  within  the  limits  of  this  report  to  give  a  description  of  this  district,  but  as  a 
step-child  of  Nevada,  it  is  proper  to  recognize  its  existence.  It  was  organized 
in  1861,  and  a  large  number  of  claims  located  bearing  gold,  silver,  and  copper. 

Northern  Mines. — In  July  of  the  present  year,  a  party  composed  of  Messrs. 
McCan,  Beard,  Heath,  and  others  left  Austin  on  an  exploring  tour  to  the  ranges 
of  mountains  north  of  the  Humboldt  river.  There  had  been  rumors  of  discoveries 
of  gold-bearing  veins  and  placers  in  those  ranges,  and  also  in  the  Goose  Creek 
mountains,  dividing  the  waters  of  th<3  Humboldt  and  Owyhee  from  Salt  Lake. 
This  part  of  the  country  was  infested  with  hostile  Indians,  and  it  was  regarded  as 
dangerous  to  penetrate  it.  For  that  reason  it  had  remained  unexplored,  yet  its 
very  dangers  were  inviting  to  the  venturesome  prospector,  whose  imagination 
gave  the  wild  country  wealth  in  proportion  to  the  hardships  and  dangers  attend- 
ing its  occupation.  This  party  of  explorers,  consisting  of  eight  men,  passed  the 
Humboldt  river,  and  going  north  on  about  the  117th  meridian,  crossed  a  range 
of  mountains,  made  up  chiefly  of  detached  hills  or  buttes  running  easterly  and 
westerly,  and  when  upon  the  northern  slope,  about  60  miles  from  the  river, 
discovered  gold  in  placers  and  in  situ. 

TUSCARORA  DISTRICT. — Upon  making  the  discoveries  of  gold,  the  prospectors 
organized  a  mining  district,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Tuscarora.  A  small 
stream  running  through  it  northwardly  was  named  McCan.  Along  this  stream  for 
about  three  miles  gold  in  small  quantities  was  found  to  exist.  It  appears  very  much 


430  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

diffused  through  the  soil  from  the  surface  to  the  depth  reached,  which  did  not  exceed 
five  feet.  Several  ledges,  or  what  are  supposed  to  be  ledges,  were  found,  showing 
gold.  The  party  returning  to  Austin  with  specimens  reported  their  discoveries, 
and  as  is  usual  upon  such  occasions  an  excitement  was  created,  and  100  or  more 
men,  well  armed  for  defence  against  the  Indians,  and  prepared  for  prospecting, 
immediately  proceeded  to  the  new  mining  region.  A  large  area  of  country  has 
already  been  explored,  and  mines  found  in  various  localities.  At  the  present 
time  the  real  value  of  the  discoveries  is  unknown,  as  but  little  labor  has  been 
expended  upon  either  the  gold-bearing  veins  or  in  washing  the  soil.  The  creek 
does  not  furnish  water  in  sufficient  quantities  for  extensive  and  rapid  washing, 
and  therefore  unless  very  rich  deposits  are  found,  it  is  not  probable  any  large 
fortunes  will  be  realized.  It  is  estimated,  however,  from  the  prospects  obtained 
that  from  $10  to  $20  per  diem  may  be  made  per  man,  for  a  score  or  more  of 
men.  Should  the  specimens  of  gold-bearing  quartz  found  be  any  criterion  of 
the  value  of  the  veins  at  great  depths,  they  are  rich  indeed.  The  geography  of 
the  region  is  but  little  known,  and  it  cannot  be  stated  at  present  whether  the 
waters  drain  to  the  Owyhee  sink  in  a  basin  of  their  own,  or  flow  to  some  branch 
of  the  Humboldt.  A  short  period  will  determine  all  such  doubts.  The  country 
js  described  as  well  adapted  for  grazing,  producing  an  abundance  of  grass  of  a 
very  nutricious  character.  There  are  many  valleys  of  large  size  capable  of  cul- 
tivation, and  which,  when  the  treacherous  savage  is  exterminated  or  subdued, 
and  the  miners  fill  the  hills,  will  furnish  pleasant  homes  to  settlers. 

About  40  miles  east  of  Tuscarora,  and  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  range, 
ledges  bearing  both  silver  and  gold  have  been  discovered.  These  discoveries 
were  lately  made.  No  district  has  yet  been  formed.  The  locality  is  about  50 
miles  north  of  Gravelly  Ford,  on  the  Humboldt  river.  T.  J.  Tennant  and  party, 
the  discoverers,  brought  specimens  of  the  ore  to  Austin,  where  they  were  assayed, 
and  showed  value.  The  rock  is  granite,  the  veins  of  quartz  running  north  and 
south.  This  is  represented  as  a  good  farming  and  grazing  country,  with  grass 
covering  the  hills  like  a  meadow.  Game,  as  deer,  antelope,  hare,  and  several 
varieties  of  grouse,  the  chief  of  which  is  the  sage  hen,  abounds  in  great  plenty. 

This  new  region,  which  has  so  long  been  closed  against  the  pioneer,  promises 
to  become  an  important  and  wealthy  portion  of  the  State. 

The  following  classification  of  the  minerals  which  characterize  the  veins  of 
Eastern  Nevada  is  prepared  by  Charles  A.  Stetefeldt,  esq.,  assayer  and  metal- 
lurgist, of  Austin. 

CATALOGUE  OF  MINERALS. 

REESE  RIVER  DISTRICT.* — Eastern  part  of  Lander  Hill  and  Central  Hill.-r- 
Pyrargyrie,  proustite,  polybasite, and  stephanite predominant  j  tetrahedrite  seldom; 
few  sulplmrets  of  base  metals. 

Central  part  of  Lander  Hill  and  Union  Hill. — Tetrahedrite  predominant;  pyrites 
of  iron  and  copper,  galena  and  blende ;  few  polybasite  and  stephanite. 

Western  part  of  Lander  Hill  and  Union  Hill. — Argentiferous  galena,  pyrites 

^MINERALS    OF    REESE    RIVER    DISTRICT,    ARRANGED    ACCORDING    TO 
DANA'S  SYSTEM.  BY  EUGENE  N.  RIOTTE,  M.E. 

I.  NATIVE  ELEMENTS  : 

Native  gold,  native  silver,  native  copper. 

II.  SULPIIURETS  ARSENURETS,  ETC  : 

I.  Binary  compounds. 

1.  Stibnite,  antimon glance. 

2.  Silverglanze ;  erubescite,  variegated  copper  ore ;  galena,  blende,  copper  glance,  stro- 
meierite,  pyrites,  lucopgrites,  molyadenite. 

II.  Double  binary  compounds. 

Chalcopyrite,  pyrargyrite,  proustite,  fetrahedrite,  polybasite,  stephanite,  fireblende. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  431 

of  iron  and  copper,  blende  predominant ;  few  tetraliedrite.  In  most  veins  above 
water  level,  horn  silver  predominant. 

TWIN  RIVER  DISTRICT. — Opliir  Canon. — Species  of  tetraliedrite  containing 
gold  and  silver  predominant;  native  silver;  blende,  pyrites  of  iron  and  copper. 

Summit  Canon. — Argentiferous  galena  predominant;  native  silver,  silver  glance ; 
blende,  pyrites  of  iron.  « 

NORTH  TWIN  HIVER  DISTRICT. — Park  Canon. — Mixture  of  pyrites  of  iron, 
pyrites  of  copper,  blende,  argentiferous  galena,  spathic  iron,  native  silver,  pyrar- 
girite,  and  quartz. 

REVEILLE  DISTRICT. — Argentiferous  sulphuret  of  copper  predominant ;  silver 
glance,  sulphuret  of  antimony.  Croppings  contain  much  horn  silver. 

PHILADELPHIA  AND  COLUMBUS  DISTRICTS. — Stetefeldtite  (new  mineral)  pre- 
dominant ;  galena ;  pyrites  of  copper.  Croppings  contain  much  horn  silver. 

EUREKA  DISTRICT. — Argentiferous  galena  predominant;  stetefeldtite. 

EMPIRE  DISTRICT. — Stetefeldtite  predominant. 

UNION  DISTRICT. — Stromeyerite  predominant;  native  gold  and  silver;  silver 
glance;  horn  silver. 

WASHINGTON  DISTRICT. — Argentiferous  galena  predominant;  native  silver; 
pyrite  of  iron  and  copper,  blende. 

SUMMIT  AND  BIG  CREEK  DISTRICT. — Argentiferous  galena  predominant; 
pyrites  of  iron  and  copper,  blende,  sulphuret  of  antimony. 

SMOKY  VALLEY  DISTRICT. — Argentiferous  sulphuret  of  copper,  argentiferous 
galena,  blende,  pyrites  of  iron  and  copper. 

BUNKER  HILL  DISTRICT. — Native  gold  and  silver,  argentiferous  sulphuret 
of  copper,  pyrites  of  iron  and  copper,  galena. 

SANTA  FE  DISTRICT. — Native  gold;  pyrites  of  iron,  copper  glance. 

Lone  Mountain. — Native  gold ;  pyrites  of  iron  and  copper. 

NEW  PASS  DISTRICT. — Native  gold;  argentiferous  galena,  pyrites  of  copper 
and  copper  glance. 

BULLION  PRODUCT. — The  actual  amount  of  silver  bullion  shipped  from  Austin 
to  Virginia  and  San  Francisco  for  the  12  mouths  ending  August  1,  1867,  is 
$1,455,273  60,  the  greater  portion  being  in  the  last  five  months  of  the  present 
year.  This  is  ascertained  from  the  way-bills  of  the  express  and  stage  companies. 


SECTION    XXI. 

THE  OVERLAND  TELEGRAPH. 

The  subject  of  trans-continental  telegraphic  communication  has  attracted  gene- 
ral attention  during  the  past  few  years,  and  almost  every  intelligent  person  has 
acquired  some  knowledge  respecting  it.  I  am  induced  to  believe,  however,  that 
much  may  still  be  learned  from  the  practical  experiences  of  operators  along  the 
route.  The  magnitude  of  the  enterprise,  the  benefits  resulting  from  it  both  to 

III.  FLOURIDS,  CHLORIDS,  BROMIDS,  TODIDS  : 
I.  Binary  compounds. 

Common  salt,  kerargyrite,  bromyrite,  todyrite.(?) 

IV.  OXYGEN  COMPOUNDS  : 

I.  Oxyde  binary  compounds. 

Red  copper,  magnetic  iron  ore,  hematite,  housnanite,  pyrolusite,  isilomelan,  wad,  quarz, 
opal. 

II.  Salts  double  binary  compounds  : 

Pyroxene ;  rhodonite,  silicate  of  manganese ;  hornblende,  muscovite,  feldspar,  oligoclas 
aud  orthoclas,  tourrna'ie,  chrysocolla;  hiibnerite,  tungstate  of  manganese;  barytes,  gypsum, 
cyanosite,  copperas,  glauber  salts,  apatete,  nitre,  calcite,  carbonate  of  manganese,  cbalybite, 
spathic  iron  ore,  ceruslte,  trona,  malachite,  asurite,  titanite,  tungstate  of  lead. 


432  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

the  commercial  world  and  the  mining  community,  and  the  difficulties  encountered 
in  carrying  it  into  effect  are  not  yet  fully  appreciated. 

The  first  practical  movement  toward  the  construction  of  the  overland  telegraph 
was  made  by  California.*  The  Placerville  and  Humboldt  Telegraph  Company 
was  organized  in  1858,  and  the  first  pole  of  the  line  from  Placerville  across  the 
Sierra  Nevada  mountains  was  erected  on  the  4th  of  July  of  that  year.  During 
the  autumn  of  the  same  year  the  line  had  reached  Genoa — then  in  Utah  Terri- 
tory, now  in  the  State  of  Nevada — and  by  the  spring  of  1859  it  had  reached 
Carson,  from  which  point  a  branch  was  extended  to  Virginia  City  soon  after  the 
discovery  of  the  silver  mines. 

This  much  of  the  line  was  constructed  entirely  by  private  enterprise.  Neither 
State  nor  general  government  afforded  any  assistance,  though  repeated  applica- 
tion was  made  to  both.  Disagreements  between  Messrs.  Broderick  and  Gwin, 
senators  of  the  United  States  from  California,  prevented  the  passage  through 
Congress  of  a  bill  introduced  by  the  former  in  May,  1858,  for  the  construction 
of  a  trans-continental  line  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  States. 

In  April,  1859,  the  legislature  passed  an  act  pledging  the  State  to  give  $6,000 
a  year  to  the  telegraph  line  that  should  make  the  first  connection  with  an  eastern 
line,  and  $4,000  a  year  to  the  next. 

Two  companies  were  encouraged  to  enter  the  list — one  via  Salt  Lake  city  and 
the  other  via  Los  Angeles  and  the  Butterfield  stage  route  through  Arizona  and 
Texas. 

The  dissensions  already  referred  to  in  Congress  retarded  the  adoption  of  any  of 
the  measures  proposed  on  the  Atlantic  side,  until  the  16th  of  June,  1860,  when  an 
act  was  passed  directing  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  advertise  for  sealed 
proposals  to  be  received  for  60  days  after  the  passage  of  said  act  for  the  use  by 
the  government  of  a  line  or  lines  of  telegraph  to  be  constructed  within  two  years 
from  July  31,  1860,  from  some  point  on  the  west  line  of  Missouri,  by  any  route  the 
contractor  might  select,  to  San  Francisco,  for  a  period  of  10  years,  and  to  award 
the  contract  to  the  lowest  bidder,  provided  he  did  not  require  more  than  $40,000 
a  year. 

Permission  was  granted  to  the  successful  bidder  to  use  for  ten  years  such  public 
lands  of  the  United  States  as  might  be  necessary  for  the  right  of  way  and  for 
the  purpose  of  establishing  stations  for  repairs,  not  exceeding  at  any  one  station 
one  quarter-section,  and  not  to  exceed  one  in  15  miles  on  the  whole  average  of 
the  distance.  No  pre-emption  right  to  the  land  was  granted.  The  contract  was 
not  to  be  made  until  the  line  was  in  actual  operation. 

Certain  reservations  were  also  made  establishing  for  the  government  a  priority 
of  use  of  the  line,  free  from  charge  until  at  the  ordinary  charges  for  private  mes- 
sages the  sum  of  $40,000  was  reached,  after  which  the  excess  was  to  be  certified 
to  Congress  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

Four  bids  were  made  in  accordance  with  the  proposals  advertised  by  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Treasury,  ranging  from  $40,000  to  $25,000,  three  of  which  were 
subsequently  withdrawn.  The  highest  bid  was  that  made  by  Mr.  Hiram  Sibley, 
which  was  accepted. 

The  parties  represented  by  Mr.  Sibley  met  at  Rochester,  New  York,  and  con- 
cluded upon  a  series  of  propositions,  which  they  submitted  to  the  Pacific  com- 
panies through  the  agency  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Wade  and  Major  Bee. 

The  consolidation  was  effected  in  March,  1861,  between  all  the  companies  on 
the  Pacific  coast,  by  the  purchase  by  the  California  State  Telegraph  Company 
of  all  the  lines  belonging  to  other  companies. 

The  California  State  Telegraph  Company  was  the  oldest  telegraph  company 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  with  a  capital  of  $1,250,000,  of  which  Mr.  Horace  W.  Carpen- 
tier,  of  California,  was  president,  and  Mr.  J.  Mora  Moss  vice-president. 

*From  data  published  a  few  years  since  in  the  San  Francisco  Evening  Bulletin. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  433 

The  Overland  Telegraph  Company  was  then  incorporated  promptly  by  the 
owners  of  the  California  State  Telegraph  Company,  also  with  a  capital  of 
$1, £50,000,  and  under  the  same  board  of  officers. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1862,  the  California  State  Telegraph  and  the  Over- 
land Telegraph  Company  consolidated  under  the  name  of  "the  California  State 
Telegraph  Company,  with  a  capital  of  $2,500,000. 

Thus  all  the  lines  in  California  and  the  overland  line  to  Salt  Lake  City  came 
into  the  possession  and  under  the  direction  of  this  company. 

The  eastern  end  from  Salt  Lake  City  to  Omaha  belonged  to  the  Pacific  Tele- 
graph Company. 

Mr.  Edward  Creighton,  a  gentleman  of  great  energy  and  experience,  was  the 
constructor  of  the  line  from  Omah'a  to  Salt  Lake  City.  He  performed  the  duties 
of  his  position  with  perfect  success  under  obstacles  of  a  most  formidable  char- 
acter. 

The  California  division  of  the  line  was  reconstructed  from  Placerville  to  Fort 
Churchill,  and  thence  continued  to  Salt  Lake  City  under  the  general  supervision 
of  Mr.  Carpentier,  who  personally  visited  all  parts  of  the  route  and  gave  the 
enterprise  his  earnest  attention. 

Mr.  James  Gamble,  superintendent  of  the  State  Telegraph  Company,  a  gen- 
tleman thoroughly  familiar  with  the  details  of  the  telegraph  system,  who  had 
the  advantage  of  experience  in  the  construction  of  every  line  built  in  California 
by  the  State  Telegraph  Company,  had  the  special  supervision  of  the  whole  work, 
and  much  is  due  to  his  experience,  energy,  and  skill. 

Mr.  James  Street  superintended  that  part  of  the  wrork  between  Ruby  valley 
and  Salt  Lake  City,  one  of  the  most  difficult  sections  on  the  route. 

Mr.  J.  M.  Hubbard  superintended  the  construction  of  the  section  from  Carson 
to  Ruby  valley. 

On  the  27th  of  May,  1861,  Mr.  Gamble,  as  general  superintendent  of  the  line, 
started  a  train  of  30  wagons  from  Sacramento,  loaded  with  wire,  insulators,  pro- 
visions, &c.,  with  three  or  four  hundred  head  of  oxen,  horses,  and  mules ;  and, 
although  it  was  considered  late  in  the  season,  there  was  no  stoppage  on  account 
of  storms  or  bad  roads.  The  snows  had  begun  to  melt  in  the  Sierra  Nevadas  j 
the  mountain  streams  were  swollen  into  fearful  torrents ;  the  roads  were  cut  up 
into  ruts  and  mudholes,  many  of  which  were  almost  impassable ;  and  forage  was 
exceedingly  scarce  and  dear.  Some  of  the  wagons  were  upset,  many  of  the  ani- 
mals foundered  in  the  mud,  but  the  train  went  on  regardless  of  every  obstacle. 

On  the  24th  of  June  the  first  pole  was  set  on  the  line  from  Fort  Churchill  to 
Salt  Lake,  and  on  the  24th  day  of  October  the  connection  with  the  city  of  the 
saints  was  completed. 

History  presents  no  record  of  such  a  stupendous  work  accomplished  in  so  short 
a  time.  Five  hundred  and  seventy  miles  of  telegraph  line,  built  through  a  dreary 
desert  where  wood  and  water  were  the  exceptions,  within  the  brief  space  of  four 
months !  Surely  if  the  Americans  are  boastful  in  their  speech,  their,  acts  are 
remarkable.  Men  who  build  telegraphs  across  continents,  regardless  of  seasons, 
deserts,  or  savage  races,  have  a  right  to  speak  well  of  themselves. 

The  number  of  poles  to  the  mite  is  from  25  to  30,  depending  upon  the  char- 
acter of  the  country ;  the  average  length  is  about  22  feet  j  and  the  kinds  of  tim- 
ber chiefly  used  redwood,  pine,  cedar,  and  tamarack.  It  is  customary  to  sink 
the  poles  from  three  to  four  feet  in  the  ground,  according  to  the  nature  of  the 
soil.  In  soft  or  marshy  ground  they  require"  to  be  braced.  Ordinarily  they  last 
about  two  or  three  years,  much  depending  on  the  climate  and  durability  of  the 
wood.  The  best  woods  used  on  the  California  section  are  said  to  be  the  redwood 
and  cedar. 

Nearly  one-third  of  the  poles  had  to  be  hauled  from  the  Sierra  Nevada  moun- 
tains to  Austin  and  beyond,  extending  to  a  distance  of  more  than  300  miles,  at 
a  cost  of  four  to  six  cents  a  pound  for  freight.  But  this  was  the  least  of  the 
28 


434  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

difficulties  encountered.  Water  is  exceedingly  scarce  in  these  sage  deserts,  and 
it  often  happened  that  both  men  and  animals  suffered  fearfully  from  thirst.  It 
was  a  constant  battle  almost  every  step  of  the  way  against  the  most  formidable 
natural  obstacles — alkali  deserts,  scarcity  of  water,  lack  of  timber  for  poles  and 
feed  for  the  animals,  nigged  mountains  and  difficult  passes.  In  some  places  the 
sand  Avas  so  soft  and  shifting  as  to  afford  scarcely  a  foothold  for  the  poles  ;  in  others 
the  ground  was  so  hard  and  rocky  that  foundations  had  to  be  drilled  out  or  built 
around  them  with  stones.  During  the  progress  of  the  work  despatches  continued 
to  be  regularly  transmitted  from  California  to  the  outer  end  of  the  line,  where 
they  were  copied  and  forwarded  by  pony  express  to  the  approaching  end  of 
the  eastern  division,  and  vice  versa,  so  that  scarcely  a  day  was  lost  in  the  use 
of  the  telegraph  on  either  side. 

Constant  communication  was  also  kept  up  between  the  operators  at  the  various, 
stations  along  the  line  and  the  office  of  the  company  at  San  Francisco,  who  were 
daily  advised  of  the  progress  of  the  work. 

Poles  of  sufficient  size  and  strength  were  very  difficult  to  obtain  on  other  por- 
tions of  the  route. 

The  cost  of  transportation  wras  the  most  expensive  item.  In  ^he  vicinity  of 
Salt  lake  this  difficulty  was  in  part  obviated  by  the  adroit  management  of  Mr. 
Street,  who  had  special  charge  of  that  section.  It  was  very  generally  supposed 
that  Brigham  Young,  the  president  of  the  Mormons,  was  hostile  to  the  building 
of  the  line  through  the  Mormon  settlements.  Mr.  Street  was  well  aware  that 
without  his  co-operation  the  difficulties  incident  to  the  undertaking  would,  at 
least,  be  greatly  augmented.  He  adopted  the  policy,  therefore,  of  conciliating 
the  great  leader  of  the  latter-day  saints — whether  by  pleasant  words  or  by  more 
substantial  tokens  of  esteem  is  still  a  mooted  question.  His  interviews  with 
Brigham  on  the  subject  were  highly  amicable,  and  I  have  heard  them  graphi- 
cally described.  Among  other  things,  it  is  reported  that  Brigham  expressed  sur- 
prise at  being  regarded  as  an  enemy  of  this  important  and  beneficial  enterprise. 
i(  Why  should  we  be  opposed  to  a  telegraph  line?"  said  he  ;  "  we  have  nothing 
to  fear  from  it,  and  everything  to  gain.  It  is  to  our  interest,  as  well  as  yours,  to 
have  the  means  of  communicating  with  the  outer  world.  Our  religion  cannot 
suffer  from  it,  and  it  will  certainly  be  advantageous  to  our  industrial  interests." 
Whether  this  be  true  or  not,  it  is  certain  he  gave  his  hearty  co-operation  to 
the  enterprise,  ordered  out  men  and  teams,  and  cordially  assisted  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  line  from  Salt  Lake  City  to  Deep  creek,  a  distance  of  174  miles. 

The  first  through  message  transmitted  over  the  line,  from  Salt  lake  to  San 
Francisco,  is  interesting  in  the  above  connection  : 

GREAT  SALT  LAKE  CITY, 

October  24—7  p.  ra. 
To  Hon.  H.  W.  CARPENTIER,  President  of  the  Overland  Telegraph  : 

DEAR  SIR :  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  kindness,  manifested  through  Mr. 
Street,  in  giving  me  the  privilege -of  first  message  to  California.  May  success  ever  attend 
the  enterprise.  The  success  of  Mr.  Street  in  completing  his  end  of  the  line,  under  many 
unfavorable  circumstances,  in  so  short  a  time,  is  beyond  our  most  sanguine  anticipations. 
Join  your  wire  with  the  Russian  empire  and  we  will  converse  with  Europe. 
Your  friend, 

BRIGHAM  YOUNG. 

This  was  in  answer  to  a  despatch  from  Mr.  Carpentier,  as  follows  : 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  CALIFORNIA, 

October  24,  1861. 
To  Hon.  BRIGHAM  YOUNG,  Great  Salt  Lake  City  : 


That  which  was  so  long  a  hope  is  now  a  reality.    The  trans-continental  telegraph  is  now 
smpleted.     May  it  prove  a  bond  of 
Utah  and  the  people  of  California. 


JL  llCtU     W  J_U.l/Ll     W  C*0    0\J      lUlig     di    JLLULJC?      1O    UUTT      Ol    IQCU1V  T  •  JL  JJO      JU1  «LlO-V>W.l-m*ia\>*a  ut»*      UWAVJ^ M.  vw|.*"    *^    —  ~  — 

completed.     May  it  prove  a  bond  of  perpetual  union  and  friendship  between  the  people  of 
ih 


H.  W.  CARPENTIER. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  435 

Tliis  was  the  first  through  message  from  San  Francisco  to  Salt  Lake  City. 
The  first  through  message-  from  the  Atlantic  States  contained  the  following 
melancholy  announcement : 

GREAT  SALT  LAKE  CITY, 

October  24—7  p.  m. 
To  H.  W.  CARPKNTIER  : 

Colonel  Baker  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  the  21st,  while  in  the  act  of  cheering  on  his  com- 
mand. Intense  excitement  and  mourning  in  Philadelphia  over  his  death. 

STREET. 

The  line  was  started  from  St.  Joseph,  west,  under  the  supervision  of  Mr. 
Creighton,  in  the  summer  of  1860.  It  was  built  as  far  as  Fort  Kearney,  via 
Omaha,  that  fall,  following  the  north  fork  of  the  Platie  river.  The  contract, 
however,  was  not  made  until  March,  1861.  During  the  summer  and  fall  the 
work  was  vigorously  pushed  forward  by  Mr.  Creighton  and  his  subordinates.  It 
reached  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  19th  of  October,  1861,  just  five  days  prior  to  the 
completion  of  the  California  branch. 

Thus,  in  the  language  of  Mr.  Carpentier,  "that  which  was  so  long  a  hope 
became  a  reality  f  thus  were  the  people  of  the  Atlantic  united  to  their  friends 
and  fellow-countrymen  of  the  Pacific  by  an  electric  bond  that  annihilated  time 
and  space. 

Congratulations  followed  from  every  State  of  the  Union  and  from  every  civi- 
lized nation  of  the  world.  It  wTas  the  great  achievement  of  the  19th  century. 

Within  a  few  days  after  the  completion  of  the  line,  the  secessionists  in  Mis- 
souri tore  it  down  in  several  places,  and  for  a  while  messages  were  sent  east  via 
Hannibal,  Missouri,'  connecting  with  Quincy,  Illinois.  Subsequently  a  change 
was  made  by  which  a  connnection  was  formed  between  Omaha  and  Chicago, 
through  Iowa. 

From  San  Francisco  to  Chicago  the  distance  is  about  2,700  miles  by  the  route 
taken  ;  to  New  York  little  short  of  4,000  miles. 

This  is  the  longest  circuit  on  the  American  continent,  perhaps  in  the  world. 
For  practical  purposes  it  is  necessary  to  repeat  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Omaha,  and 
Chicago. 

Messages  cither  way  are  rewritten  and  repeated  at  Salt  Lake  City,  where  an 
accurate  account  is  kept  between  the  Atlantic  and  California  offices. 

Direct  communication  between  San  Francisco  and  New  York  has  frequently 
taken  place,  but  this  can  only  be  done  under  very  favorable  circumstances,  when 
there  is  little  or  no  electrical  disturbance.  New  York  and  San  Francisco  held 
direct  communication  with  each  other  for  the  first  time  on  Thursday,  November 
G,  1862.  On  that  memorable  day  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans  were  united  in 
the  iron  bond  of  matrimony,  from  which  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  will  never  be 
divorced. 

The  distance  is  so  great,  however,  and  the  line  subject  to  so  many  electrical 
disturbances  that  no  battery  can  be  made  sufficiently  powerful  to  overcome  all 
the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  direct  communication.  For  practical  purposes  mes- 
yages  have  to  be  repeated  at  the  stations  designated  for  that  purpose. 

The  battery  force  required  for  the  working  of  the  overland  telegraph  is  small 
compared  with  that  required  in  the  Atlantic  States.  This  is  in  part  owing  to  the 
ratification  of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  prevailing  absence  of  moisture  and  atmos- 
pheric electricity  j  also,  in  part,  to  the  absence  of  trees,  which  in  timbered  coun- 
tries arc  apt  to  come  in  contact  with  the  line  and  affect  the  insulation. 

At  Salt  Lake  City  50  cups  of  main  battery  are  used  for  two  wires,  one  extending 
east  to  the  repeating  station  at  Fort  Laramie,  500  miles,  and  the  other  west  to 
Carson,  GOO  miles. 

Experienced  operators  inform  me  that  it  requires  double  that  amount  of  bat- 
tery to  work  the  same  length  of  line  on  any  other  part  of  the  American  continent. 

For  every  space  of  30  to  50  miles  between  Omaha  and  San  Francisco  there 


436  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

is  an  office  or  repair  station,  where  men  are  kept  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
and  repairing  the  line.  These  men  are  provided  with  wires,  implements,  pro- 
visions, &c.,  and  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  start  out  at  a  moment's  notice 
to  any  point  within  their  range.  The  expedition  with  which  poles  are  reset  and 
breaks  in  the  wire  repaired  is  almost  incredible.  An  ordinary  break  seldom  detains 
despatches  more  than  a  few  hours. 

So  skilled  do  some  of  the  operators  become  in  the  art  of  telegraphing  that 
they  are  enabled  to  read  by  the  mere  sense  of  touch  or  sight  applied  to  the  wire  or 
the  instrument.  Mr.  Shaffner  relates  instances  in  which  operators  have  read  mes- 
sages by  applying  to  their  tongue  a  small  wire  attached  to  the  main  line.  Still 
more  remarkable  is  the  fact  that  a  person  near  by  can  discover  what  is  passing 
by  watching  the  vibrations  or  electric  throbs  on  the  tongue  of  another.  The 
communication  is  imperfect,  however,  and  would  scarcely  be  reliable  beyond  the 
simplest  monosyllables. 

Breaks  in  the  line  are  sometimes  very  difficult  to  find.  An  example  is  given 
by  Mr.  Shaffner  where  there  was  a  break  between  two  stations.  The  line  ,vas 
carefully  examined  all  the  way  through.  Apparently  it  was  perfect,  yet  there 
was  no  communication.  By  testing  from  each  station  it  was  discovered  that  the 
break  was  within  a  space  of  a  few  hundred  yards.  The  wire  was  then  carefully 
examined,  when  it  was  found  that  a  silk  cord  had  been  substituted  by  some 
designing  person  so  closely  resembling  the  wire  that  to  the  eye  it  presented  no 
perceptible  difference. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  wonderful  delicacy  of  the  ear  acquired  by  the  ope- 
rators, I  must  not  omit  to  mention  one  or  two  facts  connected  with  the  working 
of  the  instruments. 

In  large  offices  where  many  instruments  are  at  work,  an  ordinary  visitor  almost 
imagines  himself  in  some  extensive  clock  establishment.  There  is  a  perfect 
medley  of  ticks,  as  unintelligible  to  him  as  would  be  a  bag  of  shot  rained  down 
over  the  floor.  Yet  an  operator  who  has  left  his  seat  to  say  a  word  to  a  friend 
in  some  other  part  of  the  room  suddenly  starts  back,  saying  "  I  am  called." 
Among  a  thousand  ticks  his  particular  tick  has  struck  upon  the  tympanum  of 
his  ear.  One  cannot  but  think  of  the  final  call  which,  sooner  or  later,  will  be 
sent  down  from  heaven  to  each  one  of  us  among  millions  of  busy  souls,  and  yet 
be  intelligible  as  this  earthly  call  is  to  the  operator  in  a  telegraph  office. 

It  should  also  be  mentioned,  as  a  characteristic  illustration,  that  operators  have 
an  individuality  of  style  or  manner  as  distinctly  marked  as  the  differences  in 
chirography.  For  example,  a  message  is  being  received  at  the  office  in  San 
Francisco  from  the  office  in  Carson.  The  superintendent  standing  by,  asks  "  Who 
is  that  at  the  instrument  at  Carson  T  The  operator  replies,  u  Jones  is  at  it  now. 
Thompson  was  at  it  a  few  minutes  ago."  Presently  he  adds,  "  Smith  has  it  now." 
How  does  he  know  all  this"?  Neither  Jones,  nor  Smith,  nor  Thompson  has  men- 
tioned his  name  or  said  a  word  on  his  own  account,  and  yet  the  fact  of  each 
change  is  perfectly  clear  to  the  operator  at  San  Francisco.  He  knows  the  style  of 
each  man.  One  makes  long  dashes  and  quick  dots;  another  runs  a  race  between 
dots  and  dashes  j  the  third  is  sharp,  clear,  and  methodical.  Each  has  his  indi- 
vidual characteristics,  which  have  become  as  familiar  as  the  tones  or  modulations 
of  his  voice  to  the  ear,  or  his  handwriting  or  face  to  the  eye.  The  language  of 
sounds  is  even  considered  less  liable  to  error  in  many  offices  than  that  of  written 
signs,  and  has  been  of  late  very  generally  adopted. 

East  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  the  poles  are  often  burnt  for  miles  by  prairie 
fires.  The  Indians  on  their  hunting  expeditions  are  in  the  habit  of  firing  the 
dry  grass  for  the  purpose  of  driving  their  game.  Once  started,  the  flames  sweep 
over  the  country  for  hundreds  of  miles.  Emigrant  parties  camping  by  the  road- 
side leave  their  fires  burning  with  little  regard  to  consequences,  and  many  a  mile 
of  line  has  been  destroyed  through  the  thoughtlessness  of  travellers,  who,  after 
lighting  their  pipes,  throw  the  burning  match  into  a  bunch  of  dry  grass,  if  possible, 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  437 


!H 


it  presents  a  peculiar  attraction.  Tlie  passion  for  destruction  is  inherent  i 
man  j  and  it  may  be  laid  down  as  an  axiom,  applicable  to  all  races  of  the  earth, 
that  where  there  is  a  chance  of  doing  mischief  free  from  the  restraining  influ- 
ences of  law,  by  the  burning  of  a  prairie  or  a  forest,  human  nature  is  not  proof 
against  the  temptation.  The  Indians  differ  from  the  whites  only  in  this,  that 
being  an  ignorant  race,  they  usually  have  some  object  to  gain  in  thus  destroying 
the  vegetation. 

During  the  summer  months,  the  region  of  country  bordering  on  the  Platte 
river  is  subject  to  terrific  thunder-storms,  which  sweep  over  the  plains  with  irre- 
sistible force.  The  earth  becomes  saturated  with  heavy  rains,  and  the  poles 
being  loosened  in  their  foundations,  are  blown  down  for  miles.  Scarcely  a  day 
passes,  in  the  early  part  of  summer,  without  a  severe  storm  on  some  part  of  the 
line  between  the  Rocky  mountains  and  the  borders  of  Missouri.  The  instru- 
ments are  "  burned 'n  by  lightning,  or  the  poles  swept  to  the  earth,  and  the  insu- 
lation destroyed  or  obstructed.  It  is  extremely  difficult  to  work  through  the 
entire  length  of  the  line  during  the  prevalence  of  these  storms — many  times 
impracticable  for  several  days.  This  source  of  annoyance  cannot  be  overcome 
by  any  means  known  under  the  present  system  of  telegraphing. 

*  In  the  dry  deserts  of  the  Great  Basin,  both  east  and  west  of  Salt  Lake,  the 
wire  has  been  known  to  work  for  miles  without  interruption,  while  partially 
imbedded  in  tlite  sand.  The  heat  of  the  sun  absorbs  all  moisture  from  the  sand 
and  renders  it  a  non-conductor. 

We  thus  find  a  very  peculiar  combination  of  obstacles — especially  on  the  eastern 
division.  In  the  month  of  June,  for  example,  the  weather  at  Salt  Lake  may  be  clear 
and  warm,  while  the  Waschita  mountains,  lying  to  the  east,  are  covered  with  snow. 
It  may  be  raining  heavily  at  Fort  Bridgcr,  snowing  at  South  Pass,  clear  at  Fort 
Laramie,  storming  and  raining  along  the  Platte,  and  so  on  to  Chicago.  But  it 
is  worthy  of  note  that  when  the  lightning  is  so  terrific  at  one  station  as  to 
cause  the  operators  to  leave  their  instruments  in  alarm,  the  operators  on  either 
side  are  frequently  able  to  continue  their  communications,  the  electric  current 
passing  entirely  through  the  storm  without  any  material  interruption.  Salt 
Lake  communicated  with  stations  far  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  when  at 
South  Pass  the  operators  were  effectually  cut  off. 

In  the  vicinity  of  South  Pass  the  operators  are  sometimes  u snowed  in"  for 
months  at  a  time.  All  communication  with  the  outer  world,  save  by  telegraph, 
is  completely  cut  off.  A  more  isolated  l!»fc  than  these  poor  fellows  lead  can 
scarcely  be  conceived.  Around  them  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  the  mountains 
and  plains  are  covered  with  snow.  All  traces  of  human  life  are  obliterated. 
The  station-houses  arc  covered  up,  high  over  the  roofs,  and  it  is  only  by  cutting 
a  way  out  and  keecping  it  clear  that  the  occupants  save  themselves  from  being 
buried  alive. 

One  of  these  stations  i-s  situated  within  a  short  distance  of  a  point  to  which 
travellers  in  future  ages  will  probably  make  pilgrimages,  as  the  Mahometans 
now  do  to  Mecca.  It  is  the  heart  of  the  North  American  continent,  from  which 
flow  the  great  arteries  of  commerce.  Within  a  distance  of  200  yards  lie  the 
sources  of -the  Missouri  and  the  Colorado.  Here  is  the  true  line  of  division 
between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  slopes.  On  the  one  side  an  insignificant 
spring  bursts  from  the  earth.  Gathering  contributions  from  every  canon  and 
ravine  as  it  flows,  it  forms  in  time  the  Swectwater  river,  which,  after  a  long 
and  turbulent  career,  empties  into  the  Platte,  the  great  river  of  the  plains.  From 
tl.c  Platte  the  Missouri  takes  up  the  current  and  rolls  it  onward  till  it  swells 
into  the  majestic  torrent  of  the  Mississippi.  The  Gulf  of  Mexico  receives  the 
tribute.  Up  north,  into  the  Arctic  regions  flows  the  Gulf  Stream,  which  in  turn 
pays  tribute  to  the  shores  of  Norway  and  Iceland.  Who  knows  but  the  Indian 
deity  of  the  Rocky  mountains  holds  converse  with  the  old  Scandinavian  god 
Thor,  sending  him  letters  of  bunch-gracs  and  drift-wood,  while  in  return  he 


438  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

receives  from  the  winds,  or  through  the  flood-gates  of  heaven  ashes  from  the 
Jokuls  of  Iceland  ?  The  idea  is  not  altogether  without  foundation,  but  cannot 
in  our  present  state  of  knowledge  be  turned  to  any  useful  telegraphic  purpose. 

On  the  other  side,  200  yards  distant,  rise  the  Pacific  springs,  which  form  the 
source  of  the  Green  river.  From  Green  river  swells  the  great  Colorado,  the  Red 
river  of  the  desert;  which,  after  a  long  and  thirsty  career  through  burning  sands 
and  cheerless  wastes,  cutting  in  twain  the  grim  mountains  of  the  Black  canon, 
receives  in  its  bosom  the  Gila,  or  Swiftwaters  of  Arizona.  Freighted  with  the 
red  and  golden  sands  of  a  great  interior  wilderness,  where  the  Apache  and  the 
Navajo  and  kindred  tribes  of  wild  men  still  roam,  it  sweeps  onward  till  lost  in 
the  seething  waters  of  the  Gulf  of  California. 

What  a  magnificent  point  of  observation  for  the  prophetic  eye  of  a  poet. 
Looking  to  the  east  or  to  the  west  the  new  world,  with  its  various  races  of  inhabi- 
tants, its  scenery,  its  commerce,  its  future,  lies  before  him.  Starting  at  this  little 
group  of  springs,  he  could  write  a  thousand  volumes  and  leave  "  ample  room  and 
verge  enough"  for  a  thousand  more,  on  the  great  future  of  this  vast  continent, 
where  "  no  pent  up  U tica  contracts  our  powers." 

But  the  operators  are  generally  practical  men.  In  seasons  of  great  severity 
they  sometimes  run  short  of  food,  and  then  they  have  a  hard  time.  It  becomes 
a  simple  question  of  life  or  death  ;  starvation  staring  them  in  the  face,  and  noth- 
ing around  them  but  cheerless  wastes  of  snow.  To  such  perfection,  however, 
have  the  company  reached  their  system  of  operations  at  the  present  day,  that 
instances  of  prolonged  suffering  rarely  occur.  The  stations  are  supplied  with 
abundant  provisions  for  the  winter,  and  with  all  the  apparatus  necessary  for 
repairing  the  line.  It  is  only  in  cases  of  Indian  depredations  or  some  casualty 
against  which  no  human  ingenuity  can  provide,  that  the  employes  can  suffer  for 
the  means  of  subsistence.  As  a  rule  they  are  comfortably  lodged  in  stockades 
or  block-houses,  well  armed  with  rifles  and  revolvers,  provided  with  horses  for 
travelling  to  and  fro  along  the  line ;  and  a  wagon  at  each  repair  station  to  cany 
poles,  wire,  and  implements,  so  that  they  are  not  so  badly  off  as  might  be  sup- 
posed. Isolation  from  the  society  of  their  fellow-beings  is  the  most  unpleasant 
feature  in  their  calling;  but  even  that  has  its  advantages.  They  have  abundant 
time  for  study  and  reflection,  and  can  save  a  good  part  of  their  wages. 

On  the  approach  to  the  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  it  becomes  necessary 
to  increase  the  number  of  stations  in  consequence  of  the  frequent  interruptions  to 
which  the  line  is  subject  from  falling  timber,  snow-storms  and  other  causes. 
During  the  winter  and  spring  months  the  storms  are  often  so  violent  as  to  break 
down  the  poles  for  miles;  and  when  the  snows  melt,  floods  and  freshets  are  a 
prolific  source  of  trouble.  Even  the  dry  season  gives  battle  in  the  shape  of 
extensive  fires  which  sometimes  rage  through  the  forest,  for  weeks  at  a  time, 
consuming  all  before  them.  In  addition  to  these  natural  obstacles,  which  are 
formidable  enough  in  themselves,  the  cupidity  of  man  is  too  often  cast  in  the 
balance  against  legitimate  enterprise.  Many  apparent  accidents  to  the  line  have 
been  ingeniously  contrived  by  speculators  in  Washoe  stocks,  for  the  purpose  of 
gaining  some  dishonest  advantage.  Fortunately  the  sagacity  and  energy  of 
the  Telegraph  Company  have  nearly  precluded  the  possibility  of  cutting  off 
communication  for  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  afford  facilities  of  this  kind.  It 
is  their  interest  as  well  as  their  duty  to  preserve  uninterrupted  communication 
for  the  benefit  of  the  public  at  large.  With  this  view,  stations  are  established 
at  intervals  of  8  or  10  miles  all  across  the  Sierras.  One  or  two  men  are  placed 
at  each  of  these  stations,  with  horses  ready  to  go  out  at  any  time  on  either  side 
In  winter,  during  severe  snow-storms,  these  horses  are  saddled  ready  for  use,  so 
that  the  employes  whose  duty  it  is  to  repair  the  line  can  proceed  to  the  break 
without  delay.  When  the  difficulty  is  too  great  to  be  immediately  remedied  by 
connection  of  the  wires,  the  despatches  are  carried  to  the  first  station  beyond,  and 
there  repeated  for  transmission  to  their  point  of  destination.  It  sometimes  hap- 


•     WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  439 

pens,  during  seasons  of  extraordinary  severity,  that  the  line  is  broken  down  20  or 
30  times  in  z  single  day  and  at  as  many  different  points.  This  is  a  busy  time 
for  the  operators.  They  must  be  constantly  on  the  alert,  availing  themselves  of 
every  possible  resource  that  ingenuity  can  devise.  It  is  not  merely  a  mechani- 
cal office,  as  many  suppose.  Not  only  must  the  operator  be  skilled  in  the  ordi- 
nary details  of  his  profession,  but  he  must  have  the  head  to  devise,  and  the  hand 
to  execute  in  the  various  unforeseen  difficulties  which  are  constantly  occurring, 
lie  must  be  able  to  act  as  well  as  direct — to  repair  by  extraordinary  where  ordi- 
nary means  are  not  at  hand.  With  such  men  feats  are  performed  almost  every  day 
during  the  winter  of  which  the  public  have  but  little  conception.  A  citizen  of 
San  Francisco  telegraphs  to  his  correspondent  in  Virginia  City.  In  six  hours, 
let  us  say,  he  receives  a  response.  "How  is  this/'  he  exclaims,  "allowing  full- 
time  each  way  for  transmission,  delivery,  and  probable  delay,  I  should  have  had 
this  answer  at  least  four  hours  ago?"  He  is  dissatisfied  with  the  tardiness  of 
electricity,  or  the  operators,  or  both.  He  does  not  know,  and  probably  would 
not  believe  it  if  told,  that  his  message  passed  through  ten  or  a  dozen  breaks  on  the 
line;  that  it  was  earned  over  several  gaps  on  horseback,  through  raging  floods, 
or  blinding  snow-storms ;  that  dangers  were  encountered  and  hardships  experi- 
enced in  its  transmission  from  which  most  men  would  shrink,  unless  they  found 
their  compensation  in  something  beyond  a  monthly  salary. 

The  falling  of  trees  across  the  line  is  a  source  of  great  inconvenience  in  densely 
wooded  countries.  Although  the  wire  is  not  always  broken,  the  insulation  is  apt 
to  be  destroyed  or  affected,  and  thus  communication  cut  off  or  rendered  imper- 
fect. Where  the  poles  are  far  apart  and  the  wires  slack,  several  trees  may  lie 
across  the  line  within  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles  and  still  not  break  the  wire. 
In  these  cases  it  becomes  as  tense  as  a  piano  string  and  gives  forth  a  musical 
answer  to  the  slightest  vibration.  The  repairer  usually  exercises  his  discretion 
in  adopting  one  of  the  two  alternatives  left,  either  to  cut  the  wire  or  the  tree. 
Mr.  Shaffner  mentions  the  case  of  an  employe — an  Irishman,  it  is  presumed — 
who  stood  over  the  wire  while  he  cut  a  tree  that  lay  across  it.  Relieved  of  the 
pressure  that  bore  it  down,  the  wire  suddenly  righted  itself,  tossing  the  man 
about  10  feet  in  the  air.  His  astonishment  may  be  imagined,  but  scarcely 
described. 

The  construction  of  the  overland  telegraph,  under  difficulties  so  numerous 
and  so  formidable,  was  one  of  the  great  triumphs  of  the  present  age.  When 
we  consider  the  vast  extent  of  desert  country  traversed,  the  scarcity  of  material, 
the  vicissitudes  of  the  climate,  and  the  hostile  character  of  the  Indian  tribes 
inhabiting  the  wild  regions  through  which  it  was  necessary  to  pass,  the  consum- 
mation of  this  enterprise  is  an  event  of  which  the  American  people  may  ba 
justly  proud.  No  achievement  of  ancient  or  modern  times  surpasses  it  in  the 
magnitude  of  the  interests  involved  both  to  commerce  and  to  civilization.  It 
was  the  first  grand  practicable  demonstration  of  the  feasibility  of  a  system  by 
which  the  remotest  parts  of  the  earth  may  be  brought  into  direct  and  instanta- 
neous communication,  and  thus  the  bonds  of  sympathy  and  interest  strengthened 
between  the  various  races  of  mankind. 

In  anticipation  of  the  difficulties  likely  to  arise  between  the  Company  and 
the  public  without  an  explicit  understanding  of  the  relations  existing  between 
them,  Mr.  Carpentier,  while  acting  as  president,  devoted  special  attention  to  the 
formation  of  a  code  of  laws  and  regulations  by  which  they  should  be  mutually 
governed  and  the  interests  of  each  protected.  Among  the  laws  devised  by  him 
and  passed  by  the  legislature  of  California,  the  most  important,  and  that  which 
most  intimately  concerns  the  public,  is  the  act  of  April  18,  1862.  This  act 
introduces  a  new  feature  in  the  business  of  telegraphing,  a  feature  not  only 
novel  in  its  conception  and  application,  but  of  incalculable  importance  to  the 
civilized  world — the  legalization  of  messages  transmitted  by  telegraph  in  their 
relation  to  instruments  and  acts  of  law. 


440  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Appropriate  provision  is  made  to  secure  the  public  against  dishonesty  and 
fraud  on  the  part  of  the  operators  and  other  employes.  Penalties  are  imposed 
for  divulging  the  contents  of  messages,  changing  the  sense  or  meaning,  know- 
ingly sending  false  or  forged  messages,  appropriating  information  to  private 
uses,  wilfully  neglecting  to  send  messages,  or  postponing  or  sending  them  out 
of  order.  Also,  against  fraud  by  any  person  whatsoever  who  may  open  seals  of 
messages  addressed  to  any  other  person,  read  despatches  by  means  of  any  machine 
or  contrivance,  bribe  telegraph  operators  to  divulge  the  contents  of  messages, 
damage  the  line,  or  otherwise  attempt  to  cut  ofi'  communication.  But  the  great 
feature  of  the  law  k  that  contracts  by  telegraph  are  deemed  to  be  contracts  in 
writing,  and  the  signatures  thereto  are  valid  in  law.  Notice  by  telegraph  is 
actual  notice.  Power  of  attorney  or  other  instrument  in  writing,  duly  acknow- 
ledged and  certified  so  as  to  be  entitled  to  record,  may,  together  with  certificate 
of  acknowledgment,  be  sent  by  telegraph,  and  the  telegraphic  copy  or  duplicate 
has  prima  facie  the  same  effecf  in  all  respects  as  the  original.  Checks,  due  bills, 
promissory  notes,  bills  of  exchange,  and  all  orders  and  agreements  for  payment 
or  delivery  of  money  or  other  thing  of  value  may  be  made  or  drawn  by  tele- 
graph, with  full  force  and  effect  as  if  written.  Persons  indicted  on  oath  for,  or 
accused  of,  any  public  offence,  may  be  arrested  and  imprisoned  upon  warrant 
issued  by  any  competent  officer,  properly  indorsed  and  directed  to  such  officer 
as  may  be  legally  authorized  to  make  the  arrest.  Writs  or  orders  in  civil  suits 
or  proceedings  may  also  be  transmitted  in  the  same  way.  All  these  provisions 
are  carefully  guarded  so  as  to  avoid  any  infringement  upon  individual  rights, 
while  they  tend  materially  to  promote  the  public  convenience  and  welfare. 

A  novel  feature  in  this  law  is  that  the  marriage  ceremony  may  be  performed 
without  regard  to  distance. 

Upon  the  passage  of  this  important  act  by  the  California  legislature,  Mr.  Car- 
pentier  proceeded  to  secure  the  passage  of  similar  acts  in  the  neighboring  States 
and  Territories.  On  the  17th  of  October,  1862,  the  legislature  of  Oregon  passed 
an  act  embracing  substantially  the  provisions  of  the  law  of  California ;  this  was 
followed  by  a  similar  act  of  the  territorial  assembly  of  Utah,  passed  January  16, 
1863.  As  the  State  of  California,  always  in  the  lead,  was  the  first  to  make  a 
practicable  movement  towards  the  construction  of  the  Pacific  railroad,  the  over- 
land mail  route,  and  the  overland  telegraph,  so  it  has  been  the  first  to  introduce 
this  imporant  feature  in  the  laws  governing  the  telegraph  system.  None  of  the 
Atlantic  States,  I  believe,  have  yet  adopted  it,  but  they  will  doubtless  come  to 
it  in  time. 

A  very  general  misapprehension  prevails  in  the  Atlantic  States  in  reference 
to  the  frequent  errors  and  interruptions  which  have  attended  the  working  of  the 
overland  telegraph  since  it  went  into  operation.  The  inconvenience  to  which 
the  public  have  been  subjected  has  been  patiently  borne,  until  patience  has  almost 
ceased  to  be  a  virtue.  The  facts  of  the  case  are  that  east  of  Salt  lake,  within 
the  past  four  years,  Indian  disturbances  have  been  a  prolific  source  of  trouble. 
The  stations  have  been  attacked,  the  line  broken  down,  the  operators  murdered, 
and  all  communication  cut  off,  day  after  day,  week  after  week,  yet  California  is 
compelled  to  bear  a  share  of  the  blame.  Without  attempting  to  cast  any  cen- 
sure upon  the  eastern  division,  which  doubtless  has  done  all  in  its  power  to  pre- 
vent these  interruptions,  it  has  been  the  good  fortune  of  the  California  divison, 
with  the  exception  of  a  single  outbreak  at  Ruby  valley  in  1864,  to  have  had  no 
difficulty  with  the  Indians. 

A  marked  difference  exists  between  the  character  of  the  Indian  tribes  east 
and  west  of  Salt  lake.  The  Arrapahoes,  Navajos,  Apaches,  and  Sioux  are 
powerful,  mischievous,  and  warlike ;  the  Shoshones,  Bannocks,  Pi-Utes,  and 
other  western  tribes  are  poor  and  less  able  to  cope  with  the  whites.  I  refer  to 
the  fact  as  showing  a  prolific  cause  of  failure  on  the  eastern  side  to  which  the 
western  division  is  not  subject. 


WEST  OF  THE  KOCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


441 


In  reference  to  the  operations  of  the  division  between  Salt  Lake  City  and 
San  Francisco,  there  is  not,  I  believe,  a  line  of  equal  length  in  any  part  of  the 
world  upon  which  so  few  errors  or  interruptions  have  occurred.  The  system  of 
checks  adopted  is  so  rigid  that  it  is  scarcely  possible  for  an  error  to  pass  through 
the  office  at  San  Francisco.  When  there  is  doubt  in  regard  to  a  word  the  oper- 
ator causes  it  to  be  repeated  from  the  Salt  Lake  office ;  if  still  the  same  and 
evidently  an  error,  he  causes  it  to  be  repeated  back  from  the  office  in  the  Atlan- 
tic States  where  it  originated.  In  the  vast  number  of  messages  transmitted 
between  Salt  lake  and  San  Francisco  nearly  every  error  that  occurred  has  been 
traced  back  to  the  other  side. 

The  greatest  trouble  hitherto  in  the  working  of  the  California  division  has 
been  experienced  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains.  This  is  now  almost  entirely 
obviated.  The  company  have  constructed  four  separate  and  distinct  lines  from 
Sacramento  to  Carson :  one  by  the  Dutch  Flat  route  and  three  via  Placerville, 
each  of  which  is  in  full  operation.  It  is  scarcely  possible  for  any  combination 
of  circumstances  to  result  in  the  interruption  of  communication  upon  all  these 
lines  at  the  same  time. 

A  new  and  substantial  line  has  been  built  between  San  Francisco  and  Omaha, 
following  the  travelled  stage  route,  making  the  second  line  across  the  continent. 
This  was  commenced  as  an  opposition  line  by  the  United  States  Telegraph 
Company,  but  after  completion  between  San  Francisco  and  Salt  lake,  was  pur- 
chased and  finished  from  Salt  lake  to  Omaha  by  the  Western  Union  Telegraph 
Company. 

The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company,  having  purchased  a  controlling 
interest  in  the  California  Overland  Telegraph  Company  lines,  in  June  last  took 
a  lease  of  the  lines  of  that  company,  and  all  are  now  worked  under  the  name 
of  the  former  company  as  their  Pacific  division.  The  lines  of  this  division  con- 
stitute all  the  wires  west  of  Salt  lake,  from  Los  Angeles  to  a  point  in  British 
Columbia  750  miles  north  of  New  Westminster,  on  Frazer  river.  This  extends 
to  near  the  boundary  line  of  our  Russian  possessions. 

A  new  line  has  been  constructed  by  the  Western  Union  Company  from  Salt 
Lake  to  Helena,  in  Montana,  via  Virginia  City,  Montana,  between  500  and  600 
miles  in  length. 

Brigham  Young  has  built  a  line  some  400  miles  in  length,  connecting  the 
northern  and  southern  settlements  of  the  Mormons  in-Utah. 

Telegraphic  Connections — Table  of  distances. 


Miles. 

San  Francisco  to  San  Mateo 20 

San  Mateo  to  Redwood 8 

Redwood  to  Santa  Clara 21 

Santa  Clara  to  San  Jose" 3 

San  Jos6  to  Centreville 16 

Centreville  to  San  Leandro 18 

San  Leandro  to  Oakland 8 

Oakland  to  Martinez 24 

Martinez  to  Beriicia 4 

Benicia  to  Suisim , 22 

Suisun  to  Sacramento 45 

Sacramento  to  Nicolans 26 

Nicolaus  to  Marysvillc 1(1 

Marysville  to  Timbuctoo 17 

Timbuctoo  to  Grass  Valley 19 

Grass  Valley  to  Nevada 4 

Nevada  to  North  Sau  Juan 18 

North  Sun  Juan  to  Camptouville 8 

Camptonville  to  Forest  City 26 

Forest  City  to  Downieville 8 


Miles. 

Marysville  to  Oriville 28 

Oriville  to  Chico 25 

Chico  to  Tehaina 26 

Tehama  to  Red  Bluffs 12 

Red  Bluffs  to  Shasta 40 

Shasta  to  Trinity  Centre 45 

Trinity  Centre  to  Cailahans 25 

Cnlluhans  to  Rough  and  Ready 11 

Rough  and  Ready  to  Fort  Jones 11 

Fort  Jones  to  Yreka 18 

Yreka  to  Mountain  House  ...., ...  40 

Mountain  House  to  Jacksonville 22 

Jacksonville  to  Grave  Creek 34  f 

Grave  Creek  to  Caiionville 34 

Canonville  to  Roseburg 27 

Roseburg  to  Oakland,  O 18 

Oakland  to  Eugene  City 58 

Eugene  City  to  Corvallis 40 

Corvallis  to  Albany 10 

Albany  to  Salem 24 


442 


RESOURCES   OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


Table  of  distances — Continued. 


Miles. 

Salem  to  Oregon  City 38 

Oregon  City  to  Portland 13 

Portland  to  Vancouvers 7 

Vancouvers  to  Monticello 40 

Monticello  to  Drews 30 

Drews  to  Olympia 52 

Olympia  to  Steilacoom 22 

Steilacoom  to  Seattle 60 

Seattle  to  Pt.  Elliot 35 

Pt.  Elliot  toTualalup 17 

Tualalup  to  Swinomish 35 

Swiuoniish  to  Sehome 37 

Sehoine  to  Semiahnoa 28 

Serniahnoa  to  New  Westminster 25 

Sacramento  to  Folsom 22 

Folsom  to  Larrobe 17 

Latrobe  to  Shingle  Springs 8 

Shingle  Springs  to  El  Dorado 5 

El  Dorado  to  PlacervSlle 15 

Placerville  to  Sportsman's  Hall 12 

Sportsman's  to  Sugar  Loaf 22 

Sugar  Loaf  to  Strawberry 12 

Strawberry  to  Yanks 13 

Yank's  Station  to  Fridays 12 

Fridays  to  Genoa 12 

Genoa  to  Carson 16 

Carson  to  Dayton 

Dayton  to  Silver  City 5 

Virginia  to  Williamsburg 131 

Williamsburg  to  Unionville    14 

Unionville  to  Star  City 12 

Yank's  Station  to  Glenbrook 17 

Gleubrook  to  Carson 14 

Carson  to  Ophir 13 

Ophir  to  Washoe 3 

Washoe  to  Virginia '  12 

Genoa  to  Wellington's 40 

Wellington's  to  Aurora 50 

Genoa  to  Markleeville 24 

Markleeville  to  Monitor 7 

Monitor  to  Silver  Mountain 7 

San  Jos6  to  Warm  Springs 14 

Warm  Springs  to  Stockton 56 

Stockton  to  Sacramento 45 

San  Francisco  to  Fort  Point 5 

Fort  Point  to  San  Rafael 21 

San  Rafael  to  Petaluma 24 

Petalunia  to  Sonoma 12 

Sonoma  to  Napa 12 

Napa  to  Suisun 20 

Sacramento  to  Newcastle 32 

Newcastle  to  Auburn 4 

Auburn  to  Colfax 11)  i 

Colfax  to  Grass  Valley 11 

Grass  Valley  to  Nevada 4 


Mile*. 

Nevada  to  Dutch  Flat 16 

Dutch  Flat  to  Donnor  Lake 40 

Dounor  Lake  to  Steamboat  Springs 46 

Steamboat  to  Virginia 12 

Petaluma  to  Santa  Rosa 17 

Santa  Rosa  to  Healdsburg —  15 

Benicia  to  Vallejo 7 

Vallejo  to  Napa 16 

Napa  toCalistoga 26 

Sacramento  to  Auburn 36 

Auburn  to  Coloma 14 

Colorna  to  Placerville 9 

Coloma  to  Georgetown 9 

Georgetown  to  Todd's  Val  ley 8 

Todd's  Valley  to  Forest  Hill 3 

Forest  Hill  to  Yankee  Jim's 3 

Yankee  Jim's  to  Iowa  Hill 10 

Iowa  Hill  to  Dutch  Flat 10 

San  Andreas  to  Copperopolis 15 

Folsom  to  Latrobe 14 

Latrobe  to  Dry  town 14 

Dry  town  to  Sutter's  Creek 5 

Suiter's  Creek  to  Jackson 3 

Jackson  to  Mokolumne  Hill 5 

Mokolumne  Hill  to  San  Andreas 9 

San  Andreas  to  Murphy's i .  10 

Murphy's  to  Columbia 12 

Columbia  to  Sonora 7 

San  Jose  to  Gilroy 30 

Gilroy  to  San  Juan,  S 12 

San  Juan,  S.,  to  Kingston 130 

Kingston  to  Visalia 25 

Visalia  to  Fort  Tejon 125 

Fort  Tejon  to  Los  Angeles 110 


San  Juan,  south,  to  Watsonville 

Watsonville  to  Santa  Cruz 

Santa  Cruz  to  Monterey* 


OVERLAND. 

Carson  to  Dayton 13 

Dayton  to  Fort  Churchill 22 

Fort  Churchill  to  West  Gate 69 

West  Gate  to  Austin 69 

Austin  to  Grubb's  Wells 51 

Grubb's  Wells  to  Ruby  Valley 62 

Ruby  Valley  to  Egan 42 

Egan  to  Deep  Creek 74 

Deep  Creek  to  Fish  Springs 52 

Fish  Springs  to  Fort  Crittenden 99 

Fort  Critteuden  to  Salt  Lake 42 

Swinomish  to  Fidal go  island 15 

Fidalgo  island  to  San  Juan  island 12 

San  J  uan  island  to  Victoria,  V.I 20 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  443 

ARIZONA. 

SECTION   I. 

GENERAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

To  be  understood  and  appreciated,  Arizona  must  be  taken  as  a  whole.  Those 
who  know  it  only  as  "  the  Gadsdeu  purchase/'  those  who  have  no  knowledge,  of 
more  than  the  Colorado  river  district,  or  who  are  only  familiar  with  the  centml 
and  northern  regions,  cannot  form  a  correct  idea  of  its  resources  and  capabilities. 

The  general  lines  of  the  Territory  are  thus  defined  in  the  organic  act  approved 
February  24,  1863: 

All  that  part  of  the  present  Territory  of  New  Mexico  situate  west  of  a  line  running  due 
south  from  the  point  where  the  southwest  corner  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado  joins  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico  to  the  southern  boundary  line  of  said 
Territory  of  New  Mexico. 

In  other  words,  all  of  New  Mexico,  as  formerly  existing,  between  the  109th 
degree  of  longitude  and  the  California  line,  embracing  120,912  square  miles,  or 
77,383,680  acres,  a  district  three  times  as  large  as  the  State  of  New  York. 

The  mountain  ranges  are  a  prolongation  of  those  which,  southward  in  Sonora, 
Chihuahua,  and  Durango,  have  yielded  large  quantities  of  the  precious  ore,  and- 
which,  northward  in  Nevada,  are  attracting  the  attention  of  the  world  with  their 
wealth.  The  general  direction  of  the  mountains  and  quartz  veins  is  northwest 
and  southeast,  and  there  are  numerous  parallel  ranges  which  form  long  valleys 
in  the  same  direction. 

The  Territory  is  divided  into  many  mining  districts,  but  as  these  are  liable  to 
be  changed  at  any  time,  the  mineral  regions  will  be  defined  under  three  grand 
natural  divisions,  viz  :  "  Southern  Arizona,"  "  The  Colorado  River/'  and  "  Cen- 
tral Arizona,"  referring  within  these  districts  to  the  various  streams  upon  which, 
or  near  to  which,  the  placers  or  lodes  are  located,  as  affording  the  most  definite 
description  for  permanent  reference  that  can  be  given. 


SECTION    II. 

SOUTHERN    ARIZONA. 

This  part  of  Arizona,  known  as  the  Gadsden  purchase,  was  the  earliest 
occupied  by  the  Americans,  and  is  still  the  best  known.  Until  the  beginning 
of  the  war  it  was  the  favorite  overland  mail  route  to  the  Pacific,  and  it  is  still 
considered  the  easiest  stage  route  across  the  continent.  Its  mountains  are  nearly 
nil  mineral-bearing,  and  silver  lodes  near  to  the  Sonora  line  have  been  to  some 
extent  worked. 

The  principal  towns  of  southern  Arizona  are  Tucson,  on  the  line  of  the  over- 
land mail  route,  and  Tubac,  52  miles  south.  Both  have  long  been  in  existence, 
and  are  situated  upon  the  Santa  Cruz  river,  which,  rising  in  Sonora,  runs  nearly 
directly  north  until  it  reaches  the  Gila  river,  near  the  Maricopa  wells.  The  dis- 
tances from  Tubac,  which  may  be  considered  in  the  heart  of  the  mineral  region 
<  f  southern  Arizona,  are,  by  the  usually  travelled  roads,  as  follows :  San  Fran- 
cisco, 1,074  miles  ;  San  Diego,  510  miles;  Fort  Yuma,  330  miles;  El  Paso, 
389  miles;  St.  Louis,  1,770  miles.  Towns  in  Sonora,  Mexico — Santa  Cruz, 
54  miles  ;  Magdalena,  51  miles  j  Altar,  95  miles ;  Hermossillo,  capital  of  Sonora, 
229  miles;  Guaymas,  port  of  entry  of  Sonora,  329  miles;  Libertad,  on  the  Gulf 
of  California,  180  miles. 


444  RESOURCES    OP   STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

The  ores  of  silver  found  in  southern  Arizona  arc  argentiferous  galena,  native 
silver,  auriferous  sulplmret  of  silver,  black  sulplmret  of  silver,  sulphate  of  silver, 
sulphate  of  iron  combined.  The  gangue  is  usually  quartz  or  feldspar.  The 
ores  of  copper  are  usually  the  sulphurets,  principally  gray. 

Nearly  all  the  silver  and  copper  lodes  show  traces  of  gold,  and  placers  have 
been  found  at  many  points,  but  have  not  proved  sufficiently  extensive  to  attract 
much  attention. 

While,  owing  to  Indian  disturbances  and  the  consequent  high  prices,  and  other 
serious  impediments  to  mining  operations,  most  of  the  lodes  in  southern  Arizona 
are  now  temporarily  abandoned,  no  one  familiar  with  them  doubts  that  some  of 
them  are  valuable,  and  must  eventually  be  worked  with  profit. 

THE  COLORADO  MINE. — This  mine,  otherwise  known  as  the  Heintzelman, 
(in  honor  of  General  Heintzelman,  United  States  army,  who  was  among  the  first 
of  the  American  owners,)  is  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the  Cerro  Colorado 
mountain,  about  22  miles  west  of  Tubac  by  way  of  Sopori,  and  eight  miles 
north  of  Arivaca.  The  lode  runs  nearly  north  and  south,  and  may  average  22 
inches  in  thickness.  It  is  about  2,000  feet  in  length,  and  is  distinct  and  separate 
from  the  porphyry  rock  on  both  sides.  Mr.  Sam.  F.  Butterworth,  who,  on  behalf 
of  the  owners  in  New  York,  examined  the  mine  in  the  winter  of  18G3-'64; 
reported  as  follows : 

The  principal  ore  in  the  depth  is  silver-copper  glance— containing-  an  average  of  six  per 
cent,  of  silver;  this  is  accompanied  by  argentiferous  gray  copper  ore,  which  averages  two 
per  cent,  of  silver.  These  minerals  are  very  unequally  distributed  through  the  quartz  ;  their 
presence  in  greater  or  less  quantity  determines  the  value  of  the  ore  ;  at  the  present  level  they 
constitute  about  seven  per  cent,  of  the  ore  fit  for  reduction,  making  its  value  about  $120  per 
ton  ;  at  a  higher  level  the  ore  contained  fully  30  per  cent,  of  these  minerals. 

Guido  Kiistel,  who  reported  upon  the  property  at  the  same  time,  says : 

The  main  shaft,  6  feet  by  12,  well  timbered,  and  furnished  with  substantial  ladders,  is  placed 
on  the  east  side  of  the  lode,  which  pitching  east,  changes  the  inclination  in  the  deph,  so  that  the 
shaft,  which  was  calculated  to  strike  the  lode  at  160  feet  below  the  surface,  may  not  reach  it 
before  400  or  500  feet  depth.  The  distance  from  the  shaft  to  the  vein,  below  the  present  work, 
is  less  than  30  feet. 

There  are  other  shafts,  and  some  tunnelling  and  drifting,  and  the  depth  of  actual 
working  is  about  120  feet.  Mr.  Kiistel  further  says : 

The  characteristic  feature  of  this  mine  is  the  rich  ore  which  shows  everywhere.  The  prin- 
cipal ore  in  the  depth  is  silver-copper  glance,  containing  from  2  to  10  per  cent,  of  silver, 
accompanied  by  argentiferous  gray-copper  ore,  with  from  one  to  three  per  cent,  of  silver.  On 
the  more  or  less  abundant  appearance  of  these  two  minerals  in  the  quartz,  the  richness  of  the 
ore  chiefly  depends.  The  distribution  in  the  quartz  is  very  unequal,  sometimes  in  small  par- 
ticles, and  sometimes  more  massive.  This  last,  representing  the  first  class,  when  selected 
was  formerly  obtained  ;  about  30  per  cent,  of  the  whole  mass  of  ore  is  fit  for  reduction  ;  but 
at  the  present  level  only  five  to  eight  per  cent.,  so  that  over  the  average  of  the  ore  cannot  bo 
estimated  much  over  $100  per  ton.  This  estimation  refers  to  the  vicinity  of  the  main  shaft 
for  about  200  feet  in  length.  North  and  south  of  this  part,  the  quartz  prevails,  making  the 
ore  poorer. 

Near  the  Cerro  Colorado  mine,  and  upon  the  same  property,  are  other  promising 
lodes.  Mr.  Kiistel  refers  to  one  of  them : 

In  Arivaca,  a  few  hundred  yards  east  from  the  lead  mine,  a  quartz  lode,  "  Mina  Blanca," 
is  found,  (discovered  long  ago,)  in  which  rich  silver  ore  occurs.  This  vein  was  opened  only 
about  nine  feet  deep,  and  never  further  prospected.  Mr.  Riggings  is  informed  of  this  mine. 
It  is  very  probable  that  more  good  veins  will  be  discovered  yet  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Colorado  mine,  such  as  do  not  crop  out.  Till  now  not  much  attention  has  been  paid  to  this 
kind  of  prospecting.  The  best  mines  in  Santa  Rita  arc  those  lately  discovered,  of  which 
no  outcropping  was  to  be  seen.  This  was  also  the  case  with  the  Heintzelman  lode. 

Regarding  wood,  water,  and  the  process  for  working  the  ores,  he  says : 

For  about  20  miles  round  Cerro  Colorado  there  is  very  little  wood,  but  sufficient  to  supply 
a  limited  steam  engine  for  hoisting  the  ore.  Water  is  also  scarce.  The  shaft  at  100  feet 
depth  gave,  as  much  water  as  was  required  for  about  100  men  and  animals. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  445 

If  the  same  quality  of  ore  be  found  deeper  in  the  Colorado  mine,  and  this  doubtless  will  be 
the  case,  the  amalgamation  in  pans  by  way  of  roasting  cannot  be  recommended  on  account 
of  the  copper  which  would  enter  the  amalgam  to  from  600  to  800  per  cent.  The  smelting  of 
the  first-class  ore  cannot  be  introduced  for  want  of  lead  ores.  The  richest  ore  was  melted 
formerly  with  from  200  to  300  per  cent,  of  lead  ore.  It  was  procured  from  the  lead  mine  in 
Arivaca.  This  mine,  however,  did  not  yield  as  much  ore  as  required.  Some  lead  ore  was 
obtained  from  the  Patagonia  mine,  under  conditions  that  85  per  cent,  of  the  silver  contained 
in  the  lead  ore  had  to  be  returned  to  the  Patagonia  mine  free  of  cost. 

In  regard  to  the  scarcity  of  wood  or  fuel  generally,  whatever  location  may  be  selected,  it 
appears  that  for  the  Colorado  ores  and  circumstances,  two  methods  of  reduction  should  be 
adopted :  First,  amalgamation  in  barrels ;  and  second,  amalgamation  by  patio. 

The  following  is  a  report  made  to  the  Sonora  Exploring  and  Mining  Company 
regarding  the  Cerro  Colorado  mine  in  1861,  by  Colonel  Talcott: 

Report  slioicing  the  quantity  and  value  of  silver  ore  yielded  ~by  the  Heinizclman 
mine,  how  disposed  of,  and  ivhcre  that  on  hand  is  situated  on  the  1st  of  July, 
I860. 

Pound*. 

Sold  and  taken  by  purchasers  to  Sonora 3, 880 

Sent  by  the  company  to  San  Francisco 44, 037 

Sent  by  the  company  to  Cincinnati 1, 400 

Smelted  by  the  company 38,991 

Reduced  by  amalgamation  at  the  Arivaca  works  of  the  company 586, 700 

Total  sold  and  reduced 655,008 


Remaining  at  Cerro  Colorado 129,500 

On  hand  at  Arivaca 443,700 


Total  ore  on  hand 573,200 


Total  product  of  the  mine ],  2*28,208 

The  655, 008  pounds  sold  and  reduced  yielded  the  company $45, 010  28 

Allow  for  ore  on  hand  $90  per  ton 25,794  00 

Value  of  ore  raised 70, 804  23 


General  Ileintzclman  stated  in  a  letter  from  the  mine,  dated  1858,  that  all  the 
ore  smelted  to  that  date  yielded  $920  per  ton.  Herman  Ehrenberg,  civil  and 
mining  engineer,  wrote  from  Tubac  in  1859  that  75  tons  smelted  or  reduced  in 
various  ways  yielded  $41,180  in  silver,  or  an  average  of  $549  per  ton. 

The  Arivaca  ranch,  upon  which  the  Cerro  Colorado  mine  is  situated,  com- 
prises 17,000  acres,  and  was  famous  in  the  days  of  the  Jesuit  missions.  It  is 
thus  described  in  the  report  of  the  engineer  who  first  surveyed  it : 

The  Arivaca  has  much  beautiful  meadow  land,  fine  pasture  on  the  low  surrounding  hills 
for  thousands  of  cattle ;  live  oak  grows  in  the  gulches,  mesquite  on  the  hills,  and  on  the 
lower  ends  of  the  streams  it  is  thickly  lined  for  five  or  six  miles  with  groves  of  cottonwood, 
ash,  walnut,  and  other  useful  woods  for  farming  and  mining  purposes,  in  sufficient  quantities 
to  answer  all  demands. 

On  and  near  the  ranch  a  number  of  silver  lodes  have  been  taken  up.  Upon 
the  Euriquetta  some  expensive  machinery  was  erected  several  years  since,  but 
like  that  upon  the  Heintzelman  mine  it  is  now  idle.  The  lodes  are  probably 
too  small  to  be  profitably  worked  until  mining  can  be  conducted  at  less  expense. 

SANTA  RITA  MINES. — These  mines  are  located  in  the  Santa  llita  mountains, 
sonic  10  miles  east  of  Tubac,  and  50  miles  south  of  Tucson.  Mr.  Wrightson, 
agent  of  the  company  owning  most  of  them,  thus  referred  to  their  characteristics 
in  a  report  made  in  1859  : 

The  ores  of  the  Santa  Rita  mines  are  suited  to  both  smelting  and  amalgamation.  The  smelting 
ores  are  those  in  which  there  is  a  largo  admixture  of  lead  or  very  rich  sulphuret  of  silver  and 
copper.  The  amalgamation  ores  are  those  where  the  salts  of  silver  and  copper  predominate. 


446  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

The  Crystal  and  the  Ercarnacion  mines  yield  smelting  ores.  The  Bustillo,  the  Cazador,  the 
Ojero,  and  the  Fuller  mines  yield  ores  which  by  assortment  can  be  treated  by  both  processes. 
The  Salero  yields  amalgamation  ore. 

Raphael  Pumpelly,  mining  engineer,  made  an  elaborate  report  in  1861,  from 
wliicli  the  following  extracts  are  taken  : 

The  veins  of  the  southern  spur  of  the  Santa  Rita  occur  in  a  feldspathic  porphyry,  charac- 
terized by  the  absence  of  quartz,  and  presence  of  hornblende.  They  are  not  isolated  occur- 
rences, but,  as  is  usual  with  true  fissure  veins,  appear  in  groups.  Indeed,  the  entire  range 
of  hills,  from  the  point  of  the  Salero  mountain  to  the  Santa  Rita  peak,  is  an  extensive  net- 
work of  lodes.  They  differ  but  little  in  the  character  of  their  outcrops,  usually  more  or  less 
porous  quartz,  blackened  with  oxide  of  manganese,  or  reddened  with  that  of  iron.  Frequently 
green,  blue,  and  yellow  colorings  betray  the  decomposition  products  of  our  argentiferous 
fahl  ores.  There 'is  no  reason  for  doubting  that  the  great  mass  of  these  are  silver  leads,  while 
at  the  same  time  there  is  the  weighty  argument  of  analogy  in  favor  of  such  a  supposition. 

The  different  leads  present  a  remarkable  uniformity  of  character.  Having  nearly  all  the 
same  general  direction,  they  also  possess  the  same  combination  of  minerals.  Many  of  them 
have  been  prospected  by  small  shafts,  but  there  are  hundreds  apparently  equally  good  that 
remain  intact. 

GILA  OR  OJERA  VEIN.— Direction  north  69°  east,  south 71°  west;  inclination  81°.  More 
work  has  been  accomplished  on  this  than  on  any  other  belonging  to  the  company.  The  old 
Ojero  and  theGila  shafts,  two  frontons  at  the  latter,  and  a  small  prospecting  shaft,  have  been 
opened  on  it.  In  the  beginning  of  1860  good  ore  was  discovered  in  the  outcrop,  and  on  exca- 
vating, a  rich  deposit  of  galena  and  fahl  ore  was  found. 

THE  SALERO  has  a  different  direction  from  any  known  vein  of  the  district.  Its  course  being 
about  north  35°  east,  its  continuation  northeast  must  intersect  that  of  the  Gila.  It  is  well 
defined,  and  presents  every  indication  of  a  good  vein.  It  possesses  a  shaft  69  feet  deep, 
admirably  equipped,  and  timbered  in  a  very  substantial  manner. 

THE  CRYSTAL  has  a  direction  of  north  85°  east,  and  is  one  of  the  best  defined  leads  that 
have  been  opened  upon.  A  shaft  34  feet  deep  and  24  feet  of  fronton  have  been  accomplished. 
The  ore  is  abundant,  and  being  almost  massive  sulphuret  of  lead,  will  be  of  great  value  in 
smelting.  It  is  associated  with  copper  pyrites  and  zinc  blende.  Although  the  last  named 
mineral  is  an  unwished  for  ingredient,  occasioning  much  trouble  in  the  furnaces,  still  this 
difficulty  can  be  to  a  great  extent  overcome  by  a  careful  separation. 

The  low  yield  of  silver  in  the  crystal  undoubtedly  arises  from  the  absence  of  argentiferous 
fahl  ores,  but  I  do  not  doubt  that  these  will  make  their  appearance,  and  with  them  an  increase 
in  the  amount  of  silver.  Should  the  ore  continue  as  abundant  as  it  is  at  present,  or  should 
there  be  an-  increase  in  the  lead  ores  of  other  mines,  it  is  probable  that  the  reduction  works 
would  yield  an  excess  of  lead  and  litharge  over  the  amount  needed  for  their  own  use. 

THE  BUENAVENTURA  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  leads  belonging  to  the  company.  A 
remarkable  characteristic  of  this  lead  is  the  great  facility  with  which  the  silver  in  its  minerals 
can  be  extracted.  Of  this  the  following  experiments  will  give  an  idea.  A  trial  was  made 
in  the  patio,  and  from  what  I  can  learn,  from  about  400  pounds  of  average  ore,  20  ounces  of 
silver  were  obtained.  From  another  made  on  good  ore,  (10  pounds,)  1.5  ounce  was  the 
result,  being  at  the  rate  of  336  ounces  to  the  ton. 

The  ores  of  the  Santa  Rita  mines  fall  into  two  classes,  lead  ores  and  fahl  ores,  considering 
them  mineralogically ;  or  into  three,  when  classified  according  to  the  metallurgical  process 
best  suited  to  them  in  this  country. 

1.  Smelting  ores ;  galena  and  such  fahl  ores  as  are  too  rich  in  silver  to  be  subjected  to 
other  processes. 

2.  Refractory  amalgamation  ores,  containing  a  certain  percentage  of  lead,  and  requiring 
to  be  roasted  before  reduction,  whether  this  be  accomplished  in  the  patio,  the  barrel,  or  the 
salt  process. 

3.  Ores  containing  rich  fahl  ore,  native  silver,  sulphuret  of  silver,  and  other  simple  or  com- 
plex salts  of  this  metal,  with  little  or  no  lead,  needing  no  roasting  for  the  patio,  and  no  magis- 
tral, or  but  very  little. 

Under  the  first  two  heads  come  the  products  of  all  the  mines  excepting  those  of  the  Buena- 
ventura and  Mascasa,  which  fall  almost  entirely  into  the  last  division. 

Nearly  all  of  the  ores  will  require  a  mechanical  preparation  before  they  can  be  submitted 
to  the  different  processes.  The  more  massive  lead  and  fahl  ores,  with  a  small  percentage  of 
quartz,  need  simply  a  separation  by  hand.  The  amalgamation  ores  require  crushing  and 
grinding,  and  the  majority  of  the  smelting  ores  demand  both  crushing  and  washing  to  free 
them  from  useless  gangue. 

The  old  ranch  of  Tomaeacori,  two  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Tubac,  is  claimed 
by  the  company  owning  most  of  the  Santa  Rita  mines.  It  was  the  seat  of  a 
Jesuit  mission,  and  the  ruins  of  a  splendid  church  edifice  are  still  to  be  semi  upon 
it.  Water  for  working  the  mines  is  found  at  this  ranch  on  the  Santa  Cruz,  and 
at  one  or  two  points  on  the  Sonoita. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  447 

SOPORI.  —  The  ranch  of  Sopori,  a  noted  property,  lies  south  of  the  mission  of 
San  Xavier  del  Bac,  nine  miles  south  of  Tucson,  where  is  a  costly  church  edifice 
erected  nearly  a  hundred  years  since,  and  remarkable  for  its  architectural  sym- 
metry and  beauty.  The  Sopori  ranch,  through  which  the  Santa  Cruz  river  runs, 
has  been  thus  described  : 

Besides  the  bottom  lands  on  the  estate,  which  are  partially  wooded,  a  large  portion  is  cov- 
ered with  a  dense  forest,  chiefly  mesquit  or  locust,  (Algarobia  grandulosa,)  while  along  the 
margin  of  the  river  are  found  cottonwood,  sycamore,  ash,  and  walnut  trees  ;  but  the  mesquit 
is  the  timber  par  excellence,  on  account  of  the  many  uses  to  which  it  may  be  applied. 

In  the  mountains,  on  the  extreme  eastern  portion  ot  the  estate,  is  pine  timber.  Between 
the  timber  lands  and  the  mountains  are  large  tracts  of  grazing  lands,  unsurpassed  in  the  Ter- 
ritory for  their  excellence.  The  arable  portions,  before  referred  to,  though  limited,  are  -adapted 
to  the  cultivation  of  wheat,  corn,  barley,  and  other  cereals  ;  and  to  the  fruits  and  vegetables 
of  the  southern  States.  On  the  grazing  lands  innumerable  herds  of  horned  cattle,  horses, 
mules,  and  sheep  were  formerly  raised,  when  the  great  haciendas  and  missions  were  in  a 
flourishing  state. 

THE  SOPORI  SILVER  MINE,  upon  the  ranch  named,  has  been  somewhat 
developed  by  a  New  England  company.  In  1859,  Frederick  Bnmckow,  geolo- 
gist and  mining  engineer,  made  the  annexed  reply  to  a  letter  of  inquiry  : 

In  answer  to  your  inquiries  about  the  mine  and  ranch  of  Sopori,  in  the  Territory  of  Arizona, 
I  have  to  say,  that  I  am  familiar  with  said  mine  and  ranch,  from  a  three  years'  residence 
in  the  vicinity  as  chief  engineer  of  the  Sonora  Exploring  and  Mining  Company,  at  Cerro 
Colorado. 

I  have  made  several  assays  of  the  ore  from  the  Sopori  mine  and  found  them  to  yield  from 
10  to  15  marcs  per  cargo.  The  ore  can  be  treated  successfully  by  amalgamation,  with  the 
barrel  process.  The  mine  is  well  located,  being  near  wood,  water,  and  grass,  the  three 
necessary  elements  to  its  successful  development. 

There  is  a  small  quantity  of  agricultural  land  in  the  vicinity,  and  an  immense  range  of 
excellent  pasturage.  On  the  Santa  Cruz  river,  near  by,  great  forests  of  mesquit  timber  pre- 
vail. The  roads  are  the  best  natural  roads  in  the  world. 

There  may  be  other  mines  in  the  vicinity  of  Sopori.  I  have  examined  some  outcrops  in  the 
vicinity,  which  proved  to  be  argentiferous  galena.  Gold  has  been  washed  in  this  vicinity 
during  the  rainy  season,  and  is  to  be  found  in  the  Tenajas  mountains. 

Pine  timber  for  building  purposes  can  be  obtained  from  the  Santa  Rita  mountains,  on  the 
east  of  the  Santa  Cruz  valley.' 

Sopori  is  one  of  the  best  locations  in  Arizona  for  mining,  trading,  farming,  and  stock 
raising. 


. 


MIXES.  —  This  well-known  mining  property  has  perhaps  been  more 
continuously  and  successfully  worked  than  any  upon  the  Sonora  border.  Some 
$200,000  is  said  to  have  been  expended  in  the  purchase  of  the  property,  the  erec- 
tion of  reduction  works,  houses  for  laborers,  and  everything  necessary  for  an 
extensive  and  permanent  establishment,  including  steam  engine  and  mill.  The 
district  is  finely  timbered  and  watered,  and  proverbially  healthful.  Twenty-live 
tons  of  the  ore  were  sent  to  Europe  in  1862.  The  result,  (says  Mr.  Mowry,)  was  an 
offer  of  6G50  sterling  per  ton  for  the  ore  as  it  ran,  properly  cleaned.  Some  bars 
of  lead  and  silver  from  the  reduction  works  sold  in  England  at  8200  per  ton, 
and  many  have  been  reduced  at  the  mines,  in  an  English  cupel  furnace,  to  sup- 
ply silver  for  the  payment  of  current  expenses.* 

F.  Biertu,  metallurgist  and  mining  engineer,  wrote  a  report  upon  these  mines 
in  February,  1861,  from  which  the  following  extracts  are  taken: 

Instead  of  finding,  as  I  expected,  barren  mountains,  as  at  Washoe  and  Mono,  I  gazed  on 
beautiful  landscapes  and  a  country  covered  with  trees  of  different  kinds,  with  fertile  lands 
perfectly  watered.  True  it  is  that  the  nearest  neighbors,  the  Apaches,  are  far  from  being 
even  equal  to  the  Patagonians  ;  but  this,  it  seemed  to  me,  could  not  be  a  reason  for  giving 

to  such  a  beautiful  spot,  which  in  spring  must  be  covered  with  flowers,  so  savage  a  name. 

*  *  #  •»  *  *  *'* 

The  property,  containing  about  500  acres  of  land,  is  situated  10  miles  from  parallel  32°  20' 


All  the  reports  made  upon  this  mine  are,  in  my  opinion,  to  some  extent  exaggerated.  I 
visited  it  in  1864,  and  found  that  the  average  of  ores  ranged  at  $35  to  $40  per  ton.  The 
lode  averages  about  four  feet  in  thickness.  The  mine  has  never  paid  expenses,  but  might  be 
made  profitable  under  judicious  and  economical  management. — J.  R.  B. 


448  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

north  latitude,  which  forms  the  limit  between  Arizona  and  Mexico,  20  miles  from  Fort 
Buchanan,  14  from  the  town  of  Santa  Cruz,  in  Sonora,  and  at  an  elevation  of  6,160  feet  from 
the  level  of  the  sea  ;  and  a  good  road,  '280  miles  in  length,  and  which,  with  a  little  repair, 
might  be  made  excellent,  places  it  in  direct  communication  with  Guaymas.  By  this  route 
freight  from  San  Francisco  to  the  mine  does  not  go  beyond  five  cents  per  pound.  The  mine 
is  situated  on  the  last  hills  forming  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra  de  Santa  Cruz,  and  is  bounded 
on  the  northeast  by  extensive  plains  covered  by  the  mesquit  and  oak  trees,  which  reach  the 
line  of  Sonora,  whose  elevated  mountains  rise  in  the  horizon.  Between  these  plains  and  the 
mine  is  to  be  seen  the  Sierra  Espuela,  called  also  Wachuka  mountains. 

The  road  leading  to  the  mine  from  Fort  Buchanan  crosses  a  range  of  hills  and  mountains 
completely  covered  with  oak,  pine,  sycamore,  poplar,  willow,  and  hazlenut.     The  land  and  • 
the  hills  around  the  mine  are  covered  with  green  oak,  cedar,  pine,  and  manzanitas.    The 
whole  country  abounds  with  rabbits,  quails,  and  wild  turkeys.     It  is  not  a  rare  occurrence 
to  meet  droves  of  deer  and  antelope,  numbering  from  25  to  30. 

#  #  *  **  *#*. 

The  principal  lode  of  the  Patagonia  mine  is  composed  principally  of  argentiferous  galena, 
and  runs  south  85°  east.  Its  thickness,  which  increases  as  it  dips  in  the  earth — now  83  feet 
in  depth — is  of  about  three  feet.  Three  small  veins,  excessively  rich,  cross  each  other  in  the 
main  vein,  all  running  in  different  directions.  The  size  of  these  small  veins  varies  from  10 
to  19  inches.  Other  veins,  whose  outcroppings  are  visible  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  which 
run  in  a  parallel  direction  at  a  great  distance,  will,  according  to  all  probabilities,  be  met  with 
as  the  working  of  the  mine  proceeds.  The  galena  of  the  principal  vein  contains  a  small 
quantity  of  copper  and  arsenic.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  detected  appearances  of  zinc,  but  I 
had  no  means  to  ascertain  the  fact.  An  assay  of  the  different  ores  has  given  results  varying 
from  $80  to  $706  in  silver  per  ton,  and  up  to  62  per  cent,  of  lead.  Their  reduction  is  of  the 
utmost  facility. 

Guido  Kiistel  sent  the  following  condensed  report  upon  the  Howry  mine  from 
San  Francisco  to  New  York  by  telegraph,  in  April,  1864  : 

The  lode,  which  is  over  14  feet  wide,  runs  east  and  west,  between  limestone  and  granite- 
like  porphyry.  It  consists  of  sulphurets  and  carbonates  of  lead  in  manganese,  often  pure, 
containing  iron,  frequently  in  large  chambers.  Its  great  advantage  is  the  presence  of  iron, 
manganese,  lime,  and  lead,  so  that  the  necessary  fluxes  are  in  the  ore  in  abundance.  The 
greatest  depth  worked  is  180  feet.  There  are  four  galleries. 

The  present  style  of  furnaces,  and  system  of  purification  are  more  like  waste  than  rational 
working.  Nevertheless,  these  furnaces  paid  all  expenses,  with  120  men  employed. 

The  present  expense  of  working  six  tons  per  day  is  $15  per  ton.  There  are  many  thou- 
sand tons  of  rock  out  in  front  of  the  main  shaft,  half  of  which  is  fit  for  melting  after  very 
simple  concentration. 

Wood  is  abundant.     Live  oak  costs  $1  75  a  cord. 

With  furnaces  four  feet  square  and  ten  feet  high,  and  with  proper  treatment,  more  silver  at 
less  expense  could  be  extracted.  The  best  ore  produces  $350,  the  poorest  $50  per  ton.  But, 
even  reckoning  mining  and  reduction  at  $20  per  ton,  facts  and  calculations  show  that  the 
net  profits  of  one  day's  work  of  20  tons  will  be  $1,280. 

A  statement  from  Mr.  Mo  wry,  later  in  1864,  says  the  lode  has 

Much  increased  in  width  and  richness  at  the  great  depth  of  over  200  feet.  The  vein  often 
spreads  out  into  chambers  of  pure  ore  of  great  size,  no  gangue  appearing  between  the  side 
walls.  Two  peons  have  taken  out  10  tons  of  rich  ore  in  one  day's  work. 

OLIVE  MIISTE. — Half  a  mile  west  of  the  Mowry  mines  is  the  Olive  lode,  of 
argentiferous  galena.  Three  shafts  of  30  feet  each  have  been  sunk  in  it,  and 
the  lode  shows  a  width  of  14  inches.  The  ore  worked  to  this  time  has  given 
from  $50  to  $100  per  ton. 

SAN  ANTOXIO  MIXE. — This  mine  is  distant  about  six  miles  southwest  of  the 
Mowry  mines.  It  was  discovered  in  1862,  and  has  been  worked  to  some  extent. 
Its  ores  are  described  as  carbonates  and  sulphides  of  lead,  the  latter  occurring 
in  segregations. 

The  veins  in  which  these  ores  are  found  is  composed  of  decomposed  garnet,  followed 
along  some  portions  of  its  line  of  strike  by  limestone,  bounded  by  a  country  formation  of 
feldspathic  and  granctic  porphyry.  This  vein  varies  on  the  surface  from  a  few  feet  to  12  or 
14  feet  in  width. 

I 

The  Empire,  the  Eagle,  the  French,  and  the  La  Esperanza  silver  lodes,  in 
the  same  vicinity,  have  been  sufficiently  opened  to  demonstrate  the  existence  of 
argentiferous  galena  in  quantities  and  of  a  grade  that  may  eventually  pay. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  449 

TIIR  GTJALOTA  lode,  four  miles  west  of  the  Mowry  mines,  is  a  lode  varying 
from  one  to  six  feet  in  width  on  the  surface.  At  the  bottom  of  a  shaft  of  60 
feet  there  is  a  vein  of  metal  three  feet  wide.  The  ore  is  chiefly  sulphurets  of 
si  1  \  er,  and  there  are  traces  of  gold. 

THE  FIIESNAL  lodes  are  about  60  miles  west  of  Tubac,  in  the  Baboquivori 
range.  The  country  is  very  rough  and  broken.  At  places  wood,  water,  and 
grass  may  be  had,  though  generally  scarce.  The  ores  are  sulphurets  of  silver, 
and  argentiferous  galena,  black  and  brownish  ores.  The  chief  locfe,  called  the 
Prieta  or  Ajax,  has  bold  croppings,  and  is  at  places  10  feet  in  width.  The 
lode  lias  been  traced  for  six  miles.  Twenty  tons  of  the  surface  ore,  reduced  by 
the  Patio  process,  gave  $30  to  the  ton  the  poorest,  and  $45  the  best.  The 
size  of  this  vein,  (although  it  is  not  so  rich  as  others  already  discovered,)  with 
some  facilities  for  working,  will  probably  make  it  valuable.  Three  other  veins 
have  been  worked  in  the  Fresnal  district,  (so  called  from  an  old  town  now 
abandoned,)  viz :  the  Colorado,  arid  two  not  definitely  named.  Ore  from  the 
Colorado  yiekled  $75  to  the  ton. 

THE  CABABI  MINES  are  in  a  district  some  75  miles  northwest  of  Tubac,  in 
the  Cababi  mountaims.  The  veins  are  not  large,  but  are  moderately  rich. 
The  ores  are  of  silver  in  sulphurets,  (amalgamating,)  and  have  thus  far  been 
reduced  by  the  Patio  process  only.  The  Picacho  mine,  sometimes  called  the 
Padreas  mine,  has  a  vein  about  three  feet  in  width.  It  has  been  worked  for 
many  years,  and  the  average  yield  of  the  ores  has  been  about  $80.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  the  present  owner  has  extracted  $50,000.  Mexican  labor  only  has 
beeen  used.  The  Tajo,  the  Providcncia,  the  Tiger,  the  Cobriza,  the  Cokespa, 
and  the  Bahia  mines,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Picacho,  are  well  spoken 
of.  Some  50  tons  of  the  Cobriza  ore,  (selected,)  sent  to  Europe  via  Guaymas, 
and  reduced  by  the  best  process,  brought  $550  per  ton  in  silver  and  copper. 
Eight  tons  of  selected  ore  from  the  Picacho,  sent  at  the  same  time,  yielded 
$1^200  to  the  ton.  Mr.  Pumpelly  says  of  the  Cababi  lodes  : 

The  veins  which  I  observed  occur  in  a  quartziferous  porphyry  and  in  an  amygdaloid  rock. 
This  latter  has  a  brown  compact  base,  containing  numerous  acicular  crystals  of  triclinic 
feldspar,  and  calcareous  spar  in  impregnations  and  small  threads.  Cavities,  some  filled  with 
quartz  and  others  with  delessite,  are  frequent. 

A  great  number  of  veins  of  quartz  and  barytes  occur  in  these  two  formations,  the  latter 
seeming  to  prefer  the  amygdaloid  rock.  One  vein  of  barytes,  containing  a  "bonanza"  of 
sulphurct  of  silver,  was  found  and  worked  by  the  Mexicans,  and  several  specimens  of  heavy 
spar  associated  with  silver  glance  from  various  localities  were  shown  me. 

The  Fresnal  and  Cababi  mines  arc  in  the  country  of  the  Papago  Indians,  a 
branch  of  the  Pimas,  who  have  always  been  friendly  to  the  whites.  Hence 
operations  upon  the  mines  have  not  necessarily  been  interrupted.  Mexican  and 
Indian  labor  may  be  had  at  from  $15  to  $30  per  month,  and  provisions  may  be 
brought  from  Sonora  at  low  rates,  flour  seldom  costing  over  four  cents  per  pound. 
While  water  is  scarce,  there  is  sufficient  for  mining,  and  in  the  shafts  of  the 
Picacho  lode  there  is  now  so  much  that  pumps  are  needed. 

At  Quijota,  west  of  Cababi,  arc  gold  placers  (dry  washings)  lon^  worked  by 
the  Papagocs,  and  now  worked  by  them  and  at  times  by  Mexicans,  with  consider- 
able profit.  Large  pieces  of  fine  gold  have  been  extracted,  and  the  gold  gen- 
erally is  coarse. 

SIEREITI  MINES. — These  mines  are  in  the  Sierriti  mountains,  about  30  miles 
northwest  of  Tubac.  They  are  of  argentiferous  galena.  Work  has  been  done 
upon  the  Benton,  Belcher,  and  other  lodes.  There  is  an  old  gold  placer  at  the 
west  end  of  the  mountains,  long  worked  by  Mexicans.  In  the  vicinity  is  an 
abundance  of  water  and  oak  timber,  and  some  gold  placers  worked  before  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California. 

AJO  MIXES. — These  copper  mines,  sometimes  called  the  Arizona  mines,  are 
situated  northwest  of  the  Cababi  mines  about  GO  miles,  and  40  miles  south  of 
the  Gila  river.  The  ores  are  principally  of  red  oxide,  malachite  of  copper,  and 

29 


450  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

gray  sulphurets.  A  number  of  veins  have  been  opened,  and  the  mines  were 
steadily  worked  for  three  years.  The  ore  was  carried  to  Fort  Yuma  and  thence 
shipped  to  San  Francisco,  to  Swansea,  and  to  Boston.  A  shipment  of  30  tons 
of  the  red  oxide  ore  sent  to  Swansea  sold  for  $360  per  ton,  and  is  said  to  have 
"been  the  richest  copper  ore  of  the  class  ever  received  there.  Work  was  sus- 
pended upon  these  mines  chiefly  because  of  the  lack  of  water  on  the  desert  road 
to  Fort  Yuma. 

SANTA  ROSA  MINES. — About  50  miles  wrest  of  Tucson,  near  the  road  from 
Cababi  to  Maricopa  Wells,  are  some  copper  lodes,  with  indications  similar  to 
those  of  the  Ajo  mines. 

APACHE  PASS. — South  of  this  well-known  pass,  on  the  overland  mail  route 
to  New  Mexico,  a  number  of  lodes  have  been  located  by  soldiers  and  others, 
but  little  work  has  been  done. 

MINES  NEAR  TUCSON. — In  the  vicinity  of  Tucson  lodes  are  not  so  numerous 
as  about  Tubac  and  the  Sonora  line,  but  a  number  have  been  taken  up. 

LEE'S  MINE,  12  miles  due  west  from  the  town,  shows  a  vein  two  and  a  half  feet 
wide,  of  silver  sulphurets  and  galena.  Some  of  the  ore  worked  in  an  arrastra 
has  given  a  return  of  $150  per  ton,  and  considerable  work  has  been  done  upon 
the  mine.  Five  hundred  pounds  of  ore  lately  smelted  yielded  90  ounces  of 
silver. 

LA  PAR  MINE,  near  Lee's  mine,,  is  of  a  similar  character  and  has  a  shaft  of 
about  100  feet.  About  25  tons  of  the  ore  have  been  smelted. 

SPANGLER  MINE,  some  six  or  eight  miles  southwest  of  Tucson,  is  a  copper 
lode  upon  which  some  work  has  been  done. 

VICTORIA  LODE  is  about  16  miles  southwest  from  Tucson.  Ten  tons  of  the 
ore  (copper)  were  lately  taken  out,  and  a  part  of  the  same  has  been  shipped  to 
San  Francisco  via  Guaymas  for  a  working-  test.  The  vein  is  some  10  feet  in 
width.  Four  tests  of  the  ore  in  small  quantities  have  returned  a  yield  of  45, 
7l£,  72  J,  and  74f  per  cent. 

SAN  PEDRO  LODES. — The  district  of  the  San  Pedro  river  is  chiefly  noted  for 
its  fine  agricultural  lands,  but  several  promising  lodes  have  been  found  in  it.  It 
lies  east  from  Tucson  some  25  miles.  Mr.  Pumpelly  describes  the  ores  as  tetra- 
hedite  and  massive  copper  glance,  containing  copper  pyrites,  with  quartz  and 
barytes  for  gangue  from  the  San  Pedro  vein,  and  galena  with  iron  pyrites  from 
the  St.  Paul  vein.  The  San  Pedro  river  furnishes  an  abundance  of  water  for 
all  purposes. 

At  the  Canon  d'Oro,  on  one  of  the  roads  from  Tucson  to  the  San  Pedro,  are 
gold  placers  which  are  occasionally  worked,  and  seldom  without  affording  fail- 
wages.  There  are  evidences  of  work  done  upon  them  in  years  past. 

MARICOPA  LODE. — This  lode,  sometimes  called  Gray's  mine,  situated  about 
70  miles  north  of  Tucson  and  four  miles  south  of  the  Gila  river,  is  considered 
one  of  the  best  copper  deposits  in  southern  Arizona.  Mr.  Gray  thus  described 
the  vein  in  a  general  report,  made  in  1860  : 

The  formation  of  the  district  is  primitive,  chiefly  granite  and  sienite,  with  metamorphic 
and  sedimentary  rocks,  and  injected  dikes  of  trap  and  quartz. 

The  lode  was  traced  and  measured  ],600  feet,  having  a  width  of  from  8  to  12  feet  plainly 
marked  by  its  Avails  and  out-cropping  ore.  The  veinstone  is  quartz,  with  seams  of  argen- 
tiferous copper  ore,  at  the  surface  a  few  inches  wide,  but  which  at  six  feet  down  appear  nearly 
solid,  covering  the  greater  part  of  the  lode. 

The  copper  glance  and  gray  ore  predominate,  though  at  top  the  carbonates  and '  silicates 
were  intermixed.  A  branch  vein  shows  itself  near  the  place  of  greatest  development.  Here 
it  traverses  an  elongated  hill,  intersecting  it  lengthwise,  and  protruding  abbve  the  surface 
from  one  end  of  the  hill  to  the  other,  a  distance  of  700  feet.  The  hill  is  60  to  125  feet  higher 
than  the  valleys  and  ravines  surrounding  it,  and  slopes  for  half  a  mile  in  the  direction  of  the 
lode  to  the  west,  when  the  ground  descends  northward  towards  the  Gila  at  a  rate  of  250  feet 
to  the  mile. 

The  course  of  the  lode  is  very  regular,  north  84i°  east,  or  5|°  north  of  true  east,  and  5|° 
south  of  true  west.  The  dip  is  to  the  north,  and  about  75°  from  the  horizon,  very  nearly 
vertical  as  far  as  could  be  observed 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  451 

7  he  elevation  of  the  Marieopa  mine,  determined  by  me  with  a  fine  cistern  barometer,  is 
n.^Tf  fret  abov.  the  level  of  the  sen.  ami  I.-U>?  feet  higher  tlian  our  camp  established  on  the 
Gila  river  six  miles  oil',  selected  as  a  good  site  for  smelting  works. 

AV.  R.  Hopkins,  civil  engineer,  in  connection  with  tlic  same  report,  speaks  as 
follows  : 

*  We  have  traced  the  copper  lode  by  distinct  pieces  of  heavy  ore  for  1,600 
feet,  about  east  and  west;  also,  three  other  veins.  The  lode  appears  to  be  from  8  to  12  feet 
wide  on  the  surface. 

The  shaft  we  have  commenced  is  on  the  main  lode,  and  on  a.  hill  that  rises  from  60  to  100 
feet  above  the  surrounding  galleys.  It  is  now  seven  feet  square  and  six  feet  deep.  The  ore 
is  increasing  in  richness,  and  the  veins  widening-.  The  vein  containing  the  copper  glance, 
specimens  of  which  you  will  receive,  is  now  20  inches  wide,  and  occupies  the  south  side  of 
the  lode.  Next  to  this  comes  gray  and  green  ores  and  the  red  oxide  of  copper.  The  lode  ia 
now  occupied  with  the  ore,  so  that  nearly  all  that  is  thrown  out  goes  into  the  pile  to  bo 
smelted. 

The  dip  of  the  lode  is  now  slightly  to  the  north,  and  we  suppose  that  it  will  run  into  another 
lode  25  feet  north  of  it,  and  form  a  wider  bed  of  ore  than  we  DOW  find. 

We  would  express  to  you  our  confidence  in  the  extreme  richness  of  the  mine,  both  from  our 
own  observation  and  the  opinion  of  experienced  miners  throughout  this  section  of  country. 

We  find  the  water-power  on  the  river  abundant.  Mesquit  is  in  sufficient  quantities  to 
furnish  charcoal,  which  is  of  the  best  quality. 

Frederick  ]>runcko\v,  assayer  and  mining  engineer,  made  a  report  in  January, 
I860,  upon  some  selected  specimens  from  this  mine,  from  which  this  extract  is 

taken  : 

The  specimens  consisted  of  the  outcrop  ore  of  a  powerful  vein,  and  bear  the  unmistakable 
Mgns  of  a  true  vein.  As  commonly  by  all  outcrop  ore.  so  here  carbonates 

and  silicates  make  their  appearance,  while  the  main  body  of  the  vein,  to  some  extent  below 
the  surface  probably,  will  consist  in  general  of  gray  sulphuret  of  copper  and  other  ores  which 
alieady  in  large  quantities  appear  upon  the  surface.  *  *  I  divided  the  ores  into 
different  classes,  and  assayed  them  accordingly. 

1.  Fabl  ore,  (Tennantit,)  mixed  with  carbonate,  contained  to  the  ton  50  per  cent,  copper 
and  104  ounces  silver. 

2.  Gray  sulphuret  containing  to  the  ton  60  per  cent,  copper  and  93  ounces  of  silver. 

3.  feilicate  of  copper  containing  20  to  25  per  cent,  copper,  and  20  to  25  ounces  of  silver  to 
the  ton. 

4.  Carbonate  of  copper  containing  25  to  50  per  cent,  copper  and  only  a  trace  of  silver;  as 
carbonates  and  silicates  are  secondary  formation,  a  large  yield  of  silver  could  not  be  expected. 

The  ore  of  this  vein  would  be  the  cheapest  and  quickest  way  to  reduce  in  a  blast  furnace, 
and  run  into  copper  ingots,  which  could  be  shipped,  and  afterwards  be  stripped  of  their  silver. 
Iron  crushers  for  breaking  the  ore,  as  well  as  the  necessary  blast,  could  be  driven  by  water- 
power,  of  which  there  is  at  the  Rio  Gilo  any  abundance. 

GENERAL  REMARKS  ox  SOUTHERN  ARIZONA. — The  foregoing  reference  to 

the  principal  mining  localities  in  southern  Arizona  will  show  that  the  country  is 
pre-eminently  mineral  bearing.  In  most  places  there  is  a  tolerable  supply  of 
mcsqnit  timber,  but  water  is  scarce.  The  grazing  is  generally  excellent.  A 
great  need  of  southern  Arizona  is  a  port  upon  the  Gulf  of  California,  and  it  has 
long  been  the  ardent  hope  of  the  people  that  either  Guaymas  or  Libertad  would 
be  secured.  While  the  roads  are  for  the  most  part  good,  the  distance  from  Fort 
Yuma,  the  nearest  American  port  at  present,  is  so  great  as  to  involve  large 
expense  in  the  transportation  of  machinery  and  such  supplies  as  are  not  pro- 
duced in  the  country. 

Knough  has  been  done  to  show  that  some  of  the  lodes,  if  not  remarkably 
rich,  arc  sufficiently  so  to  pay  well  when  they  can  be  worked  at  a  reasonable  out- 
lay, and  as  the  Apaches  are  overcome,  and  the  agricultural  lands  are  safely  cul- 
tivated, milling  operations  will  probably  be  renewed. 

It  is  a  well-authenticated  fact  that  until  the  uprising  of  the  Apaches,  (about 
1780,)  many  of  the  silver  mines  of  that  part  of  northern  Sonora,  now  consti- 
tuting southern  Arizona,  were  worked  with  remunerative  results. 

Should  a  railroad  from  the  Rio  Grande,  or  from  the  Gulf  of  California,  be 
extended  over  any  one  of  the  easy  routes  to  southern  Arizona,  the  country  would 
be  made  an  attractive  mineral  region,  and  would  soon  be  well  populated.  The 
principal  streams  are  the  Santa  Cruz,  the  Sonoita,  the  San  Pedro,  and  the  Gila. 


452  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

SECTION    III. 

COLORADO    RIVER. 

The  valley  of  this  great  river,  "the  Mississippi  of  the  Pacific,"  may  justly  be 
considered  one  of  the  natural  divisions  of  Arizona.  Ascending  the  river  from  its 
mouth  it  is  a  distance  of  150  miles  to  Fort  Yuma,  where  the  mineral  district  may 
be  said  to  begin.  Opposite  to  the  fort,  on  the  Arizona  side,  is  the  town  of  Ari- 
zona City.  The  Gila  road  to  Tucson,  and  across  the  Territory  to  New  Mexico, 
begins  at  this  place,  and  the  supplies  for  the  military  of  southern  Arizona  arc 
forwarded  from  here,  coming  from  San  Francisco  via  the  Gulf  of  California. 

Up  the  Gila,  some  20  miles  from  the  Colorado,  gold  placers  were  discovered 
in  1858,  and  caused  some  excitement.  A  traveller  passing  at  that  time  says  he 
saw  $20  washed  out  of  eight  shovelsfull  of  dirt,  and  this  in  the  rudest  manner 
by  an  unpracticed  hand.  The  diggings  are  in  the  sand-hills  half  a  mile  or  more 
from  the  river,  too  far  to  carry  water  by  hand,  and  as  by  dry  washing  but  $1  or 
$2  a  day  can  be  made,  they  are  now  for  the  most  part  abandoned.  Occasionally 
a  strike  is  made  by  Indians  or  Mexicans,  and  $20  to  $30  secured  in  a  day.  Old 
residents  of  the  Colorado  and  Gila  mining  districts  give  it  as  their  opinion  that 
with  water  conducted  to  the  placers  they  would  pay  well.  A  company  organized 
in  I860  for  this  purpose  sent  some  machinery  to  Gila  City,  but  subsequently  gave 
up  the  enterprise. 

The  first  mining  district  of  note  on  the  Colorado  is  some  40  miles  above  Ari- 
zona City  by  the  river,  and  known  as  the  Eureka  district.  The  ores  are  chiefly 
argentiferous  galena,  containing  from  20  to  30  per  cent,  of  silver.  There  is  also 
a  show  of  gold.  The  lodes  are  in  the  mountain  ranges,  and  situated  at  from  I 
to  20  miles  east  from  the  river  banks.  They  may  be  reached  by  trails.  Generally 
travel  is  difficult  in  that  region,  owing  to  the  rugged  nature  of  the  country.  But 
few  of  the  lodes  taken  up  in  the  first  excitement  (1862)  have  been  developed. 
Of  those  upon  which  work  has  been  performed  the  Buena  Vista  promises  well. 
The  width  of  the  lode  in  the  main  shaft  (which  is  60  feet  deep)  is  about  five  feet. 
Some  of  the  ore  submitted  to  a  working  test  gave  a  yield  of  $60  in  silver  to  the 
ton.  The  Bronze,  the  Margarita,  and  the  Vernon  lodes  yield  ore  of  the  same 
class  and  value.  The  country  rock  is  granite  and  slate  ;  the  silver  veins  are  in 
pink  and  white  quartz.  Copper  indications  are  numerous,  and  it  is  supposed  that 
deposits  of  that  ore  exist  here  as  well  as  further  up  the  river. 

SILVER  DISTRICT,  on  the  Colorado,  north  of  the  Eureka,  has  some  well- 
defined  veins  capped  with  what  the  miners  call  "  dry  bone,"  containing  consider- 
able zinc.  The  district  has  been  but  little  prospected.  Most  of  the  lodes  located 
are  from  three  to  four  miles  from  the  river.  Upon  one  a  shaft  was  sunk  to  the 
depth  of  25  feet  before  reaching  metal,  when  a  good  quality  of  silver  and  lead 
ore  was  discovered. 

CASTLE  DOME,  50  miles  above  Arizona  City,  is  a  well-known  mining  district, 
so  called  from  an  isolated  mountain  bearing  a  close  resemblance  to  a  dome.  The 
lodes  are  in  a  range  of  mountains  from  15  to  30  miles  back  of  the  river,  but,  as 
in  the  Eureka  district,  they  are  not  very  easy  of  access,  and  water  is  exceedingly 
scarce.  A  number  of  lodes  have  been  claimed,  and  several  companies  organ- 
ized in  San  Francisco  for  their  development.  Those  opened  are  from  a  foot  to 
five  feet  in  width,  and  well  defined. 

Professor  Blake  states  that  the  ores  of  Castle  Dome  are  argentiferous  galena, 
in  a  vein-stone  of  fluor  spar,  and  that  they  contain  30  to  40  ounces  of  silver  to 
the  ton. 

Mr.  Sage,  one  of  the  principal  owners  in  this  district,  furnishes  an  estimate  of 
what  he  believes  the  true  value  of  the  ores  to  be  in  San  Francisco,  and  what  the 
expense  will  be  provided  the  mines  can  be  made  to  produce  regularly  a  large 
quantity  of  ore : 


WEST    OP    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  453 


Price  of  GO  per  cent,  ores  per  ton $50  00 

Castle  Dome  ores  are  75  ounces  of  lead 12  50 

Add  75  ounces  of  silver  per  ton 75  00 


Giving  for  value  of  ton  of  ore  in  silver  and  lead 137  59 

Deduct  freight  to  San  Francisco $15  00 

Deduct  carting  to  the  river 10  00 

Deduct  mining  and  sacking 10  00 

35  00 

Leaving  a  profit  per  ton  of 102  50 

Mr.  Gird,  another  owner,  values  the  ores  at  60  per  cent,  worth  $40  in  silver  to 
the  ton ;  making — 

The  value  of  a  ton  of  ore $90  00 

He  allows  for  mining  and  sacking $12  00 

Carting  to  the  Colorado  river 15  00 

Freight  thence  to  San  Francisco 18  00 

45  00 

Leaving  a  profit  per  ton  of 45  00 


The  bottoms  and  ravines  furnish  cottonwood,  mesquit,  and  ironwood,  but  not 
in  sufficient  quantities  to  supply  fuel  for  reduction  works  upon  a  large  scale,  and 
hence,  as  most  of  the  Colorado  river  ores  are  such  as  require  a  smelting  process, 
it  will  probably  be  found  most  profitable  to  ship  them  to  San  Francisco.  Lately 
a  price  has  been  offered  in  that  city  for  lead  ores  from  the  Eureka  and  Castle 
Dome  districts  which  is  sufficient  to  wan-ant  their  shipment  even  at  the  present 
rates  of  transportation. 

In  the  WEAVER  DISTRICT,  next  above  the  Castle  Dome  district,  the  silver 
lodes  are  much  of  the  same  character.  Those  of  copper  are  quite  promising. 
Of  these  the  Colorado  has  a  fair  reputation.  It  is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Herman 
Ehrenberg,  a  good  authority  : 

This  mine  is  located  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Colorado  river,  in  the  Territory  of  Arizona, 
nine  miles  south  of  La  Pass,  and  about  eight  miles  east  from  the  river.  The  outcroppings 
are  very  heavy,  and  may  be  traced  for  a  mile  by  bands  or  isolated  outbreaks  of  quartz  mat- 
ter stained  with  carbonates,  intermixed  with  copper-glance.  The  Colorado  appears  more  like 
a  mighty  interstratified  deposit  of  gneiss  and  metamorphic  slates  in  which  it  occurs,  forced 
to  the  surface  by  an  eruptive  mass  of  rock  that  breaks  forth  west  of  the  croppings.  Future 
developments  may  prove  this  appearance  to  be  deceptive,  and  that  at  a  greater  depth  the  vein 
will  have  a  greater  dip,  becoming  more  vertical,  and,  in  place  of  following  the  stratification, 
break  through  them  like  a  true  fissure  vein.  It  is  immaterial,  however,  to  which  class  of 
mineral  deposits  the  Colorado  belongs.  If  an  interstratified  deposit,  or  nearly  horizontal  vein, 
its  great  extent  and  width  on  the  surface  and  the  rich  ores  it  contains  speak  extremely  favor- 
able for  its  becoming  a  lasting  and  extremely  valuable  mineral  deposit.  Many  a  great  copper 
deposit,  like  those  of  Talhua  and  Mansfield,  which  have  been  worked  for  centuries,  with 
immense  success,  are  of  a  similar  description,  differing,  perhaps,  in  the  formation  which 
encloses  them  being  younger  and  less  disturbed  by  eruptive  forces.  The  ore  already  taken 
out  may  be  divided  into  three  qualities — the  first  should  yield  from  40  to  70  per  cent,  in  cop- 
per, carrying  with  it  a  large  quantity  of  silver ;  the  next  grade  will  give  from  30  to  50  per 
cent,  in  copper  alone;  the  third  grade  contains  free  gold  ranging  from  $'JO  to  $100  per  ton. 

A  shipment  of  the  Colorado  ore  was  made  to  Richardson  &  Company,  Swansea. 
Their  return,  dated  January  17,  1867,  gives  a  yield  of  30  J  per  cent,  in  copper, 
with  68  ounces  of  silver  to  the  ton.  They  say  they  are  ready  to  pay  c£50  ster- 
ling per  ton  for  such  ore. 

The  next  district  is  that  about  the  town  of  La  Paz,  and  bears  the  same  name. 
It  was  first  explored  in  the  Colorado  gold  excitement  of  1862,  and,  indeed,  little 
was  known  of  the  mineral  resources  of  the  Colorado  valley  until  that  year.  Mr. 
A.  McKcy,  member  of  the  territorial  legislature  from  La  Paz,  has  furnished  the 
annexed  account  of  the  discovery  of  the  placers  which  caused  the  upbuilding  of 
La  Paz,  now  a  place  of  considerable  importance,  and  a  favorite  shipping  point 


454  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

for  goods  for  Central  Arizona ;  Prescott,  the  capital  of  the  Territory,  being  at  a 
distance1  of  U'ss  than  200  miles  in  the  interior,  and  Wickenburg  at  a  distance  of 
but  a  little  more  than  100,  over  remarkably  good  roads: 

Captain  Pauline  Weaver,  and  others,  in  the  month  of  January,  1862,  were  trapping"  on 
the  Colorado  river,  and  at  times  would  stray  off  into  the  mountains  for  the  purpose  of  pros- 
pecting for  gold.  They  had  discovered  what  was  then  named  and  is  still  called  "  El  Arollo 
de  la  Tenaja,"  which  is  about  two  miles  north  from  El  Campo  Ferrd,  and  about  seven 
miles  east  from  La  Paz.  In  this  gulch  they  had  discovered  gold  in  small  quantities,  and 
had  taken  two  or  three  dollars'  worth  out,  which  Captain  Weaver  kept  in  a  goose-quill. 

Soon  after  this  discovery  Weaver  visited  Fort  Yuma  and  exhibited  what  gold  he  had 
This  evidence  of  the  existence  of  a  commodity  so  much  sought  for  in  this  country  convinced 
others  that  gold  might  be  found  in  quantities  by  hunting  for  it.  Don  Jose  M.  Redondo 
having  heard  of  the  discovery,  at  once  set  out  to  visit  the  newly  found  "El  Dorado  "  in  com- 
pany with  several  others.  He  arrived  a  few  days  afterward  at  the  camp  of  Captain  Weaver, 
who  pointed  out  to  him  and  his  party  the  particular  gulch  from  which  he  had  taken  the  gold. 
After  a  short  examination  of  this  place  the  party  set  out  in  different  directions  to  discover,  if 
possible,  something  which  would  pay  to  work,  and  the  extent  of  the  placers.  Within  less 
than  a  mile  from  Weaver's  camp,  south,  Redondo  took  a  pan  of  dirt  to  prospect,  and  when 
he  had  dry -washed  it,  to  the  astonishment  of  himself  and  the  party  with  him,  he  found  that 
he  had  one  "chispa''  which  weighed  two  ounces  and  one  dollar,  besides  other  small  pieces. 
Others  of  his  party  found  good  prospects,  but  none  of  the  company  had  come  for  anything 
more  than  to  ascertain  the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  reported  glad  tidings,  and  therefore  were 
not  prepared  to  remain  and  work  for  want  of  the  necessary  provisions  and  tools,  but  were 
compelled  to  return  to  La  Laguna,  a  settlement  some  twenty  miles  above  Fort  Yuma,  on 
the  Arizona  side  of  the  Colorado.  After  their  arrival  at  La  Laguna,  and  report  of  what 
they  had  discovered,  a  party  of  40  persons  prepared  to  visit  the  new  mines.  After  their 
arrival  in  the  placers,  about  the  middle  of  February,  1862,  discoveries  were  made  almost 
daily,  until  it  was  known  that  every  gulch  and  ravine  for  twenty  miles  east  and  south  was 
rich  with  gold.  Ferra  Camp,  Campo  en  Medio,  American  Camp,  Los  Chollos,  La  Plomosa, 
and  many  other  smaller  places,  all  had  their  rich  diggings,  but  the  discovery  made  by  Juan 
FerrA,  of  the  Ferra"  gulch,  was,  without  doubt,  the  most  valuable  of  any.  Very  soon  the 
knowledge  of  these  discoveries  spread  to  Sonora  and  California,  and  people  began  to  pour  in 
from  all  points,  and  continued  to  come  until  they  probably  numbered  fifteen  hundred.  This 
population  was  maintained  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  until  the  spring  of  1864,  when  the 
apparent  exhaustion  of  the  placers  and  the  extreme  high  prices  for  provisions  caused  large 
numbers  to  leave.  The  discovery  of  the  Weaver  and  Walker's  diggings,  in  the  year  1863, 
drew  away  many  of  the  miners  from  these  placers. 

Of  the  yield  of  these  placers,  anything  like  an  approximation  to  the  average  daily  amount 
of  what  was  taken  out  per  man  would  only  be  guess-work.  Hundreds  of  dollars  per  day  to 
the  man  was  common,  and  now  and  again  a  thousand  or  more  per  day.  Don  Juan  Ferra 
took  one  nugget  from  his  claim  which  weighed  47  ounces  and  six  dollars.  Another  party  found 
a  "  chispa  "  weighing  27  ounces,  and  another  one  of  26  ounces.  Many  others  found  pieces 
of  from  one  or  two  ounces  up  to  20,  and  yet  it  is  contended  that  the  greater  proportion  of  the 
larger  nuggets  were  never  shown  for  fear  of  some  evil  spirits,  who  infested  the  mines  at  the 
time.  It  is  the  opinion  of  those  most  conversant  with  the  first  working  of  these  placers  that 
much  the  greater  proportion  of  the  gold  taken  out  was  in  nuggets  weighing  from  one  dollar 
up  to  the  size  of  the  •'  chispas  "  above  named.  I  have  often  heard  it  said  of  those  days  that 
44  not  even  a  Papago  Indian  would  work  for  less  than  $10  per  day." 

As  has  been  seen  from  the  above,  the  gold  was  large,  and  generally  clear  of  foreign  sub- 
stances. The  largest  piece  (above  mentioned)  did  not  contain  an  apparent  atom  of  quartz 
or  any  other  base  matter.  The  gold  from  the  different  camps  varied  a  trifle  in  its  worth  at 
the  mint  in  San  Francisco,  and  brought  from.  $17  50  to  $19  50  per  ounce.  But  all  that 
was  sold  or  take,n  here  went  for  from  $16  to  $17  per  ounce.  Since  the  year  1864  until 
the  present,  there  have  been  at  various  times  many  men  at  work  in  these  placers,  number- 
ing in  the  winter  months  hundreds,  but  in  the  summer  months  not  exceeding  75  or  100; 
and  all  seem  to  do  sufficiently  well  not  to  be  willing  to  work  for  the  wages  of  the  country, 
which  are  and  have  been  foi  some  time  from  $30  to  $65  per  month  and  found.  No  inconsid- 
erable amount  of  gold  comes  in  from  these  placers  now  'weekly,  and  only  a  few  days  ago  I 
saw,  myself,  a  nugget  which  weighed  $40,  clear  and  pure  from  any  foreign  substance. 

Some  parties  have  lately  come  into  these  diggings  with  what  is  called  concentrators  or  dry 
washers,  which  they  have  been  working  for  a  few  weeks,  and  in  conversation  with  Mr. 
Fiukler  (an  owner  of  one  of  these  machines)  he  told  me  that  he  could  make  $20  per  day  where 
he  was  at  work,  and  pay  three  dollars  per  day  for  his  hands,  and  that  he  only  required  four 
to  work  the  machine.  Should  these  machines  prove  a  success  these  placers  will  soon  be 
peopled  again  with  industrious,  prosperous  miners.  Of  the  total  amount  of  gold  taken  from 
these  mines,  I  am  as  much  at  a  loss  to  say  what  it  has  been  as  I  was  to  name  the  trverage 
daily  wages  of  the  first  years,  and  as  I  might  greatly  differ  from  those  who  were  among  the 
first  in  these  mines,  I  do  not  feel  justified  in  setting  up  an  opinion  as  against  them ;  I  shall, 
therefore,  give  the  substance  of  the  several  opinions  which  I  have  obtained  from  those  who 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  455 

the  pioneers  of  these  placers.  I  have  failed  to  find  any  one  of  them  whose  opinion  is 
thur  less  than  $1,000*000  wero  taken  from  these  divings  within  the  first  year,  and  in  all 
prohubiii.y  us  much  was  taken  out  within  the  following  years. 

A-  mii^ht  be  supposed,  the  richness  of  these  placers  suggested  the  existence  of' 
valuable  quartz  lodes  in  the  vicinity,  and  prospecting  began  in  1863.  The 
result  was  the  location  of  a  number  of  gold,  silver  and  copper  veins  within  an 
area  of  30  miles  about  La  Paz.  Of  these  several  have  been  opened,  and  the 
ores  well  tested. 

CONSTANTLY  MINE. — A  gold  mine  12  miles  east  of  La  Paz  has  a  shaft  of 
75  feet,  and  some  20  tons  of  the  ore  worked  by  arrastras  yielded  $30  to  $50  per 
ton.  The  vein  is  five  feet  wide  in  a  granite  formation  and  regular.  The  £ias 
Posas  is  a  similar  vein. 

CONQUEST  MINE. — This  is  a  gold  mine,  otherwise  known  as  the  Ravena  mine. 
It  is  situated  east  of  La  Paz,  some  six  miles,  and  has  been  well  prospected.  A 
number  of  shafts  and  tunnels  have  been  opened,  and  the  vein  is  found  to  be  well 
deliiied  and  promising.  The  width  is  from  3  to  20  feet.  Some  silver  is  found 
in  the  ore  which  is  free  from  sulphurets.  Gangs  of  men  are  now  employed,  as 
they  have  been  for  several  years,  in  preparing  this  mine  for  working  upon  a  large 
scale,  and  its  owner,  Mr.  llavena,  is  confident  that  he  has  a  valuable  property. 
He  has  already,  it  is  said,  been  offered  $100,000. 

CRTJC  MINE. — This  lode  is  also  of  gold-bearing  quartz,  with  a  mixture  of 
galena  in  the  ore.  A  shaft  50  feet  deep  has  been  sunk. 

PICACHO  MINE. — At  a  point  some  30  miles  east  from  La  Paz,  on  the  road  to 
Wickenburg,  a  number  of  silver-bearing  lodes  were  opened  in  1863  and  1864. 
Much  work  was  done  upon  the  Picacho,  and  about  300  tons  of  ore  were  extracted 
from  the  shafts  and  tunnels,  which  amounted  to  some  600  feet  in  extent.  For 
some  cause  or  other  the  ore  was  not  worked.  The  ore  is  of  argentiferous  galena, 
and  the  vein  shows  a  width  of  about  three  feet  five  inches. 

PEACH  BLOOM  MINE. — A  shaft  of  80  feet  has  been  sunk  upon  the  lode  which 
adjoins  the  Picacho,  and  is  of  a  similar  class. 

The  HUGHES,  the  AMERICAN  PIONEER,  the  SCOTTT,  and  the  SALAZAN  silver 
lodes  in  the  same  vicinity  are  generally  of  the  same  class,  but  for  various  reasons 
have  not  yet  been  much  worked.  Good  pay  ore  in  carbonates  and  chlorides  has 
been  taken  from  the  latter,  but  no  permanent  vein  yet  found. 

The  APACHE  CHIEF  copper  lode,  near  the  foregoing,  is  one  of  the  most  remarka- 
ble in  Arizona,  and  at  onetime  attracted  considerable  attention  in  San  Francisco. 
The  ore  is  found  in  deposits  rather  than  in  a  regular  vein,  but  the  location  is 
too  far  from  navigation  to  make  mining  profitable  at  present.  The  country 
about  La  Paz  is  ban*en  of  wood  saving  mesquit  and  iron  wood  in  the  gulches 
and  ravines,  and  water  is  not  abundant,  although  it  might  possibly  be  had  at 
any  point  between  La  Paz  and  Wickenburg  by  sinking  artesian  wells.  A  com- 
pany holding  a  charter  for  a  toll  road  to  Wickenburg  and  Prescott  have  proposed 
to  sink  several  such,  but  have  as  yet  taken  no  action. 

Ascending  the  Colorado  towards  Williams  Fork,  the  mountains,  nearly  all 
show  signs  of  metal-bearing.  Perhaps  the  most  striking  and  extensive  group  of 
copper  veins  yet  discovered  is  in  the  Harcuvar  chain  of  mountains,  at  a  distance 
of  35  miles  east  of  the  river,  and  55  miles  northeast  of  La  Paz,  and  a  little  north 
of  the  La  Paz  and  Wickenburg  road,  before  referred  to. 

Herman  Ehrenberg,  who  was  among  the  first  to  examine  the  lodes  upon  the 
Colorado,  as  he  was  those  in  southern  Arizona,  and  who  was  noted  for  his 
cautious  language,  made  a  lengthy  report  upon  the  Harcuvar  district,  of  which 
the  annexed  is  a  synopsis : 

The  group  embraces  18  lodes,  making  an  aggregate  of  51,200  lineal  feet. 
Shafts  have  been  sunk  which  demonstrate  that  they  are  not  only  large  but  per- 
manent veins.  The  rocks  of  the  country  are  granite  gneiss,  fractured  at  right 
angles  to  tho  plain  or  arrangement  of  stratification.  The  fissures  are  nearly  per- 


456  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

penclicular,  and  vary  in  width  from  5  to  15  feet.  The  vein  mass  consists  of 
calcareous  spar,  tinctured  green  by  the  mixture  of  talc  in  small  quantities  It  is 
distinctly  separated  from  the  connecting  rock  by  a  narrow  selvage  of  a  ferruginous 
substance,  colored  by  hydratcd  oxide  of  iron.  The  sheets  of  ore  are  compact 
and  continuous,  the  mass  of  the  gangue  being  found  near  one  of  the  walls,  both 
of  the  true  walls  of  the  different  cuts  having  been  reached  in  only  a  few  instances. 
The  several  cuts  show  the  same  general  bold  iron-stained  croppings,  the  same 
broad  fissures,  the  same  surface  ores,  similar  dip,  and  nearly  parallel  bearing  or 
strike. 

On  the  CUNNINGHAM  lode  the  shaft  has  been  sunk  to  the  depth  of  107  feet. 
The  metallic  part  of  this  vein  varies  in  width  from  four  to  six  feet,  the  width 
gradually  increasing  with  the  depth.  The  ore  in  sinking  assumes  an  undecom- 
posed  and  characteristic  appearance,  i.  6.  sulphurets  and  pyrites.  The  vein  has 
a  dip  of  nearly  80°  north-northeast,  bearing  or  striking  northwest,  and  is  sin- 
gularly regular,  being  traceable  a  long  distance  on  the  surface. 

The  QCA-SHA-QUA-MAH,  another  of  the  leads  embraced  in  the  group,  has  been 
sunk  upon  to  the  depth  of  48  leet;  it  is  a  much  larger  vein  than  the  Cunning- 
ham and  has  yielded  some  good  ore.  All  the  other  leads  have  been  opened  by 
small  shafts  or  cuts,  and  nearly  all  show  the  same  bold  croppings,  similar  dip 
and  strike,  and  the  same  general  character  of  ores.  It  is  unquestionably  one 
of  the  most  promising  groups  of  copper  mines  in  Arizona.  Assorted  ores  taken 
from  these  leads  have  been  shipped  to  Swansea,  and  worked  37j  per  cent. 
Assays  made  range  from  30  to  70  per  cent.  These  high-grade  ores  can  be  easily 
mined. 

WILLIAMS  FORK. — Some  70  miles  north  of  La  Paz,  Williams  Fork,  or,  as  it 
was  originally  named,  "  Bill  Williams  Fork,"  after  a  well  known  trapper  and 
explorer,  enters  the  Colorado  from  the  east.  It  is  the  first  tributary  worthy  of 
note  north  of  the  Gila,  and  has  its  rise  in  the  mountain  ranges  between  Wick- 
enburg  and  Prescott ;  the  streams  known  as  Kirkland  creek  and  Date  creek 
being  its  head-waters. 

The  Williams  Fork  district  is  now  the  best  known  copper  region  in  Arizona. 
The  country  for  a  number  of  miles  on  each  side  of  the  creek  abounds  in  scattered 
croppings  and  masses  or  bunches  of  copper  ore.  It  is  contended  by  some  that 
there  are  several  clearly  defined  copper  lodes.  A  recent  writer  thus  refers  to 
their  characteristics : 

The  containing  rock  is  of  trapean  character,  and  geologically  speaking,  comparatively 
recent,  probably  belonging  to  the  early  tertiary  or  eocene  era.  These  copper  veins  are,  from 
the  present  state  of  knowledge  and  observai.on,  supposed  to  be  composed  entirely  of  fissure 
veins,  or  infiltrated  deposits  from  the  general  impregnation  of  the  containing  rock,  their 
materials  Vaving  made  their  way  by  plutonic  forces  through  the  trapean  rocks,  and  their 
accompanying  formations.  The  theory  of  the  formation  of  this  district  is  against  a  synclinal 
plutonic  base,  unlike  the  California  middle  copper  belt,  because  the  whole  of  the  containing 
rock  is  the  same.  Its  geognostic  position,  however,  is,  as  far  as  authoritative  geology  is 
concerned,  sufficiently  true  of  a  real  vein  formation.  But  one  of  the  best  evidences  of  the 
value  of  the  copper  deposits  of  that  district  is  that  they  are  massive,  solid,  and  regular,  so 
far  as  developed,  whilst  in  the  deposits  the  least  infiltration  is  impregnated  with  carbonates. 
The  outside  gossan  is  usually  of  specular  or  magnetic  iron,  which  is  invariably  found  adjacent 
on  the  surface.  Such  is  the  character  of  the  richest  copper  mines  the  world  over. 

The  Planet  Company  was  organized  in  California  in  1864;  the  company  owns 
five  claims  as  follows  :  Planet,  2,700  feet;  Ashley,  2,100  feet ;  Wash,  2,100  feet; 
Sentinel,  2,100  feet;  and  Mountain  Chief,  1,800* feet.  To  this  time  no  work  has 
been  done  upon  the  Sentinel  and  Mountain  Chief  more  than  that  required  by  the 
laws  of  the  district,  in  order  to  hold  them.  The  Ashley  claim  has  been  so  far 
developed  as  to  show  evidences  of  a  ledge  of  copper  ore  about  600  feet  in  length. 
Several  cuts  have  been  made  developing  indications  of  an  average  thickness  in 
the  led^e  of  about  10  feet.  The  character  of  the  ore  is  malachite,  assay  30  per 
cent,  copper.  Only  about  25  tons  have  been  mined  from  this  claim.  The  Wash 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  457 

claim  is  the  wash  separating  the  Ashley  and  Planet  claims.  The  Planet  claim 
has  been  worked  since  the  spring-  of  1865,  and  about  800  tons  of  ore  have  been 
taken  out.  The  ore  is  of  gray  and  red  oxide,  average  assay  40  per  cent.  It 
has  been  sold  in  San  Francisco  at  an  average  of  $100  per  ton. 

The  mines  arc  located  12  miles  from  the  Colorado,  and  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  Williams  Fork.  The  cost  of  transporting  ore  to  San  Francisco  was  at 
first  $60  per  ton.  It  is  now  $28  per  ton,  and  will  probably  soon  be  but  $18  or 
$20.  If  the  company  could  erect  a  warehouse  at  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado, 
and  store  the  ore  there  until  a  cargo  for  a  large  vessel  accumulated,  it  could  be 
shipped  iVoin  the  mines  to  Boston  or  Swansea,  at  a  total  cost  of  not  more  than 
per  ton.  Then  30  per  rent,  ore,  of  which  there  is  a  quantity  in  both  the 


Ashley  and  Planet  claims,  could  be  profitably  worked.  Several  other  companies 
are  engaged  in  working  copper  lodes  at  Williams  Fork.  Mr.  Thompson,  a 
practical  and  enterprising  miner,  superintendent  of  the  Great  Central  Company, 
has  erected  furnaces  for  smelting  the  ore  taken  from  the  Eliza  mine,  and  although 
he  has  had  many  obstacles  to  contend  with,  his  experiment  has  not  proved 
alt  oM-et  her  unsuccessful.  The  Eliza  is  but  1,000  feet  distant  from  the  Planet 
It  is  thought  by  some  to  be  upon  the  same  vein,  but  this  has  not  yet  been  demon- 
strated. According  to  a  late  report  the  company  have  two  small  furnaces  run- 
ning, turning  out  copper  from  91  to  96  per  cent,  fine,  which  is  being  shipped  to 
San  Francisco.  A  large  lot  of  this  copper  has  been  sold  for  15  cents  per  pound, 
$300  per  ton.  The  cost  of  delivering  such  copper  is  but  a  little  over  $100  per 
ton. 

The  ores  of  this  mine  are  oxides  and  carbonates,  very  little  or  no  iron  or  sulphur 
being  present  j  hence  the  company  is  able  to  turn  out  at  one  smelting  a  very 
good  article  of  copper.  Some  of  this  copper  has  been  used  by  the  brass  foundries 
of  San  Francisco,  who  have  pronounced  it  a  very  fair  article  for  many  commer- 
cial purposes,  just  as  it  conies  from  the  furnace.  Within  less  than  two  months 
they  will  have  a  larger  furnace  in  operation,  which  they  think  will  be  able  to 
turn  out  from  three  to  five  tons  of  copper  per  day. 

The  company  own  two  parallel  ledges  of  3,000  feet  each.  Only  one  ledge 
has  as  yet  been  developed  to  any  considerable  extent.  Upon  this  an  incline  has 
been  sunk  to  the  depth  of  100  feet,  at  which  point  there  are  some  indications  of 
sulphurets  coming  in.  At  the  depth  of  about  50  feet  drifts  have  been  run  each 
way  from  the  shaft  about  100  feet,  all  the  way  in  good  ore;  vein  varying  from  five 
to  seven  feet  thick.  The  shaft  is  also  connected  with  the  surface  by  a  tunnel, 
through  which  the  ore  will  be  taken  out.  The  outcrop  of  the  vein  has  been 
stripped  quite  a  distance,  developing  good  ore  all  the  way.  The  superintendent 
estimates  that  he  has  5,0*00  tons  of  ore  opened  to  sight,  which  will  average 
a  yield  of  25  per  cent.  He  has  lately  taken  out  some  ore  yielding  74  per  cent. 

MINERAL  HILL,  a  locality  near  the  Planet  mine,  has  several  of  these  so-called 
lodes,  supposed  to  be  valuable.  The  Springfield  Company  arc  now  taking  ore 
from  the  Orion  ;  a  furnace  has  been  erected  by  Mr.  Knowles.  At  Empire  Flat, 
10  miles  south  of  Williams  Fork,  and  three  miles  from  the  steamboat  landing  on 
the  Colorado,  the  Challenge  mine  has  been  worked  for  more  than  a  year,  and 
about  500  tons  of  fair  shipping  mineral  secured.  The  Kangaroo,  the  Bridal, 
and  other  copper  veins  promise  well,  and  ore  lately  worked  by  an  arrastra  from 
a  gold  lode  in  this  vicinity  gave  a  return  of  $85  to  the  ton. 

From  Williams  Fork  to  Fort  Mohave,  by  the  Colorado,  is  a  distance  of  about 
70  miles.  Just  about  the  fort,  which  was  established  long  prior  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Territory,  there  are  no  lodes,  but  in  the  mountain  ranges  east,  and 
north  and  east  of  Hardy  ville,  a  town  nine  miles  higher  up  the  river,  are  some 
districts  already  noted  for  their  gold  and  silver  mines. 

THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  DISTRICT  is  situated  some  12  miles  from  Hardyville, 
in  a  northeasterly  direction.  A  stream  called  Silver  creek  runs  through  the  dis- 


458  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

trict  from  north  to  south.     The  features  of  the  district,  which  is  some  20  miles 
long  and  10  miles  wide,  arc  thus  given  by  a  recent  writer: 

The  bold  outcrop  of  quartz  lodes  stretching  from  east  to  west  may  be  seen  for  a  long  dis- 
tance. Conspicuous  among  these  ledges  is  the  Moss  lode  on  the  north,  the  Skinner  and  Par- 
sons on  the  south.  The  aspect  of  these  ledges  is  singularly  wild  and  rugged,  deviating 
seldom  more  than  4°  or  5°  from  the  east  and  west  magnetic  equators.  There  is  another  set 
of  lodes  much  less  numerous  than  the  first,  whose  general  direction  is  northwest  and  south- 
east, or  more  exactly  north  20°  west.  These  lodes,  if  prolonged,  must  obviously  intersect 
some  of  the  east  and  west  lodes.  They  differ  not  only  in  their  course  and  direction,  but  in 
their  mineralogical  construction.  The  first  class,  the  east  and  west,  are  quartz  lodes,  charac- 
terized by  the  presence  of  feldspar  and  fiourspar  as  the  associate  minerals.  The  second  set  of 
lodes  may  be  called  calcareous,  being  composed  to  a  great  extent  of  magnesian  carbonate  of 
lime,  or  dolomite.  In  some  instances  these  have  quartz  linings  and  polished  walls.  The 
Virginia,  Olive  Oatman,  and  Buffalo  are  conspicuous  examples  of  the  calcareous  lodes.  A 
third  class  of  lodes  is  observed  in  the  San  Francisco  district,  whose  direction  is  northeast 
and  southwest.  This  class  is  very  small,  not  including  more  than  three  or  four,  named 
the  Pride  of  Mexico,  Trimuverate,  Wright,  and  Morning  Star.  In  general  the  lodes  in  the  San 
Francisco  district  are  remarkably  vertical,  rarely  deviating  more  than  30°  from  the  perpen- 
dicular, and  their  outcroppings  are  commonly  very  strong  and  well  marked,  forming  in  case 
of  the  upper  lodes  conspicuous  features  in  the  topography  of  the  country. 

The  rocks  of  this  district  are  exclusively  porphyritic  or  volcanic.  The  porphyry  consists 
for  the  most  part  of  the  feldspathic  variety.  The  crystals  of  feldspar  are  implanted  hi  a 
violet-colored  mass,  yielding,  like  most  of  the  porphyries  at  Virginia  City,  at  Esmeralda, 
Bodie,  and  in  the  Mojave  desert,  to  atmospheric  influences,  crumbling  into  incoherent  masses, 
or  breaking  away  into  acute  and  fantastic  clif'ts.  The  gigantic  quartz  lodes,  known  as  the 
Moss  and  the  Skinner,  contain  imbedded  in  their  mass,  especially  at  their  surface,  fragments 
of  scoriaceous  lavas,  arid  present  in  general  a  burned  and  roasted  appearance.  On  the 
Organ  canon  of  the  Mojave  there  are  extinct  cones  of  volcanoes,  whose  streams  of  lava  may 
be  traced  for  eight  or  ten  miles,  standing  with  vertical  basaltic  walls  100  or  200  feet  above 
the  plain,  capped  with  scoria,  whose  surface  still  speaks  of  the  sluggish  nature  of  the  once 
molten  mass. 

The  attention  of  the  mineralogical  observer  is  arrested  by  the  similarity  of  the  lodes  in  this 
region  as  compared  with  those  of  other  districts,  by  the  general  absence  of  metallic  sul- 
phurets,  and  the  carious  or  porous  character  so  common  in  the  outcroppings  of  quartz  in 
most  auriferous  regions,  and  not  unlike  those  seen  in  some  portions  of  Nevada.  This  char- 
acter of  outcroppings  of  the  quartz  lodes  in  the  San  Francisco  district  is  common  to  most 
outcroppings  in  the  porphyrilic  or  plutonic  rocks  of  other  mining  districts  in  Arizona,  as  in 
the  districts  of  El  Dorado  cafion  and  the  Wauba  Yurna. 

Of  the  contents  of  the  lodes  the  same  writer  has  the  following : 

The  Moss,  Skinner,  and  in  general  the  larger  lodes  of  the  district,  are  characterized  by  the 
presence  of  an  abundance  of  white  feldspar,  forming  sometimes  the  mass  of  the  vein  ;  the 
quartz  existing  then  as  a  subordinate  vein  in  the  feldsparic  and  porphyritic  gangue.  The 
mineral  most  characteristic  of  the  east  and  west  lodes  in  the  San  Francisco  district,  next  to 
the  quartz  and  feldspar,  which  form  the  great  mass  of  the  lodes,  is  flourspar,  a  mineral  fre- 
quently seen  elsewhere  in  the  world  as  an  associate  in  silver-bearing  lodes — as,  for  example, 
in  Frieburg  in  Saxony — but  which  is  of  rare  occurrence  in  this  country  in  a  similar  asso- 
ciation. 

This  mineral  is  found  abundantly  in  the  Skinner  lode,  the  Dayton,  the  Knickerbocker, 
and  the  Quackenbush,  and  has  been  observed  in  the  Moss  and  several  others.  It  is  asso- 
ciated in  them  with  free  gold,  horn  silver  sometimes  in  dodecahedra  crystals  and  iron  gossary. 
The  outcroppings  of  the  Moss  lode  form  a  most  conspicuous  feature  in  the  landscape,  seen 
standing  up  in  bold  crests  from  a  long  distance.  This  lode  stretches  in  a  continuous  line  for 
more  than  a  mile,  and  is  claimed  for  double  that  distance.  It  is  distant  north  of  Silver  creek 
about  two  miles  ;  its  course  is  about  \vest  5°  north,  nearly  at  right  angles  from  the  liver, 
from  which  it  is  distant  about  five  miles.  On  the  surface  the  outcrop  shows  a  width  of 
about  50  feet,  rising  to  the  height  of  from  50  to  100  feet  above  the  arroya,  sinking  at  intervals 
to  the  surface;  its  height  above  the  Colorado  river  is  about  1.500  feet.  It  has  a  southerly 
dip  of  14°  to  20°  away  from  the  vertical.  The  vein  material  is  composed  of  whitish  compact 
feldspar  and  quartz  porphyry,  intersected  by  veins  of  dense  red,  often  marbled  quartz,  rich 
in  free  gold.  Included  in  this  vast  mass  are  numerous  sets  of  feldspar,  hornstone,  and 
quartz  veins,  also  masses  of  gray  porphyry,  tufaceous  and  vesicular  lava. 

The  hanging  wall  of  the  Moss  lode  is  an  ash-gray,  feldspathic  porphyry,  often  intersected 
by  thread-veins  of  quartz  and  hornstone,  barren  of  metallic  sulphurets,  showing  at  the  sur 
face  no  clay  wall,  or  fluccan,  separating  it  from  the  vein.  The  absence  of  this  character  of 
permanent  and  well-defined  lodes  at  the  surface  of  the  Moss  ledge  is  in  analogy  with  the 
character  of  many  veins  in  Nevada,  which,  however,  at  a  moderate  depth  acquire  this 
feature,  as  the  Allen  shaft  shows  to  be  the  fact  for  the  south  or  hanging  wall  of  the  Moss 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  459 

lode.     The  entire  outcrop  of   this  lode  has  a burnt-up,  dried  and  hardened  aspect,,  but  is 
proven  to  be  quite  superficial  by  very  moderate  explorations. 

The  bullion  obtained  from  this  vein  contains  silver  enough  to  give  it  a  pale,  yellow  color; 
the  gold  appears  in  beautiful  polished  scales,  the  flat  surface  often  embossed  with  crystalline 
lines.  The  precious  metal  is  sometimes  imbedded  in  a  compact  red  jaspery  quartz,  presenting, 
when  cut  and  polished,  beautiful  graphic  goldstone.  This  rich  gold-bearing  mass  of  ferrugi- 
nous quartz  form  the  outcrop  of  this  gigantic  vein  only  at  isolated  points.  These  physical 
features  bear  great  resemblance  to  that  portion  of  the  Comstock  vein,  which  is  still  seen  at 
Gold  Hill,  south  of  Virginia  City,  where  similar  rich  deposits  of  low-grade  gold  were  formed 
in  the  quartz  outcrop,  giving  name  to  the  town  which  has  since  sprung  into  such  wonderful 
activity  as  the  result  of  the  development  of  the  mines  which  have  opened  upon  this  remark- 
able silver  vein.  Assays  of  samples  of  the  Moss  vein  show  a  value  varying  from  $170  to 
several  thousand  dollars  per  ton  of  2,000  pounds.  Of  the  other  lodes  in  this  district,  the 
Skinner,  on  the  south  side  of  Silver  creek,  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous,  and,  like  the 
Moss,  show  bold  outline  of  outcrop.  This  lode  shows  drusy  quartz,  both  compact  and 
cellular,  and  ferruginous  with  numerous  cavities,  out  of  which  tiourspar  has  been  decom- 
posed. Small  traces  of  sulphide  are  seen  at  the  surface,  which  is  stained  by  black  oxide  of 
maganese,  making  portions  of  the  outcrop  quite  black.  This  vein  varies  from  50  to  150  feet 
in  thickness.  Its  walls  are  ash-colored,  feldspathic  porphyry,  in  places  beautifully  polished 
on  the  Hue  of  dip  70°  north.  The  vein  appears  to  be  without  a  lining  of  clay,  but  like  that 
which  is  so  commonly  seen  in  the  outcrops  of  Nevada,  that  it  is  no  proof  of  the  absence  of 
this  important  characteristic  of  a  true  vein  at  a  moderate  depth,  assays  of  ores  from,  this 
vein  prove  the  presence  of  silver  to  the  respactive  values  of  $25,  $74,  and  $83  to  the  ton  of 
2,000  pounds.  The  Parsons,  Hurst,  and  Lelaud  are  other  gigantic  lodes,  sonth  of  the 
Skinner.  The  smaller  lodes  of  this  district  seem  to  promise  quicker  returns  for  a  less  expendi- 
ture of  money,  such  as  the  Caledonia  and  Dayton,  a  few  hundred  feet  south  of  the  Moss 
lode,  and  the  Qnackenbush  and  Knickerbocker,  some  distance  south  of  the  Skinner  and 
Parsons.  These  veins  are  from  three  to  ten  feet  in  thickness,  well  defined,  and  showing  at 
the  surface  all  the  characters  of  true  metalliferous  veins.  Samples  from  these  outcrops 
yielded  in  a  mill  from  $40  to  $250  per  ton. 

Mr.  A.  E.  Davis,  of  Hardyvillc,  has  furnished  some  notes  descriptive  of  the 
Moss,  Parsons,  and  several  other  lodes  in  the  San  Francisco  district,  which  are 
given  with  a  slight  condensation  : 

The  Moss  Lode  was  among  the  first  discovered  in  this  district,  and  is  perhaps 
the  best  known.  The  vein  is  well  delined  for  a  distance  of  two  miles.  The 
rock  is  dark  colored  and  iron  stained,  the  country  rock  is  porphyry,  the  hanging 
wall  smooth  and  hard.  Some  remarkable  specimens  of  gold  ore  have  been 
taken  from  this  lode.  In  blasting,  in  some  instances,  pieces  have  been  torn  out 
yellow  with  gold,  and  the  face  of  the  lode  has  shown  streaks  of  the  precious 
metal.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  owners  have  held  their  claims  as  high  as 
8300  per  foot.  The  gold  is  of  a  bright  color,  and  usually  found  in  layers  as 
thin  as  paper,  which  makes  it  more  showy  than  abundant  j  the  lode,  however, 
promises  well.  There  are  several  shafts,  and  recently  a  tunnel  300  feet  in  length 
has  pierced  the  vein  at  a  depth  of  150  feet,  where  the  vein  is  wide,  and  consid- 
erable gold  was  found,  but  fine  and  scattered.  The  tunnel  enters  the  vein  at 
right  angles,  and  after  reaching  it  follows  it  west  for  300  feet,  where  a  shaft 
descends  from  the  surface.  All  the  rock  taken  out  bears  gold,  and  the  vein, 
from  a  width  of  five  feet  at  the  surface,  increases  at  the  greatest  depth  reached. 

A  10-stainp  mill  was  erected  at  Hardy ville  a  few  months  since,  and  about  250 
tons  of  the  ore  have  been  worked,  but  the  result  is  not  announced.  The  cost 
of  mining  is  85  per  ton ;  of  hauling  to  the  mill  the  same. 

The  Parsons  Lode. — This  lode  rims  east  and  west,  and  can  be  traced  by  neat 
wall  of  croppings  for  a  distance  of  two  and  a  half  miles.  The  vein  rock  is 
chiefly  a  gray  quartz,  accompanied  by  flourspar.  The  country  rock  is  blue  and 
birds-eye  porphyry.  The  lode  is  from  5  to  12  feet  in  width.  There  are  several 
claims  upon  it/tliose  best  known  being  the  Southern  Cross  and  Queen  of  the 
Pacific.  Upon  the  latter  a  tunnel  of  210  feet  in  length,  along  the  lode,  has 
been  cut. 

Crossing,  or  rather  running  into,  the  Parsons  lode  at  nearly  right  angles  is  a 
lode  known  as  the  Michigan.  The  vein  is  about  three  feet  thick,  and  a  few  tons 


4GO  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

of  the  surface  ore  worked  in  an  arrastra  gave  a  yield  of  $70  to  the  ton  in  gold; 
the  tailings  since  worked  yielded  $80  to  the  ton  in  silver. 

What  is  now  known  as  the  Southern  Cross,  or  Hardy  mine,  is  a  location  of 
1,800  feet  on  the  Parsons  lode  and  of  ]  ,600  feet  on  the  Michigan  lode.  The  Par- 
sons is  probably  the  mother  lode  of  the  vicinity.  Beginning  at  the  eastern 
terminus  of  the  Hardy  location,  at  a  large  wash,  the  lode  takes  its  course  west 
over  an  eminence,  say  400  feet  higher  than  at  the  starting  point,  and  this  in  a 
distance  of  about  1,000  feet.  The  lode  is  favorably  situated  for  tunnelling,  and 
several  tunnels  are  already  well  advanced.  A  shaft  between  the  two  principal 
tunnels  is  now  down  some  80  feet,  following  the  vein ;  it  will  need  to  be  200 
feet  deep  in  order  to  reach  the  depth  of  the  tunnels.  The  shaft  is  five  and  a 
half  feet  wide,  but  it  does  not  occupy  the  whole  vein.  One  hundred  tons  of  the 
ore  taken  during  the  past  summer  from  this  shaft  and  from  other  cuts,  and 
worked  in  the  Moss  mill,  gave  a  return  of  $18  to  the  ton,  while  the  assays  of  the 
pulp  from  the  battery  gave  about  $35  to  the  ton.  This  experiment  is  not  con- 
sidered, owing  to  a  want  of  proper  facilities  in  the  mill,  an  accurate  test  of 
what  the  ore  will  produce  under  proper  working.  The  owner  of  the  claim,  Mr. 
Hardy,  is  pushing  the  tunnels  and  shafts  forward,  and  is  confident  that  he  lias  a 
good  mine.  He  has  already  expended  $40,000  in  opening  it,  and  will  soon 
erect  a  mill  at  Hardyville.  ' 

The  Lcland  Lode,  in  this  district,  runs  east  and  west,  and  is  about  five  feet  in 
width.  The  rock  bears  gold  and  silver,  the  former  predominating.  The  gold 
is  fine  and  evenly  diffused  through  the  rock.  A  tunnel  150  feet  in  length  strikes 
the  lode  at  the  depth  of  50  feet,  where  the  quartz  is  as  good  as  at  the  surface. 

The  Mitchell  Lode  runs  cast  and  west,  with  a  slight  dip  to  the  north  ;  has  good 
walls,  and  the  vein  is  from  three  to  six  feet  in  width,  of  quartz  and  flourspar. 
A  vein  of  quartz  of  a  bluish  color,  varying  in  width  from  one  to  two  and  a  half 
feet,  runs  the  whole  traceable  length  of  the  lode,  and  prospects  well  in  gold. 
For  my  own  satisfaction  (says  Mr.  Davis)  I  took  from  this  vein  10  pounds  of 
quartz,  a  fair  sample,  and  pulverized  it  in  a  hand  mortar,  when,  washing  it  in  a 
pan,  it  yielded  at  the  rate  of  $150  per  ton  in  gold.  But  little  work  has  been 
performed  upon  the  lode,  owing  to  a  want  of  means  and  to  Indian  troubles. 

THE  SACEAMEXTO  DISTRICT. — Next  to  the  San  Francisco,  the  Sacramento 
is  the  best  known  of  the  districts  adjacent  to  Fort  Mohave  and  Hardyville.  It 
is  some  30  miles  northeast  of  the  latter  plaoe,  and  abounds  in  veins,  several 
of  which  have  been  opened.  This  district  is  tolerably  well  watered,  having 
three  or  four  small  running  streams  and  a  number  of  springs.  The  water  is, 
with  the  exception  of  two  or  three  springs,  of  an  excellent  character.  Pine  and 
cedar  timber  are  abundant,  and  the  whole  district  is  rich  in  nutritious  grasses,  and 
arable  lands  are  near  at  hand.  The  mines  are  chiefly  of  argentiferous  galena, 
and  show  well  in  gold  and  silver.  There  are  also  some  copper  veins  showing 
free  gold.  A  correspondent  has  furnished  the  following  list : 

Neptune  Lode. — This  lode  shows  a  vein  seven  feet  wide,  with  walls  of  slate 
and  granite.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  to  the  depth  of  150  feet.  The  ore  shows 
both  gold  and  silver. 

Silver  Hill  Lode,  argentiferous  galena j  a  shaft  100  feet  deep;  vein  four  feet 
wide. 

Alcran's  Lode,  gold  and  silver ;  shaft  65  feet  deep ;  vein  three  feet  wide. 

Moliave  Chief  Lode,  gold  and  silver ;  shaft  45  feet  ,•  vein  six  feet  wide. 

Antietam  Lode,  copper ;  shaft  40  feet ;  vein  three  feet  wide,  two  feet  of  which 
is  ore  yielding  from  40  to  80  per  cent.  There  are  also  rich  traces  of  gold  and 
silver. 

Blue  Bell  Lode,  gold  and  silver ;  shaft  24  feet ;  vein  two  feet  wide. 

Darby  Lode,  gold  and  silver  shaft  26  feet ;  vein  two  feet  wide. 

Daniel  Webster  Lode,  gold  and  silver ;  two  shafts  20  feet  each ;  vein  three  feet 
wide. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  461 

Atlanta  Lode,  argentiferous  galena;  shaft  22  feet;  vein  three  feet  wide. 

CM  ion  Lode,  argentiferous  galena;  shaft  13  feet;  vein  eight  feet  wide,  show- 
ing a  mass  of  mineral. 

THE  WAUBA  YUMA  DISTRICT  is  upon  the  road  to  Prcscott,  and  some  50 
miles  from  the  Colorado. 

Here  (says  a  writer  describing  the  district)  seems  to  be  an  entire  change  in  the  geological 
formation  ;  the  porphyritic  and  volcanic  rocks  giving  a  place  to  metamorphic  schists,  gneiss, 
and  granitic  rocks  abounding  with  numerous  veins  of  quartz,  and  is  accompanied  by  a  cor- 
responding change  in  the  character  and  direction  of  the  mineral  veins  Near  the  western 
margin  of  the  Wauba  Yuma  district  occurs  a  considerable  vein  of  auriferous  quartz,  accom- 
panied by  ores  of  copper  and  sulphurets  of  iron.  It  is  located  in  a  high  granitic  mountain ; 
it  i^  called  the  "  Pride  of  the  Pines,"  and  appears  to  be  about  10  feet  in  width,  possessing 
promising  characteristics  common  to  the  auriferous  lodes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  has  the 
same  northwest  and  southeast  direction.  Enormous  dikes  or  roofs  of  quartz,  and  of  course 
quartz  ore,  feldspathic  granite,  cut  through  the  reddish  gneissoid  granite  which  forms  the  base- 
ment rock  over  a  large  part  of  the  Wauba  Yuma  district.  Upon  these  gigantic  quartz  ledges 
no  exploration  has  been  made,  nor  is  there  evidence  of  much  metallic  value  in  them. 

There  is  some  timber  in  this  district,  chiefly  pine,  oak,  and  walnut,  and  it  is 
well  supplied  with  water  and  grass. 

The  Pride  of  the  Pines  lode  has  a  shaft  36  feet  in  depth,  and  shows  a  vein 
three  feet  wide,  in  which  there  is  considerable  free  gold  and  some  traces  of  silver. 

The  Ben  Franklin  lode  has  a  shaft  22  feet  deep,  and  shows  a  vein  four  feet 
"Wide,  with  gold  and  silver. 

The  El  Bonito,  McAnneny,  Florence,  McClellan,  Mountain  Lily,  Rubicon, 
and  William  J\I.  Lent  lodes  in  this  district  are  well  spoken  of,  and  a  company 
Las  been  formed  in  New  York  to  develop  them. 

El  Dorado  ca/ion,  upon  the  west  bank  of  the  Colorado,  some  40  miles  north 
of  Hardyville,  is  the  centre  of  a  silver  district,  in  which  a  number  of  lodes  have 
been  located  and  several  of  them  worked.  Two  mills  were  erected  several  years 
since. 

The  Tchatticup  lode  is  seven  feet  wide,  well  defined,  and  yields  good  ore.  Four 
hundred  tons  crushed  averaged  $70  to  the  ton. 

The  Queen  City,  Indian  Queen,  and  other  lodes  have  a  good  reputation. 

This  part  of  Arizona  has,  by  a  vote  of  Congress,  been  set  off  to  the  State 
of  Nevada,  but  its  inhabitants  protest  against  the  change,  and  the  legislature  of 
Arizona  has  unanimously  memorialized  Congress  to  reconsider  its  vote. 

GENERAL  REMARKS  ON  TIIE  COLORADO  RIVER  COUNTRY. — Although  not 
well  known  until  long  after  southern  Arizona  had  been  explored,  and  not  yet 
fully  prospected,  the  valley  of  the  great  Colorado  is  entitled  to  some  considera- 
tion as  a  mining  region.  The  temperature  is  much  like  that  of  southern  Arizona, 
and  the  region  is  about  as  well  wooded  and  watered.  The  timber  is  chiefly 
inesquite  and  iron  wood,  and  found  in  the  ravines  and  gulches.  There  is,  also, 
considerable  cotton  wood  along  the  Colorado  and  its  tributaries,  and  for  mining 
use  and  fuel  the  drift-wood  annually  swept  down  the  Colorado  furnishes  an 
acceptable  supply. 

The  agricultural  lands  of  the  Colorado  region  are  less  extensive  than  those  of 
southern  Arizona,  but  where  the}*  are  found  they  are  mellow  and  fertile.  Tho 
Yuma,  Mohavc,  and  Chimahueva  Indians,  friendly  tribes,  cultivate  them  with 
success,  and  gardens  laid  out  near  La  Paz,  Arizona  City,  Mohave,  and  Hardy- 
ville by  the  white  settlers  have  produced  abundantly.  The  broad  plains  lying 
between  La  Paz  and  Weaver  and  Wickenburg  only  need  water  to  be  made  pro- 
ductive, and  this  it  is  thought  can  be  supplied  by  artesian  wells. 

There  arc  various  opinions  regarding  the  navigation  of  the  Colorado.  Small 
steamers  have  for  some  years  delivered  freight  at  La  Paz  and  Hardyville,  and 
many  persons  consider  the  latter  place  the  practical  head  of  navigation,  but  of 
late  several  trips  have  been  made  to  Callville,  and  it  is  asserted  that  the  river  is 
navigable  to  that  point.  The  difficulties  and  delays  are  serious  obstacles,  but  it 
is  thought  they  may  be  overcome.  Callville  is  some  GOO  miles  from  the  mouth 


462  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

of  the  Colorado,  and  the  roads  to  Salt  Lake  City,  a  distance  of  about  400  miles, 
are  easy  and  safe.  It  is  believed  that  the  river  may  be  improved  so  as  to  render 
navigation  to  Callvillc  practicable  in  a  commercial  point  of  vie\v,  especially 
when  boats  such  as  are  used  upon  the  upper  Missouri,  and  upon  the  Tennessee 
and  Cumberland  rivers,  are  introduced.  In  the  event  of  success,  trade  will  be 
made  one  of  large  profit,  not  only  securing  the  transportation  of  great  quanti- 
ties of  silver  and  copper  ores,  but  of  supplies  for  all  of  Arizona  north  of  the 
Gila,  for  Utah,  and  for  parts  of  Montana.  The  merchants  of  San  Francisco, 
conceding  the  importance  of  .the  river  as  a  channel  of  trade,  have  lately  held 
several  meetings  to  encourage  navigation,  and  to  call  general  attention  to  the 
practicability  of  the  same. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  merchants  of  San  Francisco  held  September  27,  1867, 
G.  W.  Gilmorc,  esq.,  submitted  the  following  report  of  observations  upon  the 
Colorado  river,  chiefly  made  during  the  trip  of  the  steamer  Esmeralda,  Captain 
Rogers,  in  November,  1866  : 

PORT  ISABEL  TO  FORT  YUMA. — For  the  whole  of  this  distance  the  river  runs  through  an 
open  country,  presenting  on  either  side  wide  stretches  of  bottom  lands,  covered  with  vegeta- 
tion and  abundantly  supplied  with  timber,  mostly  cottonwood,  willow  and  mesquite.  The 
Indians  who  live  along  the  river  cultivate  the  land  to  some  extent,  producing  good  crops  of 
Indian  corn,  squashes,  melons,  beans,  tomatoes,  and  other  vegetables.  Occasionally  a  little 
barley  and  wheat  are  planted,  which  always  appear  to  yield  well. 

About  60  miles  above  Port  Isabel,  tule  lands  commence,  extending  along  the  river  on  either 
side  for  a  distance  of  20  or  25  miles,  and  back  from  the  river  to  a  great  width — on  the  west 
shore  said  to  be  in  places  20  or  30  miles  in  width.  These  tule  lands  are  dry  enough  for  cul- 
tivation, and  hold  out  promise  of  great  fertility.  Above  the  tules  the  land  is  again  higher, 
like  that  below,  covered  with  vegetation  and  trees,  and  more  or  less  cultivated  by  the  Indians 
up  to  Fort  Yum  a. 

For  the  whole  of  these  175  miles  the  river  has  a  very  crooked  and  winding  course,  aver- 
aging in  width  probably  half  a  mile ;  and  this  average  width,  it  may  be  here  remarked,  it 
retains  for  the  entire  distance  up  to  Callville,  varied  from  time  to  time  by  bars  and  bends, 
or  by  its  passage  through  mountain  canons  and  rocky  obstructions. 

The  tide  ebbs  and  flows  for  30  or  35  miles  above  Port  Isabel  in  ordinary  stages  of  the  river, 
and  for  this  distance  on  the  flood  tide  salt  water  is  found. 

At  the  rise  of  water  the  river  will  perhaps,  on  the  average  between  Fort  Yuma  and  the 
mouth,  be  five  to  six  feet  above  low  water  level — the  rise  lessening  towards  Port  Isabel. 

The  channel,  sometimes  on  one  shore,  sometimes  on  the  other,  has  a  width  varying  from 
one-eighth  to  one-third  of  a  mile,  and  a  depth  of  from  four  and  a  half  to  eight  feet.  The 
only  obstructions  of  note  in  the  entire  distance  to  Fort  Yuma  are  two  sand-bars,  which  at 
times  have  not  over  two  feet  of  water  upon  them,  and  are  frequently,  in  low  stages  of  water, 
consequently  troublesome.  It  often  happens  that  thes?  bars  are  washed  away  and  changed 
suddenly  by  the  current.  In  one  instance,  during  a  single  night,  a  bar  with  but  two  feet  of 
water  upon  it  disappeared,  and  10  feet  of  water  were  found  next  day  in  its  place. 

FORT  YUMA  TO  LA  PAZ. — The  river  continues  very  crooked,  having  about  the  same  aver- 
age width  and  depth  of  channel.  There  are  perhaps  three  bars  which  may  be  called  bad  iu 
low  water,  though  these  are  frequently  cut  away  by  the  current  so  as  to  have  plenty  of  water 
upon  them. 

At  high  stages  of  water  great  changes  take  place  in  the  channel.  The  banks  are  of  light- 
colored  adobe  soil;  they  were  in  some  places  during  last  season's  unusually  high  water  cut 
away  for  a  mile  directly  into  the  land,  changing  the  course  of  the  river  to  that  extent,  but 
leaving  a  new  channel  quite  equal  to  the  old.  This  cutting  occurs  at  bends  of  the  river  in 
the  bottom  lauds,  which,  as  below  Fort  Yuma,  are  covered  with  vegetation  and  timber;  the 
trees  of  the  varieties  already  named  are  suitable  for  fuel,  and  are  of  very  rapid  growth.  It 
is  found  that  upon  new  lands  formed  by  the  cuttings  of  the  river  cottonwood,  willow,  and 
mesquite  trees  will  be  produced  in  three  years  large  enough  to  cut  for  fuel. 

Fertile  bottom  lands  extend  with  little  interruption  along  the  banks  of  the  river  from  Fort 
Yuma  to  the  Barriers — the  first  rapids  on  the  river,  situated  about  half-way  to  La  Paz.  Here 
a  range  of  broken  mountains  approaches  the  river  on  either  side,  and  its  channel  passes 
between  high  rocks,  which  contract  it  and  give  it  a  current  more  rapid  and  difficult  to  make 
head  against  than  any  other  rapid  on  the  river  excepting  the  Roaring  rapids.  At  the  Bar- 
riers there  are  two  channels.  The  one  used  at  low  water  is  about  100  feet  wide  at  that  stage, 
the  current  flowing  through  smooth,  deep,  and  very  rapid.  The  rapids  are  short,  probably 
500  yards,  more  or  less.  The  other  channel,  used  when  the  river  is  up,  is  wider  and  easier. 

After  passing  the  Barriers,  the  mesa,  an  elevated  gravelly  plateau,  generally  barren,  nearly 
up  to  the  river  in  many  places,  breaking  the  bottom  lands,  and  forming  the  banks  for  spaces 
sometimes  of  half  a  mile,  at  others  ot  two  or  three  miles  along  its  course.  Occasionally  the  mesa 
will  form  one  shore  of  the  river  for  a  mile  or  two,  while  on  the  other  will  be  a  fine  open  bot- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  463 

torn.  This  mesa,  where  it  strikes  the  river,  is  usually  20  to  30  feet  above  the  water.  It  is 
never  ovei -flowed,  and  during  the  mosquito  season  the  Indians  live  upon  it  to  avoid  those 
insert.-,  \\  hk-h  are  exceedingly  troublesome  upon  the  lower  lands.  All  the  way  from  Fort 
Yum  a  to  La  1'a/.  the  mesa  can  be  seen  from  the  river  iu  the  distance,  bordering  the  bottom 
lands,  though  at  times  it  seems  to  be  lf>  or  ii()  miles  distant.  The  bottom  lauds  prevail 
throughout  the  distance  of  175  miles,  probably  covering  two-thirds  of  the  way.  They  are 
similar  to  those  below  Fort  Yuma,  as  before  mentioned,  and  are  to  some  extent  inhabited 
and  cultivated  by  the  Indians,  whose  villages  are  occasionally  seen  along  the  river  shore, 
are  quite  abundant  for  most  of  the  distance,  and  plenty  of  fuel  to  be  had.  Fuel  cut 
by  the  Indians  is  not  very  good,  as  they  usually  take  only  dead  trees  or  driftwood,  instead 
of  cutting  live  trees  and  piling  the  wood  to  dry.  Driftwood  upon  the  lower  river  is  mostly 
of  the  lighter  woods  that  grow  there  ;  while  upon  the  upper  waters  it  is  of  wood  having  good 
substance  for  fuel. 

Above  the  Barriers  is  the  well-known  rancho  of  William  Rhodes,  extending  10  miles  along 
the  east  bank  of  the  river.  The  land  is  cultivated  to  a  small  extent,  and  sustains  large  num- 
bers of  cattle  which  thrive  remarkably  well. 

LA  PAZ  TO  MGIIAVE  CANON.— The  character  of  the  river  is  a  little  changed  in  these  100 
miles.  It  lias  a  width  of  from  one-eighth  to  one-third  of  a  mile,  and  a  depth  ranging  from 
four  and  a  half  to  eight  feet,  with  occasional  bars  having,  say.  30  inches  of  water  upon 
them.  It  is  much  less  crooked  than  below.  There  is  generally  a  good  wide  channel  with 
a  pretty  rapid  current,  and  occasionally  a  short  bend  which,  at  high  water,  will  cause  a 
powerful  eddy,  a  little  dangerous  for  a  steamboat  of  insufficient  power.  There  is,  however, 
no  broken  water,  and  no  dangerous  rocks  are  to  be  found. 

The  valley  described  in  the  last  section  extends,  with  little  change  of  character,  up  to 
Mohavo  canon.  About  30  miles  above  La  Paz  the  Chimahueva  mountains  approach  to 
within  a  couple  of  miles  of  the  shores  cf  the  river,  with  a  h'ne  open  country  lying  about 
their  base.  In  these  mountains  are  copper  mines  which  promise  to  become  very  productive 
whenever  work  upon  them,  now  suspended,  shall  be  resumed.  After  passing  Williams  Fork, 
situated  about  80  miles  above  La  Paz,  there  is  a  distance  of  13  or  20  miles  to  Mohavu  canon, 
through  which  the  river  passes,  cutting  its  way  for  eight  or  nine  miles  through  a  high  range 
of  mountains  ;  flowing  partly  between  immense  precipices  of  rock,  rising  nearly  perpendic- 
ular from  its  sides,  and  partly  between  masses  of  broken  rocks  and  mountains.  The  chan- 
nel, however,  is  of  good  width  and  depth,  free  from  dangerous  rocks,  and  with  deep  water 
close  up  to  the  rocky  shores,  against  which  a  steamboat's  guards  will  touch  while  the  hull  is 
in  clear  water,  free  from  projecting  points  of  rock.  This  feature  is  constantly  to  be  observed 
upon  the  Colorado  in  places  where  it,  passes  between  shores  of  rock,  and  is  a  most  favorable 
circumstance  for  steamboat  navigation. 

MOIIAVE  CANON  TO  HAKDYVILLE.— Above  the  canon  the  valley  again  presents  itself, 
differing  little  in  character  until  reaching  Fort  Mohave,  about  30  miles  above.  For  this  dis- 
tance the  bottom  lands  prevail,  bordered  in  the  distance  by  the  mesa,  which  occasionally 
comes  up  and  skirts  the  river  for  short  distances  and  then  again  recedes,  leaving  long,  wide 
stretches  of  low  lands  covered  with  vegetation,  and  producing  the  same  timber  as  that  found 
lower  down  the  river.  Upon  the  east  side  of  the  river  u  few  Mohave  India  is  are  scattered  ; 
on  the  west,  a  small  number  of  the  Chimahuevn  tribe.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  fine  fanning 
land  lying  between  the  canon  and  the  fort,  some  of  which  is  already  occupied  by  Americans. 
Here  was  located  the  Philadelphia  raucho,  occupying  several  miles  along  the  east  side  of  the 
river.  Of  this  rancho  a  large  part  has  been  washed  away  and  lost  by  the  cutting  out  of  the 
river  during  the  past  two  seasons. 

After  passing  Fort  Mohave  the  shores  change.  Low  mesas,  producing  a  little  vegetation, 
form  the  banks  upon  both  sides  of  the  river,  except  when  occasionally  broken  by  small  bot- 
toms of  good  land,  some  ol  them  occupied  by  a  few  Indians.  Scarcely  any  timber  is  seen 
upon  the  river  from  the  fort  up  to  Cottonwood  island.  What  little  formerly  grew  upon  this 
part  of  the  river  has  been  mostly  cut  off. 

For  the  60  miles  from  Mohave  canon  to  Hardyville  there  is  nothing  serious  to  impede 
navigation.  The  river  is  much  straighter  than  in  the  lower  parts,  and  has  no  sharp  bends 
and  no  bad  bars.  In  some  places  a  strong  current  is  encountered,  but  there  is  nothing  to 
stop  a  steamboat.  The  average  width  of  the  river  continues  about  half  a  mile.  The  chan- 
nel in  width  and  depth  is  about  the  same  as  that  described  in  the  lower  part  of  the  river. 

HARDYVILLE  TO  -COTTONWOOD  ISLAND. — The  shores  continue  of  low  mesas  on  eact 
side.  There  is  very  little  timber  to  be  seen.  Here  and  there  is  a  small  opening  of  arable 
land,  breaking  the  line  of  the  mesa.  A  few  Indians  of  the  Mohave  and  Chimahueva  tribes 
are  found  upon  the  banks.  The  country  generally  presents  a  poor  and  barren  aspect,  but 
in  a  few  places  upon  the  small  bottoms  farms  might  be  cultivated.  A  trifling  amount  ot 
firewood  can  yet  be  had  upon  this  portion  of  the  river. 

For  this  distance  the  river  may  be  said  to  be  quite  straight.  Its  bends  are  long  and  easy, 
and  it  offers  every  facility  for  navigation.  The  few  bars  found  have  sufficient  water  upon 
them  even  at  low  stages.  Some  places  are  to  be  passed  where  there  is  a  quick  current,  but 
there,  is  no  obstruction  to  navigation  until  the  head  of  Cottonwood  island  is  reached.  At 
this  place  there  is  a  sand-bar  upon  which  the  depth  of  water  frequently  changes,  and  which 
is  said  might  sometimes  in  low  water  prove  troublesome.  When  the  Esmeralda  crossed  it 


464  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

there  were  five  feet  of  water  upon  it,  and  that  at  a  low  stage  of  the  river.  The  river  con- 
tinues about  half  a  mile  in  average  width,  and  the  channel  about  the  same  in  depth  and 
width  as  in  the  lower  river — ranging  say  from  four  and  one-half  to  eight  feet  deep  in  most 
places. 

Cottonwood  island,  about  10  miles  long  by  an  average  of  about  three  miles  wide,  is  a  fine, 
level  island,  fertile  and  covered  Avith  grass,  and  having  considerable  timber.  Claims  are 
said  to  have  been  located  upon  the  land,  but  it  is  yet  unoccupied.  On  the  main  laud  on 
both  sides  of  the  river  opposite  Cottomvood  island  are  fine  bottom  lands,  with  good  grass. 

A  large  quantity  of  driftwood  of  superior  kind  for  fuel,  composed  mainly  of  pitch-pine  and 
cedar,  every  year  lodges  at  the  head  and  along  the  sides  of  the  island — sufficient,  perhaps, 
alone,  if  taken  care  of,  to  furnish  the  fuel  for  years  to  steamboats  passing  on  the  Callville 
route.  An  immense  quantity  of  this  wood  was  upon  the  island,  estimated  at  several  thou- 
sand cords.  The  entire  head  of  the  island  seemed  to  be  formed  of  trunks  of  trees  and  sand 
washed  in  between  them.  The  driftwood  consists  of  trees,  much  broken  up,  of  various 
sizes,  not  usually  exceeding  14  inches  in  diameter. 

COTTONWOOD  ISLAND  TO  CALLVILLE. — In  these  60  miles  are  found  the  following  points 
of  interest : 
Round  island,  four  miles  above  Cottonwood  island. 

El  Dorado  canon,  five  or  six  miles  above  Round  island 10  miles. 

The  cave,  five  miles  from  El  Dorado  canon 15      " 

Roaring  rapids,  two  or  thre,e  miles  above  the  cave 18      " 

[Explorers'  rock  is  six  miles  above  Roaring  rapids.] 

Black  canon,  20  miles  above  Roaring  rapids 38      '• 

Callville,  20  or  22  miles  above  Black  canon 60      " 

From  Cottonwood  island  to  Round  island,  (four  miles,)  there  is  nothing  serious  to  impede 
navigation.  The  channel  is  good,  though  occasionally  somo  "strong  water"  is  met  with. 

At  the  point  where  El  Dorado  canon  empties  into  the  Colorado,  (five  miles  above  Round 
island,)  mountains  and  high  broken  lands  commence,  and  continue  to  border  the  river  until 
the  Black  canon  is  passed,  a  distance  of  probably  28  or  30  miles. 

From  Round  island  to  El  Dorado  canon,  (five  or  six  miles,)  the  channel  continues  goo?3, 
and  without  obstruction,  except  occasional  "  swift  places"  of  no  great  moment. 

After  passing  El  Dorado  canon,  and  until  Roaring  rapids  are  reached,  (a  distance  of  about 
eight  miles, )  the  channel  continues  good,  with  smooth  water,  but  a  quicker  curient.  No 
impediment  is  found  here  that  could  be  at  all  serious  in  any  stage  of  the  water  until  arrival 
at  the  famous  Roaring  rapids. 

These  rapids  are  caused  by  bars,  composed  of  rock,  gravel,  and  boulders,  which  make  out 
obliquely  from  each  side  of  the  river  toward  the  centre.  The  current  striking  these  bars  is 
deflected  with  a  strong  swell  or  roll  from  each  bank  towards  the  middle  of  the  channel.  These 
swells  cause  the  water  to  break  where  they  meet,  and  the  water  has  then  a  straight  rapid 
shoot  down  the  contracted  channel  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  With  the  lead  no  bottom  could 
be  found  in  the  rapids.  The  water  appeared  very  deep,  probably  as  much  as  30  feet.  The 
rapid  water  may  be  altogether  500  yards  in  extent,  but  of  this  the  great  obstruction  is  found 
in  only  200  to  300  feet ;  there  the  straight  rapid  shoot  above  described  is  located.  In  these 
200  to  300  feet  the  descent  of  the  water  is  plainly  perceptible  to  the  eye.  By  the  use  of  a 
water-level  it  was  found  to  fall  in  the  neighborhood  of  four  feet  in  the  distance  named.  There 
is  a  rock  here  standing  about  five  feet  out  of  water,  which  is  probably  covered  when  the  river 
is  high,  but  is  easily  avoided,  and  in  fact  it  would  be  difficult  to  run  upon  it,  as  the  swell  and 
the  course  of  the  current  would  set  a  boat  away  from  it. 

To  pass  the  200  to  300  feet  of  rapid  broken  water  described,  the  Esmeralda  placed  a  ring- 
bolt in  the  rocks  above,  (the  only  ring-bolt  used  on  the  trip,)  and  ran  a  line  800  feet  in  length 
to  it.  This  line  was  taken  to  the  steam  capstan  on  the  single  purchase,  and  the  steamboat 
was  run  up  the  800  feet  to  the  ring-bolt  in  seven  minutes  easily,  and  without  apparent  strain. 
For  perhaps  three-fourths  of  the  800  feet  the  steamboat  slowly  backed  her  wheel  to  keep  her 
head  right. 

After  running  the  Esmeralda  up,  the  line  was  taken  to  the  loaded  barge,  which  was  hauled 
up  in  about  30  minutes,  using  the  three-fold  purchase  upon  the  capstan.  At  this  time  the 
river  was  at  a  low  stage,  probably  nearly  as  low  as  it  usually  gets. 

From  Roaring  rapids  to  Black  canon,  (about  20  miles, )  there  are  a  number  of  rapids.  Of 
these  only  three  are  of  any  consequence,  and  in  them  the  water  scarcely  breaks  at  all.  At 
the  rapids  the  shores  were  always  rocky,  but  there  was  ample  width  in  the  channel  to  clear  all 
rocks,  which  were  generally  above  water.  Explorers'  rock,  situated  in  this  portion  of  the 
river,  is  near  mid-channel,  and  is  seldom  or  never  seen  above  water.  Its  position,  however, 
is  well  known,  and  there  is  little  danger  from  it,  as  there  is  about  JOO  feot  of  clear  channel- 
way  on  either  side  of  it,  and  the  river  runs  with  a  still  slow  current. 

Black  canon,  from  its  entrance  to  its  termination,  is  from  8  to  10  miles  in  length.  In  the 
canon  the  river  has  an  average  width  of  perhaps  200  feet.  It  is  here  a  still  deep  stream, 
flowing  smoothly,  but  not  very  rapidly,  between  bold  rocks,  which,  for  a  large  part  of  the 
way,  rise  in  precipitous  walls  to  an  immense  height  above  the  water.  The  channel  is  free 
from  rocks  from  shore  to  shore,  and  has  no  sudden  or  short  turns.  The  Esmeralda  towed 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  465 

the  barge  through  the  canon,  not  running  a  line  more  than  once  or  twice,  and  that  only  to 
save  fuel. 

Leaving  Black  canon,  the  country  again  becomes  open,  with  occasional  bottom  lands  and 
grass  on  either  side,  up  to  Vegas  Wash,  six  or  eight  miles  distant.  The  river  resumes  its 
average  width  of  about  half  a  mile ;  it  runs  with  smooth  water,  but  a  strong  current,  to  make 
head  against  which  the  Esmeralda  constantly  run  lines.  The  lines  were,  however,  only  used 
to  economize,  fuel,  which  must  have  been  freely  used  to  propel  the  boat  against  the  quick 
current.  Only  the  single  capstan  was  usod.  No  bars  or  rapids  were  found  between  Black 
canon  and  Vegas  Wash.  The  channel  was  in  width  and  depth  about  equal  to  that  of  the 
lower  river.  A  small  tribe  of  Indians  live  along  the  banks  of  the  river. 

From  Vegas  Wash.toCallville,  (12  to  15  miles,)  the  Colorado  has  a  smooth  slack  current, 
and  plenty  of  water.  The  country  along  the  river  is  mostly  mesa  and  sand,  but  with  con- 
siderable land  that  seemed  fit  for  cultivation.  A  few  Indians  are  living  upon  this  section. 
There  is  scarcely  any  timber  growing  from  Black  canon  toCallville,  (what  was  seen  was  wil- 
low and  mesquite, )  but  a  little  drift-wood  lodges  along  the  banks  for  the  whole  distance. 
Besides  what  the  Esmeralda  used,  she  left  about  enough  of  this  drift-wood  for  one  more 
trip  up. 

Nothing  was  seen  of  the  Colorado  above  Callville.  Information  obtained  showed  that  a  steam- 
boat might  possibly  be  taken  up,  with  difficulty,  to  a  point  30  miles  higher,  but  that  there, 
owing  to  the  crooks  in  the  river,  she  would  be  but  eight  miles  distant  in  a  straight  line  by  laud 
from  Callville.  Mr.  Smith,  the  Mormon  agent,  stated  that  three  men,  at  different  times,  and 
each  ignorant  of  the  other's  proceedings,  had  been  sent  by  l}i  ighain  Young  from  Salt  Lake, 
to  examine  the  river  and  adjacent  country ;  and  that  each  had  separately  reported  that  Call- 
ville must  be  the  head  of  navigation. 

THE  CAVE. — Two  or  three  miles  below  Roaring  rapids,  and  in  sight  of  them,  the  river  at 
a  bend  strikes  the  face  of  a  steep  rocky  mountain.  The  action  of  the  water  has  here  scooped 
or  hollowed  out  a  very  remarkable  cave,  about  70  feet  in  width  at  its  entrance,  extending 
directly  into  the  rock  for  about  200  feet,  and  having  a  height  of  perhaps  50  or  CO  feet.  The 
current  setting  into  and  out  of  this  cave  carries  in  and  deposits  sufficient  drift-wood  to  keep 
it  full  to  extreme  high -water  mark.  When  the  Esmeralda  stopped  here  for  wood  it  was  found 

Eiled  in  to  the  height  of  20  feet  above  the  then  stage  of  water,  filling  the  cave  to  about  that 
eight  for  nearly  the  whole  extent.     It  is  supposed  that  if  the  cave  were  cleared  out  every 
year,  it  would  be  filled  afresh  by  the  season's  drift.     If  this  be  so,  it  will  bo  readily  under- 
stood how  valuable  the  cave  may  become  to  a  steamboat  tine  to  Callville.     There  are  high 
grounds  near  by  upon  which  the  wood,  when  taken  out,  could  be  safely  piled. 

GENERAL  OBSERVATIONS  UPON  THE  RIVER,  &c. — The  average  current  of  the  Colorado  at 
ordinary  low  stages,  where  no  contraction  or  special  obstruction  exists,  may  be  about  three 
and  a  half  miles  per  hour.  At  li'gh  water  it  is  of  course  more^rapid.  Against  such  a  current 
the  Esmeralda,  when  under  way,  towing  a  loaded  barge,  would  make  about  40  miles  per  day 
from  point  to  point,  running  only  during  daylight.  When  regular  navigation  is  established 
boats  will  undoubtedly  run  day  and  night,  except  that  when  reaching  any  difficult  place  at 
night  it  may  be  necessary  to  wait  for  daylight,  to  pass.  At  least  this  will  be  the  case  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  passage  to  Callville,  say  from  Port  Isabel  to  El  Dorado  canon,  distance 
about  350  miles.  Whenever  steamboats  get  to  ruuaing  frequently  and  regularly,  the  con- 
stant stirring  of  the  sand  upon  the  bars  will,  it  is  believed,  keep  them  washing  away,  so  that 
a  good  depth  of  water  may  always  be  found  upon  them.  A  steamboat  for  the  Callville  trade 
should  have  an  18-inch  cylinder,  draw  not  over  20  inches,  and  be  not  over  140  feet  in  length, 
with  a  large  stern  wheel.  A  boat  like  this  would  go  from  Point  Isabel  to  Callville,  with  a 
barge  in  tow  currying  200  tons  of  goods,  in  14  days,  runniag  only  by  daylight,  at  almost  any 
stage  of  the  river.  When  boats  of  this  description  are  placed  upon  the  river,  the  trips  will  be 
made  with  tUe  same  regularity  and  certainty  as  on  the  rivers  of  California.  Up  to  this  time 
thore  has  never  been  a  suitable  boat  on  the  Colorado.  All  are  deficient  in  power  and  size, 
and  some  draw  too  much  water.  The  Indians  living  along  the  whole  length  of  the  river  are 
friendly  and  peaceable. 

Bough  estimate  of  distances. 

Port  Isabel  to  Fort  Yuma r 175  miles. 

Fort  Yuma  to  La  Paz,  175  miles 350 

LuPiix  to  Williams  Fork,  80  miles 430 

Williams  Fork  to  Mohave  canon,  18  miles 450 

Mohave  canon  to  Hardy ville,  60  miles 510 

1  lardy  ville  to  Cottouwood  island,  30  miles 540 

Cottouwood  island  to  Callville,  GO  miles COO 

OTHER  STATEMENTS. — At  the  same  public  meeting,  R.  G.  Sneath,  esq.,  of  San  Francisco, 
said  he  believed  that  freight  could  be  put  down  at  Callville  for  four  cents  per  pound,  and 
that  a  chance  was  now  offered  to  supply  125,000  to  130,000  people  with  the  necessaries  of 
life,  and  they  ought  to  take  advantage  of  it.  In  answer  to  question  put  by  the  chairman,  he 
said  that  he  believed  that  it  would  take  from  30  to  60  days  to  run  a  cargo  through  to  Call- 
ville. It  would  have  to  be  transhipped  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  it  might  be  well  to 
transfer  it  again  to  a  powerful  boat  below  the  rapids. 

30 


466  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Captain  Rogers  said,  as  far  as  his  knowledge  went,  there  was  no  partictilar  trouble  in  navi 
gating  the  river.  There  was  a  scarcity  of  wood  for  50  miles  below  Callville,  but  the  Mor- 
mons told  him  that  the.re  was  a  mountain  at  the  back  of  that  place  where  there  was  plenty 
of  wood,  which  could  be  obtained  at  reasonable  rates,  say  about  $7  per  cord.  Wood  could  be 
procured  the  whole  length  of  the  river  for  from  $3  to  $4  per  cord,  and  by  cutting  it  them- 
selves, for  us.  He  thought  that  when  proper  arrangements  were  perfected  the  trip  could  be 
made  inside  of  15  days.  The  expense  of  running  a  steamer  was  less  there  than  here ;  it  did 
not  cost  nearly  so  much  on  the  Colorado  as  on  the  Sacramento  river.  Labor  and  wood  were 
cheaper  there.  They  pay  $50  per  month  to  men  on  the  Sacramento,  and  on  the  Colorado 
only  $25 ;  they  pay  $6  per  cord  for  wood  on  the  former  river,  and  only  $3  on  the  latter. 

Captain  Rogers,  in  answer  to  questions,  said  that  the  currents  were  stronger  and  not  so 
regular,  on  the  Colorado,  than  on  the  Sacramento,  but  there  was  deeper  water  on  the  former. 
There  were  no  sand-bars  to  speak  of  above  Fort  Mohave,  and  the  river  was  not  practically 
more  difficult  to  navigate  than  the  waters  of  the  upper  Missouri.  He  had  no  doubt  in  the 
world  that  it  would  prove  the  best  paying  institution  oil  the  coast ;  it  would  certainly  pay 
better  than  the  Sacramento  river.* 


SECTION    IV. 

CENTRAL   ARIZONA. 

It  was  net  until  1862  and  1863  that  an  attempt  was  made  thoroughly  to 
explore  Central  Arizona.  Whipple  and  Beale  had  crossed  by  the  35th  parallel ; 
Aubry  and  Leroux  had  seen  something  of  the  Salt  and  Verde  rivers,  the  chief 
northern  tributaries  of  the  Gila  j  but  no  one  had  attempted  more  than  a  hurried 
passage  through  the  country,  although  all  believed  it  to  be  rich  in  the  precious 
ores.  Late  in  1862,  or  early  in  1863,  Powel  or  Pauline  Weaver,  a  noted  moun- 
tain man,  who  had  crossed  Arizona  by  the  Gila  as  early  as  1832,  was  attracted 
by  the  placers  at  La  Paz  to  look  for  others  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  and 
started  with  a  party  of  men  for  exploration.  He  found  what  have  since  been 
known  as  the  Weaver  diggings,  near  Antelope  Hill  and  the  town  of  Weaver, 
some  sixty  miles  south  of  the  present  town  of  Prescott.  About  the  same  time 
Joseph  Walker,  another  well-known  and  veteran  pioneer,  arrived  at  Pima  Vil- 
lages with  a  party  of  gold  hunters,  and  determined  to  go  north  to  see  what  the 
unexplored  country,  from  whieh  the  Indians  had  often  brought  fabulous  reports, 
really  contained  in  the  way  of  precious  metals.  This  party  discovered  and 
ascended  the  Hassyampa,  one  of  the  main  streams  of  Central  Arizona,  which 
has  its  rise  about  ten  miles  southeast  of  the  town  of  Prescott,  and  runs  nearly 
south  until  it  sinks  in  the  desert  some  twelve  miles  below  the  town  of  Wicken- 
burg.  Part  of  the  Walker  party  went  to  the  Weaver  diggings,  where  on  the 
top  of  Antelope  Hill,  in  a  most  remarkable  position,  Mr.  Snelling  discovered  a 

*  Although  the  description  given  of  the  Colorado  river  in  the  above  report  is  substantially  correct  so  far  as 
relates  to  its  general  features,  the  difficulties  of  its  navigation  are  considerably  underrated.  It  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  these  representations  are  made  by  parties  interested  in  getting  up  a.soheme  to  secure  the 
Utah  trade.  So  far  from  the  depth  of  water  being  greater  on  the  Colorado  than  on  the  Sacramento,  my  own 
experience  from  Fort  Mojave  to  Fort  Yuma,  and  all  the  testimony  I  have  been  enabled  to  gather  on  the  sub- 
ject^ furnish  direct  proof  to  the  contrary.  The  depth  at  the  ordinary  low  stage  on  the  Colorado  is  not  more 
than  two  and  a  half  feet  on  the  bars.  In  January,  1865,  the  Cocopah,  under  command  of  Captain  Robinson, 
one  of  the  most  experienced  pilots  on  .the  river,  was  nearly  two  months  making  the  trip  from  Fort  Yuma  to 
Fort  Mojave,  and  the  draught  of  this  boat  was  not  over  24  inches.  She  was  compelled  to  transfer  all  her  freight 
to  barges  after  passing  La  Paz.  On  the  return  trip  from  Fort  Mojave  to  Fort  Yuma,  without  any  freight 
whatever,  she  took  nine  days  to  make  a  distance  of  less  than  300  miles  down  stream.  The  great  difficulty 
arises  from  the  constant  shifting  of  the  channels,  caused  by  the  caving  of  banks,  deposits  of  sand  in  new 
places,  and  consequent  changes  in  the  direction  of  the  current.  It  is  a  peculiarity  of  tha  river  that  any 
improvement  made  in  the  way  of  dams,  wings,  or  weirs  must,  from  its  very  nature,  be  of  temporary  benefit. 
The  natural  laws  which  govern  this  stream  are  constantly  in  operation.  New  caves  in  the  alluvial  banks 
throw  the  current  out  of  the  existing  channels;  and  even  where  this  cannot  occur,  there  are  always  new 
deposits  of  sand  made  at  their  lower  extremity,  thus  creating  new  obst.icles.  The  Roaring  Rapids  form  an 
almost  insuperable  barrier  to  navigation  beyond  that  point,  but  it  would  be  less  difficult  to  make  a  permanent 
improvement  there,  where  the  banks  are  rocky,  than  in  the  long  stretches  of  the  river  below,  where  the  banks 
are  composed  of  sand.  It  certainly  requires  something  more  than  the  unsupported  statement  of  an  interested 
party,  however  reliable,  to  justify  the  assertion  that  the  Colorado  is  superior  to  the  Sacramento  as  a  navigable 
stream,  or  that  it  can  ever  compete  with  the  latter  river  in  the  extent  or  value  of  its  trade.  There  is  neither 
the  population  nor  the  natural  facilities  to  justify  such  a  conclusion.  Small  steamers  may  possibly  be  con- 
structed to  navigate  the  Colorado  to  greater  advantage  than  those  now  in  use,  but  I  am  clearly  of  opinion  that 
no  extensive  trade  will  euer  be  carried  on  with  Salt  Lake  City  by  ihe  way  of  Callville.— J.  R.  B. 


WEST   OP   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  467 

large  quantity  of  gold,  much  of  it  in  pieces  of  unusual  size.  One  nugget  weigh- 
ing a  half  pound  was  taken  out.  Much  of  the  mineral  was  dug  out  with  com- 
mon jack-knives,  and  one  man  is  said  to  have  taken  out  $4,000  in  a  single  day. 
It  is  the  common  impression  that  if  water  could  be  had  at  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tain much  of  the  soil  would  pay  very  richly.  A  large  amount  of  work  has  been 
done,  and  a  great  deal  of  money  taken  out  along  the  creek  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  where  the  mining  town  of  Weaver  is  located. 

The  Walker  party  gradually  ascended  to  Hassyampa,  finding  gold  at  nearly 
every  point,  and  in  the  winter  of  1863  and  1864  taking  possession  of  the  Lynx 
or  Walker  Creek  diggings,  (ten  miles  east  of  Prescott,)  from  which  it  is  esti- 
mated that  little,  if  any,  less  than  a  half  million  of  dollars  have  been  taken. 
They  also  gathered  much  gold  on  Big  Bug  creek,  four  miles  east  of  Lynx  creek. 
As  the  placers  were  pretty  well  worked  the  miners  began  to  look  for  quartz 
veins,  and  found  no  lack  of  them.  All  along  the  Hassyampa,  upon  the  Agua 
Frio,  a  parallel  stream  of  considerable  size,  upon  Lynx  creek,  Big  Bug,  Turkey 
creek,  and  indeed  upon  nearly  all  the  streams  of  Central  Arizona  lodes  of  gold, 
silver,  and  copper  were  found.  In  the  excitement  a  great  many  were  named 
and  recorded  which  have  no  value. 

GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  PRESCOTT  REGION  OF  COUNTRY.* — There  are  three 
elevated  ranges  of  mountains  preserving  an  approximate  parallelism  and  trend- 
ing in  general  north  and  south.  Between  them  are  wide  meridianal  depressions, 
occupied  by  grass  plains. 

The  eastern  range  is  called  the  Tonto  Plateau,  and  is  composed  of  horizontal 
strata  of  lime  and  sandstone,  resting  upon  the  surface  of  a  broken  granite  sys- 
tem. The  surface  or  summit  of  the  chain  is  quite  evenly  level,  a  plateau  of  fif- 
teen miles  wide  and  over  a  hundred  long  covered  with  pines.  West  of  this  and 
separated  from  it  by  the  Tonto  or  Prescott  plains,  lies  the  Sierra  Prieta ;  a  con- 
tinuous elevated  ridge  of  about  60  miles  in  length. 

Westward  again  is  the  Skull  mountain  chain,  a  less  important  formation. 

These  will  be  described  separately. 

The  broad  valleys  between  the  two  first  ranges  open  northward  and  connect 
with  the  great  Val  de  China,  which  lies  be\rond,  bounded  on  the  northeast  by 
escarped  mural  edge  of  the  great  Plateau  or  Colorado  Mesa,  and  on  the  west  by 
the  mass  of  the  Aztec  mountains.  This  extended  valley  or  plain  system  is  all 
connected,  and  the  entire  drainage  empties  around  the  northern  end  of  the  Tonto 
mountains  into  the  west  branch  of  the  Rio  Verde. 

The  valley  lying  west  of  the  Sierra  Prieta  drains  the  Williams  fork. 

THE  TONTO  PLATEAU. — This  singular  table  range  is  unlike  most  chains  in 
Arizona.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  part  of  the  grand  Mesa,-  its  summit  being  on  the  exact 
level  of  the  plateau,  and  only  separated  from  it  on  the  east  by  the  deeply  crowded 
canon  of  the  Rio  Verde.  This  stream  has  cut  down  a  valley  of  about  3,000  feet 
deep,  arid  thus  isolated  the  Tonto  range,  leaving  it  as  an  outlying  strip  of 
plateau,  having  the  aspect  from  the  country  on  either  side  of  a  true  range.  The 
excavation  of  vast  valleys  on  its  western  side  have  left  a  high  escarpment  of  its 
strata  on  that  flank. 

Along  its  base,  where  the  erosim  has  cut  deepest,  granite  cones  of  the  under- 
lying system  are  laid  bare,  curiously  varying  the  general  aspect. 

The  exact  limit  of  this  table  in  its  southern  extension  is  not  yet  known,  but 
like  the  Sierra  Prieta  it  must  finally  sink  under  the  low  plains  of  the  Rio  Salado 
and  Gila. 

Its  summit  is  about  8,000  feet  high,  rising  at  the  northern  end  to  nearly  9,000 
above  sea  level.  Forests  of  pinus  Fremontiana  and  pinus  ponderosa  grow  in 
considerable  extent  over  its  more  elevated  portions,  and  a  most  luxuriant  growth 

*  Report  of  Clarence  King,  esq.,  of  the  State  geological  survey  of  California,  to  Colonel 
R.  S.  Williamson  on  the  geological  features  of  Northern  Arizona. 


468  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

of  bunch  and  gramma  grasses  is  everywhere  found.  Water  is  rare  except  in  the 
two  rainy  seasons. 

THE  SIERRA  PRIETA. — By  referring  to  the  map,  the  geographical  position 
and  extent  of  this  important  claim  will  be  easily  seen.  I  shall  coniine  myself 
to  a  few  notes  on  its  structure,  and  the  distribution  of  waters  and  timber. 

From  our  elevated  position  upon  one  of  its  culminating  peaks,  we  could  look 
down  the  line  of  the  range  and  overlook  a  large  portion  of  the  wide-spread  foot- 
hill system.  In  this  description  I  shall  use  all  the  notes  afterwards  made  from 
othe/points  of  view,  both  from  the  valley  of  Kirkland  creek  and  the  summits  of 
the  Aztec  chain. 

GRANITE  MOUNTAIN,  THE  NORTHERN  TERMINUS  or  SIERRA  PRIETA. — An 
immense  pile  of  granite  rears  out  of  the  plains  and  low  foot-hills  which  stretch 
eastward  and  south  from  the  Aztec  mountains.  To  the  eastward  it  presents  a  very 
rugged  front,  deep  scored  by  ravines  and  ribbed  by  cragged,  precipitous  spurs.  It 
is  an  elongated  mass,  ending  northward  in  barren  rock  cones  of  700  or  800  feet  in 
height,  and  on  the  south  extending  into  the  summit  ridge  of  the  chain.  Within 
a  radius  of  four  or  five  miles  of  the  base  the  whole  distance  is  occupied  by  low 
ridge-like  masses  of  granite,  which  are  covered  with  immense  detached  boulders 
poised  one  upon  another  in  strange  positions.  Among  these  are  many  egg-shaped 
masses  weighing  80  to  100  tons,  balanced  on  the  small  end. 

GENERAL  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  RANGE. — The  granitic  ridge  terminating  in 
the  peak  just  mentioned  extends  southward  for  about  65  miles,  maintaining  an 
average  elevation  of  nearly  8,000  feet,  rising  in  three  conspicuous  places  to  about 
9,000  feet  each.  These  are  Granite  mountain,  the  northern  terminus,  Mount 
Union,  about  the  middle  of  the  range,  and  Bradshaw's  mountain,  its  southern  end. 
Its  average  extention  latterally  is  25  miles.  The  topography  is  comparatively 
simple,  consisting  of  the  central  ridge,  which  is  usually  straight,  and  from  which, 
at  right  angles  on  either  side,  project  long  rocky  spurs  descending  at  easy  grades 
to  the  plains  on  both  sides. 

Tabular  masses  of  nearly  horizontal,  sedimentary  rocks  rest  tinconformably  on 
the  spurs  in  the  Big  Bug  district,  south  of  Prescott,  varying  the  rolling  character 
of  the  surface.  These  isolated  fragments  of  mesas  are,  without  doubt,  relics  of 
the  same  beds  which  form  the  Tonto  and  Colorado  plateau,  and  'which  have  been 
accidentally  left  in  the  great  period  of  erosim,  when  the  main  mass  of  overlying 
rock  was  worn  away  and  carried  oft'  from  the  granitic  flanks  of  the  Sierra. 
'Accompanying  the  granite  is  a  system  of  highly  inclined  (and  even  vertical) 
rocks,  which  strike  with  the  range,  skirting  its  eastern  base,  and  forming  the 
material  of  the  lower  foot-hills.  Southward  of  Prescott  this  series  of  rocks  widen, 
and  finally  occupy  more  than  half  of  the  eastern  slope. 

They  are  of  great  importance  geologically,  as  being  the  chief  auriferous  rock 
of  the  region,  and  enclosing,  parallel  with  their  stratification,  the  main  quartz 
lodes  of  the  Prescott  and  Big  Bug  districts.  Metamorphic  slates,  mica  sheets 
and  quartzites  are  the  principal  rocks,  but  there  is  interbedded  a  fine  seam  of 
micaceous  oxyd  of  iron,  a  hematite  of  apparently  great  purity.  This  zone  seems 
to  be  about  15  feet  thick,  and  I  have  traced  its  indications  for  about  17  miles. 
West  of  Mint  valley  it  is  conspicuous  in  a  sharp  purple  outcrop,  which  may  be 
followed  north  and  south  for  several  miles,  dipping  about  85°  to  the  east. 

The  detrital  matter,  sand,  gravel  and  clay,  which  has  been  brought  down  from 
the  slopes  of  the  chain  and  deposited  by  former  torrents  in  valleys  among  the 
lowest  foot-hills,  and  even  out  upon  the  plains,  has,  in  cross-ing  the  auriferous 
zone,  become  mixed  with  its  peculiar  rocks,  and  contains  the  gold  resulting  from 
their  disintegration  and  decomposition.  These  gravel  deposits  and  stream  sands, 
although  never  (so  far  as  known)  so  rich  as  the  placer  washings  of  Califcrnia, 
are  yet  sufficiently  charged  with  the  precious  dust  to  pay  for  washing,  especially 
where  water  enough  for  extended  operations  is  present.  *  It  is  curious  to  observe 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  469 

along  the  placer  grounds  of  this  region  numerous  obscure  traces  of  the  former 
inhabitants. 

Circular  mounds  of  stones  occupy  many  of  the  little  knolls  and  heights  along 
the  streams,  and  everywhere  they  exist  numberless  fragments  of  earthenware 
and  glazed  pottery  are  thickly  strewn  over  the  surface.  That  these  ruins  are  of 
considerable  age  is  proved  by  large  cedar  trees  whose  roots  penetrate  and  embrace 
the  confused  rock  piles,  and  which,  by  examination  of  the  rings  of  growth,  are 
found  to  be,  in  some  cases,  not  less  than  200  years  old.  It  is  firmly  believed 
by  many  placer  miners  that  the  gold  ground  has  formerly  been  washed  over. 
This  idea  is  based  on  the  disturbed  position  of  the  boulders  and  gravel  in  the 
earth,  and  a  frequent  absence  of  that  regular  bedded  structure  which  materials 
deposited  by  water  generally  have,  and  which  the  digging  over  and  washing  by 
miners  must  obliterate.  It  will  not,  be  long  before  this  must  be  established  or 
disproven,  for  it  is  impossible  to  suppose  that  no  implements  would  be  lost  (and 
embedded  in  the  gravel)  by  these  ancient  miners.  It  will  be  an  interesting  piece 
of  history  if  the  proof  is  finally  found,  that  the  former  inhabitants,  whose  origin 
and  life  and  disappearance  is  so  wrapped  in  mystery,  were,  like  the  present  settlers, 
in  quest  of  gold.  Of  the  metalic  contents  of  the  Sierra  I'rieta  little  is  yet  known. 
Gold  is  known  to  exist  in  considerable  amount,  how  richly  and  how  widely  dis- 
tributed time  only  can  tell;  rich  surface  specimens  and  the  exaggerated  ideas 
of  prospectors  are,  of  course,  no  more  than  an  indication,  not  even  amounting  to 
a  probability.  That  the  rocks  are  remarkably  rich  in  large  quartz  veins  is  true, 
but  their  characteristics  are  utterly  unknown,  and  the  rich  surface  distribution 
may  not  be  continuous  in  depth. 

Iron  I  have  before  mentioned  as  existing  in  a  bed  of  hematite,  but  unfortu- 
nately the  want  of  coal  forbids  the  extraction  of  this  most  precious  metal.  It  is 
quite  possible,  however,  that  the  plateau  strata  lying  east  of  the  Rio  Verde,  and 
which  are  yet  wholly  unexplored,  may  be  found  to  yield  coal.  Silver  is  present 
in  certain  galena  veins  in  workable  percentage.  I  examined,  chemically,  at  Gen- 
eral Mason's  laboratory,  one  specimen  which  a  mtained  over  .$100  to  the  ton.  The 
copper  indications  arc  frequent,  but  as  yet  no  deposit  has  been  sufficiently  pros- 
pected to  throw  light  on  its  occurrence.  The  soil  of  the  mountain  valleys  along 
the  chain  is  often  rich  in  elements  of  fertility,  but  from  the  great  elevation  and 
great  nocturnal  radiation  in  the  clear  summer  months,  it  is  found  that  few  crops 
can  bear  the  rigorous  climate,  frosts  occurring  in  every  month  of  the  year. 

TIMBER  OF  THE  SIERRA  PRIETA. — Everywhere  above  5,000  feet  the  range  is 
heavily  wooded  with  coniferous  trees,  chiefly  the  pinus  pondcrosa,  which  ranges 
from  the  elevation  mentioned  quite  to  the  summit.  It  has  about  the  same  habi  t  \ .  f 
growth  as  on  the  flanks  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  but  averages  considerably  less  in 
height ;  its  average  is  hardly  over  150  feet.  The  timber  of  this  species  is  decidedly 
better  than  in  California,  where,  from  the  long-continued  dry  season,  or  some 
other  powerful  climatic  cause,  the  wrood  is  so  brittle  that  a  tree  in  falling  will 
often  break  in  five  or  six  sections. 

All  along  the  more  elevated  parts  of  the  range  are  scattered  groves  of  a  fir, 
(abies  Dougkissii,)  and  the  pifion,  (pinus  cdidis,)  also  a  slender  balsam  fir,  (pro- 
bably picca  grandis.)  The  timber  of  all  these  is  very  good  for  all  the  ordinary 
architectural  purposes. 

A  poplar,  (p.fremaloidesj  a  tree  having  a  very  white  bark  and  ragged,  wide 
branching  habit,  is  found  on  the  upper  waters  of  all  the  streams,  even  about 
springs  at  the  summit.  Its  timber  is  too  soft  for  most  uses. 

Another  of  the  poplar  family  (a  cottonwood)  skirts  the  stream  banks  and  beds 
in  their  levels,  and  continues  dowrnvard  into  the  extreme  foot-hills  to  the  sinking 
grounds. 

Near  the  lower  limits  of  the  yellow  pine  timber  are  live  oaks  of  two  species, 
generally  too  small  to  be  of  value,  and  a  large  wide-spreading  juniper,  (j.  pachiip- 
tilcca.)  These  last  are  dotted  over  the  foot-hills  in  open  groves,  and  together 


470  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

with  a  walnut,  which  generally  keeps  the  immediate  vicinity  of  streams,  stray 
quite  out  into  the  plains.  For  50  miles  in  length,  by  from  16  to  20  broad,  the 
range  is  well  timbered  with  the  above  species,  and  is  decidedly  the  most  favored 
region  in  this  respect  within  a  great  distance.  Very  many  years  of  settlement 
and  enterprise  would  be  required  to  make  a  serious  inroad  on  this  valuable  wood- 
land, and  unless  the  mines  should  prove  extraordinarily  rich  it  will  always  supply 
a  large  demand. 

WATER  SYSTEM  OF  SIERRA  PRIETA. — Climatic  causes,  which  everywhere 
govern  the  distribution  of  waters,  are  somewhat  peculiar  in  their  action  in  this 
region.  We  have  not  yet  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  atmospheric  changes  to 
thoroughly  understand  the  deportment  of  streams. 

In  general,  during  the  winter  months,  there  is  an  immense  precipitation  of 
vapor  over  the  whole  plateau,  which  is  deposited  in  the  form  of  snow  in  heavy 
banks  upon  all  the  mountain  chains  and  more  elevated  rolls  of  mega.  This 
period  is  not  one  of  continuous  cold,  but  is  frequently  broken  by  a  few  days,  or 
even  weeks,  of  mild  weather,  when  the  power  of  the  sun  rapidly  melts  great 
quantities  of  snow,  and  all  the  brooks  of  the  Sierra  Prieta  are  brimfull.  The 
clear  nights  during  winter  produce  an  intense  cold,  the  thermometer,  even  at  Pres- 
cott,  several  times  indicating  as  low  as  11°,  Fahrenheit ;  the  melting  of  snow  is 
suspended  and  much  of  the  surface  water  frozen  up,  so  that  in  the  morning  the 
stream  is  very  low,  while  by  3  o'clock  p.  m.  of  the  same  day  it  is  a  torrent. 

The  period  of  winter  is  followed  by  a  warm  spring,  when  the  air,  instead  of 
showing  a  difference  of  only  3°  or  5°  between  wet  and  dry  bulbs,  indicates  28° 
and  30°  of  difference. 

The  mountain  snows  are  rapidly  melted,  and  by  May  are  nearly  disappeared ; 
then  the  streams  gradually  fall,  the  volume  of  water  becomes  less  and  less. 
Finally  they  shrink  back  into  the  mountains,  having  an  intermittent  flow,  chiefly 
hidden  underneath  the  rivers  of  sand  which  fill  their  beds.  Constant  and  rapid 
evaporation,  caused  by  the  thirsty  condition  of  the  heated  air,  renders  the  remain- 
ing waters  alkaline.  This  season  of  droughts  and  shrunken  streams  gives  way  in 
July  and  August  to  a  second  wet  season,  one  of  copious  summer  showers.  The 
conditions  and  geographical  extent  of  this  rain-fall  are  not  known. 

Vast  masses  of  cloud  are  almost  daily  condensed  over  the  crest  line  of  the 
Sierra  Prieta,  and  toward  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  drift  eastward.  Similar 
storms  gather  along  the  Aztec  mountains  and  around  the  isolated  volcanic  cones 
of  the  upper  mesa.  This  discharge  of  rain  is  represented  to  be  very  rapid  and 
great,  and  as  accompanied  by  a  brilliant  display  of  lightning. 

The  course  of  these  storms  seems  to  be,  according  to  general  testimony,  from 
the  Sierra  Prieta  eastward,  and  from  San  Francisco  mountains  southward  and 
eastward,  over  the  Megollon  mesa.  This  phenomenon,  of  almost  daily  occurrence 
during  July,  August,  and  early  September,  at  the  very  season  when  over  the 
greater  part  of  Arizona  plants  are  dying  of  thirst,  has  a  powerful  influence  on 
vegetation,  redeeming  the  land  within  its  range  from  the  condition  of  a  desert. 
The  influence  of  this  season  on  the  streams  is  not  so  great  as  would  be  expected, 
from  which  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  discharge  is  chiefly  over  plains,  where 
its  irrigating  effect  is  seen  in  a  fine  crop  of  grass. 

Water  for  steam  purposes  in  the  mining  region  is  plenty,  if  used  economically, 
throughout  the  whole  Sierra  Prieta,  but  all  placer  works,  except  single  rockers, 
must  be  suspended  during  about  half  the  year. 

GRASS  PLAINS  NEAR  PRESCOTT. — The  streams  which  rise  among  the  volcanic 
group  on  the  Colorado  mesa  join  those  from  the  Aztec  range,  and  have  excavated 
out  of  the  mesa  formations  broad  valleys,  whose  general  elevation  is  from  5,000 
feet  to  5,600  feet  above  the  sea.  Of  these  the  largest  is  known  as  the  Val  de 
China.  Williamson's  valley,  lying  north  of  the  Sierra  Prieta,  is  also  connected 
as  an  arm  to  the  Val  de  China,  and  in  the  same  drainage  system  are  the  con- 
nected plains  between  the  Tonto  and  Prieta  ranges.  Taken  together  they  form 


•  WEST    OP   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  471 

an  area  of  not  less  than  500,000  acres;  add  to  this  about  300,000  acres  of  thinly 
wooded  foot -hills  surrounding  the  plains,  and,  like  them,  well  supplied  with  grass, 
nn«l  we  have  a  region  of  grass  hind  of  nearly  a  million  acres. 

lu  the  coldest  winters  snow,  although  on  rare  occasions  quite  covering  this 
area,  never  lies  more  than  a  few  days. 

At  present,  owing  to  the  Apaches,  stock-raising  is  not  possible,  but  if  the  mines 
should  half  come  up  to  the  wealthy  yield  which  is  confidently  predicted  by  the 
mine  speculators,  both  civil  and  military,  this  vast  stock  range  will  be  a  most 
valuable  accessory  to  the  mining  settlements. 

The  grasses  are  all  of  the  kinds  known  as  bunch  grasses,  never  forming  turf. 
How  these  would  last  if  eaten  down  yearly  and  cropped  closely,  it  is  impossible 
to  say. 

Water  is  not  abundant  over  these  plains,  but  the  immense  amount  of  drainage 
which  Hows  beneath  their  surface  and  unite  to  ferm  the  west  fork  of  the  Verde, 
could  doubtless  be  reached  by  wells  not  far  below  the  surfj^ce. 

We  remained  aloft  on  the  Granite  mountain  two  days,  February  21  and  22, 
studying  carefully  all  the  topographical  features  within  the  range  of  view.  The 
night  was  comfortless,  with  a  wind  that  cut  through  our  limited  supply  of 
blankets,  but  the  mild  temperature  we  found  on  regaining  our  camp  in  the 
valley  soon  thawed  us  out.  On  the  morning  of  the  24th  we  started  for  Skull 
valley.  Our  road  curved  around  the  northern  base  of  Granite  mountain,  through 
a  succession  of  low  spurs  and  intermediate  valleys,  the  former  covered  with  scrub 
oaks  and  chapparal  plants,  and  the  latter  with  a  scattered  carpeting  of  dry  grass 
and  the  dead  stems  of  herbaceous  plants.  Continuing  on  the  curve  till  our 
direction  was  southward,  we  entered  the  upper  end  of  a  long  belt  of  level  grass 
land  lying  under  the  western  flank  of  the  Sierra  Prieta,  and  called  Skull  valley 
from  the  number  of  crania  the  Apaches  have  thrown  there. 

The  following  day  (the  25th)  was  devoted  to  a  fruitless  search  after  a  lost 
member  of  our  party.  The  26th  (Sunday)  was  likewise  spent  in  trailing  the 
missing  man,  and  by  nightfall  we  determined  that  he  must  have  gone  to  Skull 
Valley  settlement.  *Four  of  us  rode  down  there  at  midnight  and  found  that 
Brinley  was  safe  and  had  started  back  to  look  for  our  camp. 

A  little  after  sunrise  next  morning  we  met  the  wanderer  and  took  him  back 
to  camp.  Monday  Mr.  Gardner  and  I,  with  one  soldier,  climbed  a  bold  granite 
cone  north  of  our  camp,  from  the  summit  of  which  we  had  a  fine  topographical 
view. 

Near  us,  and  bordering  the  Skull  mountains,  lay  a  rolling  belt  of  foot-hills, 
chapparal-eovered  and  roughened  by  outcrops  of  granite. 

SKULL  VALLEY. — This  level  valley  is  approximately  20  miles  long,  with 
bottom  land  of  varying  width,  from  one-fourth  to  a  rnile,  and  winds  between  the 
foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  Prieta  on  the  one  side  and  a  range  of  granite  and  sedi- 
mentary rocks  on  the  other.  It  is  intersected  about  midway  by  a  cross  ridge  of 
granite',  which  has  acted  as  a  retaining  wall  to  the  accumulating  detritus  washing 
down  from  the  mountain  sides  above  it,  damming  it  back  and  elevating  the 
northern  portion  of  the  valley  about  150  feet  higher  than  the  other.  The  mate- 
rial of  the  northern  section  is  mostly  of  disintegrated  granite,  and  the  vegetation 
of  a  poor  character,  except  two  species  of  live  eak,  which  flourish  finely  and 
seem  always  to  like  a  granitic  soil.  South  of  the  granite  ridge  there  is  a  decided 
improvement  in  the  soil,  owing  to  the  presence  of  metamorphic  (mal  pais)  rocks 
lying  west  of  the  bottom. 

Here  are  the  farming  settlements,  founded  on  a  deep  black  mould  of  great  fer- 
tility ;  with  a  climate  never  very  cold  nor  ever  intensely  hot,  they  may  hope  to 
accomplish  considerable  agricultural  development.  The  waters  of  this  valley 
flow  southward  through  a  gap  in  the  metamorphic  hills,  and  empty  into  Kirk- 
iand  creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Santa  Maria. 

In  the  granite  hills  which  project  from  the  western  range  into  the  head  of 


472  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES, 

Skull  valley,  is  a  living  spring  that  contains  sufficient  water  for  a  large  camp, 
even  in  dry  seasons ;  good  bunch  grass  under  the  live  oaks  and  scattered  among 
the  chapparal  on  all  the  hills,  and  a  plenty  of  fire-wood,  make  this  an  attractive 
camp. 

The  chain  of  granitic  hills  lying  west  of  Skull  valley  are  at  their  southern  end 
depressed,  and  finally  buried  beneath  sedimentary  beds.  These  are  physically 
of  little  importance,  except  as  being  the  divide  or  water  shed  between  Kirkland 
creek  and  the  Santa  Maria.  From  the  granite  cone  spoken  of  above  we  obtained 
our  first  near  view  of  the  great  and  interesting  basin  of  the  Santa  Maria. 

It  seemed  to  us  at  first  like  a  confused  labyrinth  of  rock  ridges  piled  up  one 
above  the  other  without  system  or  order,  but  a  further  study  from  several  other 
points,  overlooking  it  more  completely,  and  several  tramps  into  its  depths,  gave 
us  a  good  knowledge  of  its  structure.  •  Before  describing  this  singular  place,  I 
will  anticipate  our  work  a  little,  and  give  the  results  we  arrived  at  in  the  road 
reconnoissance  up  to  the  Skull  valley  settlements. 

A  road  from  Prescott,  either  to  the  settlement  at  Wickenburg,  to  La  Paz,  $r 
to  the  mouth  of  Bill  Williams  Fork,  must  either  follow  the  present  road  to  Mint 
valley  and  around  the  northern  base  of  Granite  mountain,  and  down  to  Skull 
valley,  making  a  long  horseshoe  curve,  and  returning  in  a  distance  of  38  miles 
to  within  ]  6  of  the  starting  point,  or  cross  the  high  range  directly.  We  explored 
two  passes  over  the  mountains,  one  directly  west  of  Prescott,  which,  from  the 
great  accumulation  of  winter  snow,  would  be  quite  impassable  during  five  months, 
and  another  called  the  Indian  pass,  which  offers  great  facility  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  road.  The  Apaches  rarely  fail  to  decide  wisely  on  all  matters  of  trail  ; 
a  well-beaten  path  through  the  pass  attests  their  sagacity.  This  depression- 
can  hardly  be  over  1,000  feet  above  Prescott,  and  from  its  open,  exposed  nature 
it  can  hardly  have  more  snow  than  the  valley  at  Fort  Whipple.  Approached 
from  the  Prescott  side,  the  pass  is  reached  by  a  gentle  ascent  through  rolling 
wooded  country,  and  without  any  of  the  difficulties  of  ordinary  mountain  roads. 
A  geod  covering  of  soil  and  generally  even  surface  leaves  little  to  be  clone  beside 
occasionally  digging  out  stumps  or  picking  away  a  few  stones.  The  descent 
into  Skull  valley,  although  not  so  gentle  as  on  the  eastern  slope,  still  presents 
no  obstacles,  either  of  grade  or  rocky  surface,  which  cannot  be  overcome  by  a 
small  expendiure.  A  road  through  here  would  be  always  passable,  and  would 
reach  the  Skull  valley  settLements  in  about  I7  miles,  saving  18  or  19  miles,  and 
reaching  the  valley  in  one  day  less  than  by  the  present  road. 

Having  reached  Skull  valley,  a  road  from  Prescott  to  Bill  Williams  Fork  must 
either  follow  the  present  line  to  Date  creek,  or  else  cross  the  Skull  mountains 
below  Tonto  spring  and  keep  the  high  mesas  of  the  Santa  Maria.  This  latter 
is  the  shortest  way,  and  we  explored  it  to  determine  its  practicability. 

February  28  we  crossed  the  divide  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  camp  No. 
4,  and  descended  gradually  among  rolling  chapparal-covered  hills,  following  the 
dry  tributary  of  the  Santa  Maria.  After  marching  about  four  miles  we  found 
ourselves  on  the  brink  of  a  deep  impassable  canon,  with  rugged  vertical  walls  of 
black  cellular  rocks.  In  the  bottom  were  chaotic  piles  of  angular  debris,  for- 
bidding a  passage  down  the  canon,  even  had  we  found  a  place  to  descend.  To 
go  around  the  head  of  the  canon  would  only  lead  into  a  maze  of  deeper  ones. 
Our  only  way  was  to  keep  the  high  mesa  and  work  westward  parallel  to  the 
canon,  crossing  the  lateral  gorges  which  were  made  by  its  tributary  streams. 
Into  one  of  these  we  were  forced  to  descend  to  a  depth  of  fully  1,000  feet,  and 
at  an  angle  so  great  as  to  forbid  the  approach  of  a  wagon  road,  except  by  zigzag 
to  and  fro  at  great  expense.  Having  regained  the  opposite  summit  of  the  mesa, 
we  continued  southwest,  following  an  old  Indian  trail  skirting  the  borders  of 
the  canon.  The  surface  of  this  plateau  is  thickly  strewn  with  blocks  and  frag- 
ments of  all  sizes  of  a  dark  brown  cellular  rock,  half  buried  in  the  earth ;  their 
sharp  edges  cut  our  mules'  hoofs,  and  rendered  footing  exceedingly  insecure 


[ 

WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  473 

The  soil  formed  by  the  decomposition  of  this  mal  pais  rock  forms,  when 
thoroughly  soaked  iu«the  wet  season,  a  remarkably  tenacious  miry  clay,  which 
alone,  even  if  there  were  no  difficult  canons,  would  at  times  make  a  road  quite 
impassable. 

The  mules  struggled  on  over  this  rough  table-land,  and  about  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon  brought  us  to  a  singular  depression,  where  we  found  water  and 
camped. 

A  granite  cone  rose  out  of  the  mal  pais,  and  all  around  its  base  the  strata  have 
been  worn  away,  leaving  a  round  basin,  in  the  middle  of  which  is  the  cone  of 
1,500  or  1,800  feet  height.  Here  is  permanent  water  in  tanks,  and  a,  good  camp 
ground  ;  grass,  in  great  quantities  and  of  excellent  kinds,  abounds  all  over  the 
neighboring  hills  and  mesas,  and  wood  enough  for  all  camp  purposes  may  be 
collected  from  the  shrubby  cedars.  Mr.  Gardner  climbed  the  cone  on  the  following 
day,  while  I  explored  the  canons  and  tables  for  a  road  line. 

From  this  camp  we  made  a  number  of  pedestrian  excursions,  getting  at  last  a 
complete  knowledge  of  the  surrounding  topography.  The  difficulties  which  lie 
in  the  way  of  a  road  are  all  of  them  of  a  nature  that  can  be  overcome,  but  only 
with  a  very  great  expenditure.  Compared  with  the  very  small  gain  in  distance 
over  the  Date  Creek  road,  it  is  much  more  than  compensated  by  the  accidental 
character  of  the  ground. 

In  moving  our  camp  we  descended  into  a  canon  which  winds  through  a  laby- 
rinth of  confused  piles  of  granite,  the  trail  doubling  arid  twining  to  avoid  impass- 
able crags,  and  finally  emerging  on  the  edge  of  a  mesa,  from  which  a  steep 
declivity  of  about  a  thousand  feet  leads  to  the  rolling  country  bordering  the 
valley  of  Kirkland  creek. 

Thompson's  valley  is  a  circular  expansion  of  the  main  Kirkland  valley,  and 
is  of  topographical  interest,  as  its  present  water  system  is  divided  by  a  low,  flat 
spur,  a  half  draining  down  one  side  of  a  high  granitic  ridge  and  half  down  the 
other,  uniting  about  four  miles  below,  and  flowing  as  one  stream  into  the  Santa, 
Maria. 

We  followed  the  dry  canon  of  the  northern  branch,  keeping  the  narrow,  sandy 
bed  as  it  wound  back  and  forth  between  the  interlocking  spurs  which  jutted  from 
high  granitic  ridges  on  either  side.  Tall,  monumental  plants  of  the  Ccrius 
GiganticKS  stood  erect  among  the  debris  and  rock  ruins ;  their  shafts  of  fluted 
green,  leafless,  and  trimmed  with  thorns,  heighten  the  savage  aspect  of  the  defile. 

The  pass  opens,  after  four  miles  of  winding,  into  an  open  valley  lying  along 
the  Santa  Maria.  This  level  area  of  about  2,000  acres  of  sandy  soil  is  bordered 
on  the  west  by  granitic  mountains,  through  which  the  river  in  its  westward 
course  has  cut  a  deep  gateway.  Upon  the  east  is  a  high  boundary  wall,  formed 
of  the  escarped  edge  of  the  mesa.  Here  we  camped  for  about  10  days. 

After  exploring  in  all  directions  as  far  as  we  could  on  foot,  Mr.  Gardner,  Mr. 
Brinley,  and  myself,  with  three  soldiers,  made  a  little  trip  northwestward,  climbing 
two  high  steps  of  the  mesa  system,  and  reaching,  after  tw^o  hard  days'  tramp,  a 
culminating  point  of  the  Aztec  range.  This  we  climbed  and  spent  two  days  on 
its  summit. 

Our  firiat  day  was  half  in  clouds,  half  in  sunshine.  Bitter  snow-storms,  which 
almost  hourly  swept  over,  accompanied  by  thunder,  completely  shut  out  all  view. 
These  alternate  periods  of  cloud  shadows  and  sudden  bursts  of  dazzling  sun- 
light were  of  wonderful  picturesqueness,  but  they  rendered  our  work  very  unsat- 
isfactory. The  second  day,  however,  was  of  that  peculiar  clearness  which  so 
often  succeeds  a  storm  in  mountain  countries.  The  immediately  surrounding 
region,  from  the  Mojave  road,  at  Fort  Hock  springs,  down  to  Date  creek, 
excluding  the  remarkable  basin  of  the  Santa  Maria,  was  in  plain  sight  and  in 
position  to  be  easily  studied  out.  The  great  plateau  is  not  broken  off  here  in 
one  high  bluff,  as  in  the  Val.de  China  and  Yampai  valley,  but  descends  in  long 
slopes  arid  broken  steps,  which  are  everywhere  cut  by  remarkably  broken,  abrupt 


474  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

canons.  The  Santa  Maria  basin  was  itself  excavated  by  aquaceous  action  from 
one  of  these  steps,  aod  then  in  a  subsequent  period  of  much  greater  erosive 
action  was  deeply  gashed  down  by  narrow,  converging, canon'-',  with  tabular 
ridges,  mere  tongues  of  land,  left  between  them,  so  that  the  former  surface  of  the 
basin  is  now  2,000  and  3,000  feet  above  the  present  stream  beds,  and  only 
remains  in  the  form  of  mesa  peninsulas.  Among  these,  here  and  there  rise  bold 
granite  peaks,  of  generally  angular  outline  and  rugged  surface,  suggesting  the 
architecture  of  mighty  pyramids  from  the  solid  strata  which  have  long  over- 
whelmed and  hidden  them.  A  more  difficult  region  to  travel  over  cannot  be 
imagined,  nor  one  which  presents  less  inducement  for  settlements. 

The  mesa  plains  are  indeed  well  clothed  with  grass,  but  they  are  hard  to 
reach  and  far  from  any  tillable  land  ;  besides,  the  dry  climate  and  scarcity  of 
water  must  always  keep  them  in  their  present  desolate  condition. 

The  great  streams  have  long  ago  shrunken  away.  The  torrents  which  excavated 
these  remarkable  canons  are  generally  now  a  mere  river  of  sand,  only  flowing 
during  the  rapid  melting  of  snows  on  the  neighboring  hills,  or  rarely  in  summer, 
Avhen  a  dense  storm-cloud  bursts  over  the  gulf  walls  and  pours  down  its  deluge. 

There  is  evidence  that  even  now  these  occasional  floods  sometimes  occur. 
With  their  exception  the  streams  are  mere  brooklets,  saturated  with  bitter  alka- 
line salts,  and  for  the  greater  part  of  their  course  trickling  and  filtering  along 
the  bed  rock  under  a  covering  of  hot  sand. 

The  water-loving  cottonwoods,  by  deeply  rooting  themselves  on  the  margin 
of  these  river  beds,  where  they  can  drink  up  the  subterranean  moisture,  manage 
to  live,  their  fresh,  vivid  green  contrasting  strongly  with  the  red-brown  rocks 
and  dusky  olive  vegetation  of  artemesia  and  larreo. 

From  our  station  we  could  trace  each  canon,  and  here  and  there  a  widening 
of  the  walls  would  open  to  view  the  lower  depths,  where  a  line  of  rich  green 
willows  and  cottonwoods  fringed  the  sandy  stream  bed. 

Northward  and  northwest  the  long  level  table  lines  are  broken  by  Cygnus 
and  Gemini,  two  lofty  snow-clad  mountains,  the  former  an  irregular  pile,  capped 
by  a  rough-hewn  dome,  the  latter  a  symmetrical  cone  of  black  volcanic  material. 
Between  them  and  encircling  their  bases  is  a  slope  of  mesa,  furrowed  by  canons, 
which  deepen  as  they  continue  westward  till  they  break  through  among  the 
mesa  steps  and  granitic  hills  of  the  aquareous  range,  uniting  under  its  western 
base  to  form  the  main  canon  of  Bill  Williams  Fork. 

This  can  on  drains  the  whole  of  a  long  meridianal  valley,  excavated  out  of  hori- 
zontal strata  of  rock  between  the  two  parallel  ranges,  the  Hualapais  and  Aquarius. 

The  whole  view  is  one  of  desolation,  relieved,  it  is  true,  here  and  there  by 
vegetation — cedars  on  the  higher  mesas,  grasses  and  chapparal  plants  dotted 
over  the  rough  hill  slopes — yet  the  solid  rock  foundation  constantly  outcrops  in 
sombre  red  and  black  masses,  shattered  into  collosal  fragments  and  cut  down 
by  a  labyrinth  of  canons.  It  produces  a  picture  of  savage  nature,  quite  in 
keeping  with  the  fiendlike  Apaches  who  make  their  dens  in  its  fastnesses. 

Beyond,  to  the  southwest,  lies  stretched  a  low  desert  plain,  sloping  in  almost 
imperceptible  graduation  toward  the  two  rivers  Colorado  and  Gila.  Detached 
mountain  groups  rise  here  and  there,  scored  down  by  deep  dry  gorges.  Every- 
where a  great  volume  of  sand  and  gravel  descends  from  their  mouths,  giving 
evidence  of  a  former  torrent. 

The  vegetation  is  sparse,  and  only  of  desert-loving  shrubs,  whose  ill-favored 
leaves,  together  with  the  cactus  thorns,  seem  typical  of  the  whole  region. 

LYNX  CKEEK. — Writing  from  Prescott  in  1866,  Mr.  Ehrenberg  used  the  fol- 
lowing language: 

We  may  safely  say  there  is  a  continuous  range  of  gold-bearing  rock  from  near  Wicken- 
berg  to  JO  miles  north  of  Prescott,  and  from  the  Lower  Hassyampa  to  the  Agua  Frio,  which 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  475 

would  embrace  an  area  of  at  least  1,000  square  miles.  The  containing  rock  is  nearly  the 
same  in  this  entire  section.  It  does  not  follow  that  other  sections  east  and  southeast  are  not 
metalliferous,  nor  does  it  augur  for  the  non-existence  of  other  metals  here ;  on  the  «ontrary, 
lead  and  copper  ores  abound,  and  silver  has  been  found  to  some  extent ;  but  gold  predomi- 
nates, at  leaat  as  far  as  known  at  present. 

The  first  lode  upon  which  machinery  was  erected  was  the  Accidental,  upon 
Lynx  creek,  a  gold  vein  yielding  some  showy  and  beautiful  specimens  of  free 
gold — specimens  which  attracted  great  attention  in  San  Francisco.  The  ore 
crushed  by  the  small  mill  and  prior  and  subsequently  by  arrastras  averaged  about 
$100  per  ton.  The  vein  is  small,  varying  from  12  to  20  inches  in  width. 

Near  the  head  ef  Lynx  creek,  which  has  been  worked  for  placers  throughout 
its  length,  say  12  miles,  is  a  hill  crowded  with  quartz  lodes.  This  is  known  as 
Eureka  Hill,  and  Mr.  Ehrenberg,  writing  (in  1866)  of  the  lodes  in  it  says : 

I  find  thorn  to  be  of  the  same  decomposed  character  as  those  on  the  hill  below  the  Big  Bug 
mine,  only  showing  sulphurets  in  abundance,  which  (hose  in  Big  Bug  do  not  as  yet  I  can- 
not ceme  to  any  conclusion  as  to  their  real  character.  More  and  judicious  work  is  required 
to  do  this.  There  are  a  great  many  veins  here  of  t'his  character — more,  indeed,  than  I  like 
to  see ;  still,  if  this  class  of  veins  and  ores  will  pay,  by  all  I  can  see  and  what  1  can  hear  I 
can  ouly  come  to  the  conclusion  that  these  mountains  contain  an  extent  of  productive  quartz 
not  equalled  in  any  part  of  the  United  States. 

THE  EUREKA  LODE  is  the  most  prominent  in  the  hill.  It  is  a  large  vein,  and 
near  the  surface  showed  free  gold,  which,  worked  in  arrastras,  yielded  $60  per 
ton,  but  at  the  bottom  of  a  shaft  of  80  feet  in  depth  sulphurets  predominate,  and 
it  is  the  belief  that  the  same  will  be  found  in  most  if  riot  all  of  the  Lynx  creek 
lodes. 

THE  DEAD  WOOD,  THE  TITIE,  THE  MOUNT  VERNON,  THE  POINTER,  THE 
BOSTON,  THE  PINE  MOUNTAIN,  and  other  lodes,  the  ore  from  which  has  been 
worked  in  arrastras,  has  returned  from  $20  to  $80  per  ton.  Sixty  tons  of  the 
Dead  Wood  ore,  wrorked  by  arrastras,  yielded  $27  50  per  ton  in  gold. 

At  the  head  of  Lynx  creek  the  Senator  lode  is  a  large  silver  vein,  which  ha*> 
worked  860  to  the  ton  in  that  metal. 

THE  MOUNTAINEER,  BRANDON,  LYON,  Box  ELDER,  MONITOR,  and  other 
veins  show  gold,  and  have  been  developed  to  a  sufficient  extent  to  indicate  value. 
The  quartz  on  the  surface  is  decomposed,  and  the  gold  often  visible.  At  a  depth, 
as  a  rule,  the  ore  abounds  in  sulphurets.  Arrastras  have  been  erected,  and  are  now 
testing  the  ore  from  some  of  these  veins.  The  headwaters  of  the  Hassyampa 
are  near  those  of  Lynx  creek,  and  the  quartz  Ifldo  upon  the  Hassyampa  are  gene- 
rally held  in  good  esteem. 

THE  CHASE  LODE  is  a  gold  vein  prospecting  well,  and  believed  to  be  valuable. 

THE  BENEDICT  SILVER  LODE  has  a  shaft  upon  it  nearly  a  hundred  feet  deep. 

Good  silver  has  been  taken  from  the  McDougal. 

STERLING  MINE. — This  mine,  five  miles  nearly  south  from  Prescott,  and  near 
to  the  Hassyampa,is  somewhat  noted.  Two  five-stamp  mills  have  been  erected 
upon  it.  The  ore  is  of  gold  sulphurets,  and  presents  the  appearance  of  bronze. 
It  was  found  impossible  to  work  it  profitably  by  any  ordinary  process,  and  the 
mills  have  been  idle  much  of  the  time.  Lately  a  San  Francisco  gentleman  tried 
a  process  upon  the  ore  Which  promises  to  be  a_  success,  and  it  is  believed  the  mine 
will  prove  valuable.  The  vein  is  as  yet  irregular  and  uncertain ;  but  compara- 
tively little  shafting  or  tunnelling  has  been  done. 

THE  MONTGOMERY,  OFTEN,  AND  GUADALOUPE  MINES,  further  down  the  Has- 
syampa, have  been  worked  to  some  extent,  and  yielded  some  free  gold.  They  are 
difficult  of  access  at  present,  but  roads  might  be  made  to  them  without  great  expense. 

THE  LEIHY  COPPER  VEINS,  between  Prescott  and  Skull  valley,  show  that 
Central  Arizona,  no  less  than  Southern  Arizona  and  the  Colorado  river  country, 
is  rich  in  copper,  but  it  is  not  likely  that  attention  will  be  given  to  working  this 
ore  at  present.  There  are  some  fifty  veins  in  close  proximity  in  the  property 


476  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

named,  and  in  other  parts  of  Central  Arizona  numerous  copper  lodes  have  been 
located.     The  ores  are  oxides  and  sulphurets. 

BIG  BUG. — East  from  Lynx  creek  some  four  miles,  and  from  Prcscott  some  15 
miles,  is  the  Big  Bug  creek,  and  a  well-known  mining  district  bearing  that  name. 
Every  hill  in  this  rough  region  is  mineral  bearing.  The  placers  worked  upon 
the  creek  for  many  miles  paid  well,  and  continue  to  pay  good  wages. 

Mj.  Ehrenberg  spent  some  days,  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1866,  in  an 
examination  of  this  district,  and  thus  described,  it  in  a  letter  written  in  May  to  the 
Alta  Californian,  of  San  Francisco : 

The  veins,  in  part  of  the  district  at  least,  are  large,  distinct,  and  well  defined  ;  in  the  other 
parts  this  is  not  the  case,  and  I  have  not  yet  come  to  any  conclusion  as  to  what  they  are,  as 
no  work  whatever  has  been  done  on  them,  and  the  containing  rock  is  so  decomposed  and 
stained  with  oxide  of  iron  in  certain  parallel  zones  and  masses  that  it  is  even  doubtful' whether 
they  are  veins  at  all ;  they  have  some  regularity,  nevertheless  ;  and,  should  this  iron  stain 
be  caused  by  the  decomposition  of  pyrites  (or  sulphates)  of  iron,  then  there  is  hope  of  numer- 
ous extensive  and  lasting  veins,  as  most  all  the  croppings  show  gold.  It  is,  however,  possi- 
ble that  this  rusty  stain  is  caused  by  the  decomposition  of  the  hornblende  in  the  sienite,  (or 
diorite,)  which  is  the  rock  in  which  all  these  veins  occur.  In  this  case,  not  much  is  to  be 
hoped  from  this  second  series  of  veins.  I  expect,  however,  that  a  few  of  these  also  will  prove 
good  and  permanent. 

First,  the  Galena  lode,  belonging  to  the  first  series.  It  is  a  fissure,  and  fine-looking,  large 
vein,  prospecting  and  opening  well.  Eight  men  are  at  work  here  in  two  shafts,  from  whfch 
about  70  tons  of  ore  have  been  taken  up  to  date,  (shafts  about  15  feet  deep  only.)  The 
Galena  is  situated  on  the  mountains  about  two  miles  north  of  the  mill. 

Second,  the  Big  Bug,  situated  about  one-half  a  mile  from  the  mill,  also  on  the  mountains, 
and  on  the  boundary  separating  the  two  classes  of  veins.  Some  beautiful  ores  of  a  singular 
character  are  taken  from  this"  mine,  which  make  me  almost  believe  that  much  of  this  iron 
stain  is  occasioned  by  the  decomposition  of  the  hornblende  rock,  and  not  by  iron  pyrites — 
at  least  not  always.  The  shaft  is  some  fifty  feet  deep,  but  has  considerable  water  in  it,  which 
prevented  my  examining  it  below  at  present.  They  are  extracting  ore  from  two  small  levels 
some  three  feet  down.  The  lower  wall  is  very  firm,  but  the  upper  consists  of  a  crumbling, 
heterogenous  mass  of  the  same  material  and  segregated  masses  of  crystallized  hornblende. 
The  fissure  in  which  the  ore  occurs  varies  in  width  from  two  to  four  feet,  and  the  ores  lie  in 
the  same  in  nests  of  various  sizes,  showing  by  their  relative  position,  however,  the  probability 
that  at  one  time  they  have  formed  a  continuous  sheet. 

The  condition  of  the  hanging  wall,  and  the  whole  combination  or  character  of  the  gangue 
or  vein  mass  make  me  think  very  favorably  of  this  vein.  The  vein  mass  consists,  first,  of 
the  ores  referred  to,  segregated  masses  of  recrystallized  hornblende,  decomposed  country  rock, 
with  large  and  small  fragments,  at  times,  of  the  latter,  and  quartz  enveloped  and  blended  with 
the  former  in  a  very  peculiar  mixture.  It  is  my  opinion  that  considerable  friction  has  been 
excited  at  some  time  on  the  walls,  by  which  the  upper  has  been  shattered  and  broken,  and 
that  in  course  of  time  the  whole  mass  has  been  reconsolidated,  and  the  intervals  refilled  by 
recrystallization  of  hornblende,  iron  pyrites,  &c.  Even  the  ore  is  of  this  character,  gold 
generally  occurring  in  the  vicinity  of  brown  crystals  of  iron  in  the  admixture  of  hornblende 
and  felspar,  and  in  a  deposit  of  carbonate  and  even  sulphate  of  copper  in  small  quantities. 
The  vein  can  be  traced  for  a  mile  in  a  straight  line,  showing  principally  those  flush  walls  of 
hornblende,  with  ore  in  some  places.  As  the  shaft  was  sunk  in  a  ravine  it  is  questionable 
whether  the  whole  vein  has  been  so  much  shattered,  or  whether  this  was  confined  to  the  ravines 
solely. 

Third,  the  Eugenia,  not  worked  now,  and  water  in  the  drift,  which  was  commenced  too 
low  or  too  near  the  creek.  This  is  a  vein,  consisting  of  iron  pyrites,  occurring  in  a  gangue 
of  calcareous  spar,  (or  talc,)  with  some  quartz.  Near  the  surface  the  iron  is  oxydized,  and 
the  gold  can  be  extracted  in  the  common  way.  The  iron  pyrites  will  require  concentration 
and  roasting.  I  can  say  nothing  of  this  vein  now,  further  than  that  it  seemed  to  be  of  enor- 
mous size,  and  th*t  it  is,  or  can  be,  worked  with  great  facility,  being  only  one-half  mile  from 
the  mill,  and  on  nearly  the  same  level.  Only  the  surface  ores  wili  be  available  now,  of  which 
there  are  a  great  abundance.  If  these  will  pay  but  $15  per  ton  the  mill  can  be  kept  running. 

At  this  writing  about  1,000  tons  of  the  Galena  ore  are  in  sight.  Five  hundred 
tons  have  been  worked  by  the  quartz  mill  erected  for  the  purpose,  and  although 
the  machinery  is  incomplete  the  yield  has  averaged  $25  to  the  ton  in  free  gold. 
There  are  several  shafts  and  tunnels  on  the  lode.  The  cost  of  shafting  has  been 
from  $S  to  $40  per  foot.  Ordinary  wages  $75  per  month  and  board.  Wood 
costs  delivered  $5  per  ton.  The  Big  Bug  mine  is  of  a  similar  character ;  60 
tons  averaged  $30  per  ton.  The  ore  from  both  these  mines  contains  from  10 
to  20  per  cent,  of  sulphurets.  The  Eugenia  is  at  places  10  feet  in  width. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  477 

Several  tons  worked  in  arrastras  gave  $25  per  ton  ;  some  as  high  as  $40.  At 
such  a  return  as  this  the  Eugenia,  from  its  location  near  the  mine  and  its  size, 
must,  if  continuously  rich,  pay  well. 

The  TICONDEROGA,  the  On  APPAREL,  and  the  DIVIDEND  MIXES,  in  the  Big 
Bug  district,  have  a  fair  reputation.  Thirty  tons  of  the  Chapparel  ore  worked 
at  the  Big  Bug  mill  gave  $22  per  ton  in  free  gold.  Sixty  tons  from  the  Divi- 
dend gave  $20  per  ton.  A  mill  has  been  erected  upon  the  Ticonderoga,  a  lode 
reputed  to  be  valuable,  but  little  work  has  yet  been  done. 

TURKEY  CREEK,  30  miles  southeast  from  Prescott,  is  more  noted  for  its  silver 
than  for  its  gold  mines.  A  mill  has  been  erected  to  work  the  ore  of  the  Bully 
Bueno  lode,  but  owing  to  financial  embarrassment  it  has  not  yet  been  put  in 
operation.  Shafts  and  tunnels  show  the  lode  to  good  advantage.  The  ore  is 
of  a  curious  character,  that  upon  the  surface  being  gold  in  hornblende.  The 
Yahoo  mine  in  this  vicinity  promises  well.  The  Goodwin  is  a  silver  lode,  show- 
ing some  choice  ore.  Specimens  taken  to  California  in  1865  were  highly  praised. 
A  ton  or  two  worked  yielded  $300.  The  Gross  g»ld  lode  in  this  district  has 
yielded  some  specimens  of  free  gold  of  rare  beauty.  The  Capital  silver  lode 
resembles  the  Goodwin,  and  the  Richmond  is  of  the  same  class. 

THE  BRADSHAW  DISTRICT  is  upon  the  upper  Aqua  Frio,  at  what  is  known 
as  Black  Cafion,  a  distance  of  from  50  to  60  miles  southeast  from  Prescott. 
Here  the  Mexicans  for  several  seasons  worked  the  placers  with  considerable  suc- 
cess, and  in  1864  numerous  quartz  claims  were  taken  up.  Some  of  the  ore 
reduced  in  arrastras  gave  a  return  of  $100  to  the  tori.  The  Great  Eastern,  the 
White  Swan,  the  Uno,  Forks,  and  other  lodes  present  good  surface  indications. 
A  company  has  been  formed  in  Philadelphia  for  working  them.  The  Nopal  and 
Balleuciana  lodes  have  been  worked  by  arrastras,  and  some  showy  specimens 
have  been  extracted. 

Near  Given  mountain,  at  the  south  side  of  the  Bradshaw  mountain,  (from 
which  the  foregoing  district  is  named,)  some  silver  lodes  have  been  located,  but 
not  yet  worked.  The  Mammoth  lias  tin  average  width  of  15  feet,  and  has  been 
traced  for  two  and  one- half  miles. 

PrNR  FLAT,  at  the  west  end  of  the  Bradshaw  mountain,  has  several  gold 
lodes.  The  Clinton  and  Minnehaha  have  been  opened  to  the  depth  of  perhaps 
30  feet,  and  the  district  is  accounted  promising. 

WALNUT  GROVE,  one  of  the  best  farming  districts  in  central  Arizona,  is  upon 
the  Hassyampa,  30  miles  south  of  Prescott,  and  15  miles  west  of  the  mining 
districts  just  referred  to.  In  its  vicinity  are  some  good  lodes.  The  most  noted 
are  the  Big  llebel,  a  lode  of  considerable  size,  and  the  Josephine,  ore  from 
which,  worked  by  arrastras,  has  paid  $200  to  the  ton. 

At  the  Placentas,  between  Walnut  grove  and  People's  ranch,  about  the  time 
of  the  Weaver  gold  excitement,  some  gold  was  extracted,  and  the  diggings  are 
still  worked  by  Mexicans. 

VULTURE  MINE. — A  German,  named  Henry  Wickenburg,  with  several  com- 
panions, while  prospecting  upon  the  Hassyampa  late  in  1863,  discovered  a 
butte  or  small  isolated  mountain  of  quartz,  at  a  point  some  60  miles  north  of  the 
Gila,  and  near  the  Hassyampa.  After  examining  it  closely  they  found  traces 
of  gold  but  attached  no  great  value  to  the  ore,  and  all  but  Mr.  Wickenberg  were 
reluctant  to  go  to  even  the  slight  trouble  of  posting  notices  claiming  the  lode, 
if  such  it  could  be  called.  It  was,  however,  taken  up,  and  is  now  the  best 
known  and  most  profitable  mining  property  in  central  Arizona,  if  not  in  the  entire 
Territory.  Upon  the  discovery  claim  is  a  chimney  500  feet  long  and  400  feet 
wide,  which  rises  100  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  surrounding  country.  So  far 
a<  tested  nearly  all  the  rock  of  this  chimney  contains  gold.  The  vein  proper 
is  :>>{)  {'ect  wide,  and  continues  the  same  at  the  depth  of  100  feet  from  the  surface, 
or  say  200  feet  from  the  top  of  the  chimney,  the  depth  to  which  shafts  have  been 
sunk.  The  vein  runs  northwest  and  southeast.  The  hanging  wall  is  of  por- 


478  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

phyry  rock  ;  the  foot  wall  of  talcose  slate.  The  vein  has  a  pitch  of  45°  to  the 
northwest.  The  main  lede  is  all  of  quartz,  and  there  are  various  strata  on  each 
side,  varying  from  one  to  six  feet  in  width. 

A  20-stamp  mill  has  been  erected  upon  the  Hassyampa,  within  a  mile  of  the 
town  of  Wickenburg,  where  the  ore  was  first  worked  in  arrastros  by  Mr.  Wick- 
enburg  and  others.  This  is  for  working  the  ore  from  the  discovery  claim  of  the 
Vulture,  which  is  now  the  property  of  a  New  York  company.  Mr.  Cusenbary, 
the  superintendent,  has  kindly  furnished  the  following  report  of  the  amount  of 
ore  worked  by  this  mill  to  September  1,  1867  : 

From  November  1,  1866,  to  September  1,  1867,  the  mill  crushed  4,834  tons, 
which  produced  $145,633,  an  average  of  about  $30  per  ton. 

The  gold  has  thus  far  been  found  free,  and  occasionally  some  showy  specimens 
are  obtained.  The  absence  of  water  near  tire  lode  now  renders  it  necessary  to 
work  the  ore  at  Wickenbrarg,  a  distance  of  14  miles.  Thus  the  cost  of  trans- 
portation alone  is  $10  per  ton.  Wood  is  not  abundant  in  any  part  of  central 
Arizona  south  of  Prescott.  At  Wickenburg  it  costs  delivered  about  $8  per 
cord. 

THE  VULTURE  is,  however,  considered  rich  enough  to  pay  with  these  draw- 
backs, and  arrangements  are  now  making  for  the  working  of  other  claims,  and 
it  is  thought  that  all  will  pay,  although  some  have  heretofore  considered  the 
chimney  or  discovery  claim  the  only  desirable  part  of  the  lode.  Two  thousand 
feet  are  claimed  upon  the  Vulture  vein,  and  several  other  lodes  of  a  similar 
character,  although  much  smaller  in  size,  have  been  taken  up  in  the  vicinity. 


GENERAL  REMARKS  ON  CENTRAL  ARIZONA. — Central  Arizona  is  an  elevated 
country.  The  town  of  Prescott,  the  present  capital  of  the  Territory,  is  at  an 
altitude  of  some  6,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  At  this  height  the  win- 
ter temperature  is  of  course  severe,  but  at  other  seasons  the  climate  is  perhaps 
the  most  agreeable  in  Arizona.  Above  Weaver  the  country  is  well  wooded  and 
watered.  The  valleys  are  for  the  most  part  small  and  disconnected,  but  the  soil 
is  rich,  and  at  most  points,  although  there  are  early  frosts,  fine  crops  are  produced. 
It  is  estimated  that  2,000  tons  of  corn  will  be  produced  this  season  within  a 
circle  of  50  miles  of  Prescott.  Vegetables  of  nearly  every  kind  grow  luxu- 
riantly. At  a  reasonable  outlay  good  roads  may  be  made  through  the  most  for- 
midable maintain  ranges,  and  the  country  offers  many  facilities  for  mining.  The 
want  of  success  to  this  time  is  not  to  be  attributed  to  any  deficiency  in  the  mines, 
but  to  the  Indian  troubles  and  the  refractory  character  of  the  ores  of  most  of 
the  lodes  thus  far  opened.  The  mills  erected  having  been  intended  only  for  the 
working  of  free  gold  have  not  been  suited  to  sulphurets  and  rebellious  ores. 
When  proper  machinery  is  provided  the  lodes  of  central  Arizona,  or  a  number 
of  them,  will  probably  repay  development.  It  is  estimated  that  ordinary  ores 
may  now  be  worked  at  a  cost  not  exceeding  $7  per  ton.  Only  American  labor 
is  to  be  had,  which  is  more  costly  than  most  of  that  employed  in  southern  Arizona 
and  upon  the  Colorado,  but  at  the  same  time  more  effective. 

REMARKS  ON  THE  TERRITORY. — In  southern  Arizona  and  upon  the  Colorado, 
excepting  at  the  highest  points,  work  is  usually  suspended  in  the  summer  months. 
In  central  Arizona  this  is  not  necessary,  as  the  sun  is  seldom  oppressive.  The 
thermometer  has  been  known  to  stand  at  110°  on  the  Colorado,  when  it  rose 
to  but  65°  in  and  about  Prescott.  The  nights  in  the  mountains  throughout  the 
Territory  are  cool  at  all  seasons.  Snow  falls  in  central  Arizona,  but  excepting 
in  the  higher  mountains  it  usually  remains  but  a  few  hours.  Of  the  four  winters 
since  the  whites  occupied  the  country,  but  one  has  been  severe. 

Arizona  is  far  richer  in  agricultural  lands  than  is  generally  supposed.  To 
those  who  have  traversed  the  desert  regions  only,  it  would  *be  an  absurdity 


WEST   OF    THE   ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  479 

to  talk  of  fine  farms  and  gardens,  but  with  those  who  ^nvc  seen  the  products  of 
the  fertile  valleys,  no  argument  is  necessary  to  prove  then  value.  Indeed,  it 
may  be  boldly  asserted  that  no  one  of  the  mineral-bearing  Terri  Tories  of  the 
Pacific  is  richer  in  mineral  lands  than  Arizona,  while  its  climate  is  acknowledged 
by  all  who  have  tested  it  to  be  unsurpassed  upon  the  western  continent.  The 
pastoral  resources  of  the  Territory  deserve  mention.  Grasses  of  every  nutritious 
variety  abound,  and  cattle  and  sheep  may,  whenever  the  hostile  Indians  are  over- 
come, be  raised  with  comparatively  no  outlay.  Southern  Arizona  is  especially 
rich  in  grazing  lands,  and  were  its  mines  to  prove  worthless,  which  is  hardly 
possible,  it  must  eventually  become  important  as  a  pastoral  country,  and  support 
a  large  population,  furnishing  cattle  not  for  the  Territory,  but  for  California  and 
New  Mexico. 

Below  Prescott  and  upon  the  Colorado  adobe  is  used  for  building,  and  is  per- 
haps better  suited  to  the  climate  than  any  other  material.  At  Prescott  and  in 
the  suiTounding  mining  districts  timber  is  used,  and  lately  brick  of  an  excellent 
character  have  been  made  in  Prescott. 

The  pine  of  central  Arizona  grows  to  a  medium  size,  and  much  of  it  is  resinous. 
The  oak  and  black  walnut  do  not  obtain  a  great  size.  Pine  lumber  cut  by  a 
steam  mill  in  Prescott  is  furnished  at  $30,  $60,  and  $100  per  1,000,  according 
to  the  quality.  The  mesquite  and  cottonwood  of  southern  Arizona  and  the  Colorado 
furnish  good  rafters  for  the  adobe  structures,  and  the  mesquite  is  famed  as  a 
superb  firewood.  About  Tucson  and  Tubac,  and  many  of  the  mining  districts, 
it  is  abundant. 

The  Territory  offers  two  natural  and  inviting  routes  for  continental  railroads. 
That  by  the  32d  parallel,  over  which  the  Butterfield  or  southern  overland  stage 
service  was  so  satisfactorily  performed  prior  to  the  rebellion,  is  too  well  known 
to  require  comment.  That  by  the  35th  parallel,  explored  by  Beal  and  Whipple, 
is  scarcely  less  practicable,  and  is  for  much  of  the  distance  wrell  supplied  with 
timber  and  coal,  and  through  a  promising  agricultural  and  mining  region.  Both 
these  routes  possess  advantages  over  those  farther  north,  and  it  is  the  judgment 
of  those  who  have  passed  over  them  with  care  and  observation  that  they  must 
both  soon  be  traversed  by  the  iron  horse. 

Upon  the  adoption  of  the  code  of  the  Territory,  (1864,)  a  chapter  was  incorpo- 
rated providing  for  "  the  registry  and  government  of  mines  and  mineral  deposits/7 
and  it  at  first  met  general  favor,  both  in  and  out  of  the  Territory,  but  practice 
proved  it  to  be  cumbersome  and  annoying,  and  in  1866  it  was  repealed,  and  a 
simple  act  passed,  leaving  the  regulation  of  the  size  of  the  claims,  the  amount 
of  work  to  be  performed,  and  all  details  connected  with  the  taking  up  and  hold- 
ing of  claims,  to  the  district  organizations.  But  few,  however,  of  the  districts 
enforce  rules,  and  it  is  not  likely  thaU  much  attention  will  be  given  the  matter 
until  the  congressional  mining  law  is  enforced  here.  The  land  officers  who  are 
to  see  to  its  execution  have,  it  is  reported,  been  appointed,  and  will  soon  open 
their  offices.  The  congressional  act,  so  far  as  understood,  is  much  liked,  and 
considered  liberal  even  by  the  large  class  who  have  always  opposed  any  legis- 
lation by  Congress  regarding  the  mineral  lands. 

A  simple  segregation  act,  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy,  was  adopted  by  the 
last  legislature : 

AN  ACT  to  provide  for  the  segregation  of  mining  claims. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  legislative  assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Arizona,  That  whenever  any  one 
or  more  joint  owners  or  tenants  in  common  of  gold,  silver,  copper,  or  mineral-bearing  ledges 
or  claims  may  desire  to  work  or  develop  such  ledge  or  claim,  and  any  other  owner  or  owners 
thereof  shall  fail  or  refuse  to  join  in  said  work,  after  due  notice  of  at  least  30  days,  given  by 
publication  in  one  newspaper,  printed  in  the  county  in  which  said  ledges  or  claims  are 
located,  and  if  none  be  printed  in  said  county,  then  in  any  newspaper  printed  in  the  Territory, 
said  notice  to  have  publication  in  fou-r  successive  weeks  of  said  paper,  said  other  owner  or . 
owners  may,  upon  application  to  the  district  court  of  the  district  wherein  the  ledge  or  claim 


480  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

is  situated,  cause  the  interests  of  said  parties  so  refusing  to  be  set  off  or  segregated  ae  here- 
inafter set  forth. 

SEC.  2.  The  owner  or  owners  of  any  mineral-bearing  ledge  or  claim,  after  the  expiration 
of  said  30  days'  notice  having  been  given,  may,  if  the  party  or  parties  notified  fail  or  refuse 
to  join  in  the  working  or  developing  said  ledge  or  claim,  apply  to  the  district  court  of  the 
district  wherein  the  ledge  or  claim  may  bo  situated,  for  a  partition  or  segregation  of  the  iute 
rest  or  interests  of  the  party  or  parties  so  failing  or  refusing  to  join. 

SEC.  3.  The  party  or  parties  so  applying  shall  set  forth  the  fact  that  the  said  parties  have 
been  duly  notified  in  accordance  with  section  one  of  this  act,  and  that  said  party  or  parties  have 
failed  or  refused  to  join  in  said  work,  all  of  which  shall  be  sustained  by  the  oath  or  affirmation 
of  one  or  more  of  the  parties  applying ;  and  upon  such  application  being  made  the  clerk  of 
said  court  shall  post  a  notice  at  the  office  of  the  county  recorder,  and  in  two  other  conspicuous 
places  within  the  district,  stating  the  application,  and  notifying  the  parties  interested,  that 
unless  they  appear  within  60  days,  and  show  good  cause  why  the  prayer  of  the  petitioner 
should  not  be  granted,  that  the  same  will  be  granted  if  good  cause  can  be  shown. 

SEC.  4.  At  the  expiration  of  said  60  days,  if  the  party  or  parties  notified  do  not  appear  and 
show  good  cause  why  the  prayer  of  the  petitioner  should  not  be  granted,  the  court  shall 
appoint  two  commissioners  to  go  upon  the  ground  and  segregate  the  claims  of  the  parties  so 
refusing  to  join ;  and  in  case  they  do  not  agree,  they  to  choose  a  third  party ;  and  said  com- 
missioners shall  make  a  report  in  writing  to  said  court,  who  shall  issue  a  decree  in  con- 
formity with  said  report,  which  shall  be  final,  except  appeal  be  taken,  to  the  Supreme  Court 
within  30  days  after  issuance  thereof. 

SEC.  5.  The  provisions  of  this  act  shall  not  apply  to  the  county  of  Yavapai. 

SEC.  6.  All  acts  and  parts  of  acts  in  conflict  with  the  provisions  of  this  act  are  hereby 
repealed. 

SEC.  7.  This  act  to  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage. 

The  present  report  indicates  the  discovery  and  location  of  lodes  in  all  parts 
of  the  Territory  rather  than  their  development.  The  reader  may  wonder  why 
lodes  offering  such  rich  surface  indications,  and  so  generally  promising,  have  not 
been  extensively  worked.  In  explanation,  the  comparative  inaccessibility  of  the 
Territory,  being  off  the  grand  overland  lines  of  travel,  and  without  seaports, 
must  be  first  offered.  Next  tho  fiendish  Apache,  the  most  difficult  Indian  upon 
the  continent  to  overcome,  and  next  the  limited  extent  of  the  placer  diggings, 
or  the  lack  of  water  for  their  working.  It  will  be  remembered  that  it  was  the 
placers  that  brought  the  large  population  to  California,  Idaho,  and  Montana. 
Had  those  countries  been  without  such  inducements,  their  growth  would  probably 
have  been  as  slow  as  that  of  Arizona. 

After  some  years  residence  here  the  writer  is  more  than  ever  confirmed  in 
the  belief  that  while  there  is  much  to  contend  with  in  Arizona,  there  is  much  to 
contend  for,  and  that  despite  all  the  drawbacks  and  discouragements  the  Terri- 
tory will  yet  command  a  large  and  prosperous  population,  and  abundantly  repay 
the  government  for  the  outlay  required  to  reserve  it  from  the  savage. 

Besides  the  minerals  already  referred  to,  there  are  indications  of  the  existence 
of  many  others  in  different  parts  of  the  Territory.  Iron  in  carbonates  and  oxides 
is  abundant.  Traces  of  nickel  have  been  found  near  the  Big  Bug  creek.  Plati- 
num (metallic)  is  shown  in  the  placers  of  the  Black  caiion  or  Bradshaw  district, 
on  the  Agua  Frio.  Traces  of  tin  exist  at  several  points.  The  geologist  of  Lieu- 
tenant Parks's  United  States  exploring  expedition  reports  the  discovery  of  large 
beds  of  gypsum  upon  the  San  Pedro.  A  lode  of  cinnabar  was  located  several 
years  since  10  miles  southeast  of  La  Paz,  and  named  the  Eugenia ;  copper,  silver, 
and  quicksilver  are  found  together  in  a  rare  combination,  but  the  lode  is  not  large. 
Rich  cinnabar  float  has  been  found  upon  the  Mohave  and  Prescott  road,  about  50 
miles  from  the  Colorado.  Lime  of  a  superior  quality  exists  in  large  quantities 
near  Prescott  and  Tucson,  and  is,  found  at  other  points.  It  is  now  extensively 
used  in  building.  Lime  coral  exists  in  the  Adelphi  mine,  Mineral  hill,  Williams 
Fork.  It  is  found  in  immediate  connection  with  the  richest  carbonates  and  oxides 
of  copper.  The  Salt  mountains  near  Callville,  and  a  few  miles  east  of  the  Col- 
orado, are  among  the  most  remarkable  formations  in  Arizona.  The  deposits  of 
pure,  transparent,  and  beautifully  crystallized  salt  are  very  extensive,  and  no  salt 
is  superior  for  table  or  general  use.  In  the  vicinity  traces  of  coal  have  been  dis- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  481 

covered,  and  parties  engaged  in  exploration  are  quite  confident  that  large  quan- 
tities will  be  found.  There  is  a  report  of  the  discovery  of  coal  upon  the  San 
Pedro. 

The  folly  of  intrusting  mining  operations  to  inexperienced  and  impru- 
dent men  has  been  well  illustrated  in  Arizona.  In  the  southern  country  and 
upon  the  Colorado  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  thrown  away  in 
foolish  ;ind  extravagant  expenditures.  In  one  instance,  after  the  outlay  of 
81,000,000,  the  company  abandoned  work  without  enough  having  been  done  to 
ascertain  whether  there  was  or  was  not  a  true  vein.  In  many  cases  the  whole 
capital  of  the  owners  has  been  frittered  away  in  unnecessary  buildings,  improper 
machinery,  and  large  remuneration  to  unworthy  agents,  men  who,  next  to  the 
Apache,  have  by  their  recklessness  obstructed  the  progress  of  the  country,  and 
prejudiced  capitalists  against  further  investment  in  it. 

Thus  far  it  may  be  truthfully  asserted  that  there  have  been  more  failures  in 
superintendents  than  in  mines  in  Arizona ;  indeed  it  is  a  common  remark  that 
no  lode  properly  opened  and  economically  and  systematically  worked  has  failed 
to  pay.  This  is  true  in  the  main. 

In  southern  Arizona,  and  upon  the  Colorado  river  bottoms,  irrigation  is  neces- 
sary. In  central  Arizona  the  seasons  are  defined,  and  at  many  points  good  crops 
have  been  raised  without  irrigation,  the  rains  furnishing  sufficient  moisture.  These 
occur  mainly  in  the  months  of  July  and  August,  but  there  are  frequent  showers 
in  April  and  May,  as  well  as  in  the  winter  months. 

The  friendly  Indians,  Pimas,  Maricopas,  and  Papagoes,  below  the  Gila,  raise 
large  quantities  of  excellent  wheat,  and  the  whites  engaged  in  farming  upon  the 
Gila,  the  Santa  Cruz,  the  San  Pedro,  and  the  Sonoita,  raise  corn,  barley,  and 
wheat.     Some  six  flouring  mills  are  now  in  operation  in  the  Territory. 
31 


482  KESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

UTAH    TERRITORY. 

SECTION    I. 

GENERAL  FEATURES. 

The  boundaries  of  this  Territory  have  been  changed  a  number  of  times  until 
its  form  approaches  a  rectangle.  Its  length  from  north  to  south  is  about  345 
miles,  and  its  breadth  about  320  miles,  with  an  area  of  about  110,000  square  miles. 
Its  population  is  variously  estimated  at  from  80,000  to  100,000,  and  is  rapidly 
increasing. 

The  Wasatch  range  of  mountains  divides  the  Territory  diagonally  northeast 
and  southwest  into  two  parts,  the  northwestern  being  much  larger  than  that  lying 
to  the  southward.  The  Wasatch  range  is  high  and  nigged.  Its  lofty  summits, 
covered  with  perpetual  snow,  probably  have  an  altitude  of  11,000  or  is,000  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  In  a  broad  and  elevated  range  surrounded  by 
countries  rich  in  gold  and  silver  we  should  expect  to  find  those  metals.  But  so 
far  as  is  known  no  range  of  mountains  on  the  western  coast  has  been  found  rich 
in  precious  metals  that  has  a  trend  to  the  northeast  and  southwest,  and  it  may 
be  considered  problematical  whether  any  mines  of  those  metals  will  be  found  of 
great  richness  in  the  Wasatch  mountains.  On  the  western  side  of  the  Territory 
are  a  number  of  small  ranges,  on  the  Goshoat  and  a  number  of  others,  that  con- 
tain mines  of  gold  and  silver. 

The  largest  river  is  the  Colorado,  one  of  the  longest  in  the  United  States. 
Of  its  capabilities  for  navigation  comparatively  little  is  known,  though  so  far  as 
explored  the  reports  are  unfavorable.  Its  principal  branches  are  the  Green, 
Grand,  San  Juan,  and  Virgin  rivers.  These  drain  the  southeastern  portion  of 
the  Territory.  On  the  north,  Goose  and  Holmes's  creeks  ran  into  Snake  river, 
but  all  the  interior  streams  empty  into  lakes  that  have  no  outlet  to  the  sea. 
Bear  river  and  the  Jordan  empty  into  Salt  lake,  besides  many  large  creeks  and 
numerous  smaller  ones. 

Salt  lake  is  about  120  miles  long,  north  and  south,  and  40  miles  wide,  and 
contains  several  islands  of  considerable  size,  some  of  wThich  are  partially  covered 
with  timber.  A  steamer  is  now  being  built  for  the  purpose  of  shipping  the  tim- 
ber from  these  islands,  for  the  use  of  Salt  Lake  City. 

The  lake  is  subject  to  sudden  storms,  and  boat  navigation  is  sometimes  danger- 
ous. Until  the  present  time,  no  serious  effort  has  been  made  to  test  its  capabili- 
ties for  navigation,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  trade  on  this  lake  will,  at  some 
future  period,  be  of  considerable  magnitude.  The  water  is  extremely  salt.  An 
analysis  shows  that  it  contains  over  22  per  cent,  of  solid  matter,  an  indication 
that  it  has  had  no  outlet  to  the  sea  for  a  great  length  of  time,  and  that  compared 
with  other  regions  the  fall  of  rain  in  this  part  of  the  country  is  less,  and  the 
evaporation  greater,  than  elsewhere.  The  ocean  represents  the  average .  saline 
impregnation  of  the  world  produced  by  rainfall  and  evaporation.  By  comparison 
with  this  standard  solution  we  can  judge  which  is  in  greatest  excess,  rainfall  or 
evaporation.  On  the  hills  which  surround  Salt  lake  are  marks  of  an  ancient 
beach  about  300  feet  above  its  present  level.  From  the  depth  to  which  these 
shore-marks  have  worn  into  the  rocky  sides  of  the  hills,  and  the  large  amounts 
of  debris  brought  down  by  streams  and  deposited  at  that  elevation,  it  is  evident  that 
this  level  of  the  lake  must  have  remained  for  a  long  period.  It  is  probable 
the  lake  once  had  an  outlet  to  the  ocean ;  and  from  the  fresh-water  tertiary  fos- 
sils found  at  Bear  river,  and  at  other  points,  it  is  almost  certain  that  it  then  con- 
tained fresh  water.  Then,  also,  it  doubtless  contained  many  varieties  of  fish,  but 
as  the  water  grew  salt,  they  gradually  perished ;  and,  so  far  as  has  been  observed, 
i,t  has  no  animal  life  in  it  at  present. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  483 

The  cause  of  the  extreme  aridity  of  this  country  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  sur- 
rounded by  high  mountains.  The  Sierra  Nevada  on  the  west,  the  Wasatch  range 
on  the  south  and  east,  and  the  Rocky  mountains  on  the  north,  completely  encircle 
it.  The  wind  coming  from  any  quarter  has  its  moisture  absorbed  in  passing  over 
the  mountains.*  The  absence  of  vegetation,  the  effect  of  this  extreme  aridity, 
also  aggravates  the  droughts.  The  cultivation  of  these  valleys  by  covering 
them  with  crops  and  trees,  may  cause  some  change  in  the  amount  of  rain-fall,  and 
it  is  not  unlikely  that  in  the  course  of  years  the  water  in  Salt  lake  will  be  per- 
manently  higher  than  it  is  now.  As  the  small  rain-fall  at  present  is  due  to  the 
environment  of  mountains,  the  inference  is  that  in  former  times  they  did  not  exist, 
and  that,  this  lake  is  older  than  the  mountains ;  this  conclusion  appears  to  be  war- 
ranted by  our  present  knowledge  of  the  facts. 

The  course  of  the  wind  in  past  ages  was  mainly  from  the  west,  as  it  is  now. 
This  is  shown  by  the  deeper  shore-marks  found  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake — 
a  fact  general  in  Utah  and  Nevada  and  the  southeastern  portion  of  California. 

Utah  lake,  the  source  of  the  Jordan,  is  almost  the  shape  of  a  right-angled 
triangle,  about  30  miles  long  and  20  wide.  The  water  is  fresh. 

There  are  several  other  lakes,  as  Little  Salt  lake,  Sevier  lake,  and  Goshoat. 

The  first  settlement  in  this  Territory  was  in  1846,  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  a  band 
of  Mormons.  Owing  to  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  other  natural  advantages, 
the  growth  of  this  community  has  been  very  rapid  for  a  population  devoted  to 
agriculture.  The  discovery  of  gold  in  California  and  the  large  emigration  which 
it  induced,  passing  through  this  place,  greatly  stimulated  trade  and  made  a  mar- 
ket for  the  surplus  produce  of  the  inhabitants.  The  advent  of  the  United  States 
troops  under  Colonel  Johnson,  and  the  discovery  of  silver  in  Nevada,  and  of  gold 
in  Idaho  and  Montana,  produced  similar  results. 

These  markets  are  now  nearly  or  quite  closed,  and  trade  in  the  Territory  is  more 
depressed  than  since  1850.  This  may  cause  the  people  to  tarn  their  attention 
to  mining,  a  pursuit  hitherto  neglected  owing  to  the  greater  profits  derived  from 
agriculture.  The  favorable  notice  taken  of  the  recent  discoveries  of  mines  on 
the  east  side  of  Green  river  is  evidence  in  point.  The  most  potent  cause  of  the 
increase  of  the  population  is  the  encouragement  extended  to  emigration  from 
foreign  countries.  Nearly  nine-tenths  of  the  adult  population  are  of  foreign 
birth.  Salt  Lake  City  has  a  population  of  about  19,000  inhabitants.  It  is  a 
beautifully  laid-out  town.  The  streets  are  wide,  with  streams  of  clear  water 
running  on  each  side.  The  carriage-ways  are  separated  from  the  sidewalks  by 
rows  of  trees,  which  present  a  refreshing  appearance  in  summer  to  the  way-worn 
traveller  who  has  crossed  the  deserts.  The  private  houses,  built  chieily  of  wood, 
are  perishable,  but  the  public  edifices  are  constructed  of  stone  and  wood,  and  are 
durable  and  highly  creditable  to  the  skill  and  enterprise  of  the  inhabitants.  The 
tabernacle,  the  principal  place  of  worship,  is  capable  of  seating  10,000  people. 
Tne  width  of  the  streets,  the  umbrageous  rows  of  trees,  the  great  number  of 

*  Lorin  Blodget,  in  his  Report  on  the  Climatology  of  the  United  States,  says:  "The 
Basin  region  as  a  whole  can  hardly  be  said  to  be  one  of  periodical  rains  north  of  tlio  :>f>th 
parallel,  however  deficient  the  quantity  is,  and  however  abortive — as  it  may  be  said — the 
rains  are,  as  regards  vegetation  and  practical  climatology.  The  rain  of  summer,  from  the 
middle  «f  June  forward,  is  practically  valueless  in  cultivation  for  the  vicinity  of  Great  Salt 
Lake,  and  the  flourishing  settlements  there  are  sustained  by  irrigation.  Cultivation  would 
clearly  require  this  aid  everywhere,  and  as  the  winters  are  not  available  in  bringing  crops 
forward  as  in  California,  irrigation  may  not  be  dispensed  with  as  it  may  be  there.  It  is  unim- 
portant to  many  of  the  best  crops  of  California,  wheat  among  them,  that  there  is  no  rain 
whatever  in  summery  since  they  are  so  far  advanced  in  the  mild  winter  that  the  summer  is 
only  requisite  to  ripen  them.  But  in  no  part  of  the  Basin  is  this  adaptation  practicable,  so 
far  as  known.  The  extent  of  summer  required  is  similar  to  that  of  like  latitudes  in  the 
Atlantic  States,  and  the  deficiency  of  rain  therefore  is  destructive,  if  irrigation  is  impracti- 
cable." 

a  Except  on  the  seacoast  north  of  Mendocino  City ;  from  which  point  occasional  summer  rains  prevail, 
increasing  in  frequency  towards  the  north.— J.  R.  B. 


484  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

orchards  and  gardens  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  and  the  incombustible  nature  of 
the  houses,  give  a  country  appearance  to  the  city,  and  render  fires  almost  unknown. 
The  small  size  of  the  farms  is  favorable  to  high  cultivation.  As  a  consequence, 
the  greater  part  of  Salt  Lake  valley  is  under  better  cultivation  than  any  region 
west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  except,  perhaps,  around  the  bay  of  San  Francisco. 

The  system  of  irrigation  is  excellent  and  extensive.  Fanners  in  the  eastern 
States  might  learn  much  here  that  would  be  valuable  to  them.  From  a  report  of  the 
Deseret  Agricultural  Society  of  January  11,  1866,  it  appears  that  ''there  have 
been  constructed  277  main  canals,  in  length  amounting  to  1,043  miles,  102  rods, 
at  a  mean  width  of  5  feet  6  inches,  and  a  mean  depth  of  2  feet  2  inches,  which 
water  153,949  acres  of  land,  at  a  cost  of  $1,766,939,  and  that  there  is  in  course 
of  construction  canals  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $900,000." 

Ogden  is  a  flourishing  town  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  and  ranks  next  to 
Salt  Lake  City  in  population  and  importance. 


SECTION    II. 

MINES    AND    MINING. 

In  the  spur  of  the  Wasatch,  on  the  east  side  of  Salt  lake,  gold  has  been  found 
in  very  minute  quantities.  Some  of  the  quartz  assayed  about  $2  per  ton.  The 
mountains  at  this  point  trend  west  of  north  and  east  of  south.  The  country  rock 
is  granite,  and  quartz  is  abundant. 

The  thermal  springs  in  this  vicinity  show  the  presence  of  sulphate  of  iron, 
and  possibly  mines  of  value  may  be  found  in  this  spur  of  the  mountain. 

MINEKSVILLE. — The  western  part  of  the  territory,  adjoining  Nevada,  so  far  as 
known,  is  the  richest  in  metals.  At  Miiiersville  are  mines  of  lead  and  copper,  which 
contain  some  gold  and  silver.  One  of  the  mines  has  been  worked  to  a  depth  of  90 
feet.  At  this  point  the  copper  predominated,  and  the  working  of  the  mine  for  lead 
was  suspended.  The  lead  was  smelted  to.  supply  the  territory.  While  lead  pre- 
vailed working  of  the  mine  was  remunerative.  No  effort  was  made  to  recover 
the  silver,  although  in  many  countries  this  would  have  been  profitable.  By  open- 
ing the  mine  at  other  points,  no  doubt  lead  ore  of  the  same  quality  as  that  worked 
could  be  obtained.  The  percentage  of  silver  contained  in  the  lead  and  copper 
ores  of  this  district  is  sufficient  to  justify  the  conclusion  that  the  working  of  these 
mines  will  be  a  source  of  profit  at  some  future  day. 

RUSH  VALLEY. — This  district  abounds  in  veins  containing  argentiferous 
galena  and  copper.  In  1865  there  was  considerable  excitement  about  these 
mines.  Companies  were  organized  by  officers  of  the  army  at  Salt  Lake  City, 
and  some  developments  were  made.  Smelting  works  were  erected  at  the  mines, 
but  the  smelting  failed  to  extract  the  metal  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  and  the 
expenses  incident  to  enterprises  of  this  kind,  in  a  new  country,  rendered  opera- 
tions very  costly.  Silver  occurs  in  galena  in  the  same  irregular  manner  as  in 
quartz.  Many  suppose  that  if  a  vein  of  galena  assays  well  in  one  part  it  will 
do  the  same  in  all  j  an  erroneous  rdea,  as  miners  frequently  find  to  their  cost. 
When  transportation  is  cheaper,  fuel  more  abundant,  and  labor  cheaper,  these 
mines  will  doubtless  be  valuable.  At  present  no  profit  is  likely  to  be  derived 
from  working  them. 

COAL. — The  eastern  part  of  the  territory  contains  large  seams  of  coal.  As  it 
has  been  found  as  far  south  as  Pahranagat  and  at  San  Pete,  it  is  not  improbable 
it  abounds  in  many  parts  of  the  Green  River  valley.  That  said  to  be  from  San 
Pete  is  a  firm  bituminous  coal,  considered  by  many  superior  to  any  found  west 
of  the  Rocky  mountains,  but  its  quality  must  be  thoroughly  proved  in  large 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  485 

amounts  before  it  can  be  pronounced  equal  to  the  bituminous  coal  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

The  coal  from  Pahranagat  is  found  about  300  miles  southwest  from  Salt  Lake 
City ;  that  from  San  Pete  120  miles  south.  About  80  miles  east  from  the  city 
coal  is  found  very  abundantly.  These  discoveries  tend  to  justify  the  conclusion 
that  coal  exists  in  large  quantities  in  the  Territory.  As  soon  as  a  market  is  opened, 
the  demand  can  be  supplied  from  these  coal  fields.  Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  fuel 
in  the  mining  regions  of  the  eastern  part  of  Nevada  and  the  western  part  of 
Utah,  where  most  of  the  silver,  copper,  and  lead  ores  must  be  smelted,  coal  will 
in  time  be  in  great  demand. 

Anthracite. — The  most  interesting  discovery  in  this  connecticn  is  anthracite 
coal.  Scientific  men  have  long  been  seeking  in  vain  to  find  anthracite  west  of  the 
liocky  mountains.  It  has  recently  been  found  on  Green  river.  An  old  iron-worker 
from  the  anthracite  regions  of  Pennsylvania  says  the  deposit  is  identically  the 
same.  The  coal  is  heavy,  and  will  not  burn  with  a  flame.  When  used  in  a 
blacksmith's  forge  it  gives  an  intense  heat.  This  article  has  been  tried  and 
found  to  answer  all  the  purposes  required  of  it. 

PACIFIC  RAILROAD. — The  advantages  to  be  derived  from  the  construction 
of  the  Pacific  railroad  will  be  beyond  computation.  Branch  railroads  will  fol- 
low, and  these  coal  fields  will  eventually  be  opened  up.  The  number  of  coal 
seams  visible  along  the  canons  in  eastern  Utah  is  remarkable.  Many  of  them 
are  of  large  size  j  some  are  said  to  be  15  feet  thick.  Occasionally  they  can  be 
traced  four  or  five  miles.  They  are  so  numerous  and  easily  found  that  the  inhab- 
itants do  not  locate  them.  It  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  such  an  abundance 
of  valuable  coal  deposits  in  Nevada  or  California  as  to  preclude  location.  lriah 
appears  to  be  nearly  in  its  normal  condition.  The  recent  elevations  and  depres- 
sions are  slight;  consequently  in  mining  for  coal  it  is  probable  few  fauJrs  will 
be  found.  The  great  number  of  veins  near  the  surface  will  furnish  that  ar'iele 
for  years  to  come  without  deep  mining  or  the  use  of  expensive  machinery  for  hoist- 
ing or  pumping.  If  the  coal  fields  on  Green  river  should  prove  as  extensive  and 
of  as  good  quality  as  there  is  reason  to  expect,  it  will  be  a  great  advantage  to 
the  miners  on  the  Colorado  and  at  Pahranagat,  as  well  as  useful  in  the  naviga- 
tion of  the  Colorado  river.  A  thorough  exploration  of  the  coal  fields  of  Utah, 
Dakota,  Colorado,  and  Montana  is  much  needed.  It  would  probably  establish 
the  fact  that  western  coal  fields,  though  inferior  in  quality,  rival  in  extent  the 
vast  deposits  east  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

IKON. — Iron  ore  is  abundant  in  Utah.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  smelt  it, 
but  so  far  without  success.  There  is  nothing  refractory  in  this  ore  to  render 
smelting  difficult  with  skill  and  the  proper  appliances.  The  demand  for  iron 
will  always  be  large  in  Utah,  and  the  cost  of  freight  from  any  other  point  of 
production  renders  it  an  important  resource  for  development.  With  a  large 
agricultural  population,  labor  will  be  cheap.  In  every  point  of  view  Utah 
appears  to  have  better  facilities  for  the  production  of  iron  than  any  of  the  adjoin- 
ing States  or  Territories.  The  profit  on  agricultural  pursuits  will  become  less 
every  year,  for  many  years  to  come.  All  the  adjacent  mining  States  and  Terri- 
tories will  soon  raise  their  own  stock  and  grain.  With  the  exception  of  New 
Mexico  and  Arizona  they  are  now  doing  it  to  a  great  extent,  so  that  there  will 
be  only  a  home  market  for  the  produce  of  Utah.  This  will  have  a  tendency  to 
turn  the  attention  of  the  inhabitants  to  mining  and  manufactures.  In  the  latter 
branch  of  industry  they  are  already  actively  engaged. 

SALT. — Salt  can  be  produced  in  unlimited  quantities,  both  for  home  consump- 
tion and  export.  When  the  railroad  is  completed  it  will  probably  pay  to  trajis- 
port  this  article  to  the  markets  of  the  Atlantic.  In  the  State  of  Nevada  salt  is 
so  cheap  and  abundant  that  it  will  not  pay  to  send  it  west  from  Utah. 

SODA  exists  in  vast  beds  in  many  parts  of  the  Territory.  When  labor  and 
freight  are  cheaper  this  will  probably  be  an  article  of  export. 


486  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

COTTONWOOD  CANON  is  about  27  miles  southeast  from  Salt  Lake  City,  in  the 
Wasatch  mountains.  It  contains  several  silver  mines.  A  Mr.  Hirst  is  running 
two  furnaces  there  at  present.  They  are  not  on  an  extensive  scale,  but  the  results 
are  satisfactory.  Hirst  thinks  his  ore  will  yield  $200  to  the  ton.  He  has  a 
German  to  manage  his  works,  who  is  reputed  to  be  skilful.  The  veins  occur 
in  limestone,  and  ore  exists  at  the  surface  in  abundance.  This  is  a  valuable 
lead-mining  district.  The  ore  is  remarkably  free  from  antimony. 

GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. — The  Territory  of  Utah  will  undoubtedly  become 
in  time  an  important  and  prosperous  State.  It  possesses  a  great  variety  of 
resources.  Whatever  may  be  the  opinions  entertained  as  to  the  peculiar  institu- 
tions existing  there  at  present,  none  can  deny  that  its  population  is  industrious 
and  enterprising.  A  people  who  have  redeemed  the  deserts  by  a  vast  system 
of  irrigation,  built  up  cities,  inaugurated  an  excellent  school  system,  established 
manufactures  of  nearly  all  the  articles  necessary  for  the  use  of  man,  opened  up 
roads  in  every  direction,  and  supplied  the  miners  of  the  adjacent  Territories  for 
several  years  with  their  products,  cannot  fail  to  achieve  a  condition  of  high 
prosperity  in  the  future.  Contact  with  their  neighbors,  who  entertain  views 
antagonistic  to  their  social  institutions,  will  remedy  the  evils  under  which  they 
now  labor.  As  they  become  more  intelligent  the  impolicy  of  isolating  them- 
selves from  the  moral  sympathies  of  the  world  will  become  apparent,  and  their 
patience,  industry,  and  self-reliance  will  be  turned  to  good  account, 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


487 


MONTANA. 


SECTION    I. 

AREA  AND  POPULATION-MOUNTAINS  AND  VALLEYS— GEOLOGICAL  FEA- 
TURES—VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS  AND  AGRICULTURAL  LANDS— TIM- 
BER CLIMATE.  AND  NAVIGABLE  WATERS. 

Montana,  the  most  recently  organized  of  the  Territories  of  the  United  States, 
is  second  only  to  California  in  the  production  of  gold.  Embracing  within  its 
limits  the  range  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  heads  of  two  of  the  greatest 
rivers  that  wind  their  long  and  devious  courses  through  the  lower  countries  to  the 
Pacific  and  Atlantic  oceans,  this  Territory  may  justly  claim  the  appellation  of 
the  "Golden  Summit."  Extending  from  the  45th  to  "the  49th  parallel  of  north 
latitude,  and  from  the  27th  to  the  39th  meridian  west  from  Washington,  it  con- 
tains an  area,  according  to  the  report  of  the  Commissioner  of  the  General  Laud 
Office,  of  143,776  square  miles,  (92,016,640  acres,)  bounded  by  meridians  and 
parallels  of  latitude,  except  a  portion  of  the  southwestern  corner,  where  for  the 
distance  of  nearly  400  miles  the  boundary  follows  the  crest  of  the  Bitter  Roor 
mountains.  The  population  is  about  32,000.* 

MOUNTAINS. — In  this  Territory  the  most  striking  geographical  feature  is  the 
great  range  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  extending  350  miles  from  its  southern  to 
its  northern  boundary,  and  in  width  over  200  miles.  This  range,  with  its  spurs, 
occupies  fully  half  the  Territory.  The  main  chain  of  mountains  is  split  up  into 
a  number  of  different  ranges,  as  the  Bitter  Root,  which  is  the  highest  and  the 

*  Langley,  in  his  Pacific  Coast  Directory,  a  publication  generally  accurate,  estimates  the 
population  as  follows : 

Table  exhibiting  the  principal  cities  and  towns  of  Montana  Territory,  the  county  in  which  each 
is  located,  the  estimated  population  in  September,  186'G,  and  the  distance  from  Virginia  City, 
the  territorial  capital. 


Town. 

County. 

No.  of  miles  from 
Virginia  City. 

Estimated  pop- 
ulation. 

70i  W 

80C 

Benton  City                

Clioteau 

400    N.  W. 

1  500 

Blackfoot  City 

200    N  W 

2  000 

do 

80    N  W 

1  500 

Reynolds  City                        

.  .  .   do  .  . 

180    N.  W 

2  000 

Silver  Bow 

do 

100    W 

1  250 

Helena                     .              

Edgarton. 

125    N. 

8  000 

Gal  latin 

60    E 

200 

do  

155    N.  E. 

1  500 

(r'llhitin  City                                                

do 

100    N   E 

500 

Jefferson 

90    N 

250 

Madison 

2    N  W 

2.000 

do 

30    E 

500 

do 

8    S 

1  000 

Virginia  City 

do 

4  000 

Meagher  .  . 

165    N.  E. 

2  003 

MiHHOiila  Mills 

Missoula 

150    W 

500 

Total                    

29  500 

The  surveyor  general  of  the  Territory,  in  his  report  of  18(57,  mnkes  the  following  estimate: 
"  I  may  be  safe  in  estimating  the  entire  population  at  40,000,  and  it  is  confidently  believed 
that  it  will  reach  60,000  in  1868  should  there  be  no  Indian  troubles  along  the  overland 
routes.  *  *  *  The  class  of  citizens  who  are  coming  into  the  Territory  are  generally 
those,  who  intend  making  it  their  homes.  Hence  many  families  are  coming  and  settling  up 
tin-  different  valleys.  The  farming  population  is  fast  increasing,  and  a  great  number  of 
miners  find  it  profitable  to  devote  their  time  to  agriculture." 

The  reports  of  the  county  assessors  for  1865  and  1866  do  not  warrant  the  belief  that  the 
increase  has  been  so  rapid.  My  opinion  is  the  population  at  this  time  does  not  exceed 
32,000. -J.  R.  B. 


488  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

most  westerly,  and  the  Rocky,  "Wind  River,  Big  Horn,  and  Belt  ranges.  All 
of  these  have  a  trend  northwest  and  southeast,  and  all  contain  mines  of  gold 
and  silver.  Their  height  has  not  been  determined,  but  it  is  probably  from 
10,000  to  14,000  feet,  the  highest  peak  being  covered  with  perpetual  snow. 
This  great  extent  of  mountain  ranges  causes  the  condensation  of  a  large  amount 
of  moisture  from  the  atmosphere,  which  falls  principally  in  the  form  of  snow. 
Gradually  melting  during  the  warm  season,  it  thoroughly  saturates  the  earth, 
inducing*a  fine  growth  of  grass  and  timber  throughout  the  mountain  regions.* 

The  Territory  is  divided  by  these  ranges  into  a  number  of  basins,  and  their 
spurs  subdivide  each  basin  into  a  number  of  valleys,  which  contain  nearly  all 
the  towns  and  settlements,  and  the  greater  part  of  its  agricultural  as  well  as 
nearly  all  its  mineral  resources.  The  mountains  are  greatly  abraded  by  the 
agencies  of  rains,  frosts,  and  glacial  action,  leaving  them  smooth  and  much  less 
rocky  and  precipitous  than  the  Cascade  range  in  Oregon,  or  the  Sierra  Nevada 
in  California.  The  Bitter  Root  is  the  most  rugged  and  continuous  in  its  height. 
The  other  ranges  are  full  of  low  passes,  with  none  of  those  lofty  peaks  that  are 
found  farther  south  in  Colorado. 

All  the  mountains  appear  to  be  old  and  weather-worn,  and  almost  at  the  very 
summits  of  the  highest  ranges  beds  of  gravel  -containing  placer  gold  have  been 
formed  from  the  disintegration  of  the  neighboring  peaks.  Thus  placer  mines 
are  found  on  the  mountain  top,  differing  in  this  respect  from  the  Sierra  Nevadas, 
where  placer  gold  is  almost  invariably  found  in  the  foot-hills.  In  the  northern 
part  of  the  Territory  the  mountain  regions  have  been  prospected  only  sufficiently 
to  prove  the  existence  of  gold.  The  hostility  of  the  Indians  has  prevented  a 
thorough  exploration,  or  any  permanent  working  of  the  mineral  deposits.! 

*  The  following  from  Lewis  and  Clarke's  Narrative  describes  the  country  westward  from 
the  main  ridge  of  the  Bitter  Root  mountains.  It  is  applicable  to  a  large  area  of  Montana : 

"The  country  along  the  Rocky  mountains  for  several  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  about 
50  wide,  is  a  high  level  plain,  in  all  its  parts  extremely  fertile,  and  in  many  places  covered 
with  a  growth  of  tall,  long-leaved  pine.  This  plain  is  chiefly  interrupted  near  the  streams 
of  water,  where  the  hills  are  steep  and  lofty,  but  the  soil  is  good,  being  unincumbered  by 
much  stone,  and  possesses  more  timber  than  the  level  country.  Under  shelter  of  these  hills 
the  bottom  lands  skirt  the  margin  of  the  rivers,  and  though  narrow  and  confined,  are  still 
fertile  and  rarely  inundated.  Nearly  the  whole  of  this  wide-spread  tract  is  covered  with  a 
profusion  of  grass  and  plants  which  are  at  this  time  as  high  as  the-knees.  Among  these  are 
a  variety  of  esculent  roots,  acquired  without  much  difficulty,  and  yielding  not  only  a  nutri- 
tious but  a  very  agreeable  food.  The  air  is  pure  and  diy,  the  climate  quite  as  mild  if  not 
milder  than  the  same  parallel  of  latitude  in  the  Atlantic  States,  and  must  be  equally  healthy, 
for  all  the  disorders  which  we  have  witnessed  may  fairly  be  imputed  more  to  the  nature  of 
the  diet  than  to  any  intemperance  of  climate." 

t  Professor  G.  C.  Swallow,  formerly  State  geologist  of  Missouri,  says,  in  a  late  letter  to 
Governor  Smith : 

"  Veins  of  gold,  silver,  copper,  and  lead  have  been  found  in  great  numbers  in  nearly  all  the 
explored  mountainous  portions  of  the  Territory ;  and  placer  gold  is  as  widely  distributed. 
Many  of  the  gulches  have  proved  vastly  rich,  and  some  of  them  very  extensive.  So  far  as 
discovered,  these  veins  come  to  the  surface  on  the  foot-hills,  and  on  the  sides  of  the  valleys  and 
canons,  and  some  of  them  cut  the  mountains  to  their  very  tops.  A  large  portion  of  the  lodes 
are  true  veins,  cutting  through  granite,  syenite  porphyry,  trap,  gneiss,  mica  slate,  hornblende 
slate,  talcose  slate,  argillaceous  slate,  sandstone,  and  limestone.  These  lodes  vary  in  thick- 
ness from  a  mere  line  to  50  and  60  feet.  The  gangue  or  vein  rock,  called  quartz  by  the  miner, 
is  very  variable  in  character.  In  the  gold-bearing  lodes  it  is  usually  whitish  quartz,  more  or 
less  ferruginous,  often  nearly  all  iron.  In  some  veins  it  resembles  a  stratified  quartzite ;  in 
a  few  it  is  syenitic,  pyrites,  hornblende,  calc  spar,  arsenic,  antimony,  copper.  Tellurium 
and  micaceous  iron  are  found  in  these  veins.  In  the  silver  lodes  the  iron,  so  abundant  in 
the  gold  veins,  is  often  replaced  by  the  oxide  of  manganese.  This  mineral  is  sometimes  so 
abundant  as  to  constitute  a  large  portion  of  the  gangue. 

"  The  gangue,  in  many  of  the  copper  veins,  is  made  up  of  quartz,  heavy  spar,  calc  spar, 
brown  spar,  and  oxides  of  iron.  Many  thousand  lodes  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper  have  been 
already  discovered  and  recorded,  and  many  of  them  more  or  less  developed.  It  is  true  here, 
as  well  as  in  all  other  mining  districts,  that  a  large  part  of  the  lodes  discovered  cannot  be 
profitably  worked  by  the  methods  usually  adopted  in  new  mining  regions ;  but  many  of  those 
which  cannot  now  be  worked  with  profitable  results  will  become  valuable  when  experience 
has  proved  the  best  methods,  and  when  labor  and  materials  can  be  had  at  ordinary  prices." 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  489 

The  geology  of  Montana  is  almost  entirely  unknown.  The  Rocky  mountains 
are  chiefly  composed  of  granite,  gneiss,  and  synite,  and  may  be  pretty  certainly 
assigned  to  the  Arzoic.  Captain  John  Mullan  gives  the  following  general 
description  of  the  mountain  ranges  and  their  geological  formation  : 

Looking  back  upon  our  route,  we  saw  we  had  followed  Bitter  Root  river  to  its  head, 
which  we  found  from  its  mouth  to  be  95  miles  long,  flowing  through  a  wide  and  beautiful 
valley,  whose  soil  is  fertile  and  productive,  well  timbered  with  the  pine  and  cottonwood,  but 
whose  chief  characteristic  and  capability  is  that  of  grazing  large  herds  of  cattle,  and  afford- 
ing excellent  mill  sites  along  the  numerous  streams  flowing  from  the  mountains.  The  country 
thence  is  watered  by  tributaries  to  the  Missouri  and  its  fork,  to  the  range  of  mountains  sepa- 
rating these  waters  from  those  of  the  Snake  river,  or  the  south  branch  of  Lewis'  fork  of  the 
Columbia,  and  is  also  fertile,  but  its  characteristic  feature  is  the  great  scarcity  of  timber  for 
any  purpose,  the  willow  and  wild  sage  being  used  for  fuel  along  the  whole  route.  The  geo- 
logical formation  of  this  section  belongs  to  the  tertiary  period.  The  capability  of  this  broad 
area,  however,  for  grazing  is  excellent.  *  *  *  The  whole  country  is  formed  of 
a  series  of  beds  of  mountainous  ranges  or  ridges,  with  their  intervening  valleys,  all  of  which 
are  well  defined  and  marked,  the  decomposition  and  washings  of  the  rocks  of  the  mountains 
giving  character  to  the  soil  of  the  valleys,  which  may  be  termed,  as  a  general  thing,  fertile. 
The  geological  formations  along  the  Jefferson  fork  and  its  principal  tributaries  are  limestone 
and  conglomerate  rock.  From -the  range  called  the  Snake  river  divide,  the  whole  character 
of  the  country  is  completely  changed.  Here  the  geological  formation  is  basaltic  and  volcanic 
principally.  None  of  the  numerous  streams  and  rivulets  flowing  from  the  mountains  along 
the  route  we  travelled  emptied  into  the  Snake  river,  but  either  sunk  into  the  ground  or  formed 
small  lakes  in  the  broad  valley  of  Snake  river.  The  ground  in  most  places  is  formed  prin- 
cipally of  sand,  and  where  large  beds  of  basalt  are  hot  found,  the  ground  is  of  a  dry,  absorb- 
ing nature,  through  which  the  water  sinks,  at  times  bursting  out  again.  It  was  somewhat  sin- 
gular that,  for  GO  miles  above  Fort  Hall,  along  the  main  stream  of  Snake  river,  we  did  not 
cross  but  one  tributary,  and  that  coming  in  from  the  south,  while  none  came  in  from  the  north  ; 
all  of  the  streams,  as  before  mentioned,  either  forming  lakes  or  sinking  into  the  grou-.d. 
This  section  is  also  noted  for  the  great  scarcity  of  timber,  and  the  immense  plains  of  wild 
sage,  which  is  so  abundant  that  it  merits  the  name  of  the  sage  desert  of  the  mountain.  It 
extends  for  many  miles  in  length  and  breadth,  forming  an  immense  ocean  of  prairie,  whose 
sameness  is  only  broken  by  the  "Three  Buttes"  of  the  valley,  which  rise  like  islands  in  the 
sea  in  this  broad  and  barren  area.  (Report  on  the  construction  of  a  military  road  from  Fort 
Walla-Walla  to  Fort  Beuton.) 

VEGETABLE  PRODUCTS. — In  the  fertile  soil  of  the  valleys  win 'at,  barley,  and 
oats  grmv  well,  and  good  crops  are  produced.  Rye  and  buckwheat  would  also 
flourish,  but  Indian  corn  would  probably  fail.*  Potatoes  grow  in  the  greatest 

There  are,  however,  a  very  large  number  of  large  and  rich  lodes  which  will  yield  large  profits 
even  at  the  present  prices  of  labor  and  materials.  Some  of  the  lodes,  of  both  gold  and  silver 
will  rank  among  the  largest  and  richest  in  the  annals  of  mining.  In  regard  to  the  want  of 
success  in  some  of  the  mining  operations  in  the  Territory,  it  may  be  said  that  such  partial 
failures  are  incident  to  all  mining  regions,  particularly  in  the  early  operations  of  new  regions. 
Montana  is  particularly  exposed  to  delays  of  success  from  its  remoteness  from  machine  shops, 
where  the  machinery  used  may  be  altered  and  repaired  to  suit  the  exigencies  constantly  arising. 
But  all  these  hindrances  to  immediate  and  full  success  in  quartz  mining  operations  will  soon 
be  removed.  They  are  obvious  to  all  acquainted  with  the  business,  and  are  such  as  will  natu- 
rally pass  away.  Better  mills  are  being  put  up,  better  lodes  are  bought  in  larger  quantities, 
better  management  is  secured,  and  the  owners  of  quartz  property  are  offering  better  facilities 
to  those  who  wish  to  work  their  mines;  capital  is  seeking  this  source  of  wealth,  and  good 
financiers  are  operating  in  Montana  mining  property.  The  placer  mines  are  not  yielding  so  much 
as  at  some  former  periods  Many  new  localities  have  been  discovered,  and  large  sums  have 
been  expended  in  conducting  water  to  favored  localities,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  placers  will,  the  coming  year,  yield  many  more  millions  to  the  hardy  toilers  who 
have  labored  so  faithfully  and  successfully  in  securing  this  "  golden  harvest  "  The  quartz 
mining  operations  are  now  in  a  better  condition  to  secure  success  than  ever  before,  and  the 
men  who  have  discovered  and  partially  developed  the  silver,  gold,  and  copper  lodes,  have  been 
loii£  inured  to  disappointments  and  hardships,  and  will  not  yield  to  any  ordinary  obstacles; 
and  we  may  safely  believe  that  10,000  of  such  earnest,  skilful,  hardy  men  will  achieve  uiag- 
niiicent  results  in  such  a  field  as  the  mines  of  Montana  present. 

"Professor  Swallow  says:  ''The  results  already  obtained  from  herding  and  the  culti- 
vation of  our  own  rich  valleys  are  such  as  to  remove  every  reasonable  doubt  of  the  entire 
success  of  agricultural  pursuits  in  the  Territory.  It  certainly  is  one  of  the  finest  stock  coun- 
tries on  the  continent.  All  the  more  important  domestic  animals  and  fowls  do  rernark- 
ul.iv  well.  Horses  and  mules  and  neat  cattle  are  more  hardy  and  kept  in  better  condition 
on  the  native  glasses,  hay  and  grain.  As  a  general  rule  they  winter  well  in  the  valleys  and 


490  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

perfection,  and  their  flavor  if  not  superior  is  equal  to  that  of  any  in  America. 
The  residents  of  Montana  believe  that  their  potatoes  are  superior  in  dryness  and 
mealiness  to  any  in  the  world,  Ireland  and  California  not  excepted.  Beets,  peas, 
onions,  cabbages,  cucumbers,  radishes,  parsnips  and  turnips  grow  finely,  while  in 
the  warmest  valleys  melons  and  tomatoes  come  to  maturity.  Bitter-root,  a  small 
plant  flowering  in  June — the  root  three  inches  long,  one-fourth  inch  in  diame- 
ter, and  very  often  forked — grows  in  many  of  the  Rocky  mountain  valleys,  and 
is  very  abundant  in  Bitter  Root  valley.  It  is  a  favorite  article  of  food  for  the 
Flathead  Indians,  who  dig  it  in  May,  and  dry  it  so  that  it  will  keep  for  years. 
Very  nutritious,  but  extremely  bitter. 

Camus,  as  an  article  of  food  for  the  Indians,  is  probably  the  most  important 
of  the  wild  plants.  It  is  abundant  in  all  the  northern  parts  of  the  Pacific  coast. 
It  is  a  bulbous  root,  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter,  and  grows  in  low, 
swampy  lands,  having  a  sweet  gummy  taste,  and  is  very  nutritious.  Besides 
using  it  large!}7  when  fresh,  the  Indians  boil  it  and  afterwards  dry  it,  so  as  to 
preserve  it  for  years.  If  cultivated  it  might  become  a  valuable  culinary  vegeta- 
ble. 

Qullali  is  another  singular  article  of  food  used  by  the  Indians.  It  is  the  root 
of  a  plant  about  the  size  of  a  man's  finger,  of  a  deep  yellow  color,  growing  in 
the  moist  land  along  the  banks  of  the  streams.  When  raw  it  is  poisonous,  but 
when  cooked  in  a  kiln,  a  process  occupying  several  days,  it  turns  to  a  black  color 
and  resembles  tobacco  in  taste  and  smell,  and  is  equally  offensive  to  people  not 
accustomed  to  it.* 

on  the  surrounding  foot-hills  without  hay  or  gr,ain.  The  valleys  furnish  a  large  area  of  natu- 
ral meadows,  whose  products  are  equal  in  quantity  and  quality  to  those  of  the  cultivated 
meadows  of  the  middle  States.  Beef,  fattened  on  the  native  pastures,  is  certainly  not  infe- 
rior to  the  best  produced  in  the  country.  The  small  grains,  wheat,  rye,  barley  and  oats, 
produce  as  large  an  average  yield  as  in  the  most  favored  grain-producing  States.  Of  the 
native  fruits,  we  have  choke  cherries,  service  berries,  currants,  gooseberries,  blueberries, 
raspberries,  and  strawberries  can  be  cultivated  as  successfully  as  in  the  New  England  States. 

"All  the  more  important  root  crops,  such  as  potatoes,  turnips,  rutabagas,  beets,  carrots, 
parsnips,  radishes,  and  onions,  and  the  most  valuable  garden  vegetables,  are  cultivated  with 
great  success.  Timber  is  abundant  on  the  mountain  slopes  and  in  some  of  the  valleys.  Five 
species  of  pine,  two  of  fir,  one  of  spruce,  and  two  of  cedar,  grow  on  the  mountains,  and  in. 
the  mountain  valleys  and  canons  ;  balsam,  poplars,  aspens,  alders,  and  willows,  on  the  streams 
and  in  the  moist  valleys. 

"The  pines,  firs,  spruces,  and  cedars  furnish  an  abundance  of  good  timber  for  building, 
mining,  and  farming  purposes.  The  purest  waters  flow  everywhere  in  cool  springs,  moun- 
tain streams,  meadow  brooks,  and  clear  rapid  rivers.  Hot  and  mineral  springs  also  occur  in 
various  parts  of  the  Territory.  Beautiful  lakes  and  magnificent  falls  and  cascades  are 
numerous  in  the  mountains." 

*  Professor  A.  K.  Eaton,  in  a  recent  report  to  Governor  Green  Clay  Smith,  says  of  the 
agricultural  resources  and  climate  of  Montana: 

"  In  a  Territory  so  far  removed  from  the  great  grain-producing  States,  the  most  vital  ques- 
tion bearing  upon  our  future  welfare  is  that  as  to  our  ability  to  become  self-sustaining  in  all 
things  pertaining  to  the  necessaries  of  life.  If  our  success  thus  far  is  not  a  sufficient  guar- 
antee of  our  ability  to  raise  all  the  cereals,  root  crops,  &c.,  requisite  to  support  a  large 
number  of  inhabitants,  a  consideration  of  the  geological  and  topographical  formation  of  the 
country  and  its  climatic  characteristics  would  of  itself  demonstrate  that  the  soil  cannot 
fail  to  furnish  all  that  is  essential  to  the  subsistence  of  an  unlimited  population. 

"  Our  valleys  are  very  broad,  ranging  from  five  to  fifteen  miles  in  width,  and  made  up  of 
rich  bottom  lands  and  level  or  gently  undulating  plateaus.  The  mountain  ranges  on  either 
side  generally  differ  in  their  geological  character.  On  one  side,  granite  and  its  allied  primi- 
tive rocks,  by  the  disintegration  of  which  valleys  have  been  supplied  with  the  alumina  and 
alkaline  silicates  so  necessary  to  an  inexhaustible  soil ;  on  the  other,  ranges  of  secondary 
limestone,  sandstone,  &c.,  that  have  furnished  the  additional  constituents  of  a  soil  of 
unequalled  richness.  The  want  of  rain  to  irrigate  the  lands  is  the  only  apparent  difficulty, 
and  nature  has  provided  for  this  in  the  conformation  of  the  country.  Lying,  as  these 
plateaus  do,  nearly  level,  the  mountain  streams,  which  are  frequent  and  never-failing,  are 
readily  turned  from  their  courses  and  made  to  wind  along  the  base  of  the  foot-hills,  upon  the 
outer  limits  of  the  table  lands,  and  thence  distributed  over  almost  every  foot  of  arable  land. 
This  mode  of  irrigation  has  its  decided  advantages  over  that  of  the  natural  rain  storms  of 
regions  nearer  the  coast,  from  the  fact  that  it  is  wholly  under  the  control  of  the  farmer.  In 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  491 

TIMBER. — Pine  is  by  far  the  most  abundant  timber.  The  next  is  fir.  The 
fottoiuvood,  which  grows  on  the  banks  of  the  streams,  is  the/mly  other  tree,  and 
it  is  used  only  for  firewood,  and  occasionally  for  log  houses.  Mountain  mahogany 
is  the  only  hard  wood  that  grows  in  the  Territory,  and  this  is  only  a  shrub.  Nane 
of  the  valuable  hard  woods,  as  hickory,  maple,  or  ash,  grow  in  Montana. 

CLIMATE. — The  climate  of  Montana  in  the  mountainous  parts  is  as  cold  as 
that  of  the  New  England  States.  It  retards,  or  entirely  prevents,  placer  mining 
for  about  half  the  year ;  and  until  quartz  mines  are  opened,  so  that  the  miners 
can  be  employed  during  the  long  winters,  they  must  remain  idle  much  of  their 
time.  There  are,  however,  exceptional  years.  The  winter  of  1S62-'G3  was  so 
mild  that  placer  mining  was  continued  with  scarcely  an  interruption  the  entire 
year.  Snow  generally  falls  to  a  great  depth,  so  that  communication  in  the 
higher  districts  is  somewhat  irregular  and  uncertain  during  the  winter.  In  the 
valleys,  where  the  altitude  is  less,  the  climate  is  milder.  In  Deer  Lodge  and  the 
Gallatin  and  Madison  valleys  stock  continues  in  good  condition,  throughout  the 
year,  without  hay  or  grain,  the  grass  being  abundant  nearly  all  the  time.  Mon- 
tana is  a  remarkably  healthy  country.  There  seems  to  be  no  peculiar  diseases 
incident  to  the  climate.  In  the  towns  the  great  majority  of  deaths  are  either 
accidental  or  the  result  of  violence.* 

a  Territory  nearly  four  times  as  large  ns  the  State  of  New  York,  we  have  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  laud  of  this  description,  available  whenever  the  growth  of  the  country  may 
demand  its  cultivation. 

"  No  disquisition,  however,  is  necessary  upon  the  character  of  the  soil  or  its  origin.  Facts 
demonstrate  beyond  question  the  self-sustaining  character  of  the  Territory  in  an  agricultural 
point  of  view.  Flour  to-day  is  almost  as  ch.eap  as  in  the  great  grain-producing  regions  of 
the  east,  and  this  has  been  brought  about  by  the  cultivation  of  limited  patches,  here  and 
there,  of  these  broad  lands.  Our  table-lands  and  the  slopes  of  our  foot-hills,  without  irriga- 
tion, furnish  the  most  abundant  pasturage;  the  species  of  grass  flourishing  spontaneously 
being  of  the  most  nutritious  character,  and  in  some  respects  superior  to  the  cultivated  grasses 
of  the  east. 

"The  peculiarities  of  our  climate  demand  a  passing  remark.  The  great  wind  currents 
that  start  from  the  distant  sea-cpast  regions  laden  with  moisture,  deposit  it  in  beneficent 
showers  on  their  way,  and  reach  our  inland  mountain  regions  with  scarcely  a  drop  to  moisten 
our  thirsty  soil ;  still  this  deprivation  proves  a  blessing  in  disguise.  It  gives  us  an  atmo- 
sphere comparatively  free  from  moisture,  and  makes  our  severe  winters  more  endurable  than 
even  those  of  lower  latitudes.  Our  lowlands  are  often  almost  free  from  snow  during  the 
whole  season,  and  cattle  graze  and  grow  fat  on  the  grasses  of  our  valleys  during  our  long 
winters. 

"  The  climate  is  indeed  the  most  pleasant  and  salubrious  of  any  that  I  have  personally 
ever  known  ;  and  this  in  a  country  where  the  altitude  of  the  valleys  is  about  one  mile  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  lying  between  45°  and  49°  north  latitude." 

*  Captain  Mullan  says  in  his  report: 

"The  temperature  of  Walla-Walla,  in  46°,  is  similar  to  that  of  Washington  city,  in  38° 
latitude;  that  of  Clark's  Fork,  in  48°,  to  that  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  in  latitude  41°  ;  that 
of  the  Bitter  Root  valley,  in  40°,  is  similar  to  that  of  Philadelphia,  in  latitude  40°,  with 
about  the  same  amount  of  snow,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  days  of  intense  cold, 
about  the  same  average  temperature.  This  condition  of  facts  is  not  accidental,  but  arises 
from  the  truths  of  meteorological  laws,  that  are  as  unvarying  as  they  are  wonderful  and 
useful.  As  early  as  the  winter  of  1853,  which  I  spent  in  these  mountains,  my  attention  was 
called  to  the  mild  open  region  lying  between  the  Deer  Lodge  valley  and  Fort  Laramie, 
where  the  buffalo  roamed  in  millions  through  the  winter,  and  which,  during  that  season, 
constituted  the  great  hunting  grounds  of  the  Crows,  Black  feet,  and  other  mountain  tribes.  % 
Upon  investigating  the  peculiarities  of  the  country,  I  learned  from  the  Indians,  and  after- 
wards confirmed  by  my  own  explorations,  the  fact  of  the  existence  of  an  infinite  number 
of  hot  springs  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri,  Columbia,  and  Yellowstone  rivers,  and  that 
hot  geysers,  similar  to  those  of  California,  existed  at  the  head  of  the  Yellowstone ;  that  this 
line  of  hot  springs  was  traced  to  the  Big  Horn,  where  a  coal-oil  spring,  similar  in  all 
respects  to  those  worked  in  western  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  exists,  and  where  I  am  sanguine 
in  believing  that  the  whole  country  is  underlaid  with  immense  coal  fields.  Here,  then,  was 
a  feature  sufficient  to  create  great  modifications  of  climate,  not  local  in  its  effect,  but  which 
even  extends  for  several  hundred  miles  from  the  Red  Buttes,  on  the  Platte,  to  the  plains  of 
the  Columbia. 
******** 

"A  comparison  of  the  altitude  of  the  South  pass,  with  the  country  on  its  every  side,  with 


492  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

NAVIGABLE  WATERS. — Although  Montana  is  abundantly  supplied  with  rivers 
carrying  large  bodies  of  water,  the  great  altitude  of  the  Territory  induces  such 
rapid  currents  as  to  prove  serious  obstacles  to  navigation.  On  the  western  slope 
the  rivers  are  unnavigable  for  anything  except  rafts,  small  boats,  and  canoes, 
their  courses  being  continually  interrupted  by  shoals,  rapids,  and  falls.  On  the 
eastern  slope,  the  Missouri  has  a  light-draught  steamboat  navigation  of  over  300 
miles  to  Fort  Benton,  and  steamboats  have  ascended  nearly  to  the  Great  Falls, 
situated  about  50  miles  above.  Fort  Benton  is  the  depot  of  supplies  for  the 
whole  Territory,  and  even  to  this  point  navigation  is  very  uncertain.  In  dry 
seasons  the  water  is  scant  on  the  shoals,  and,  as  the  banks  are  unsettled,  the 
boats  have  to  be  supplied  with  fuel  by  cutting  wood.  In  many  places  wood  is 
very  scarce,  and  has  to  be  earned  on  the  backs  of  men  for  a  mile  or  more. 
Vexatious  delaj^s  are  the  result.  Every  year  the  wood  is  getting  scarcer  and 
more  difficult  to  procure.  The  hostility  of  the  Indians  also  renders  navigation 
perilous  at  this  time. 

Coal  is  found  some  distance  below  Fort  Benton.  When  mining  for  this  article 
is  carried  on  extensively  it  will  probably  supply  the  steamers  with  a  sufficiency 
of  fuel.  It  is  a  brown  or  lignite,  probably  in  the  cretaceous  formation,  and  is 
found  in  veins  of  large  size,  traceable  in  the  banks  of  the  streams  for  long 
distances.* 

Mullan's  pass,  further  to  the  north,  may  be  useful  in  this  connection.  The  South  pass  has 
an  altitude  of  7,489  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  Wind  River  chain,  to  its  north4 
rises  till  it  attains,  at  Fremont's  peak,  an  elevation  of  13,570  feet,  while  to  the  north  tho 
mountains  inciease  in  altitude  till  they  attain,  at  Long's  peak,  an  elevation  of  15,000  feet; 
while  the  plains  to  the  east  have  an  elevation  of  6.000  feet,  and  the  mountains' to  the  west, 
forming  the  east  rim  of  the  great  basin,  have  an  elevation  of  8,234  feet,  and  the  country 
between  it  and  the  South  pass  an  elevation  of  6,234  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The 
highest  point  on  the  road  in  the  Summit  line  at  Mullan's  pass  has  an  elevation  of  6,000  feet, 

which  is  lower  by  1,489  feet  than  the  South  pass. 

*  #*  *  *  *  #  * 

"  The  high  range  of  the  Wind  River  chain  stands  as  a  curvilinear  wall  to  deflect  and  direct 
the  currents  of  the  atmosphere  as  they  sweep  across  the  continent.  (By-the-by,  whence 
arises  the  name  of  the  Wind  River  chain?)  All  their  slopes  are  well  located  to  reflect  back 
the  direct  rays  of  the  heat  of  the  sun  to  the  valleys  that  lay  at  their  bases.  These  valleys, 
already  warm  by  virtue  of  the  hot  springs  existing  among  them,  receive  this  accumulative 
heat,  which,  driven  by  the  new  currents  of  cold  air  from  the  plains,  rises  and  moves  onward 
in  the  form  .of  a  river  towards  the  valleys  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  where  it  joins  the  milder 
current  from  the  Pacific  and  diffuses  over  the  whole  region  a  mild,  healthy,  invigorating, 
and  useful  climate."  (Mullan's  Report,  pp.  53,  54.) 

T hermumetrical  data  furnished  by  J.,L.  Corbett,  civil  engineer,  Virginia  City,  Montana. 

1865. — Mean  reading  during  the  mouth  of  December 5°.22  above  zero. 

1866. — Mean  reading  duriug  the  month  of  January 27° 

1866. — Mean  reading  during  the  month  of  February 22° 

Mean  during  the  three  months,  18°  above  zero. 

1866. — Mean  during  December 31° 

1867.— Mean  during  January 23°.73 

1867.— Mean  during  February 26° 

The  mean  during  March,  1867,  is  unknown,  as  only  the  coldest  days  were  registered,  which 
were  as  follows:  March  11,  at  7.30  a.m.,  0° ;  at  8.20  a.m.,  5°;  at  1  p.  m.,  1°;  at  6  p.m., 
12° ;  at  10  p.  m.,  18°,  or  below  zero.  March  12,  at  7  a.  m.,  18° ;  at  10  a.  m.,  12°;  at  5  p.  m., 
6°  ;  at  6  p.  m.,  16°  ;  at  9J5  p.  m.,  22°.  March  13,  at  7  a.  m.,  24°  ;  at  1  p.  m.,  10°,  or  above 
zero  ;  at  10  p.  m.,  3°,  or  above  zero.  Weather  moderate  afterwards. 

Twenty- four  degrees  below  zero  is  the  greatest  cold  experienced  during  the  past  three 
winters  at  this  place.  Mean  during  the  winter  months  for  the  past  two  winters,  22°  above 
zero.  Mean  of  barometer  reading,  2,440  inches;  altitude,  5,481  feet;  boiling  point,  202° 
Fahrenheit ;  latitude,  45°  27'  35";  longitude,  about  111°  17'. 

*  The  surveyor  general  of  Montana,  in  his  report  for  1867,  says: 

"Bituminous  coal  has  been  found  on  the  Big  Hole  river,  about  60  miles  from  Bannack 
City;  in  Jackass  gulch,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Madison  ;  and  at  Summit  district,  near  Vir- 
ginia City,  the  veins  being  from  three  to  four  feet  in  width.  Coal  also  exists  at  the  head  of 
the  Yellowstone  river.  Brown  coal,  or  lignite,  is  found  in  great  quantities  on  the  banks  of 
the  Missouri  and  Yellowstone,  valuable  as  common  fuel,  but  of  no  great  value  for  manufac- 
turing purposes.  It  has  also  been  found  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Teton  and  Marias." 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  493 

The  Yellowstone  has  not  been  sufficiently  explored  to  determine  its  capabili- 
ties for  navigation;  but  those  best  qualified  to  judge  think  that,  with  suitable 
boats,  it  may  be  navigable  far  higher  than  boats  have  yet  reached.  Indian  hos- 
tilities and  want  of  population  have  prevented  a  more  thorough  exploration. 
The  rates  of  freight  charged  on  the  steamers  from  St.  Louis  to  Fort  Benton  are 
so  high  that  if  a  boat  makes  one  trip  it  sometimes  pays  all  expenses  and  returns 
the  capital  invested  in  the  boat  itself.  Competition  will  probably  reduce  these 
charges,  unless  their  trade  should  be  closed  altogether  by  the  Indians. 

The  portion  of  Montana  on  the  western  slope  forms  a  basin  about  250  miles 
long  and  75  miles  wide.*  It  is  drained  by  the  Missoula,  Hellgate,  Blackfoot, 
and  Flat  Head  rivers,  which  uniting,  form  Clark's  Fork  of  the  Columbia  river. 
The  extreme  northern  part  is  drained  by  Tobacco  river,  which  empties  into  Lake 
Bratham,  in  Idaho  Territory.  Flat  Head  is  the  only  lake  of  any  considerable 
size  in  Montana.  It  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  clear  water  about  35  miles  long  and  15 
broad,  surrounded  by  a  fine  farming  and  grazing  country.  This  basin  contains 
the  best  timber,  and  probably  as  good  grazing  and  farming  lands  as  are  in  the 
Territory.  The  valley  of  the  Madison  and  Gallatin  only  are  equal  to  it  in  the 
latter  respect.  The  warm  moist  winds  from  the  Pacific  induce  a  more  vigorous 
development  of  vegetable  life  than  in  other  parts  of  the  Territory,  where  the  high 
wall  of  the  Rocky  mountains  prevents  these  winds  from  exercising  their  influence. 
In  this  mild  and  temperate  climate  the  missionaries  established  missions  for  the 
religious  advancement  of  the  Indians.  The  sites  of  several  of  their  missions  still 
remain,  and  are  admirably  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  fertile  country. 

From  Flat  Head  lake  south,  towards  the  mission  of  Pen  d'Oreille,  along  the 
foot  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  the  country  is  well  supplied  with  timber,  water 
and  grass,  and  is  an  excellent  agricultural  district.  South  of  the  mission  is  the 
Jocko  valley,  containing  the  Pen  d'Oreille  Indian  reservation.  This  is  a  small 
rich  agricultural  valley,  which,  if  properly  cultivated,  would  be  very  productive. 

Hell  Gate  valley  is  southeast  from  the  reservation.  It  is  about  25  miles  long, 
and  six  or  seven  broad,  possessing  excellent  agricultural  resources.  Still  south 
is  the  Bitter  Root  valley,  about  60  miles  long  and  eight  wide.  In  this  is  Owen's 
trading  post,  called  Fort  Owen,  around  which  is  a  flourishing  settlement. 

The  Hell  Gate  and  Bitter  Root  at  their  junction  form  the  Missoula,  which 
retains  that  name  until  it  forms  a  junction  with  the  Flat  Head  forming  Clark's 
Fork  of  the  Columbia.  Hell  Gate  and  Bitter  Root  valleys  contain  a  number  of 
settlers,  and  in  time  will  contain  a  large  agricultural  population.  At  this  point 
the  Bitter  Root  mountains  present  an  almost  impassable  barrier,  with  but  few* 
passes,  and  can  only  -be  traversed  in  the  warmest  part  of  the  year;  at  other 
seasons  they  are  completely  blockaded  by  the  snow. 

*The  surveyor  general  says:  "The  soil  of  the  valleys  and  table  lands  is  of  good  quality, 
and  it  is  believed  that  fully  one-third  of  the  Territory  is  susceptible  of  profitable  cultiva- 
tion. The  more  important  valleys  requiring  immediate  survey  are  the  Bitter  Root,  Deer 
Lodge,  Hell  Gate,  Ronde,  Big  Hole,  Beaver  Head,  Stinking  Water,  Jefferson,  Madison, 
Gallatin,  Boulder,  Prickly  Pear,  (including  the  town  of  Helena,)  and  the  Missouri  from  the 
Three  Forks  to  Canon  Ferry,  east  of  Helena.  The  arable  lands  in  these  valleys  amount, 
by  careful  estimate,  to  9,000  square  miles,  and  contracts  for  their  surveys  will  be  let  as  soon 
as  possible.  A  ready  home  market  is  found  for  the  product  of  the  ranches  and  dairies,  and 
the  supply  of  the  different  kinds  of  grain  raised  is  no  doubt  sufficient  for  the  wants  of  the 
population  until  another  crop  is  produced.  The  yield  of  potatoes  has  been  so  great  during 
the  past  season  that  it  is  believed  that  fully  1,000,000  bushels  could  be  exported,  and  still 
have  enough  for  home  consumption.  The  wheat  raised  in  Gallatin  valley  is  closely  estimated 
at  8,000  acres,  and  the  other  small  grains,  such  as  oats,  barley,  rye,  &c.,  are  placed  at  6,000 
acres.  The  yield  will  be  at  least  30  bushels  to  the  acre,  giving  us,  as  a  low  estimate  of  all 
the  grain  crop  in  that  valley  for  this  year,  at  420,000  bushels.  The  list  of  the  territorial 
auditor  shows  165,140  acres  of  land  under  cultivation  in  the  Territory,  and  the  total  valuation 
of  the  property  assessed  is  $5,703,118.  The  flouring  mills  are  particularly  mentioned.  The 
grazing  lands  are  among  the  finest  in  the  world,  their  nutricious  grasses  serving  to  keep 
cattle  and  stock  in  good  condition  during  the  entire  winter.  The  number  of  cattle  grazing 
on  these  lands  is  estimated  at  40  000." 


494  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Big  Blackfoot  comes  into  Hell  Gate  river  in  the  canon  of  that  name,  and  for 
15  miles  runs  through  another  canon.  Above,  it  passes  through  a  large  and 
beautiful  valley  similar  to  that  of  Hell  Gate.  On  the  head  of  this  river  are  some 
good  placer  mines.  Some  say  the  canon  received  this  name  of  *' Hell  Gate" 
from  the  gloomy  character  of  its  scenery ;  others,  that  it  was  so  named  from  the 
fact  that  the  Indians,  when  on  the  war  path,  intent  on  deeds  of  blood  and  rapine, 
always  issued  out  from  it.  Either  cause  would  be  sufficient. 

FLINT  CREEK. — Forty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Blackfoot,  from  the 
south,  comes  in  Flint  creek  through  a  fine  large  valley  with  plenty  of  grass, 
water  and  timber.  Recently  near  the  head  of  this  stream  rich  silver  mines  have 
been  found,  and  a  town  of  400  or  500  inhabitants  has  sprang  up  in  a  few  weeks. 
On  one  of  the  branches  of  Flint  some  good  placer  mines  have  been  discovered 
which  paid  well  this  summer.  Twenty  miles  above  this  creek  the  Little  Black- 
foot  comes  in  from  the  northeast.  For  some  distance  above  its  mouth  is  a  good 
grazing  country,  not  suitable  for  agricultural  purposes,  but  well  timbered.  The 
ravines  and  gulches  at  the  head  of  this  stream  contain  some  good  placer  mines, 
and  several  mining  towns  have  sprung  up,  such  as  Blackfoot  City  and  Car- 
pentier's  Bar.  Quartz  veins  containing  gold  have  been  found  in  this  vicinity, 
but  they  have  not  been  sufficiently  worked  to  prove  their  value. 

DEER  LODGE  VALLEY. — To  the  southward  lies  the  Deer  Lodge  valley,  one  of 
the  most  picturesque  and  beautiful,  as  well  as  one  of  the  richest  mineral  and  agricul- 
tural districts  in  Montana.  It  is  about  35  miles  long  and  10  broad,  surrounded 
by  low  rolling  hills,  which  afford  excellent  pasturage.  This  favored  region,  called 
by  the  Indians  Ttsookeencame,  or,  translated,  "the  Deer's  Lodge,"  takes  its  name 
from  a  singular  mound  in  the  upper  end  of  the  valley  composed  of  silicious  and 
ferruginous  depositions,  formed  by  a  thermal  spring. 

This  mound  is  a"  truncated  cone  30  feet  in  height,  100  feet  in  diameter  at  the 
base  and  30  feet  at  the  summit.  Brightly  colored  with  white  and  reddish-brown 
spots,  it  forms  a  notable  landmark.  In  the  winter,  when  the  steam  rises  like 
smoke  from  a  spring  at  the  top,  it  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  a  large  Indian 
lodge.  This  spring  is  three  feet  in  diameter  and  of  a  considerable  depth.  The 
water,  which  does  not  overflow  at  present,  is  nearly  at  the  boiling  point,  while 
at  the  base  of  the  mound  several  springs  exist  the  temperature  of  which  varies 
from  near  boiling  point  to  icy  coldness.  A  marsh  elevated  a  few  feet  above  the 
surrounding  plains  is  formed  by  the  springs  at  the  base  of  the  mound.  Very  few 
such  formations,  caused  by  thermal  springs,  are  found  in  the  Pacific  Territories. 
Hence  it  must  be  different  from  the  ordinary  methods  of  deposition.  From  the 
fact  that  the  spring  in  the  centre  of  the  cone  does  not  overflow,  it  is  evident  that 
in  former  times  it  must  have  been  more  active  than  at  present,  and  that  the  forces 
that  once  gave  it  activity  are  failing ;  also,  that  unless  there  is  a  recurrence  of 
its  ancient  eruptive  power  the  mound  will  never  rise  any  higher.  Probably  it  is 
lower  than  formerly.  Ordinarj7  thermal  springs  throw  quite  a  volume  of  water, 
which,  gradually  cooling,  continues  to  deposit  its  sediment  for  a  considerable 
distance,  depositions  not  being  materially  greater  at  the  mouth  of  the  springs 
than  100  or  200  yards  distant. 

Quite  a  large  number  of  farms  are  under  enclosure  in  this  valley.  Stock 
raising  also  employs  some  of  the  inhabitants.  Until  recently  there  was  but  little 
mining  in  this  vicinity.  Last  spring  and  summer  some  very  good  placer  mines 
were  discovered  in  the  hills  on  the  east  side  of  the  valley.  On  Silver  Bar,  a 
stream  falling  into  the  head  of  the  valley,  placer  and  quartz  mines  containing 
gold,  silver  and  copper,  especially  the  latter  metal,  have  been  worked  for  over 
two  years,  resulting  in  the  mining  towns  of  Silver  Bar  and  Butte  City. 

TOWN  OF  COTTONWOOD. — Cottonwood,  the  county-seat  of  Deer  Lodge  county, 
is  situated  on  the  north  side  of  Cottonwood  creek,  near  its  junction  with  Deer 
Lodge  creek.  It  has  a  good  location  for  a  town.  The  streets  are  wide  and  well 
laid  out.  The  advantage  of  wide  streets  in  mining  towns  is  so  evident,  in  view 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  495 

of  the  dangers  from  fire,  that  it  is  singular  so  few  new  towns  are  laid  out  in  this 
manner.  The  houses  are  usually  built  of  wood.  Fire  engines  are  the  accom- 
paniment of  a  more  advanced  progress.  When  a  fire  once  gets  fully  under  way 
in  these  mining  towns  it  seldom  stops  until  it  meets  an  open  space. 

rottonwood  is  a  pleasant  little  town,  with  that  dreamy  appearance  of  repose 
indicative  of  an  agricultural  district.  Timber  is  scarce  in  the  valley,  but  is 
abundant  in  the  adjacent  hills  and  mountains.  Pine  and  fir  constitute  the  sole 
Ripply. 

The  sceneiy  here  is  wonderfully  picturesque.  Spurs  and  broken  chains  of 
mountains,  the  lofty  summits  regularly  dispersed,  rise  above  and  beyond  one 
another,  giving  an  idea  of  interminable  distance.  The  rarity  of  the  atmosphere 
consequent  on  the  altitude  causes  the  rays  of  light  to  be  less  strongly  refracted 
than  when  the  atmosphere  is  denser,  giving  a  strange  and  unnatural  reflection 
to  every  object.  The  light  is  peculiar  in  many  respects.  While  it  does  not 
apparently  impair  vision,  it  seems  to  blend  in  all  colors  a  portion  of  black.  Thus, 
as  the  eye  follows  one  mountain  peak  after  another,  the  color  becomes  darker 
and  darker,  till  the  most  distant  are  almost  entirely  black.  The  color  of  the 
snow,  varied  by  increasing  distance,  goes  through  the  same  changes,  and  at  last 
appears  of  a  dark  gray.  There  are  none  of  those  wondrous  changes  of  tints  and 
shadows  which  are  so  charming  in  the  lower  latitudes  as  Mount  Hood,  whose 
snows  from  a  hundred  different  points  of  observation  never  appear  twice  of  the 
same  color.  Here  every  tint  is  sombre  and  rigid,  and  notwithstanding  the  beauty 
of  the  scenery  the  mind  is  chilled  with  a  feeling  of  awe.  This  is  heightened  by 
the  appearance  of  the  low  hills,  which  are  covered  with  grass,  and  have  the  aspect 
of  fields  once  cultivated,  but  now  permitted  to  return  to  a  state  of  nature. 

In  the  upper  part  of  the  valley,  near  the  hot  springs,  the  snow  seldom  lies  on 
the  ground,  and  there  is  an  abundance  of  good  pasturage  the  year  round. 

A  curious  and  interesting  fact  connected  with  this  locality  is  worthy  of  note. 
From  the  head  of  this  valley  into  Big  Hole,  or  the  valley  of  Divide  creek,  n 
branch  of  Big  Hole,  is  the  lowest  pass  through  the  Rocky  mountains.  In  fact, 
it  is  simply  a  continuation  of  one  valley  into  another.  At  Butte  City  water  is 
brought  from  the  head  of  Boulder  creek,  which  is  a  tributary  of  the  Missouri, 
through  a  low  jmss  into  Silver  Bar,  a  branch  of  Deer  Lodge  creek,  thus  taking 
the  water  from  the  Atlantic  and  giving  it  to  the  Pacific. 

The  streams  and  small  Likes  which  abound  in  the  hills  around  this  valley  are 
well  supplied  with  trout.  All  the  streams  on  the  Pacific  slope  contain  trout ;  but 
except  in  the  Yellowstone  and  its  tributaries  they  are  very  scarce  on  the  Atlantic' 
slope. 

A  short  distance  below  Deer  Lodge,  a  small  creek  empties  into  Hell  Gate 
river  from  the  west,  called  Gold  creek.  It  is  remarkable  as  the  first  place  where 
gold  was  discovered  in  Montana.  The  discovery  was  made  on  the  banks  of  a 
stream  whose  waters  finally  flow  into  the  Pacific  ocean. 

During  the  present  year  the  mines  on  the  western  slope  have  been  much  more 
productive  than  formerly,  while  on  the  eastern  slope  the  production  this  year 
will  be  less  than  that  of  last  year. 


496  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

SECTION   II. 

MINES  AND  SYSTEMS  OF  MINING. 

Gold  was  discovered  in  Montana  by  a  French  half-breed,  named  Francois  Finlay, 
about  the  year  1852,  on  Gold  creek,  a  branch  of  the  Hell  Gate  river.  He  was 
merely  prospecting,  and  did  not  find  the  gold  in  sufficient  quantities  to  induce 
him  to  work  the  mines.* 

*  Mr.  Albert  D.  Richardson  quotes  from  a  book  published  in  Cincinnati  50  years  ago,  as 
follows : 

"  These  mountains  are  supposed  to  contain  minerals,  precious  stones,  and  gold  and  silver 
ore.  It  is  but  late  that  they  have  taken  the  name  Rocky  mountains  ;  by  all  old  travellers 
they  are  called  the  Shining  mountains,  from  an  infinite  number  of  crystal  stones  of  an 
amazing  size  with  which  they  are  covered,  and  which,  when  the  sun  shines  full  upon  them, 
sparkle  so  as  to  be  seen  at  a  great  distance.  The  same  early  travellers  gave  it  as  their  opinion 
that  in  future  these  mountains  would  be  found  to  contain  more  riches  than  those  of  Indostan 
and  Malabar,  or  the  golden  coast  of  Guinea,  or  the  mines  of  Peru." 

Mr.  Richardson  remarks : 

"These  surmises  excited  little  notice,  for  the  early  travellers  believed  every  mountain  an 
El  Dorado,  and  every  stream  a  Pactolus.  The  first  statement  which  appeared  worthy  of 
serious  attention  was  made  by  Colonel  William  Gilpin  of  the  United  States  army.  This 
gentleman,  a  zealous  student  of  the  natural  sciences,  crossed  the  continent  with  a  party  of 
Oregon  explorers,  and  again  with  his  command  during  the  Mexican  war. 

"  In  1849,  in  an  address  at  Independence,  Missouri,  as  the  result  of  all  his  observations, 
he  asserted  the  abundant  existence  of  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones  throughout  the  Rocky 
mountains."  (Beyond  the  Mississippi,  pp.  135-6.) 

Professor  A.  K.  Eaton,  in  his  report  to  Governor  Green  Clay  Smith,  gives  the  following 
general  summary  of  the  mineral  resources  of  Montana  : 

"  Of  the  common  minerals  of  value  in  the  arts  and  manufactures,  there  seems  to  be  every 
indication  of  abundance,  although  little  has  been  done  towards  the  development  of  them ; 
fire  clay,  gypsum  and  coal  are  indicated  strongly  in  the  tertiary  deposits  that  underlie 
the  table-lands  of  the  valleys  and  elsewhere ;  but  they  lie  mostly  undisturbed  and  undis- 
covered, except  where  some  wandering  prospector  has  accidentally  come  upon  their  out- 
crop. The  pursuit  of  the  precious  metals  has  made  the  people  oblivious  to  all  minor  con- 
siderations :  but  if  we  consider,  for  a  moment,  the  immense  advantage  that  would  accrue 
to  the  Territory  by  the  opening  of  reliable  coal  beds,  it  would  be  an  incentive  to  the  greatest 
effort;  fuel  for  our  furnaces  and  manufactures,  to  say  nothing  of  our  ordinary  needs,  wili 
soon  become  scarce  and  dear.  I  believe  that  a  small  appropriation  of  money  for  the  purpose 
would  insure  the  discovery  and  development  of  coal  deposits  in  a  very  short  time. 

"Discoveries  of  new  minerals  and  ores  are  occurring  frequently  in  the  Territory.  Cinna- 
bar, which  is  of  the  first  importance  in  a  gold  and  silver-producing  region,  has  been  found, 
though  not  in  place.  Specimens  of  water-worn  fragments  of  this  mineral,  found  in  the  gulch 
workings  of  an  almost  unoccupied  district  of  the  Territory,  were  recently  brought  to  me, 
which  proved  to  be  of  the  first  quality.  This  is  especially  gratifying,  since  deposits  of  ores 
resembling  cinnabar  have  been  frequently  found,  and  much  useless  labor  expended  in  their 
development.  I  have  also  recently,  and  for  the  first  time,  examined  true  tin  ore  found  within 
our  territorial  limits.  This  also  was  from  gulch  working. 

"  Lead  ores  occur  in  profusion,  both  as  galenas  and  as  carbonate  of  lead,  in  nearly  all 
districts  of  the  Territory.  These  will  not  be  worked  at  present,  except  when  accompanied 
by  silver.  All  the  galenas  are  so  accompanied,  and  generally  in  paying  quantities  of  the 
latter  metal. 

"  Copper  lodes  are  abundant,  showing  at  the  surface  ores  ranging  from  15  to  60  per  cent, 
of  metallic  copper.  These  when  located  near  the  Missouri  river  may  be  immediately  made 
profitable.  Copper  ores  in  the  eastern  market  probably  command  to-day  about  $5  for  every 
per  cent,  of  copper  contained  ;  15  per  cent,  ore  would  be  worth  $75  per  ton,  and  60  per  cent, 
ore  $300.  Thus,  long  before  we  shall  be  extensively  engaged  in  smelting  these  ores,  our 
copper  lodes  may  prove  largely  remunerative. 

"The  silver  lodes  of  the  Territory  which  at  present  attract  much  attention,  are,  in  part, 
silver-bearing  galenas.  These  range  by  practicable  working  from  $20  to  $300  per  ton.  The 
present  cost  of  labor  and  fuel  precludes  the  working  of  the  poorer  of  these  ores,  but  eventu- 
ally all  will  be  worked  profitably.  The  cost  of  smelting  this  class  of  ores  cannot  at  present 
be  put  lower  than  $35  per  ton,  and  in  some  localities  would  exceed  this  estimate;  still 
there  is  an  abundance  of  argentiferous  galena  that  can  be  worked  with  great  profit  at  the 
present  prices  of  material  and  labor.  Another  class  of  silver  lodes  is  found  in  the  country 
which  carry  no  lead  or  other  base  metal  to  interfere  with  the  successful  working  of  the  ores 
by  amalgamation.  It  is  from  this  class  of  ores  probably  that  the  first  remunerative  results 
will  be  obtained,  owing  to  the  simplicity  of  the  machinery  required.  Mills  are  now  being 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  497 

In  1856  other  prospectors  found  ^old  at  th<-  same  mines,  Imt  did  not  work 
them.  In  the  lull  of  1860  the  1  Brothers  Stuart  &  Co.  prospected  near  the  same 
place,  and  in  I  SGI  and  lSu'2  commenced  working  in  earnest  with  sluices.  This 
was  the  first  regular  placer  mining  in  the  Territory.  In  1861  they  wrote  to  some 

erected  for  working  ores  of  this  diameter.  The  great  abundance  of  veins  of  this  nature  of 
the  most  promising  appearance  justifies  the  expectation  that  a  short  time  will  show  large 
returns  of  bullion  from  this  source. 

"The  placer  mines  of  the  Territory  which  have  thus  far  been  successfully  worked,  are 
those  only  which  from  their  favorable  location  with  reference  to  water,  &c.,  could  be  easily 
worked  without  the  previous  expenditure  of  capital  by  single  workmen  or  by  small  parties. 
Gulches  already  worked  out  by  this  wasteful  method  will  be  reworked  perhaps  as  remune- 
ratively as  at  first,  by  the  aid  of  capital.  Ditches  for  the  further  supply  of  water,  bed-rock 
flumes,  and  hydraulic  apparatus  are  essential  to  the  successful  working  of  the  majority  of  our 
gulch  deposits,  and  when  capital  Hows  in  that  direction,  nmny  thousand  acres  can  be  worked 
most  profitably,  which,  to-day,  individual  effort  cannot  touch  successfully. 

"That  which  has  proven  one  of  the  most  serious  obstacles  to  succesj-ful  mining  in  the 
Territory  has  been  the  profusion  of  gold-bearing  veins,  showing  temptingly  at  the  surface. 
Nature  is  never  so  lavish  as  she  in  this  case  appears,  and  in  the  light  of  general  mining 
experience,  we  have  no  right  to  expect  more  than  a  small  percentage  of  true,  strong  and 
uniformly  rich  veins  from  this  great  surface  display.  Thus  it  is  that  several  failures  may 
precede  one  great  success  in  the  development  of  mines.  There  can  be  no  doubt  in  the  mind 
of  any  one,  making  the  country  a  careful  study,  of  the  boundless  wealth  that  is  hidden  in  its 
bosom.  Indefatigable  energy  arid  untiring  perseverance  will  alone  reveal  its  full  magnitude. 

"A  large  number  of  mills  for  the  working  of  gold  ores  have  been  erected  in  the  Territory, 
and  few  of  them  with  more  than  partial  success.  The  reason  is  obvious,  and  in  their  partial 
failure,  mining  history  only  reflects  itself.  Some  of  them  are  of  that  untried  character  of 
which  it  may  be  said  that  whilst  they  show  in  construction  some  new  features  aud  some 
good  ones,  unfortunately  the  new  things  are  not  good,  and  the  good  points  are  not  new. 
Novel  inventions,  even  if  capable  of  success  elsewhere,  are  inevitably  destined  to  failure  in  a 
new  country.  The  principal  difficulty,  however,  has  been  the  imperfect  management  of  these 
ditl'erent  enterprises,  arising  sometimes  from  the  incapacity  of  agents,  but  more  frequently 
from  the  impossibility  of  anticipating  in  a  country  new  and  undeveloped  the  exact  require- 
ments of  the  case.  One  great  error  has  been  made  by  almost  all.  It  has  arisen  from  the 
over-sanguine  belief  that  quartz  could  be  mined  in  quantity  without  preliminary  expense  in 
development.  The  mills  are  erected,  the  money  and  patience  of  the  proprietors  exhausted, 
and  with  untold  wealth  the  machinery  is  left  to  rust  and  rot  for  want  of  ore.  To-day  nearly 
every  mill  in  the  Territoiy  could  be  worked  most  profitably  by  the  expenditure  of  a  few 
thousand  dollars  in  the  thorough  opening  of  the  mines  belonging  to  them.  Excuse  me,  sir, 
for  referring  to  the  embarrassments  under  which  we  are  laboring.  It,  is  only  by  looking  our 
errors  in  the  face  that  we  can  find  the  way  to  success.  It  is  the  fourth  year  of  my  residence 
in  the  Territory,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  my  confidence  in  its  great  mineral  wealth  is 
stronger  than  ever,  and  notwithstanding  the  discouragements  that  we  have  been  compelled: 
to  meet,  we  may  say  with  pride  that  no  new  Territory  has  made  such  rapid  advances  in  so 
short  a  time  as  this.  The  working  of  many  thousands  of  tons  of  gold  ore  in  different  parts 
of  the  Territory,  varying  from  $J5  to  §75  per  ton  by  active  working,  is  a  sufficient  indication 
of  the  probable  average  of  our  gold-bearing  rock.  The  lowest  of  these  limits  pays  a  profit 
even  at  the  present  price  of  labor  in  a  mill  of  any  considerable  capacity.  The  expense  of 
the  importation  of  machinery  has  diminished  to  almost  half  since  the  first  mills  were  erected, 
here.  The  Union  Pacific  railroad  is  every  day  bringing  us  near  to  the  sources  from  which 
we  draw  machinery  and  capital.  Foundries  and  machine  shops  are  springing  up  in  our> 
midst,  and  \ve  are  in  all  directions  fast  becoming  self-sustaining.  With  agricultural  resources- 
unexcelled,  with  a  climate  most  inviting,  with  mineral  wealth  inexhaustible,  we  may,  with 
reason,  feel  assured  that  Montana  will  take  the  highest  rank  among  the  gold^and  silver- 
producing  States." 

The  surveyor  general  in  his  report  for  1867,  says : 

"  When  provisions  and  labor  become  cheaper,  many  gulches  will  be  worked  which  are  at 
present  untouched.  Large  amounts  of  money  have  been  expended  this  season  in  tho  con- 
struction of  ditches,  and  in  preparations  for  gulch  mining  next  year.  The  result  of  these 
preparations  will  be  that,  during  1868,  fully  50  per  cent,  more  gold  will  be  taken  out  than 
there  lias  been  this  season.  The  production  of  gold  for  this  season  has  been  estimated  at 
•notion,  aud  still  not  a  tenth  part  of  the  Territory  has  yet  been  prospected. 

"Iron  has  been  found  on  Jackass  creek. 

"Copper  abounds  principally  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Muscleshell  river.  The  width  of  the 
veins  is  from  three  to  four  feet.  Placer  copper  has  been  found  on  Beaver  creek,  near  Jeffer- 
son City,  which  shows  some  splendid  specimens. 

"The  leads  of  Montana  are  generally  better  defined  than  in  any  other  mining  country  in 
the  world,  and  the  singular  freaks  sometimes  taken  by  them  in  other  regions  are  less, frequent 
here." 

32 


498  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

of  their  friends  in  Colorado  in  reference  to  tlieir  prospects  and  hopes,  and  induced 
quite  a  number  of  adventurers  to  come  to  Montana  in  the  spring  of  1862. 

The  mines  on  Gold  creek  not  promising  as  rich  as  was  expected,  the  Stuarts 
and  others  began  to  prospect  the  country  extensively,  and  that  summer  found 
some  mines  on  a  gulch  at  the  head  of  the  Big  Hole,  which,  however,  were  not 
very  productive.  Early  in  the  same  summer  the  mines  at  Bannock  on  Grasshopper 
creek  were  discovered.  These  were  so  rich  and  extensive  that  the  other  mines 
were  abandoned,  and  by  the' fall  of  1862  nearly  all  the  miners  in  the  Territory, 
numbering  about  1,000^  had  congregated  at  this  place. 

BANNOCK  PLACERS. — The  Placer  mines  of  Bannock  are  found  on  the  banks 
and  in  the  bed  of  Grasshopper  creek,  and  extend  from  the  town  down  the  creek 
for  a  distance  of  seven  or  eight  miles.  They  paid  well  at  first ;  as  the  creek 
had  an  abundance  of  water,  they  could  be  worked  by  miners  with  great  facility. 

The  banks  appear  to  be  nearly  exhausted  now;  but  the  bed  of  the  creek,  if 
flumed  and  worked  in  a  proper  manner,  would  still  yield  largely.  A  few  miles 
south  from  Bannock,  near  Horn  Prairie,  are  extensive  flats  and  gulches,  which 
prospect  fairly.  When  supplied  with  water,  which  will  be  brought  in  this  fall, 
they  will  give  employment  to  a  large  number  of  miners. 

There  are  200  or  300  miners  in  this  vicinity,  working  at  various  points  in  the 
creek  and  its  banks,  probably  making  something  over  wages,  viz :  $5  a  day  in 
gold. 

In  working  in  the  bed  of  the  creek  there  does  not  seem  to  be  any  concert  of 
action,  so  as  to  enable  one  individual  or  company  to  take  advantage  of  the 
works  of  another.  Each  operation  is  earned  on  by  itself.  After  one  company 
has  put  a  dam  in  the  creek,  and  turned  the  water  into  a  flume,  the  next  company 
below  can  take  the  water  at  the  end  of  the  flume  much  more  easily  than  the  first 
obtained  it.  When  one  claim  is  drained  so  as  to  be  workable,  the  next  below 
will  be  drier  and  more  easily  worked  than  if  nothing  had  been  done  above. 

BANNOCK  QUAKTZ. — The  first  quartz  veins  worked  in  the  Territory  were  in 
Bannock. 

Grasshopper  creek  heads  at  the  foot  of  a  large  smooth  mountain,  called  Bald 
mountain,  which  abounds  in  veins  containing  gold,  silver,  and  copper.  The  creek 
then  runs  eastwardly  through  a  basin,  W7hen  its  branches,  concentrating,  pass  out 
through  a  limestone  canon.  At  the  head  of  this  canon  are  quartz  veins  containing 
free  gold,  These  veins  are  the  source  from  which  the  placer  mines  on  the  creek 
were  supplied.  No  gold  is  found  above  the  veins.  The  croppings  being  promi- 
nent and  conspicuous,  were  soon  discovered  and  quartz  claims  located. 

In  the  winter  of  1862-'63,  two  men,  named  Allen  and  Arnold,  put  up  the  first 
quartz  mill.  It  was  entirely  of  home  manufacture  j  the  irons  were  obtained 
from  old  wagons  and  fashioned  in  a  blacksmith's  shop ;  all  the  lumber  used, 
except  pine,  fir,  and  cottonwood,  came  from  the  same  source.  The  mill  had  six 
stamps  of  400  pounds  each,  and  was  driven  by  water.  The  men  who  built  it 
ran  it.  In  a  financial  point  of  view  it  was  a  success.  The  ores  were  from  the 
•discovery  claim  of  the  Dakota,  and  No.  6  of  the  same  lode. 

A  number"  of  mines  in  this  vicinity  were  sold  to  parties  in  the  eastern  States, 
who  have  expended  considerable  sums  of  money  and  erected  several  large  and 
costly  mills. 

In  the  fall  of  1864  the  first  steam  stamp  mills  commenced  working  at  Ban- 
nock. They  were  only  moderately  successful  in  extracting  the  gold.  The  men 
who  had  charge  were  practically  unacquainted  with  the  business,  and  generally, 
as  soon  as  they  had  learned  to  manage  with  more  skill,  they  were  superseded  by 
others  without  experience  and  the  same  process  repeated. 

One  furnace  was  erected  which  only  ran  a  short  time.  It  is  now  being  rebuilt. 
The  probability  is  it  will  only  continue  in  operation  as  long  as  the  ores  are  sus- 
ceptible of  reduction  more  cheaply  by  smelting  than  by  roasting  and  amalga- 
mating. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  499 

Tbo  mines  of  IJaunock  have  produce*!  a  large  amount  of  ore.     With  proper 
management  they  would  continue  to  pay  well.      A  captain  ignorant  of  his  Imsi 
ness,  with   a  cn-w  of  landsmcji,  can   manage  a  ship  as  well   as  a  superintendent 
unacquainted  with  mining  can  manage  a  mine  or  mill  with  men  unaccustomed  to 
either. 

Sulphuret  ores  have  been  readied  in  some  of  the  mines,  which  the  mills  will 
not  be  able  to  reduce  without  additional  and  proper  machinery. 

THE  DAKOTA. — The  Dakota  was  the  first  lode  discovered  and  has  been  worked 
most  extensively,  probably  more  than  all  other  veins  in  the  district.  It  is  a 
large,  irregular  vein,  distinctly  traced  on  the  surface  for  over  a  mile  in  length, 
and  opened  at  six  different  points  to  a  depth  of  100  feet,  and  in  one  place  to  the 
depth  of  320  feet.  There  is  no  doubt  of  its  depth  and  permanency.  It  varies 
in  thickness  from  three  to  eight  feet ;  dips  to  the  northeast ;  strike,  northwest 
and  southeast  j  the  general  dip  and  strike  of  the  veins  in  this  locality.  It  car- 
ries the  oxidized  ores  to  a  great  depth,  containing  free  gold,  easy  of  extraction. 

The  Dakota  was  located  under  the  old  law,  which  only  allowed  100  feet  to 
a  claim.  Nearly  every  claim  was  held  separately,  which  materially  interfered 
with  the  proper  opening  and  working  of  the  mines.  One  tunnel  has  been  driven 
in  800  feet  in  a  thorough  and  workmanlike  manner.  Some  of  tho  shafts  are 
well  constructed,  but  much  of  the  work  is  poorly  done  and  on  a  bad  system, 
rendered  necessary  in  part  by  the  small  si/e  of  the  claims.  Each  company 
should  own  at  least  l,000t  feet,  which  would  justify  opening  in  a  proper  manner. 

The  country  rock  enclosing  the  lodes  is  limestone,  of  a  late  geological  epoch, 
and  rests  unconformably  upon  syenites.  No  veins  have  been  found  in  the  sye- 
nites, and  probably  if  they  pass  from  the  limestone  into  the  syenites  they  will  be 
found  to  be  impoverished. 

ARGENTA.- — Argenta  mining  district  lies  north  from  Bannock  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  Rattlesnake  creek.  This  district,  although  not  large,  contains  a 
great  number  of  veins.  In  no  part  of  Montana  yet  explored  have  as  many 
veins  been  found  in  so  small  a  compass.  On  the  creek  a  few  small  spots  have- 
been  worked  for  placer  gold. 

The  quartz  veins  an-  in  limestone  and  greatly  resemble  those  at  Bannock, 
only  they  contain  more  lead  and  iron. 

The  hill  on  the  north  side  of  the  creek  and  opposite  the  town  is  a  perfet  net- 
work of  veins,  which  are  very  irregular,  ami  many  of  them  when  followed  down 
are  found  broken  and  the  continuation  lost. 

A  shaft  sunk  on  this  hill  is  almost  sure  to  strike  a  blind  ledge  or  a  portion  of 
some  ledge  that  crops  to  the  surface  in  some  other  location. 

The  proper  way  to  work  these  mines  is  by  vertical  shafts.  A  large  amount 
of  ground  should  be  owned  by  one  company.  The  great  number  of  claim-hoi 
in  a  small  space,  with  the  irregular  and  uncertain  nature  of  the  veins,  will  cause 
many  conflicts  of  opinion,  if  nothing  more,  should  an  attempt  be  made  to  work 
them  separately  under  each  location.  The  whole  hill  appears  to  be  full  of  bunches 
or  pockets  of  ore,  irregularly  dispersed.  To  extract  them  will  require  a  com- 
plicated system  of  mining  operations. 

Further  west  the  veins  are  larger,  better  defined,  and  not  so  numerous.  Some 
of  them  contain  much  richer  ore. 

The  LEGAL  TENDER  has  been  opened  to  a  greater  extent  than  any  other  in 
this  district.  It  is  irregular  in  size  and  rather  small,  but  the  ore  is  rich  and  con- 
tains a  large  amount  of  lead,  which  renders  it  excellent  for  smelting. 

The  STAPLETON  is  a  good  vein  and  will  yield  a  considerable  amount  of  ore. 
It  contains  but  little  lead.  The  ore  is  wll  calculated  for  amalgamation. 

The  TUSCARORA  is  situated  in  a  small  hill  or  knoll.  At  the  surface  it  dis- 
plays a  vast  amount  of  carbonate  and  oxide  of  lead.  The  ore  is  not  very  rich 
in  silver,  but  as  a  lead  mine  it  may  prove  valuable. 

The  smelting  works  erected  by  the   St.  Louis  and  Montana  Company,  for  a 


500  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

pioneer  enterprise,  are  well  constructed,  and  in  a  metallurgical  point  of  view 
their  present  operations  are  eminently  successful.  Whether  the  financial  view 
is  as  flattering  is  unknown.  The  company  wisely  conduct  their  own  business. 

In  this  country  where  all  articles  are  so  dear,  and  skilled  labor  scarcely  to  be 
had,  the  cost  of  smelting  is  very  great.  Unless  the  ore  is  very  rich  no  profit 
will  accrue. 

The  ore  from  a  few  mines  in  this  district  must  be  smelted,  as  it  contains  a 
large  amount  of  lead,  but  probably  nine-tenths  of  the  ore  can  be  reduced  more 
profitably  by  amalgamation.  Much  of  it  would  pay  well  if  worked  judiciously. 

The  limestone  appears  to  be  of  the  same  age  as  that  at  Bannock,  but  here  it 
rests  unconformably  on  granite.  Here  the  granite  contains  no  rich  veins,  and 
when  they  pass  from  the  limestone  into  it  they  are  much  smaller  and  generally 
barren. 

Argenta,  a  small  mining  town,  is  situated  on  the  south  bank  of  Rattlesnake 
creek.  It  is  pleasantly  located  on  a  small  tongue  of  the  Beaver  Head  valley, 
surrounded  by  hills  except  where  it  opens  out.  Eastward  it  gives  a  splendid 
view  of  the  Beaver  Head  valley,  and  of  the  Virginia  mountains  in  the  distance. 
.  The  mines  are  silver-bearing  quartz  veins,  situated  on  the  north  side  of  the 
creek,  and  are  not  much  worked  at  present.  The  only  smelting  works  now  in 
operation  in  the  Territory  are  located  at  this  place.  On  Horse  prairie  there  are 
some  good  placers,  but  they  are  not  available  at  present,  owing  to  a  scarcity  of 
water.  This  will  soon  be  remedied  by  a  ditch  from  the  creek,  now  in  course  of 
construction.  On  Rattlesnake  creek,  above  Argenta,  are  very  distinct  marks 
of  glacial  action.  The  polish  on  the  rocks  is  very  fine,  and  the  strike  marked 
with  great  distinctness,  showing  a  movement  to  the  southeast. 

Red  Rock  creek  comes  in  from  the  south,  and  is  probably  the  ultimate  head  of 
the  Missouri  river.  From  this  creek  to  Dry  creek,  in  the  Snake  River  valley, 
there  is  an  easy  pass  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  slope. 

SUMMIT  DISTRICT. — The  quartz  veins  in  this  district  were  the  undoubted 
source  of  the  gold  in  Alder  gulch.  Several  of  them  were  discovered  and  located 
soon  after  the  location  of  the  placer  mines  in  the  gulch  below. 

The  first  mill  here,  like  the  first  at  Bannock,  was  of  Montana  manufacture. 
A  wagon  supplied  the  iron  ;  the  choice  lumber  and  the  natural  products  of  the 
district,  w7ith  the  labor  of  the  builders,  furnished  all  else.  It  was  a  financial 
success,  but  as  the  ore  was  carefully  selected  the  yield  was  higher  than  has  been 
obtained  since.  The  mill  was  propelled  by  water ;  its  capacity  was  three  and 
one-half  tons  per  week. 

Since  then  many  veins  have  been  sold  in  tho  eastern  States  and  a  number  of 
steam  stamp  mills  erected,  a  few  of  which  have  been  moderately  successful. 
They  only  employ  battery  amalgamation,  and  pass  the  pulp  over  copper  plates, 
which  will  not  save  as  much  gold  as  "when  iron  pans  or  arrastras  are  used. 

One  mill  has  a  great  collection  of  costly  mechanical  curiosities,  many  novel 
and  some  obsolete.  After  a  year's  experience  the  operators  still  indulge  in  the 
anticipation  of  gratifying  results.  The  method  employed  in  these  mills  will  not 
extract  the  gold  from  sulphuret  ore.  The  mines  contain  a  large  amount  of  oxi- 
dized ore,  which  will  eventually  be  exhausted,  and  the  sulphuret  ores  will  alone 
remain.  Sulphurets  constitute  the  main  reliance  for  the  future  j  and  the  working 
of  any  mill  that  cannot  extract  the  gold  from  them  will  not  be  permanently  profit- 
able. 

The  mills  in  operation  in  this  district  crush  about  a  ton  to  the  stamp  in  24 
hours.  The  cost  of  working  in  two  mills  was  $6  50  to  $7  per  ton,  respectively, 
while  in  another  it  was  estimated  at  $3  25  per  ton  ;  these  were  stamp  mills.  In 
another,  the  cost  was  $25  per  ton.  The  cost  of  the  stamp  mills  was  from  $20,000 
to  $30,000  each,  according  to  their  capacity,  which  varied  from  15  to  24  tons  per 
day.  The  cost  of  one  mill  was  $120,000/with  a  capacity  of  about  12  tons  per 
day. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  501 

Wood  varies  from  $5  to  $6  50  per  cord ;  wages  are  from  $6  to  $9  per  day. 

About  20  mines  have  been  located  and  opened  to  some  extent  in  the  Summit 
district.  Among  the  most  celebrated  are  the  Kearsargc,  Oro,  Cash,  and  Lucas. 
The  Kcarsarge  vein  is  about  two  feet  thick  on  an  average,  though  in  places  it 
is  six  and  a  half  feet.  Strike,  northeast  and  southwest  ;  dip  45°  to  the  north- 
west ;  opened  to  a  depth  of  120  feet ;  sulphuret  ore  at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft 
pays  in  a  mill  $18  per  ton. 

Lucas  vein,  average  thickness  three  feet ;  strike  north  and  south;  shaft  140 
feet;  ore  sulphuret;  yields  $16  per  ton. 

Oro  Cash  vein,  average  thickness  four  feet;  selected  ore  pays  $80  per  ton; 
o}>ened  100  feet  deep  ;  ore  sulphuret.  The  first  lot  of  a  few  tons  from  this  mine 
worked  $216  to  the  ton. 

There  are  many  veins  in  this  locality  that  will  pay  well  when  judiciously  opened 
and  worked. 

HOT  SPRINGS  DISTRICT. — A  large  amount  of  money  has  been  expended  in 
opening  mines  and  building  mills  in  this  district.  The  mills  cost  from  $30,000 
to  $200,000,  as  estimated  by  men  who  have  had  good  opportunities  of  obtaining 
correct  information.  The  estimates  may  be  too  high,  but  it  is  certain  the  expendi- 
tures have  been  extravagant,  compared  with  the  capacity  of  the  mills. 

There  are  three  mills  in  the  district,  two  of  which  are  running,  the  other  nearly 
completed.  The  largest  has  40  stamps,  20  of  which  are  running.  Its  capacity 
is  20  tons  per  day.  The  capacity  of  the  others  is  less. 

The  mill  companies  in  many  instances  do  not  wish-  their  results  made  public, 
as  it  might  affect  the  price  of  their  stock.  In  some  cases,  owing  to  the  short  time 
during  which  the}7  have  been  running,  no  accurate  estimates  of  the  yield  can  be 
made.  Within  a  year  or  two  greater  experience  in  working  will  result  in  some- 
thing like  a  general  average  of  profit  to  each  mill. 

In  the  Cape  mill  ore  was  worked  from  18  different  veins,  in  amounts  aver- 
aging from  3  to  50  tons.  The  average  yield  from  all  the  veins  was  $:.'()  per 
ton.  It  is  claimed  that  the  Posey  mine  pays  $100  per  ton,  and  has  been  ops-ncd 
to  a  depth  of  200  feet.  The  vein  is  very  irregular. 

The  George  Atkins  is  opened  ;">()  I'm  deep  ;  thickness  of  vein  one  to  three 
feet ;  strike  northeast  and  southwest ;  dip  45°  to  the  northwest ;  works  from  >-\o 
to  $50  per  ton.  The  country  rock  is  granite. 

Bevin's  gulch,  Granite  creek  and  VVilliams's  creek  empty  into  Alder  gulch 
from  the  southwest,  and  have  some  gold  and  silver-bearing  quartz  veins.  They 
prospect  well.  Being  now  worked,  their  value  will  soon  be  known. 

There  are  many  gulches  near  Virginia,  as  the  Norwegian,  which  is  on  the 
east  side  of  the  range  and  empties  into  the  Madison,  like  Meadow  creek  and  Flat 
Springs  creek  ;  the  California,  Brandon,  Ram's  Horn  gulches  and  Mill  creek; 
all  contain  veins  that  prospect  well  in  gold  at  the  surface,  and  many  of  them  in 
silver  and  copper.  When  opened  no  doubt  some  of  them  will  become  valuable 
mining  localities. 

HELENA. — The  Helena  mines  were  discovered  in  September,  1864,  at  Dry 
gulch.  Soon  after,  gold  was  found  in  Last  Chance  gulch,  and  as  the  latter 
gulch  contained  water  and  prospected  richer,  it  became  the  centre  of  mining 
operations.  After  Alder  gulch,  this  is  the  richest  that  has  been  worked  in  this 
Territory,  and  is  yielding  largely  this  season. 

The  depth  of.  these  diggings  ranges  generally  from  10  to  20  feet.  In  some 
claims  it  is  over  40  feet  from  the  surface  to  the  bed-rock.  Work  has  been  almost 
exclusively  confined  to  the  bed  of  the  gulch.  On  the  western  side  of  the  Prickly 
Pear  valley,  at  and  below  the  mouth  of  Dry  creek,  and  on  both  sides  of  Last 
Chance  gulch,  there  are  hundreds  of  acres  of  shallow  placers  that  will  pay  when 
water  is  introduced. 

Owing  to  a  scarcity  of  water,  Dry  gulch  has  not  been  very  extensively  worked. 
A  supply  has  just  been  brought  in  by  means  of  ditches  from  Ten-mile  creek, 


502  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

and  the  prospect  is  now  more  encouraging.  Last  Chance  gulch  is  formed  by 
the  junction  of  Grizzly  and  Oro  Fino  gulches,  about  half  a  mile  above  the  town 
of  Helena.  Grizzly  comes  in  from  the  south  and  Oro  Fino  from  the  north.  Both 
have  been  worked  extensively  and  profitably. 

The  country  rock  near  Helena  is  limestone  and  metamorphic  slate  ;  farther  up 
in  the  mountains  granite  prevails.  A  large  number  of  gold-bearing  quartz  veins 
are  found  in  it,  from  which  it  is  evident  the  gulches  below  received  their  gold. 

Nelson's  gulch,  which  heads  in  these  granite  mountains  and  runs  into  Ten- 
mile  creek,  has  been  nearly  as  rich  as  Oro  Fino  or  Grizzly  gulches.  South  from 
these  heads  a,re  a  number  of  gulches  running  into  Prickly  Pear,  which,  have  paid 
well.  The  greatest  obstacle  that  the  miners  encounter  is  the  want  of  fall  in  the 
beds  of  the  gulches.  They  are  too  flat ;  but  the  same  method  of  fluming  with 
steam  machinery  for  removing  the  tailings  from  the  flume,  recommended  for  Alder 
gulch,  will  be  equally  as  efficacious  here. 

The  mines  around  Helena  are  supplied  with  water  by  a  number  of  ditches, 
the  actual  cost  of  none  exceeding  $100,000.  Small  ditches  usually  are  profit- 
able }  large  ones  seldom  pay  the  cost  of  construction. 

THE  PAKK  mining  district  is  about  five  miles  from  Helena,  at  the  head  of 
Grizzly,  Oro  Fino.  and  Nelson's  gulches.  It  is  situated  in  a  range  of  low  roll- 
ing hills,  at  the  foot  of  a  high  range  of  mountains.  These  hills  are  elevated  to 
a  considerable  height  above  Helena,  and  are  covered  with  pines  and  fir.  Water 
is  abundant  and  roads  are  of  easy  construction. 

The  mineral  range  is  in  granite,  and  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide  and 
five- or  six  miles  long.  The  general  strike  of  the  veins  is  east-southeast  and 
west-northwest,  with  a  dip  to  the  northward.  The  average  thickness  of  the  prin- 
cipal veins  is  three  to  four  feet.  On  the  northeast  this  district  is  bounded  by  a 
range  of  limestone  5  the  greater  number  of  veins  is  found  in  the  granite  near  its 
junction  with  the  limestone. 

The  greatest  depth  yet  attained  is  250  feet,  following  the  dip  of  the  vein.  At 
that  depth  the  ores  are  still  oxidized.  Sulphuret  ores  will  soon  be  reached.  In 
some  of  the  veins  sulplmrets  are  found  near  the  surface.  This  is  not  usual. 

A  number  of  mills  have  been  erected  in  this  district.  Generally  they  have 
been  successful  in  saving  the  gold.  They  are  nearly  all  supplied  with  battery 
amalgamators,  copper  plates  and  arrastras. 

THE  WHITLATCH  UKEOX  VEIX  has  been  more  fully  opened  than  any  other  in 
Montana.  Its  strike  is  east-southeast  and  west-northwest  ;  dip  40°  to  the  north- 
ward j  thickness  of  vein  from  a  seam  to  15  feet;  average  4  feet;  opened  to  the 
depth  of  250  feet,  and  in  a  number  of  points  inclines  have  been  sunk  to  depths 
from  100  to  200  feet.  It  has  been  traced  for  a  long  distance  on  the  surface,  and 
several  different  companies  are  at  work  on  it. 

The  ore  is  worked  with  the  greatest  facility.  Its  average  yield  has  been  about 
840  to  the  ton.  One  lot  of  1,000  tons  yielded  $60,000,  or '$60  per  ton.  The 
gross  yield,  so  far,  has  been  $250,000,  as  near  as  is  known  by  the  working  of 
the  different  mills. 

On  Ten-mile  creek  some  veins  have  been  located  in  limestone,  which  con- 
tain gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  &c.,  but  they  have  not  been  sufficiently  developed 
to  prove  their  depth  or  promise. 

It  is  a  general  rule  in  Montana  that  where  placer  mines  are  found  gold-bear- 
ing quartz  veins  will  be  found  in  the  same  vicinity. 

.On  some  of  the  bars  of  the  Missouri  river  preparations  are  being  made  for 
mining. 

At  El  Dorado  bar  a  ditch  is  nearly  completed  to  bring  the  water  from  New 
York  gulch.  When  this  is  done  the  bar  can  be  worked  by  hydraulics,  and  will 
probably  pay.  Recently  it  was  supposed  that  diamonds  had  been  found  on  the 
bar,  but  on  examination  the  supposed  diamonds  proved  to  be  sapphires.  Some 
of  them  were  fine,  though  small. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  503 

.-t  side  of  the  Missouri  are  a  number  of  gulches  that  have  paid  well. 
Clark,* Oregon,  and  Cave  Lave  been  profitably  worked  this  season. 

MONTANA  [\\n. — This  bar  is  just  below  the  mouth  of  Montana  gulch,  and 
near  300  yards  above  Diamond  City.  It  is  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  long 
and  :;()()  yards  wide.  It  is  estimated  that  tli.'  best  claims,  of  200  feet  in  length, 
extending  across  this  bar,  paid  as  much  as  s  180, 000  to  the  claim.  The  earth 
was  shallow  and  the  bed-rock  slate.  1  Jet  ween  the  9th  of  May  and  the  15th  of 
August  the  whole  bar  was  worked  out.  The  gold  was  rather  coarse  and  rough, 
showing  that  it  had  been  washed  but  a  short  distance.  The  ground  was  slate, 
of  the  same  character  as  the  bed-rock. 

Tbe  position  of  this  bar  is  considered  anomalous  by  the  miners  ;  nearly  all 
say  that  it  is  a  ''slide,*  a  term  generally  used  in  mining,  like  u  electricity"  in 
physics,  to  explain  by  words  what  is  not  conceivable  in  thought.  No  doubt  the 
bar  was  formed  by  the  action  of  water,  in  precisely  the  same  manner  as  other 
bars  are  formed  in  small  mountain  streams.  As  it  is  lower  than  several  other 
bars  in  this  stream  it  must  be  of  more  recent  formation.  Along  the  sides  of  the 
gulch  the  ascent  is  very  abrupt,  the  mountains  on  the  east  side  being  from  1,000 
to  2,000  feet  above  the  bed  of  the  stream.  <  )n  each  side  of  the  bar  is  a  bed  of 
ground  from  200  to  250  feet  above  this  bottom  level,  and  a  slide,  to  find  its  way 
to  the  centre  of  the  gulch,  must  have  passed  over  one  or  the  other  of  these 
bars — an  impossibility. 

The  gravel  in  the  other  Lars  is  granite,  with  heavy  boulders,  evidently  from 
the  granite  mountains  on  the  east,  while  the  gravel  in  Montana  bar  is  slate. 
Very  little  quartz  is  found  in  this  gravel,  showing  that  the  veins  whence  the  gold 
came  were  soft  arid  friable. 

DIAMOND  BAH. — Diamond  bar  contains  the  same  gravel  and  the  same  quality 
of  gold,  and  is  really  a  continuation  of  Montana  bar;  above  and  below  on  this 
gulch  nothing  like  it  is  found.  The  combined  length  of  the  two  Lars  is  not 
more  than  three-fourths  of  a  mile. 

At  the  head  of  Moniana  bar  are  a  number  of  soft  decomposed  quartz  veins, 
which  probably  supplied  it  with  gold.  If  the  veins  were  thoroughly  explored, 
they  would  be  very  likely  to  prove  inch  in  gold.  Montana  bar  was  entirely 
exhausted  last  year.  Diamond  bar  is  Leing  very  efficiently  worked  by  hydrau- 
lics this  year,  and  by  the  end  of  this  season  will  probably  be  exhausted. 

GOLD  HILL,  on  the  west  side,  will  be  supplied  with  water  by  a  costly  ditch 
and  siphon,  sometime  during  the  autumn.  This  will  be  more  enduring  than  the 
bars  in  the  bottom  of  the  gulch.  The  bed  and  hill  diggings  to  the  southwest 
will  be  profitable  mines  for  years.  Some  gold-bearing  quartz  veins  have  been 
found  in  the  hills  on  the  west  side,  but  they  have  not  been  opened  to  prove  their 
value,  to  any  great  extent. 

NEW  YORK  GULCII  has  been  worked  for  gold-bearing  quartz.  It  has  three 
mills,  one  of  which  is  running.  This  district  is  somewhat  out  of  repute  at  present; 
it  is  said  the  veins  do  not  pay  as  well  when  followed  down  as  at  the  surface. 
But  this  is  probably  the  effects  of  overestimating  the  yield  at  the  surface;  and 
as  greater  depth  is  attained,  finding  the  ore  more  refractory,  it  will  not  yield  its 
gold  to  the  simple  working  of  the  mills. 

1 1 IGHLAND  DISTRICT,  about  60  miles  south  from  Helena,  is  remarkable  as  pro- 
ducing a  very  line  gold.  It  contains  both  placer  and  quartz  mines,  but  is  not 
as  much  worked  as  formerly.  It  is  the  most  elevated  mining  district  in  Montana, 
and  probably  in  the  United  States. 

The  Montana  Post  of  August  31,  1867,  says:  "In  Highland  district  the  larger 
proportion  of  the  lodes  are  gold-bearing,  but  specimens  from  someoi  these  lately 


504 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 


discovered  and  subjected  to  the  action  of  fire  show  rich  in  silver.     The  follow- 
ing are  the  names  of  leads  in  Highland  district : 


No. 

1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 

re 

13 
14 
15 
16 

17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 

Names  of  leads. 

Depth    of 
shaft. 

Width     of 
crevice. 

45 
15 
43 
16 
50 
20 
17 
13 
24 
Crevice  found. 
44 
12 
10 
16 
18 
Crevice  found. 
10 
Crevice  found. 
do  

55 
51 
6 
3 
3 
30 
4 
7 
15 
6 
7 
6 
4 
47 

n 

33 
6 
6 
7 
8 
5 
6 
7 
6 
3 
8 
5 
5 
12 

Wilbur                                    

do  

23 
10 
10 
11 
Crevice  found. 
do  

10 
11 
Crevice  found. 

During  the  last  summer  the  mining  current  has  set  to  the  north,  along  the 
Big  Blackfoot.  A  number  of  gulches  have  been  extensively  worked,  and  have 
produced  largely,  as  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lincoln,  California,  and  McClellan 
gulches. 

In  the  heads  of  these  gulches  gold-bearing  quartz  has  been  found.  The 
placers  only  have  been  worked,  and  they  have  paid  well.  The  hostility  of  the 
Indians  this  year  has  prevented  explorations  further  north.  It  is  probable  that 
when  explored,  gold  will  be  found  on  both  slopes  of  the  Rocky  mountains  north 
to  the  British  possessions. 

The  mines  on  the  Little  Blackfoot  have  paid  well  this  season,  particularly  at 
Carpentier's  bar,  and  on  Opliir  gulch,  near  Blackfoot  City.  Many  other  gulches 
in  this  vicinity  have  also  been  productive,  and  the  yield  of  Deer  Lodge  county 
will  be  greater  this  year  than  ever  before. 

At  Silver  bar  and  Butte  City  the  mines  have  done  well.  Placers  only  have 
been  worked ;  but  in  every  gulch  where  good  placer  mines  are  found,  gold-bear- 
ing quartz  veins  are  found  also,  many  of  which  contain  silver,  copper,  antimony, 
arsenic,  and  manganese,  and  are  rich  but  very  refractory. 

At  Butte  City  some  copper  mines  have  been  discovered,  and  a  furnace  erected 
for  smelting.  Owing  to  a  defect  in  the  blast  it  was  not  successful.  The  ore, 
which  is  quite  abundant,  is  composed  of  oxides  and  carbonates  in  a  concentrated 
form.  It  contains  gold  and  silver,  and  with  a  well  regulated  furnace  there 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  smelting  it. 

These  veins  are  found  crossing  a  belt  about  one  mile  wide  and  four  or  five 
long,  and  show  evidence  of  being  deep  and  permanent. 

Along  the  eastern  side  of  Deer  Lodge  valley,  north  from  Butte  City,  are  a 
number  of  gulches  which  have  been  prospected  lately,  and  promise  to  pay  well. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  505 

COMSTOCK. — At  Butte  City  resides  Ilemy  Comstock,  famous  as  the  discoverer 
of  tlie  Comstock  lode,*  of  Nevada,  the  discovery  of  which  inaugurated  the  era  of 
silver  mining  in  the  United  States.  Although  a  man  of  the  strictest  temperance, 
using  no  stimulant  stronger  than  tea  or  coffee,  and  not  even  tobacco,  years  and 
the  hardships  and  excitement  incident  to  a  frontier  life  are  telling  painfully  on 
his  faculties.  In  a  conversation  with  him  he  referred  to  his  past  career — espe- 
cially his  connection  with  the  lode  that  bears  his  name.  His  intellect  appears  to 
wander,  although  his  hand  still  retains  its  cunning.  He  is  a  skilful  prospector, 
but  his  fading  recollections  carry  cloudy  images  to  his  darkened  understanding. 
He  imagines  he  owns  the  whole  Comstock  lode,  and  the  cities  of  Gold  Hill  and 
Virginia;  but  as  he  has  no  immediate  use  for  them,  he  allows  others  to  live  in 
his  houses;  the  people  are  poor,  and  it  would  be  hard  to  turn  them  out,  especially 
in  the  winter.  This  feeling  of  benevolence  in  the  old  man  is  genuine,  and  one 
that  he  habitually  practices.  He  has  a  small  claim  that  pays  little  more  than 
wages.  If  a  poor  miner  comes  along  without  means,  he  gives  him  an  opportu- 
nity to  work  in  the  claim  until  the  suffering  stranger  has  the  means  to  go  on  his 
journey. 

Recently  an  emigrant  came  along  who  was  sick  and  could  work  but  little. 
Comstock  and  he  worked  together  in  the  claim;  the  old  man  doing  the  most 
laborious  part  until  the  emigrant  concluded  to  leave.  Comstock  then  divided 
what  was  taken  out,  and  seeing  it  was  too  small  for  a  man  to  travel  on,  said: 
"  Now,  we  will  divide  my  half  again ;  you  will  need  it." 

He  says  that  at  times  he  thinks  if  the  government  of  the  United  States  knew 
how  he  is  situated,  it  would  not  let  him  suffer. 

FLINT  CREEK. — On  Flint  creek  several  silver-bearing  veins  have  been  found 
recently,  which  show  large  amounts  of  rich  ore  at  the  surface.  They  have  not 
been  opened  so  as  to  prove  their  depth  or  continuity.  The  country  rock  is  lime- 
stone. 

HOT  SPRINGS. — At  the  head  of  Hot  Springs  creek,  a  mine  called  the  Atlantic 
Cable  has  recently  been  found  containing  an  oxide  of  iron,  rich  in  gold.  It  is 
said  to  be  a  slide.  The  ore  is  wonderfully  rich. and  easily  Avorked. 

THE  JEFFERSON  BASIN. — This  basin  is  drained  by  the  .Jeii'erson  Fork  of  the 
^Missouri  river  and  its  tributaries,  to  wit:  the  Big  Hole,  Beaver  Head,  and  the 
Stinking  Water.  It  is  about  150  miles  long,  and  100  wide.  In  this  basin  the 
first  exicnsivc  mining  operations  were  conducted,  and  the  first  town  of  any 
importance  was  built.  It  still  contains  a  number  of  important  mining  localities. 

The  Big  Hole  is  so  called  from  a  small  round  valley  near  its  head,  surrounded 
by  a  range  of  high  mountains.  Here  the  snow  falls  to  a  great  depth  in  winter. 
As  it  melts  in  the  s-pring  -and  summer,  it  swells  the  Big  Hole  to  a  lar^e  and 
rapid  stream,  from  50  to  75  yards  wide  in  the  lowest  stages,  and  much  wider  in 
the  highest.  The  bars  and  bottoms  along  this  stream  are  subject  to  overflow, 
and  are  generally  rocky  and  barren.  Big  Hole  basin  affords  good  pasturage  in 
the  summer,  but  it  is  too  cold  for  agricultural  purposes. 

In  1805  Lewis  and  Clark  attempted  to  ascend  this  river,  but  found  the  current 
so  rapid,  and  the  number  of  islands  and  other  obstructions  so  great,  that  they 
turned  back  and  ascended  the  Beaver  Head  river. 

Gold  has  been  found  in  small  quantities  in  some  of  the  tributaries  of  this  river, 
but  not  in  sufficient  abundance  to  pay  for  washing.  Coal  is  said  to  have  been 
found  in  the  basin,  but  the  deposits  have  not  been  explored  sufficiently  to  deter- 
mine their  value. 

*The  first  discovery  of  silver  \vas  made  in  Gold  canon,  near  Silver  City,  by  E.  A.  and  H. 
K.  (Jrosch,  in  1857.  The  tirst  quartz  claim  was  located  in  the  Ingrim  district,  in  February, 
1  •-.">*,  by  James  Finney.  In  June,  1859,  Peter  O'Reilly  and  Patrick  McLaughlin  made  the 
iirst  discovery  of  rich  silver  deposits  on  what  is  no«w  the  ground  of  the  Ophir  Company. 
Comstock  is  not  justly  entitled  to  the  credit  generally  awarded  him  for  this  discovery.  (See 
preliminary  report  on  Mineral  Resources  of  the  West,  printed  by  Congress,  January  3, 18G7, 
pp.  27  and  85.) 


506  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

Game,  such  as  buffalo,  moose,  elk,  deer,  beaver,  and  mountain  sheep,  are 
abundant. , 

The  Beaver  Head  is  longer  and  drains  a  larger  area  than  the  Big  Hole,  and 
may  fairly  claim  to  be  the  head  of  the  Missouri. 

BANNOCK  CITY.— Bannock  City  is  built  on  the  north  side  of  Grasshopper 
creek,  on  a  small  flat  or  bar  of  just  sufficient  size  to  hold  the  town,  and  very  near 
the  entrance  of  Grasshopper  canon.  It  is  an  irregular  wooden  town  with  one 
principal  street  running  parallel  to  the  creek,  containing  but  a  few  hundred 
inhabitants  at  present.  In  1862-'63  it  was  a  good  mining  camp,  and  business 
was  brisk.  Its  main  dependence  for  the  future  is  the  gold-bearing  quartz  lodes 
in  the  canon  below. 

Bannock  was  the  first  mining  town  built  in  Montana,  and  the  first  district  in 
which  gold  mines  were  worked  extensively  and  profitably. 

The  winter  of  1862-763  was  remarkably  mild,  so  that  supplies  could  be  hauled 
from  Salt  lake  during  the  coldest  months.  Had  that  season  been  as  severe  as 
the  winters  have  since  been,  the  whole  population  might  have  perished  from 
starvation.  Coal  is  reported  to  have  been  found  in  the  valley  of  Grasshopper 
creek,  about  four  miles  above  Bannock,  but  its  value  has  not  been  ascertained. 

STINKING  WATER. — The  next  stream  which  contributes  to  form  the  Jefferson  is 
the  jinking  Water.  Its  Indian  name  is  Passamarine,  one  of  the  most  musical 
in  the  Indian  language.  It  is  not  improved  by  its  rendition  into  English.  On 
this  stream  and  its  branches  many  rich  mines  are  found. 

In  the  ranges  of  mountains  between  the  Stinking  Water  and  the  Madison 
fork  of  the  Missouri,  sent  down  into  the  former,  are  a  large  number  of  creeks  and 
gulches,  nearly  all  of  which  have  proved  to  be  rich  hi  gold,  and  some  of  them 
in  silver.  The  principal  are  Wixansen,  Ram's  Horn,  Bevins,  Harris,  California, 
and  Alder  gulches,  and  Mill  creek. 

ALDER  GULCH. — Alder  gulch  rises  in  a  spur  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and 
runs  north.  It  is  from  15  to  17  miles  in  length,  and  empties  into  the  Stinking 
Water,  a  branch  of  the  Jefferson  fork  of  the  Missouri  river.  It  has  many  side 
gulches  or  tributaries,  but  none  of  them  except  Spring  and  Bowers  gulches,  which 
are  near  its  head,  have  any  gold,  or  at  least  not  sufficient  to  pay.  The  hills  on 
each  side  are  rounded  off  and  covered  with  soil,  presenting  the  soft  outline  of  an 
agricultural  country.  The  denuding  effects  of  time  have  doubtless  been  of  long 
continuance. 

A  careful  examination  of  the  gulch  will  convince  any  one  that  the  gold  in  it 
came  from  near  the  head,  at  its  junction  with  Bald  mountain.  The  gold  at  that 
point  is  coarse  and  rough,  with  portions  of  quartz  adhering  to  it ;  further  down 
the  stream  it  becomes  finer  and  brighter,  showing'  unmistakable  evidence  of 
having  been  worn  by  the  action  of  water.  Near  the  mouth  it  is  excessively 
fine,  and  cannot  be  collected  in  a  satisfactory  manner  except  by  the  use  of  quick- 
silver. 

The  gravel  is  very  coarse  and  heavy  high  up  the  gulch,  containing  many 
boulders  of  a  large  size  5  further  down  it  becomes  worn  away  to  small  particles, 
and  at  the  mouth  only  sand  and  very  fine  gravel  are  found/  The  country  rock 
at  or  near  the  head  is  gneiss,  and  the  same  rock  holds  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance j  belowr  it  is  replaced  by  micaceous  slate.  Near  the  head  the  rocks  rise  on 
each  side  in  a  very  precipitous  manner,  forcing  the  gulch  into  a  narrow  cut  or 
fissure,  but  below,  at  the  distance  of  three  or  four  miles,  it  widens  out.  The 
paying  portions  correspond  in  width  to  the  bed  of  the  stream,  and  are  richest 
where  the  bed  is  narrowest. 

This  gulch  is  a  vast  natural  quartz  mill  and  mine.  Frost  and  atmospheric 
action  loosen  the  quartz  containing  the  gold,  and  throw  it  down,  when  the  attri- 
tion caused  by  the  current  of  water  pulverizes  and  washes  away  the  gangue, 
leaving  the  gold  behind.  This  action,  though  very  slow,  extending  back  through 
countless  ages,  produces  stupendous  results. 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  507 

The  number  of  quart/  veins  found  at  the  head  of  Alder  gulch,  known  to  con- 
tain gold  in  sufficient  amounts  to  add  materially  to  its  products,  is  not  more  than 
20,  of  which  the  average  width  is  about  two  feet,  and  the  average  assay  value 
about  810  per  ton,  estimating  all  the  vein  stuff  between  the  walls. 

Alder  gulch  has  pro'duced  more  gold  than  all  the  others,  and  probably  more 
within  the  last  three  years  than  ever  was  taken  in  the  same  time  from  any  gulch 
of  the  same  extent.  It  is  the  opinion  of  those  best  qualified  to  judge  that  within 
three  years  from  the  commencement  of  mining  operations  on  this  gulch 
$30,000,000  were  taken  from  it.  This  estimate  may  be  exaggerated,  but  the 
amount  taken  out  was  certainly  beyond  precedent  in  Montana. 

The  mines  were  discovered  in  the  spring  of  1863,  and  in  18  months  a  popula- 
tion of  10,000  had  gathered  together  on  the  banks  of  the  stream,  building  up 
four  considerable  cities,  to  wit :  Nevada,  Central,  Virginia,  and  Summit  City. 
Virginia  was  built  first,  and,  occupying  a  central  position,  always  maintained 
its  supremacy*  It  is  pleasantly  located  on  the  east  bank  of  Alder  gulch,  and 
contains  a  number  of  fine  stone  buildings,  consisting  of  banks,  stores,  markets, 
dwellings,  <Jcc.  It  supports  two  newspapers,  and  is  one  of  the  chief  mining  and 
commercial  centres  in  Montana.  Helena  is  its  only  rival.  Although  the  first 
excitement  incident  to  the  discovery  of  a  ncfw  and  rich  mining  district  has  passed 
away,  and  the  mines  most  easily  worked  have  already  been  worked  over  once, 
still  the  annual  production  is  large.  By  proper  working,  as  will  be  explained 
hereafter,  the  future  production  may  be  made  equal  to  the  past. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  the  best  judges,  as  already  stated,  that  $30,000,000  have 
been  taken  out  of  this  gulch  by  the  miners.*  This  cannot  be  considered  more 

*  Such  a  product  from  one  gulch  is  beyond  all  precedent,  and  must  appear  a  great  exag- 
geration. But  if  well-authenticated  facts  are  examined  the  amount  appears  more  reasona- 
ble. For  a  considerable  time  the  population  was  10,000  or  upwards  ;  probably  3,r>00  work- 
men in  the  mines.  Ten  dollars  per  day  for  220  days  in  the  year  would  give  $26,950)000  for 
three  years  and  a  half.  Wages  were  from  $10  to  SI4  per  day.  Nearly  all  of  the  mines  were 
worked  by  hired  labor  and  the  mines  almost  universally  paid  a  profit  above  wages.  The 
whole  number  of  claims  was  between  1,000  and  1,100;  at  1,000  each  claim  must  give  a 
gross  yield  of  $:'»(),(){)!). 

Montana  is  the  most  difficult  mining  region  in  the  United  States  in  which  to  estimate  the 
\ irii  1  of  the  mines.  Occupation  has  a  great  effect  in  the  formation  of  opinions  on  this  sub- 
ject. 15ankers  Hiicl  expressmen  always  underestimate;  merchants  and  successful  miners 
generally  overestimate;  unsuccessful  miners  underestimate,  while  ranchmen  and  farmers 
have  no  opinions  based  upon  any  reliable  data  oil  the  subject.  After  the  gold  is  taken  from 
the  mines  it  passes  through  a  number  of  different  channels,  some  of  which  enable  us  to  esti- 
mate the  amount  produced  with  tolerable  accuracy,  whilst  in  other  cases  no  accurate  con- 
clusion can  be  formed.  A  portion  is  sent  by  express  to  the  mint  for  coinage.  Remittances 
by  merchants  are  generally  known  to  comprise  the  amount  that  miners  expend  for  current 
expenses;  also,  what  they  send  to  their  families  or  friends  in  other  places.  A  small  quan- 
tity is  used  for  a  circulating  medium  ;  this  also  comes  from  the  miners  as  current  expenses. 
A  considerable  amount  is  buried  in  the  earth  by  the  miners,  but  no  accurate  estimate  can  be 
formed  on  this  point.  Of  the  amounts  earned  out  of  the  Territory  a  portion  is  taken  by  the 
miners  themselves;  of  this  no  account  appears.  If  a  miner  goes  to  California  he  takes  his 
dust  with  him,  and  it  is  carried  to  the  credit  of  California  or  Oregon  or  Nevada,  as  the  case 
may  be.  Some  is  carried  to  foreign  countries,  as  the  British  possessions,  which  join  Montana 
on  the  north  ;  lastly,  a  portion  is  kept  in  the  form  of  specimens  or  for  jewellers'  uses.  Thus 
we  see  it  is  difficult  to  arrive  at  more  than  an  approximation. 

An  account  of  the  amount  of  the  goods  brought  to  the  Territory  furnishes  a  criterion  for 
some  statisticians,  who,  assuming  that  the  goods  were  all  paid  for,  add  the  amount  to  what 
gold  is  supposed  to  be  in  the  country  and  what  was  sent  out  for  other  purposes,  and  make 
the  sum  total  the  gross  production  of  the  Territory.  This  is  a  very  loose  way  of  getting  at 
results.  Others  take  the  cost  of  board  per  week,  say  $4  to  $8  when  wages  are  from  $5  to  $9 
per  day,  and  state  it  thus  :  as  6  to  42,  so  is  the  amount  expended  for  provisions  to  the  gross 
yield  of  the  mines.  Manifestly  incorrect,  as  many  are  non-producers.  Probably  the  best 
criterion  is  the  price  of  labor.  A  mine  owner  will  not  long  employ  men  unless  he  derives  a 
prolit,  and  miners  will  not  work  for  the  same  amount  that  they  are  sure  of  making  by  them- 
selves, for  they  think  they  may  "  strike  it  rich  "  on  their  own  account.  Alder  gulch  is  an 
exception,  for  here  is  a  limited  number  of  claims,  and  those  who  have  no  claim  cannot  make 
by  prospecting. 


508  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

than  one-fourth  of  the  amount  that  has  come  from  the  veins  at  the  head  of  the 
gulch.  Probably  one-tenth  would  be  nearer  the  amount,  especially  when  we 
consider  the  extremely  divisible  nature  of  that  metal  and  the  facility  with  which 
minute  particles  are  transported  by  water,  a  large  portion  of  them  being  so  small 
that  it  is  impossible  to  collect  them  by  any  gold-saving  process  yet  devised. 
Rating  the  amount  already  extracted  at  one-fourth,  this  would  give  $120,000,000 
as  the  actual  mineral  value  of  the  gulch.  At  $10  per  ton  this  would  require 
12,000,000  tons  of  quartz  to  be  reduced,  provided  all  the  gold  in  the  rock  is 
extracted.  At  13  feet  to  the  ton  a  result  of  156,000,000  cubic  feet  of  quartz 
must  be  reduced  to  produce  that  amount  of  gold ;  equal  to  the  product  of  20 
veins  two  feet  thick,  each  a  mile  long  and  nearly  1,000  feet  deep.* 

The  general  appearance  of  the  country  warrants  the  belief  that  the  denuda- 
tion is  fully  equal  to  2,000  feet.  Bald  inountain,  which  stands  at  the  head  of 
the  gulch,  rises  to  the  height  of  between  2,000  and  3,000  feet  above  the  quartz 
veins  at  the  head  of  mining  operations.  A  great  length  of  time  must  have 
elapsed  since  this  denuding  operation  commenced,  and  it  is  still  in  action  and 
will  continue  until  either  man  forestalls  nature  in  extracting  the  gold  from  the 
veins,  or  some  great  upheaval  changes  the  face  of  the  country  and  causes  the 
formation  of  a  new  set  of  watercourses. 

The  country  rock  contains  a  large  amount  of  mica.  After  a  gentle  shower 
the  whole  face  of  the  earth  is  colored  a  fine  bronze. 

The  first  mining  district  found  on  the  gulch  was  Fairweather,  called  after  one 
of  the  discoverers.  Above  this  were  Highland,  Pine  Grove,  and  Summit,  and 
below,  Nevada  and  Junction,  their  locations  extending  from  Fairweather  district 
in  the  order  in  which  they  are  named.  Each  had  a  code  of  laws  almost  identi- 
cal with  that  of  Fairweather.  These  laws  have  been  subject  to  trifling  changes, 
and  generally  have  been  very  satisfactory  in  their  operations. 

In  the  lower  districts  claims  only  come  to  the  centre  of  the  gulch,  thus  giving 
double  the  number  that  were  held  above  5  the  same  on  the  banks.  Not  far  from 
1,000  claims  are  located  in  this  manner,  and  it  is  remarkable  that  nearly  every 
claim  paid  for  working  when  wages  were  from  $10  to  $14  per  day  in  gold.  From 
many  of  the  best  claims  $150,000,  and  from  some  as  much  as  $200,000,  have 
been  taken  out. 

The  usual  method  of  working  was  to  sink  a  shaft  14  or  15  feet  to  the  bed 
rock  and  extract  the  rich  gravel,  which  was  from  one  to  three  feet  thick,  by 
drifting.  In  this  way  a  considerable  amount  of  ground  was  left  as  pillars  to 
support  the  ground  above.  The  bed  rock  cannot  be  worked  with  the  care  neces- 
sary to  extract  all  the  gold.  When  gold  is  very  abundant  the  miners  become 
careless  and  do  not  work  closely.  This  gulch  was  worked  to  a  great  extent  bv 
hired  men,  who  are  not  as  careful  as  the  owTners  of  the  mine.  In  some  of  the 
deepest  claims  water  retarded  the  working  or  prevented  it  entirely.  Owing  to 
these  causes  it  is  probable  only  about  half  the  gold  has  been  taken  out  that  "can 
be  obtained  by  careful  and  thorough  working.  The  object  of  each  miner  was 
to  get  as  much  gold  as  possible  in  the  shortest  time  and  depart  for  his  home, 
expending  only  sufficient  to  defray  current  expenses. 

The  water  in  the  gulch  nearly  sufficed  the  wants  of  the  early  miners.  Up  to 
this  time  only  two  small  and  inexpensive  ditches  have  been  constructed.  It  is 
proposed  to  bring  water  from  the  Jefferson  or  the  Stinking  Water  rivers.  From 
the  Jefferson  a  large  amount  could  be  brought  in  at  the  head  of  the  gulch,  but  the 
cost  would  be  great.  From  the  Stinking  "Water  the  cost  would  be  less,  but  the 
water  could  not  reach  the  head  of  the  gulch  by  two  or  three  miles,  and  the  sup- 
ply would  be  insufficient. 

Near  the  upper  part  of  the  gulch  small  flumes  are  in  course  of  construction. 

*  This,  however,  is  a  very  unreliable  mode  of  calculation. — J.  R.  B 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS  509 

They  are  disconnected  and  too  short  to  be  efficient.  To  work  in  the  most 'eco- 
nomical and  thorough  manner  requires  a  large  flume  from  the  mouth  of  the  gulch 
ii})  to  the  head,  with  a  large  amount  of  water. 

The  greatest  obstacle  to  placer  mining  in  Montana  is  the  want  of  fall  or 
de>.  nit,  and  this  is  particularly  the  case  in  Alder  gulch.  To  overcome  this  dif- 
ficulty and  keep  the  works  in  running  order  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  the  flume 
double  at  certain  points,  with  a  reservoir  in  each,  so  that  when  one  reservoir  is 
tilled  with  sand  and  gravel,  the  water  can  be  turned  into  the  other  flume  while  the 
iirst  reservoir  is 'emptied.  This  can  be  done  by  a  steam  paddy  or  other  machin- 
ery. Uy  having  places  for  the  sand  to  settle  and  be  removed  at  two  or  threw 
points  along  the  flume,  it  can  be  kept  in  running  order. 

By  sueh  a  flume  system  and  the  use  of  hydraulics  the  gulch  can  be  thoroughly 
worked,  and  its  future  production  made  at  least  equal  to  its  past.  This  method 
of  mining  requires  capital.  The  miners  generally  are  employed  by  an  individ- 
ual or  company  and  the  profits  divided  amongst  few.  The  last  working  usually 
occupies  about  twice  the  length  of  time  occupied  by  the  first. 

SUMMIT  CITY. — Summit  City  is  substantially  built  of  logs,  but  in  building 
this  to\\n  the  streets  appear  to  have  been  forgotten  at  first  and  put  in  afterwards. 
In  case  of  fire  the  whole  town  would  burn  with  as  much  facility  as  a  single 
house.  It  seems  strange,  after  so  many  mining  towns  have-been  utterly  destroyed 
by  fire,  that  in  laying  out  a  new  one,  where  the  ground  costs  nothing,  the  streets 
should  not  be  left  sufficiently  wide  to  form  a  barrier  to  the  progress  of  fire,  as 
well  as  a  means  of  communication.  With  a  sufficient  width,  afire  could  be  con- 
lined  to  one  square. 

The  rich  and  extensive  quartz  veins  in  this  vicinity  will  probably  render  Sum- 
mit City  permanently  prosperous. 

NEVADA. — After  Virginia,  Nevada  was  the  largest  town  on  Alder  gulch.  At 
present  it  shows  signs  of  decay.  In  the  winter  the  people  of  the  inhabited  parts 
of  the  town  make  use  of  the  uninhabited  houses  1'or  iirewood.  11'  a  bed-rock 
flume  is  put  in  the  gulchr  Nevada  will  probably  regain  in  some  degree  its  former 
lite  and  activity. 

JUNCTION  CITY  and  CENTRAL  CITY  were  also  at  one  time  livelv  little  towns. 
Now  they  are  more  remarkable  Tor  quietness  than  I'or  the  commotion  of  business. 

Most  of  the  other  gulches  in  this  vicinity  have  small  collections  of  houses, 
hardly  sufficient,  to  jusiil'y  the  name  of  towns. 

The  range  of  mountains  called  Virginia  is  not  as  high  as  the  mountains  around 
the  head  of  Big  Hole;  still  they  are  siitliciently  high  to  retain  snow  the  greater 
part  of  the  year.  This  range  abounds  in  springs  and  streams  of  running  water, 
and  forests  of  pine  and  fir  in  the  ravines  and  canons. 

VALLEY  or  THE  STINKING  WATER. — The  valley  of  the  Stinking  Waiter  is 
15  or  20  miles  long  and  5  or  6  broad,  with  some  good  fanning  and  grazing  land, 
but  generally  it  is  not  very  fertile.  At'  the  confluence  of  the  Big  Hole  and  the 
Beaver  IIe:wl  is  a  large  valley  very  similar  to  the  valley  of  the  Stinking  Water. 
By  a  proper  system  of  irrigation  both  of  these  valleys  could  be  rendered  avail- 
able lor  agricultural  purposes.  Want  of  timber  is  one  of  the  most  serious  incon- 
veniences. 

Among  the  old  mountaineers  this  fork  of  the  Missouri  was  known  as  the  Beaver 
Head,  and  took  its  name  from  a  point  of  rocks  on  its  north  bank,  about  15  miles 
above  I  lie  mouth  of  the  Big  Hole,  called  by  the  Indians  Beaver's  Head,  which 
it  closely  resembles  when  viewed  from  a  point  near  the  mouth  of  the  Stinking 
Water. 

(  IALLATIN  VALLEY. — The  section  of  country  drained  by  the  Madison,  Galla- 
tin,  and  the  Missouri  down  to  its  junction  with  the  Dearborn  river,  is  about  175 
miles  long  and  80  miles  wide.  In  this  district  of  country  lies  the  valley  of  Three 
Forks  and  Gallatin,  about  40  miles  long  and  12  wide,  which  may  be  considered  • 


510  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

the  garden  of  Montana.  The  season  is  from  four  to  six  weeks  earlier  than  in 
the  valley  of  the  Big  Hole,  and  the  climate  is  as  good  as  that  of  Utah,  while  in 
fertility  the  soil  is  unsurpassed.  Here  farming  is  on  a  large  scale,  and  in  the 
course  of  a  year  or  two  the  valley  will  supply  the  Territory  with  wheat  and 
barley,  as  it  now  does  with  potatoes  and  vegetables. 

OTHER  VALLEYS  AND  PLACERS. — North  and  south,  Boulder  and  Wallace 
creeks  empty  into  the  Missouri  from  the  west,  and  have  some  good  but  not  very 
rich  placer  mines  ;  also  some  quartz  veins,  containing  gold,  silver,  lead,  and  cop- 
per ;  but  they  are  not  attracting  much  attention  at  present. 

Further  down  comes  in  the  Prickly  Pear.  On  this  stream  and  its  branches  are 
some  excellent  mines.  The  towns  of  Montana,  Jefferson  and  Beaver  cities  are 
situated  on  this  stream.  Placer  and  quartz  mines  exist  here,  but  are  doing  but 
little  at  present. 

The  most  productive  gulch  in  this  part  of  Montana  is  Last  Chance,  which  is 
formed  by  the  junction  of  Oro  Fino,  Grizzly,  and  Dry  gulches,  and  empties  into 
the  Prickly  Pear  not  far  above  its  mouth.  These  gulches  have  been  very  rich ; 
also  Nelson's  gulch,  which  empties  into  Ten-mile  creek.  On  this  creek  are 
numerous  quartz  veins,  containing  gold,  silver,  copper,  &c.,  not  now  much  worked. 

HELENA. — Helena,  the  largest  town  in  the  Territory,  is  situated  on  both  sides 
of  Last  Chance  gulch,  principally  on  the  south  side,  and  extends  over  an  elevated 
bar  to  Dry  gulch,  a  distance  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  It  is  well  and  regu- 
larly laid'out  for  a  mining  town,  containing  a  number  of  fire-proof  stone  build- 
ings. Many  of  the  wooden  buildings  have  fire-proof  safes  attached  to  them,  or 
an  outside  cellar  with  fire-proof  walls  and  door,  and  are  covered  with  heavy  dirt 
roofs.  Their  construction  is  not  costly,  and  in  combustible  mining  towns  they 
do  good  service  in  preserving  valuable  goods  from  fire. 

Helena  contains  an  active  population  of  miners,  merchants,  physicians,  la\\»- 
yers,  bankers,  and  that  miscellaneous  crowd  always  found  in  the  best  class  of 
mining  towns.  Residents  claim  that  its  population  numbers  from  7,000  to  8,000 ; 
this  is  probably  an  exaggeration.  As  a  commercial  centre  it  has  stage  lines 
connecting  it  with  Virginia,  Diamond  City,  New  York  Bar,  Fort  Benton,  and 
Blackfoot  City.  Nearly  all  supplies  for  the  south  pass  through  it  on  their  way 
from  Fort  Benton. 

The  most  productive  gold-bearing  quartz  veins  in  Montana,  as  well  as  silver 
and  copper  mines,  (the  latter  unworked,)  are  in  this  vicinity.  The  placers  are 
extensive,  and  well  supplied  with  water  by  a  system  of  large  and  costly  ditches. 
On  the  heads  of  Grizzly  and  Oro  Fino  gulches  the  mountains  are  covered  with 
pines  and  fir,  and  along  the  Prickly  Pear  cottonwood  is  abundant. 

The  valley  of  the  Prickly  Pear  and  Ten-mile  creek  contains  a  considerable 
amount  of  good  farming  land  and  a  number  of  farms  under  cultivation,  and  the 
surrounding  hills  afford  good  pasturage.  This  valley  is  nearly  circular  in  form 
and  15  miles  in  diameter. 

Helena  is  located  on  the  western  side,  close  under  the  foot  of  the  mountains. 
A  more  picturesque  or  beautiful  situation  for  a  town  can  scarcely  be  imagined. 
A  broad  vista  stretches  away  to  the  east,  beyond  the  Missouri  river. 

BAR  MINING. — From  the  mouth  of  the  Stinking  Water  down  to  the  Gre^t 
Falls  all  the  bars  on  the  Missouri  river  contain  gold.  These  bars  will  probably 
be  among  the  most  lasting  placers  in  the  Territory.  Up  to  the  present  time 
they  have  remained  unworked,  except  El  Dorado  bar,  upon  which  operations 
have  already  been  commenced,  and  it  is  reported  with  favorable  results.  Aloi  »j 
the  Missouri  there  is  some  good  farming  and  grazing  land,  and  generally  the 
hills  in  the  vicinity  contain  timber. 

Confederate,  New  York,  and  a  number  of  other  gold-producing  gulches  come 
in  from  the  east,  just  above  the  mouth  of  Prickly  Pear. 

CONFEDERATE  GTJLCH. — Of  these,  Confederate  is  the  richest;  after  Alder  and 


WEST    OF   TIIE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  511 

Last  Chance  it  is  probably  the  richest  in  Montana.  It  has  produced  largely  since 
1865,  though  its  product 'has  not  been  so  great  this  year  as  formerly.  "Diamond 
City  sprung  up  on  this  gulch,  but  has  been  nearly  abandoned  by  the  washings 
from  the  hydraulics  in  the  rear  of  the  town. 

The  mountains  around  the  head  of  Confederate  gulch  are  high,  and  contain 
pine  and  fir  timber  j  also  numerous  streams.  Some  very  expensive  ditches  are 
in  course  of  construction  for  supplying  the  mines  with  water. 

Estimated  yield  of  Montana. 

1862 $500,000 

1863 8,000,000 

1864 13,000,0«0 

1865 14.500,000 

1866 16,500,000 

1867 12,000,000 


64, 500, 000 


512 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


IDAHO. 

SECTION    I. 

AREA  AND  POPULATION— MOUNTAINS,  RIVERS,  LAKES,  WATERFALLS, 
AND  BOILING  SPRINGS— VEGETATION— GEOLOGICAL  FEATURES— TOWNS 
AND  MINING  CAMPS. 

AREA  AND  POPULATION. — In  form,  this  Territory  is  almost  a  right-angled 
triangle.  Its  base,  about  350  miles  long  on  the  south,  rests  on  Nevada  and 
Utah,  with  a  perpendicular  of  about  420  miles,  separating  it  from  Oregon  and 
Washington  Territory  on  the  west.  Its  northern  point  touches  the  British  pos- 
sessions, and  its  hypothenuse  on  the  northeast  divides  it  from  the  Territories  of 
Montana  and  Dakota.  Its  area  is  about  90,000  square  miles,*  but  inasmuch  as 
its  northeastern  boundary,  on  the  crests  of  the  Bitter  Root  and  Rocky  mountains, 
has  never  been  meandered,  this  estimate  is  only  an  approximation.  Its  popula- 
tion is  about  20,000  at  this  time.  As  estimated  by  the  territorial  assessor  it  was 
somewhat  larger  in  1866,  viz  : 

Table  showing  the  principal  cities  and  towns  of  Idaho  Territory,  the  county  in 
which  each  is  located,  the  estimated  population  September,  1866,  and  the  distance 
of  each  from  Boise  City,  the  territorial  capital. 


. 

|g 

'S 

|g 

.1 
o 

I2! 

« 

P.  00 

O  i-i 

P.  - 

n 

Counties. 

Name  of  town. 

it 

£o 

Counties. 

Name  of  town. 

if 

£6 

S  fl 

93 

Q  a 

00 

S3  J 

43 

P 

& 

W~ 

* 

H 

% 

Ada 

Boise  City     .... 

2  050 

Nez  Perc6  .  . 

Elk  City  

450 

350  N. 

A  Ituras  • 

Rocky  Bar  

675 

100  N.  E. 

Do  

Lewiston  

650 

350  N. 

Boise 

1  100 

45  N. 

Oneida  . 

Bear  Lake  

300 

450  E. 

DC 

5  860 

36  N  E 

Do 

Maiade  City 

4  -25 

348  E 

Buena  Vista  Bar. 

Do. 

Soda  Springs  

75 

450  E. 

Do 

1  700 

55  N  E 

400 

72  S 

Do 

I'ooo 

40  N 

Do 

Ruby  City 

1,000 

70  S. 

Idaho  ..     .. 

Florence          .... 

600 

250  N. 

Do 

Silver  City  

3,175 

70S. 

Do 

150 

230  N 

Oro  Fino 

350 

450  N. 

Do. 

Slate  Creek 

75 

2CO  N. 

Do... 

Pierce  City  

300 

450  N. 

Nez  Perce 

290 

330  N 

Total  ... 

21,  725 

MOUNTAINS. — The  principal  mountains  are  the  Rocky,  Bitter  Root,  and  Bear 
mountains  on  the  east.  The  upheaval  of  these  ranges  has  tilted  the  whole  Terri- 
tory to  the  west  at  a  greater  angle  than  that  of  any  other  State  or  Territory  of  the 
Pacific  slope.  In  the  south,  the  Owyhee  is  the  principal  range,  though  properly 
it  is  an  isolated  spur  rather  than  a  range.  This  region  of  country  contains  one 
of  the  principal  mining  districts  in  the  Territory.  The  Bear  and  Rocky  moun- 
tains are  different  branches  of  the  same  range,  and  have  the  same  general  char- 
acter. The  name  fi  Rocky  mountains  "  is  a  misnomer.  Instead  of  being  rough 
and  rocky,  they  appear  to  be  old,  with  their  highest  peaks  abraded,  worn  down, 
covered  with  soil,  supporting  timber  and  grass,  full  of  low  passes,  suitable  for 
wagon  or  railroads,  and  embracing  many  fine  agricultural  valleys.  The  Bitter 
Root  is  a  broad,  lofty  range,  continuous  and  unbroken,  with  a  few  elevated 
passes,  which  are  closed  in  winter.  It  abounds  in  rugged  spurs,  deep  gorges, 
and  tremendous  caiions,  where  the  Salmon  river  runs  in  a  continuous  torrent. 

*  The  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office  estimates  the  area  at  90,932  ;  number  of 
acres,  369,529,000. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  513 

The  Boise  range  is  a  spur  or  lateral  offshoot  of  the  Bitter  Root.  They  are  well 
covered  with  pine  and  fir,  with  good  pasturage  in  the  foot-hills  and  farming  lands 
in  the  small  valleys.  The  height  of  this  range  is  8,000  or  10,000  feet,  with 
some  peaks  that  attain  an  altitude  of  near  12,000  feet. 

RIVERS. — The  Snake  river  and  its  branches  drain  the  whole  Territory,  except 
a  portion  of  about  120  miles  long  and  45  wide  in  the  extreme  northern  part, 
which  is  drained  by  Clark's  fork  of  the  Columbia  and  its  branches,  and  an  irreg- 
ularly-shaped portion  in  the  southeastern  corner,  which  is  drained  by  Green  and 
Bear  rivers.  Bear  river  falls  into  Salt  lake,  and  Green  river  empties  into  the 
Colorado.  This  portion  of  the  Territory  has  some  farming  and  a  large  amount 
of  good  grazing  hinds,  and  is  very  scantily  supplied  with  wood.  No  mines  have 
been  discovered  in  it.  The  Mormon  settlements  on  Bear  river  extend  for  a  short 
distance  into  Idaho  along  the  stage  route,  but  otherwise  this  portion  of  the  Ter- 
ritory is  uninhabited.  The  principal  branches  of  the  Snake  river  in  Idaho  are 
the  Clearwater,  Salmon,  Payette,  Boise,  and  many  small  rivers  and  creeks, 
which  uniting  form  a  large  river,  with  many  falls  and  rapids  and  a  current  of 
great  swii'tness,  which,  when  high,  carries  away  bridges  and  boats  and  renders 
crossing  it  dangerous.  It  is  navigable  to  Lewiston.  A  steamer  has  been 
recently  built  near  Fort  Boise,  but  is  not  running  at  present,  the  swiftness  of  the 
current  rendering  navigation  always  difficult  and  sometimes  dangerous.  Among 
the  falls  on  this  river,  one  of  the  most  noted  is  the  American,  about  25  miles 
below  Fort  Hall,  which  has  a  perpendicular  descent  of  60  or  70  feet,  but  is  not 
remarkable  for  the  grandeur  of  the  surrounding  scenery. 

Snosno^E  FALLS. — The  Shoshone  falls  are  situated  about  seven  miles  from 
Desert  station,  on  the  stage  road  from  Salt  Lake  City  to  Boise  City.  The  river 
for  many  miles,  both  above  and  below,  passes  through  a  volcanic  valley.  It 
has  cut  a  perpendicular  canon  through  the  layers  of  lava  to  the  depth  of  about 
1,000  feet.  The  canon  is  generally  about  half  a  mile  wide.  At  the  point  where 
the  falls  are  located  it  is  nearly  a  mile  wide.  Viewed  from  below  it  appears  cir- 
cular, like  a  vast  amphitheatre,  with  the  falls  in  the  centre.  The  different  layers 
of  lava  resemble  seats  in  licrs  ranged  one  above  another  to  a  height  of  700  feet 
above  the  head  of  the  falls.  In  the  narrowest  part  the  water  is  200  or  300  yards 
wide.  About  400  yards  above  the  main  falls  are  live  islands,  at  nearly  equal 
intervals  across  the  river,  dividing  the  stream  into  six  parts.  As  the  water  passes 
between  the  islands  it  is  precipitated  25  or  30  feet.  The  falls  differ  essentially 
from  each  other  in  form,  affording  great  variety.  Below  the  islands  the  water 
unites  and  passes  in  an  unbroken  sheet  over  the  great  fall  ;  the  descent  is  about 
200  feet.  The  semicircle  at  the  head  of  the  falls  is  apparently  perfect,  and  the 
leap  as  clear  as  that  of  Niagara.  Enormous  clouds  of  mist  and  spray  arise,  vari- 
egated with  rainbows.  At  the  foot  are  rushing  showers  of  spray,  from  under 
which  the  water,  beaten  into  foam,  dashes  furiously  away.  Occasionally  can  be 
seen  through  the  flying  mists  the  immense  sheet  of  water  standing  out  in  bold 
relief  from  the  rocks,  showing  that  with  proper  appliances  it  is  practicable  to  go 
behind,  as  at  Niagara.  A  few  hundred  yards  further  down  the  water  swings 
slowly  around  in  a  huge  whirlpool  and  then  disappears  in  the  black  canon  below. 
The  delicate  prismatic  colors  of  the  rainbow  and  the  graceful  evanescent  forms 
of  the  mist  contrast  strangely  with  the  iron-black  surface,  hard  outlines,  and 
awful  forms  of  the  overhanging  basalt.  The  sound  of  the  rushing  waters  resem- 
bles that  of  an  orchestra,  the  small  falls  giving  the  high  notes  and  the  great  falls 
the  bass,  producing  a  combination  riot  possible  to  obtain  from  a  single  undivided 
current.  At  Rock  Creek  station,  20  miles  distant,  it  can  be  heard  distinctly — 
not  continuously,  but  at  intervals,  like  the  surf.  When  the  notes  strike  in  unison 
they  can  be  heard  at  a  greater  distance.  In  the  winter  this  mist  rises  like  the 
smoke  from  a  volcano.  A  few  diminutive  pines  grow  among  the  rocky  declivi- 
ties of  the  canon.  The  plain  produces  only  sage  brush.  The  hostility  of  the 

33 


514  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Indians  renders  a  visit  to  tins  interesting  region  somewhat  hazardous,  unless  with 
a  party  of  six  or  eight  men,  well  armed  and  on  the  alert. 

SALMON  FALLS. — The  Salmon  falls,  about  45  miles  below  the  Shoshone,  are 
some  20  feet  in  height,  and  are  remarkable  as  forming  an  impassable  barrier  to 
the  progress  of  the  salmon.  Here  is  a  famous  Indian  fishery. 

VALLEY  or  THE  SNAKE. — The  valley  of  the  Snake  is  a  huge  crescent-shaped 
basin,  about  500  miles  long  and  250  at  its  greatest  breadth.  The  whole  interior 
is  a  bed  of  volcanic  rocks,  in  which  the  rivers  have  cut  deep  canons.  The  sur- 
rounding  foot-hills  are  generally  covered  with  bunch  grass,  affording  excellent 
pasturage.  Along  the  streams  are  many  valleys,  containing  tracts  of  land  well 
adapted  to  agriculture.  Frequently  these  valleys  extend  through  the  basin  to 
the  Snake  river,  as  the  Boise,  which  is  wTell  cultivated,  and  contains  many  farms 
in  a  state  of  improvement  that  would  do  credit  to  older  countries.  But  the  greater 
portion  of  the  basin  is  a  desert  waste  of  sand,  producing  nothing  but  sage  brush 
and  a  very  limited  amount  of  bunch  grass,  even  in  the  most  favored  localities. 
The  Indian  name  for  the  river  is  "Pohogwa,"  or  "  Sage  Brush  river/'  the  most 
appropriate  that  could  be  imagined. 

SAGE  BRUSH. — This  shrub  in  general  appearance  resembles  the  cultivated 
sage,  having  the  same  form  and  color,  flower,  leaf,  and  branch;  its  aroma  being 
similar  but  stronger  and  not  so  agreeable.  Its  average  height  is  about  three 
feet;  sometimes  it  attains  the  height  of  five  feet,  with  a  diameter  of  four  or  five 
inches.  The  sage  is  strictly  the  shrub  of  the  desert.  From  the  eastern  foot- 
hills of  the  Rocky  mountains  to  the  Pacific  ocean,  and  from  Mexico  to  the 
British  possessions,  it  occupies  nearly  all  lands  too  poor  and  dry  to  support  any 
other  vegetation.  It  burns  even  when  green,  with  a  quick  blight  flame,  and  in 
many  extensive  districts  is  the  sole  fuel  of  emigrants,  miners  and  prospectors. 
In  the  Slate  Range  district,  in  the  southern  part  of  California,  it  was  used  suc- 
cessfully as  fuel  in  generating  steam  for  a  quartz-mill.  The  cost  of  gathering 
and  using  it  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  wood  in  a  moderately  wooded  district. 
Where  Indian  labor  is  available  it  is  much  cheaper.  A  smaller  variety  called 
the  white  sage  is  valuable  for  grazing  in  the  winter.  Cattle  thrive  on  it,  but  it 
imparts  a  peculiar  though  not  a  disagreeable  flavor  to  beef. 

BOISK  BASIN. — In  some  parts  of  the  Boise  basin  the  sand  is  loose,  and  the  wind 
drifting  it  over  the  plains  obliterates  all  traces  of  vegetation.  Whirlwinds  often 
raise  it  to  great  height,  and  when  one  of  these  dust  storms  passes  a  train  of  men 
and  animals,  the  air  is  darkened,  and  breathing  is  rendered  difficult  until  the 
storm  is  over.  In  the  northeastern  part  of  the  basin,  on  the  south  side  of  Clark's 
Fork,  are  three  lone  mountains  called  the  Three  Tetons;  they  rise  ragged  and 
sharp  in  their  outlines,  and  form  a  notable  landmark  for  travellers.  North  of  Fort 
Hall  are  three  similar  peaks  called  the  Three  Buttes,  visible  for  a  great  distance. 
The  highest,  called  Cedar  Butte,  is  near  where  Lewis's  Fork  empties  into  the 
Snake.  It  is  scantily  covered  with  scrub  cedars,  and,  like  the  others,  is  undoubt- 
edly of  vocanic  origin.  When  the  whole  country  is  densely  populated  the  Snake 
river  will  be  turned  out  of  its  bed,  and  used  to  irrigate  this  basin.  In  that  way 
it  can  be  rendered  productive.  If  this  river  and  its  tributaries  should  thus  be 
directed,  navigation  would  sustain  but  little  loss,  while  agriculture  would  be 
greatly  benefited.  All  the  streams  emptying  into  the  Snake  some  distance 
below  the  Shoshone  falls  sink  before  they  reach  the  river,  and  passing  under  the 
strata  of  lava,  come  out  on  the  sides  of  the  Snake  canon.  Several  of  them  shoot 
out  at  such  a  height  as  to  form  beautiful  cascades ;  some  at  perpendicular  leaps, 
others  in  a  succession  of  small  falls;  some  combine  falls  and  rapids,  and  assume 
the  most  beautiful  forms  of  falling  water  imaginable.  The  white  spray  and 
foam  strikingly  contrast  with  the  black  precipitous  walls  down  which  the  rushing 
torrent  plunges  into  the  river  below.  In  one  case  a  river  ran  over  the  surface 
until  it  had  worn  into  the  rock  a  canon  about  a  half  mile  long.  A  beautiful  basin 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  515 

or  small  lake  still  remains  where  the  water  formerly  passed  over.  In  process 
of  time  it  fur  mod  an  underground  channel,  and  now  comes  out  at  the  foot  of  the 
rock  where  the  falls  once  existed.  It  is  perfectly  clear,  and  although  the  depth 
is  great,  the  trout  with  which  it  is  crowded  can  )>e  distinctly  seen  at  the  bottom. 
Along  the  stream  on  each  side  of  the  canon  is  a  narrow  belt  of  fine  grass  and 
willows,  entirely  hidden  from  view,  until  the  spectator  stands  on  its  banks.  The 
contrast  between  the  beautiful  verdure  here  and  the  awful  desolation  of  the 
surrounding  plain  is  very  striking.  All  over  the  vast  volcanic  wastes  of  the 
plain  are  upheaved  masses  of  lava,  with  clefts  or  fissures  in  them,  caused  by  the 
cooling  of  the  liquid  rock.  These  elevations  are  generally  of  an  oval  shape, 
with  a  cleft  in  the  centre  extending  longitudinally  from  the  summit  to  the  base. 
(  hhers  have  two  lines  of  fractures  nearly  at  right  angles.  They  sometimes  form 
ridges  exceedingly  tortuous  in  their  course,  occasionally  twisted  into  a  circle. 
Their  usual  height  is  from  6  to  12  feet.  These  masses  of  rock  appear  almost 
to  defy  the  elements.  In  many  places  the  corrugations  formed  on  the  surface, 
when  the  lava  was  cooling,  appear  as  distinctly  as  if  they  were  formed  yesterday. 
Along  the  edges  of  the  deposit  the  lava  in  some  places  overlies  granite,  in  others 
slate  and'  limestone.  The  action  of  the  elements  has  worn  these  strata  away, 
leaving  the  lava  apparently  undecomposed,  and  elevated  above  the  rocks  that 
(nice  held  it  in  bounds.  A  great  difference  is  found  in  the  power  of  different 
rocks  to  resit  the  action  of  the  elements.  Thus,  slate  when  soft  and  splinty  is 
less  capable  of  resistance  than  limestone,  and  this  rock  is  less  enduring  than  the 
coarsest  forms  of  granite.  The  hard  compact  granite  resists  much  longer  than 
the  softer  varieties;  but  all  much  less  than  the  basaltic  lava  in  this  valley.  The 
same  is  observed  in  almost  all  canons  where  there  has  been  a  lava  flow,  as  in 
Tort  Noeaf  and  in  Moor's  creek.  These  facts  afford  material  for  a  time  ratio. 
If  the  resisting  power  of  basalt  is  represented  by  100,  and  hard  granite  90,  soft 
granite  75,  limestone  50,  soft  slate  40,  gravel  5,  and  ordinary  soil  1,  or  if  we  adopt 
any  other  ratio  of  a  similar  kind  found  to  be  in  accordance  with  observation, 
we  have  a  basis  by  which  a  calculation  can  be  made  with  approximate  accuracy. 
Around  the  base  of  the  Boise  mountains  there  are  indications  of  upheaval  to 
a  certain  extent  since  the  bed  of  lava  was  formed.  The  strata  are  all  tilted  from 
the  mountains,  both  on  the  eastern  and  western  sides,  but  it  is  most  noticeable  on 
the  eastern  side.  At  the  base  of  the  Owyhee  mountains  the  proofs  of  upheaval 
are  clear.  Since  the  lava  was  formed,  many  beds  of  regular  columnar  basalt 
are  displaced,  and  the  columns  stand  at  different  angles,  showing  unmistakably 
The  effects  of  more  recent  convulsion.  On  Clover  creek,  a  small  tributary  of 
Snake  river,  about  40  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Malade,are  three  volcanic 
bridges  within  a  third  of  a  mile  of  each  other.  The  stage  road  passes  over  them 
in  the  wret  seasons.  One  of  these  natural  bridges  is  over  a  dry  ravine,  whkjh 
runs  into  the  creek.  There  is  an  island  at  the  point  where  the  stream  is  bridged. 
The  first,  bridge  is  from  the  shore  to  the  island,  the  next  from  the  island  to  the 
other  side,  and  the  third  over  the  dry  ravine.  Their  height  varies  from  three  to 
seven  feet;  the  arches  span  from  10  to  50  feet,  with  lengths  from  100  to  200  feet. 
It  is  probable  the  craters  or  source  whence  this  vast  bed  of  lava  flowed  must  be 
near  the  upper  end  of  the  valley,  as  it  has  a  regular  descent  to  the  westward. 
But  this  is  not  certain,  for  the  inclination  may  be  the  effect  of  the  upheaval  of 
the  Rocky  mountains,  which  may  still  be  going  on.  It  is  highly  probable  these 
mountains  had  nearly  their  present  altitude  before  this  vast  eruption  of  lava  took 
place ;  after  that  their  upward  movement  may  have  continued,  which  wrould  account 
for  the  singularity  of  its  declination  to  the  west.  About  10  miles  west  from  the 
bridges  over  the  Malade  on  the  stage  route  from  Salt  lake  to  Boise  City,  there 
is  a  circular  depression  in  the  plain  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  diameter. 
In  the  winter  this  is  filled  with  water,  forming  a  shallow  lake.  The  lava  around 
this  depression  is  remarkably  well  preserved,  and  all  the  wrinkles  or  corruga- 
tions caused  by  the  moving  and  cooling  of  the  surface  are  as  distinct  as  though 


516  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

they  were  very  recently  formed.  By  observing  these  foldings  the  direction  in 
which  the  lava  flowed  can  be  determined.  It  is  apparent  in  this  case  that  the 
flow  was  in  every  direction  from  the  depression,  proving  that  this  was  one  of  the 
craters  which  once  poured  its  fiery  flood  over  the  plain.  When  the  supply  from 
below  was  exhausted  the  mouth  of  the  crater  sank  back,  leaving  the  depression 
now  nearly  filled  with  alluvial  deposits.  A  close  examination  of  the  plain  would 
undoubtedly  lead  to  the  discovery  of  many  similar  openings,  and  by  a  careful  obser- 
vation of  the  relative  elevations  on  the  eastern  and  western  sides  of  these  craters, 
it  could  be  demonstrated  whether  the  level  of  the  country  has  been  affected  by 
upheavals  since  the  lava  bed  was  formed.  At  the  crater  examined,  the  lava  on  the 
eastern  side  appeared  to  have  run  up  hill,  while  on  the  west  the  declination 
seemed  unchanged.  The  Snake  river  has  cut  a  vast  canon  through  this  plain, 
varying  in  depth  from  100  to  1,000  feet.  The  different  strata  of  the  rock  can 
be  distinctly  observed  in  this  canon.  The  length  of  time  required  by  the  river 
to  wear  away  such  an  enormous  fissure  must  have  been  great,  although  the 
descent  of  the  water  is  rapid.  The  Shoshone  Falls  probably  cut  out  the  canon 
below  it  to  the  Salmon  Falls,  a  distance  of  over  40  miles.  No  observations 
have  been  macte  to  determine  the  rate  at  which  the  rock  is  worn  away ;  but  from 
its  indestructible  nature  it  must  be  slow.  The  Boise  basin  divides  the  mining 
portions  of  the  Territory  into  two  parts ;  one  south  and  one  north.  The  southern 
or  Owyhee  mines  are  in  the  Owyhee  mountains,  and  do  not  cover  near  the  extent 
of  the  northern  portion,  which  embraces  the  Boise,  Lemhi,  Salmon  river,  and 
Oro  Fino  mines. 

TOWNS. — Boise  City  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  Boise  river,  at  the  head 
of  the  fertile  va'lley  of  the  same  name.  It  has  a  beautiful  location,  is  well  laid 
out,  and  contains  many  fine  buildings.  Nearly  all  the  passengers  and  supplies 
for  Boise  Basin  have  to  pass  through  it;  hence  it  is  a  great  staging  centre. 
Situated  between  the  Owyhee  and  Boise  mines,  it  will  long  be  the  commercial 
centre  of  the  southern  part  of  the  Territory.  The  climate  is  milder  than  in  the 
mines,  and  resembles  that  of  Utah.  Boise  Basin  is  about  30  miles  northeast 
from  Boise  City.  Its  length  is  from  15  to  18  miles,  and  breadth  from  6  to  8. 
It  contains  a  number  of  towns  and  many  mining  districts,  and  is  the  most  popu- 
lous part  of  the  Territory.  The  present  population  is  estimated  to  be  about 
10,000.  Idaho  City,  the  largest  town,  was  recently  burnt;  but  has  been  partially 
rebuilt.  It  contains  probably  4,000  inhabitants.  Central  City,  Placerville,  and 
Pioneer  are  well-built  mining  towns,  containing  about  1,000  inhabitants  each. 
Salmon  river  has  been  the  scene  of  two  wild  mining  excitements.  One  in  1862, 
at  Florence,  on  Meadow  creek,  where  8,000  or  9,000  miners  collected — to  leave 
in  as  short  time  as  they  assembled.  The  town  contains  at  present  about  200 
persons.  The  other  excitement  was  at  Lemhi  this  summer,  where  7,000  to  8,000 
miners  collected — to  scatter  as  suddenly,  except  some  800  or  900  who  had  claims, 
or  who  could  not  get  away.  The  valley  of  the  Clearwater  is  a  large  and  fertile 
agricultural  valley,  the  home  of  the  Nez  Perces  Indians.  Lewistown,  Oro 
Fino,  and  Elk  City  were  once  flourishing  places;  but  now  contain  only  a  small 
population.  Lewiston,  from  its  situation  at  the  confluence  of  the  Clearwater 
and  Snake  rivers,  the  head  of  navigation,  must  in  time  become  a  place  of  import- 
ance. Warren's  Diggings  have  a  considerable  mining  population. 

The  portion  of  the  Territory  drained  by  Clark's  Fork  of  the  Columbia  has  a 
milder  climate  than  is  found  farther  south,  and  corresponds  to  the  Yocko  and 
Bitter  Root  valleys  in  Montana. 

There  are  three  lakes  of  considerable  size  in  Idaho,  the  Coeur  d'Aline,  about 
24  miles  long,  and  2  or  3  wide,  very  irregular  in  form;  the  Pen  d'Orei lie, a  cres- 
cent-shaped lake,  about  30  miles  long,  and  5  broad  ^  and  the  Boatman  about  the 
same  length,  and  6  miles  wide.  The  Pen  d'Oreille  and  Clark's  Fork  are  practi- 
cable for  steamers  for  80  miles. 

The  discovery  of  the  Owyhee  mines  led  to  the  building  of  Boonville,  Ruby, 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  517 

anil  Silver  cities.  Boonville  was  built  first,  and  depended  on  placer  mines;  it  is 
now  nearly  deserted.  Ixuhy  City  was  both  a  placer  and  vein  mining  town;  at 
present  ii  is  supported  by  a  lew  placer  and  quart/  mills,  neither  increasing  nor 
diminishing  perceptibly  in  population.  Silver  City  is  the  largest  town  in  Owyhee. 
It  is  a  picturesi|ue  village,  neat ly  packed  away  among  the  mountains,  in  Jordan's 
canon,  with  mines,  quartz  mills,  hotels,  stores,  dwellings,  school-houses,  which 
serve  for  churches  on  Sundays,  and  an  active  mining  population,  and  will  long 
b  be  a  mining  town  of  importance. 


SECTION    II. 

MINES.— DISTRICTS  AND  SYSTEMS  OF  MINING. 

The  mines  of  Idaho  occur  in  isolated  groups  separated  by  long  tracts  appar- 
ently barren  in  the  precious  metals.  They  may  be  divided  into  four  dis- 
tricts. On  the  north  Oro  Fino  and  Elk  City;  then  east  and  west,  the  Salmon 
river,  the  Boise  basin,  and  Rocky  bar,  and  in  the  south  the  Owyhee  mines.  Gold 
was  discovered  in  this  Territory  "on  the  banks  of  the  Pen  d'Oreille  river,  in  1852, 
by  a  French  Canadian,  but  not  in  paying  quantities.  In  1860,  a  company  of 
prospectors  discovered  the  Oro  Fino  mines,  and  during  that  winter  25  men 
remained  there.  The  mines  at  Elk  City  were  soon  after  discovered.  In  the 
spring  of  1861  1,500  or  2,000  men  came  to  work  them.  Oro  Fino  creek  has 
paid  in  spots  for  a  distance  of  20  miles;  Rhodes  creek  and  Canal  gulch  also 
proved  to  be  good  localities,  and  although  no  remarkably  rich  placers  were  found 
in  1861-'62  the  mines  paid  very  fairly.  Since  then  the  discovery  of  Boise  basin, 
(hvyliee,  and  Montana  have  drawn  the  miners  from  this  district.  Except  at 
Wassen's  diggings,  very  little  is  done  in  this  part  of  the  country  at  present. 
When  wages  become  cheaper,  miners  may  rework  these  mines  to  advantage.* 

^Governor  D.  W.  Ballard,  in  his  annual  message  to  the  territorial  legislature  of  18b'G-'67, 
says: 

"  For  the  first  two  years  after  the  settlement  of  our  Territory,  Idaho  was  looked  upon  only 
as  a  theatre  for  speculation  and  as  a  place  tor  a  temporary  residence,  where,  by  enduring  the 
necessary  toil  and  privations,  rapid  fortunes  might  be  acquired.  The  Territory  was  first 
peopled  by  those  whose  object  was  the  acquirement  of  a  speedy  fortune,  and  this  being  done 
to  return  either  to  the  Pacific  or  Atlantic  States  ;  but  this  feeling  is  rapidly  subsiding,  and  the 
abundant  success  attending  both  mining  and  agricultural  pursuits  during  the  past  year  is  fast 
removing  the  prejudices  that  have  formerly  existed  against  Idaho  as  a  location  for  permanent 
residence. 

"  The  most  reliable  information  on  the  subject  establishes  the  fact  that  the  yield  of  precious 
metals,  in  the  aggregate,  for  the  past  year  exceeds  that  of  any  preceding  year.  This,  in  con- 
nection with  the  tact  that  operations  in  gold  and  silver  quartz,  our  principal  source  of  mine- 
ral wealth,  are  as  yet  only  iu  embryo,  is  a  source  of  gratification  to  every  one  concerned  in 
the  future  prosperity  of  the  Territory.  The  ledges  already  opened  and  worked  uniformly 
present  indications  of  increasing  richness  ;  in  not  a  single  instance  have  there  been  indica- 
tions of  depreciation  in  the  deposits  of  mineral  wealth.  Only  a  small  proportion  of  the  gold 
and  silver  bearing  quartz  ledges  already  discovered  and  known  to  be  rich,  some  of  them 
almost  fabulously  so,  are  as  yet  being  worked.  From  observations  made  during  the  past 
summer  by  intelligent  and  scientific  gentlemen,  the  conclusion  is  drawn  that  these  ledges, 
which  have  yielded  so  abundantly  during  the  present  year,  willnext  year  produce  still  greater 
profits,  while  many  more  will  be  successfully  opened,  and  their  yield  be  found  equally  abun- 
dant, 

"Agricultural  pursuits,  for  two  years  almost  totally  neglected,  have  been  prosecuted  during 
the  past  year  wiih  the  most  gratifying  results  Many  hundreds  of  acres  in  the  Boise  valley 
and  other  localities  have  been  brought  under  cultivation,  and  it  is  cheering  to  learn  that  tLe 
yield  per  acre,  of  both  cereals  and  vegetables,  will  compare  favorably  with  the  yield  of  any 
other  locality  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The  day  is  not  far  distant  when  but  little,  if  any,  of  the 
productions  raised  on  the  Pacific  coast  will  be  brought  over  the  Blue  mountains  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  jicojile  of  Idaho  Territory.  Arrangements  for  more  extended  operations  in  both 
mining  and  agricultural  pursuits  are  already  i;i  progress  for  the  ensuing  year.  Tlie  amount, 
of  land  cultivated  this  year  will  doubtless  be  inure  than  doubled  next,  and  it  is  safe  to  esti- 
mate that  equal  .success  will  attend  the  mining  interests  of  the  country.  In  connection  with 


518  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

SALMON  RIVER. — In  the  fall  of  1861  some  prospectors  discovered  the  mines 
at  Florence,  at  the  head  of  Meadow  creek,  a  small  northern  tributary  of  Salmon 
river.  The  situation  was  remarkable.  The  deposits  of  gold  were  in  a  marsh 
on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  in  the  centre  of  a  basin  called  Meadow  creek.  This 
singular  depression  is  nearly  circular,  about  12  miles  in  diameter,  and  surrounded 
by  high  mountains,  except  an  opening  to  the  south.  The  mountain  on  which  the 
mines  are  situated  is  granite,  nearly  circular  at  its  base,  rising  from  500  to  1,000 
feet,  and  about  four  miles  across.  From  its  top  a  number  of  flat,  marshy  ravines 
ramify  in  every  direction.  They  are  from  20  to  150  yards  wide,  and  filled  with 
peat  and  muck  to  depths  of  2  to  20  feet.  Under  this  was  a  stratum  of  rough 
unwashed  gravel,  which  had  evidently  never  been  much  moved.  This  contained 
the  gold  and  was  very  rich,  the  best  parts  yielding  a  dollar  to  a  panful  of  gravel. 
Very  little  black  sand  was  visible.  A  careful  search  failed  to  result  in  the  dis- 
covery of  any  quartz  or  other  vein  at  the  head  of  the  richest  ravines.  About 
1,000  claims  were  located  on  this  mountain,  and  paid  largely  for  a  short  time. 
Suddenly,  however,  they  gave  out,  and  no  more  gold  was  found.  On  Meadow 
creek  the  placers  were  more  enduring.  On  some  of  the  bars  of  Salmon  river  fair 
wages  were  made  by  the  miners,  at  the  lowest  stages  of  water  for  several  years, 
but,  unless  some  discoveries  should  be  made  hereafter,  mining  will  probably  never 
pay  permanently  in  this  part  of  the  Territory. 

A  variety  of  pine  grows  in  this  region  from  six  to  eight  inches  in  diameter  at 
the  ground,  with  a  height  of  60  to  70  feet.  So  dense  is  the  growth  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult for  a  horse  to  pass  between  the  trees,  which  are  nearly  of  the  same  height,  and 
present  the  appearance  of  a  field  of  grain.  They  are  remarkably  straight  and 
excellent  for  building  houses  or  timbering  mines.  The  winter  of  1861  was  very 
severe  in  Florence.  For  several  months  all  supplies  were  brought  from  the 
Mountain  House,  a  distance  of  11  miles,  on  the  backs  of  men  who  travelled  on 
snowshoes. 

LEMHI. — Last  fall  some  mines  were  found  on  branches  of  Salmon  river,  not  far 
from  Fort  Lemhi.  Exaggerated  reports  of  their  richness  caused  quite  an  excite- 
ment. The  probability  is  the  reports  were  circulated  for  the  purpose  of  selling 
claims.  It  is  said  one  claim  offered  for  sale  prospected  well  in  the  snow  above  the 
earth.  Accounts  are  conflicting  as  to  the  value  of  these  discoveries,  but  all  agree  that 
there  are  some  half-dozen  claims  on  each  of  four  or  five  gulches  which  will  pay 
well.  Some  assert  that  these  are  all;  others  maintain  that  Lemhi  abounds  in 
extensive  placers  which  will  yield  $5  per  day  to  the  hand,  though  it  is  generally' 
conceded  that  they  will  not  justify  working  at  present,  except  in  a  few  of  the 
gulches. 

BOISE  BASIN  is  a  very  rich  placer  district,  well  timbered  with  forests  of  pine, 
and  well  supplied  with  water.  Mining  is  in  a  prosperous  condition  here  j  the 
flumes  are  substantially  built,  and  the  hydraulics  of  the  most  approved  construc- 
tion. "These  mines  were  discovered  in  August,  1862,  by  a  party  from  Walla- 
Walla,  under  the  direction  of  a  man  named  Grimes,  on  a  branch  of  Moore's  creek, 

the  agricultural  interests  of  the  Territory,  it  is  not  uninteresting  to  know  that  an  enterprising 
farmer  of  Boise  valley,  during  the  past  summer,  cultivated  sorghum  with  the  most  success- 
ful results. 

"While  the  two  principal  pursuits  of  our  Territory,  mining  and  -agriculture,  have  thus  been 
prosecuted  with  efficient  energy  and  success,  all  other  industrial  pursuits  consequent  upon 
them  have  been  correspondingly  remunerative,  and  it  is  believed  that  there  are  more  settled 
families,  more  competent  business  men,  more  active  and  worthy  working  men,  such  as  con- 
stitute the  bone  and  sinew  of  every  country,  now  in  our  midst  who  look  upon  Idaho  as  their 
future  home  than  there  ever  have  been  at  any  previous  period. 

"The  idea  of  extravagant  speculation  is  giving  way  to  patient  toil  and  well-regulated  econ- 
omy, and,  judging  the  future  by  the  past,  this  healthier  sentiment  on  the  part  of  the  people 
will  gradually  increase  until  Idaho  will  abound  in  all  the  fixtures  and  elements  of  a  well- 
established  and  properly  organized  community.  As  the  resources  of  the  country  are  more 
and  more  developed,  other  branches  of  industry,  hitherto  dormant,  will  doubtless  be  thrown 
open  for  the  active  and  energetic  labor  of  the  country.  All  things  considered,  the  future  of 
Idaho  may  now  be  looked  upon  with  more  confidence  than  at  any  former  period  of  her  history." 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  519 

not  far  from  Centrevillc.*  In  a  few  days  after  the  discovery  Grimes  was  killed 
by  the  Indians;  his  party  retreated  to  Walla- Walla,  where  they  procured  re-en- 
forcements, and,  returning,  built  a  fort  about  four  miles  above  Centreville.  There 
they  remained  through  the  winter.  Soon  gold  was  discovered  on  Granite  creek, 
Elk  creek,  and  Moore's  creek,  the  outlet  to  the  water  of  th'e  basin.  The  mines 
proving  extensive  and  the  gold  evenly  distributed,  a  great  number  of  claims  were 
Speedily  located,  and  they  paid  well/  For  the  first  year  or  two  the  miners  did  a 
good  business.  Timber  and  water  being  abundant,  they  were  enabled  to  work 
their  claims  to  the  greatest  advantage.  The  country  rock  is  granite,  and  the 
gravel  containing  the  gold  has  but  little  quartz,  sand  or  boulders  in  it.  Gen- 
erally the  quartz  veins  in  the  basin  are  soft ;  when  detached  and  washed  down 
a  short  distance  in  the  stream,  the  quartz  is  finely  pulverized  and  the  gold  liber- 
ated. In  mills  these  ores  are  crushed  with  great  facility.  A  large  portion  of 
the  soil  is  stained  red  by  oxide  of  iron,  and  contains  a  small  amount  of  gold. 
The  beds  of  the  creeks  and  gulches  have  yielded  well,  and  have,  in  some  instances, 
been  worked  over  as  many  as  four  times.  Many  of  the  streams  have  ancient 
beds  of  gravel,  doubtless  rich,  below  the  present  beds.  On  the  sides  and  tops 
of  the  adjacent  hills  are  masses  of  clay  and  gravel  that  yield  handsomely.  In 
some  instances,  as  at  Placerville,  the  miners  come  to  a  bed  of  clay,  which  has 

*The  following  particulars  relative  to  the  discovery  of  the  Boise  and  other  rich  mines  in 
Idaho  Territory  are  derived  from  an  article  in  the  Idaho  Times  : 

"  But  little  was  known  of  the  existing  wealth  of  southern  Idaho  until  midsummer  of  18G2. 
Even  Tim.  Goodell,  the  old  pioneer  trapper  of  Snake  river  and  its  tributaries,  who  has,  per- 
haps, travelled  every  trail  in  what  is  now  known  as  Boise,  Alturas,  and  Owyhee  counties,  was 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  existence  of  our  mineral  wealth  until  1862,  when  the  first  prospecting 
party  of  six  found  their  way  up  the  canons  of  Moore's  and  Grirnes's  creeks.  When  prospecting 
at  a  point  about  six  miles  above  the  place  now  known  as  Pioneer  City,  they  were  attacked  by 
Indians,  and  one  of  their  number  (Grimes)  instantly  killed.  After  hastily  burying  his  remains 
they  left  the  country,  and  reached  Walla- Walla  in  the  month  of  August.  No  time  was  lost  in 
forming  a  company  of  52  men  to  return  with  them  and  more  thoroughly  prospect  the  country. 
Many  of  those  early  pioneers  are  still  with  us  ;  among  them  we  might  mention  the  names  of 
J.  M  Moore,  John  Christie,  George  J.  Gilbert,  Mr.  Fogus,  James  Roache,  Green  and  Benja- 
min White,  R  C.  Combs,  F.  Giberson,  William  Arts,  J.  B.  Pierce,  and  J.  F.  Guisebtirry. 
The  party  arrived  at  the  forks  of  Gnmes's  creek,  on  the  site  now  known  as  Pioneer  Ci-ty, 
about  the  10th  of  October,  and  as  soon  as  a  substantial  fort  and  corral  for  their  horses  could 
be  built,  a  portion  of  the  company  returned  to  the  Columbia  river  for  winter's  supplies,  and 
the  remainder  built  cabins  and  prospected  during  their  absence  unmolested  by  Indians. 
Another  company  arrived  on  this  creek  about  the  15th  of  November,  and  located  mines  near 
the  site  of  Centreville.  Messrs.  Muford,  Stand  Her,  Callaway,  and  Thatcher  were  with  this 
party.  The  latter  two  gentlemen  still  reside  in  that  place.  A  great  deal  of  fault  was  found 
with  the  action  of  the  first  party  in  the  number  and  size  of  the  claims  located,  hence  the  origi- 
nation of  the  name  of  Hog  'em  for  that  camp.  One  very  bright  morning  about  the  last  of 
October  several  of  the  Hog  'em  boys  took  a  stroll  over  the  divide  between  Grimes's  and  Elk 
creeks,  and  found  good  prospects  on  the  bar  on  which  Idaho  City  now  stands.  Returning 
to  their  camps  in  great  haste,  and  not  wishing  to  divulge  the  secret,  they  reported  having 
beat  a  hasty  retreat  from  some  huge  bears.  On  the  next  day  they  returned,  with  several  others 
of  their  party  who  appreciated  the  bear  story,  and  insisted  on  the  naming  of  the  gulch  at 
the  upper  end  of  Main  street  Bear  run,  by  which  name  it  is  still  known.  The  mines  on  Granite 
creek  were  discovered  about  the  1st  of  December  by  the  Centreville  party,  who  also  located 
the  site  of  Placerville,  which  contained  about  six  cabins  partly  completed  on  the  14th  day  of 
that  month. 

44  In  the  month  of  June,  1863,  several  miners  found  their  way  unto  the  north  fork  of  Boise 
river,  now  known  as  Rocky  Bar,  in  Alturas  county.  The  first  ledges  discovered  in  this  camp 
were  the  Ada  Elmore,  Idaho,  and  New  York,  which  class  among  the  best  ledges  in  that  camp. 

44  Owyhee  was  discovered  in  the  following  fall.  But  little  could  be  said  to  the  public  respect- 
ing this  camp, as  its  history  is  spread  wide  and  far,  and  its  exports  of  bullion  amount  to  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  dollars  monthly.  The  mining  camps  of  Yuba  and  Banner  districts  contain  a 
great  number  of  good  ledges.  Capital  to  develop  the  mines  and  mills  to  crush  the  ore  is  all  that 
is  required  to  class  them  among  the  first  of  our  numerous  mining  camps. 

44  The  mines  of  southern  Idaho  were  more  speedily  populated  and  developed  than  perhaps 
any  other  mining  country  ever  discovered  on  the  Pacific  coast.  One  year  from  the  time  the 
first  party  arrived,  5,500  votes  were  polled  within  the  limits  of  Idaho.  Since  that  time  it 
lias  increased  and  decreased  as  is  usually  the  case,  on  account  of  the  fluctuation  of  our  popu- 
lation." 


520  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

been  mistaken  for  the  bed-rock.  On  sinking  a  shaft  through  it  a  rich  stratum 
of  gravel  is  found.  Ditches  from  a  mile  to  seven  miles  in  length  have  been  con- 
structed in  the  basin  ;  their  capacity  varying  from  300  to  3,000  inches,  costing 
from  $10,000  to  $30,000.  Like  the  small  ditches  in  California,  they  have  paid 
the  cost  of  their  construction  and  a  profit  to  their  owners.  Large  ditches  gen- 
erally entail  a  loss  to  their  projectors.  Where  a  large  amount  of  water  is  brought 
into  a  mining  district,  the  mines,  unless  very  extensive,  are  soon  exhausted. 
Sixty  to  SO  cents  an  inch  are  the  rates  charged  here  for  the  use  of  water  for  24  hours. 
In  some  of  the  hydraulic  claims  work  is  continued  day  and  night,  as  few  or  no 
companies  have  reservoirs.  Where  lumber  is  so  abundant  the  creeks  and  gulches 
ought  generally  to  pay  to  flume.  Want  of  fall  is  probably  the  reason  why  many 
of  them  have  not  been  flurned.  By  the  use  of  similar  machinery  to  that  recom- 
mended for  Alder  gulch,  in  Montana,  fluming  could  be  rendered  profitable  in 
some  cases  where  it  is  not  now  used.  Except  in  the  construction  of  flumes, 
placer  operations  in  Boise  Basin  are  conducted  with  considerable  skill.  Quartz 
mining  has  been  conducted  with  different  degrees  of  skill,  and  with  varied  success. 
One  company  called  the  Elk  Horn  is  composed  of  four  miners,  who  all  work  in 
the  mill  and  mines,  giving  constant  personal  supervision  to  both,  and  although 
their  ore  is  not  richer  than  that  of  other  mines,  and  their  mill  nowise  superior  to 
the  ordinary  mills  of  the  country,  their  enterprise  has  been  uniformly  successful. 
The  Elk  Horn  is  a  small  vein  a  foot  to  eighteen  inches  in  thickness;  the  mill 
in  the  same  ratio,  having  only  five  stamps.  This  correspondence  of  the  mill  to 
the  actual  resources  of  the  mines  is  doubtless  a  prominent  cause  of  success.  The 
best  yield  which  has  been  obtained  by  the  company  from  large  amounts  of  ore 
is  $40  per  ton,  which,  with  their  economical  management,  affords  a  good  profit. 
On  Granite  creek  are  a  number  of  veins  with  quartz  so  soft  that  two-thirds  of 
the  vein  stuff  can  be  washed  in  a  common  rocker  without  any  previous  crushing. 

The  Pioneer  mine,  on  this  creek,  is  a  large  vein  of  soft  quartz,  containing  sul- 
phurets.  An  extensive  mill  is  nearly  completed  to  work  them.  If  it  should 
prove  capable  of  extracting  the  gold  it  will  be  a  very  important  success,  as  all 
gold-bearing  veins  in  the  Territory  will  ultimately  produce  this  ore.  The  Juniata, 
about  eight  miles  northeast  from  Idaho  City,  has  been  opened  to  the  depth  of 
229  feet.  This  is  probably  the  deepest  opening  in  the  basin. 

About  25  miles  northeast  from  Idaho  City  is  a  district  which  contains  many  veins 
said  to  be  rich  in  silver.  Specimens  from  there  are  very  prolific  in  horn  and 
ruby  silver,  with  occasional  particles  of  native  silver.  There  are  also  specimens 
containing  polybasite  and  argentiferous  galena.  All  the  ores  contain  gold. 
These  veins  are  represented  as  being  large,  and  the  ores  well  diffused  through 
them.  They  are  situated  in  a  dense  forest,  and  are  accessible  only  by  a  pack  train. 
When  wagon  roads  are  built  and  the  mines  proved,  it  will  probably  be  a  val- 
uable mining  district. 

ROCKY  BAE. — Rocky  Bar,  on  the  Boise  river,  about  60  miles  from  Idaho  City, 
is  a  small,  compact  district,  with  many  veins  in  a  limited  compass.  It  has  been 
the  scene  of  several  enterprises  on  the  part  of  capitalists  from  the  eastern  States, 
who  purchased  mines  in  this  locality.  The  purchasers  assert  that  when  opened 
the  mines  did  not  prove  good ;  the'  parties  who  sold  them  maintain  that  if  the 
affairs  of  the  companies  had  been  well  managed  the  mines  would  have  been 
successful.  Neither  of  these  opinions  can  be  verified  by  practical  examples  at 
present,  although  many  mills  have  been  built  and  large  sums  of  money  expended. 

ATLANTA  AND  YTJBA  DISTRICT. — No  district  in  the  Territory  is  more  favored 
in  respect  to  the  supply  of  wood  and  water  than  the  Middle  Boise,  or  as  it  is 
now  known,  the  Atlanta  and  Yuba,  situated  in  Alturas  county,  16  miles  north- 
east of  Rocky  Bar,  the  county  seat,  on  the  Middle  Boise  river,  at 'the  junction  of 
the  Yuba.  This  district  embraces  the  country  lying  in  the  forks  of  the  two 
streams  and  adjacent.  These  streams  afford  magnificent  water  power  for  the 
propulsion  of  machinery.  The  new  town  of  Atlanta  is  here  situated  on  a  gentle 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  521 

slope  in  tlie  valley  near  tlie  Middle  Boise  river.  Along  the  base  of  a  lofty  moun- 
tain failed  Mount  Forsyth,  burst  forth  innumerable  liot  and  boiling  springs, 
throwing  out  large  volumes  of  water,  which,  failing  into  the  river,  prevent  it  from 
freezing  or  closing  wilh  ice  during  the  most  rigorous  winter.  In  this  district  is 
the  Atlanta  Ledge,  already  traced  for  miles  in  length,  and  from  15  to  25  feet  in 
width.  Selected  o^es  from  this  lode  assay  as  high  as  -SI  1,000  per  tori  in  silver. 
In  some  places  it  is  equally  rich  in  gold.  The  Greenback  Mining  Company's 
mill,  located  at  Atlanta,  is  run  by  water  power,  and  is  now  working  rock  from 
this  lode,  although  imperfectly,  from  want  of  proper  appliances  and  skill.  The 
result,  however,  is  very  satisfactory.  In  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  running 
parallel  with  the  Atlanta,  are  other  lodes  which  are  thought  by  some  to  be  quite 
equal,  both  in  extent  and  richness;  such,  for  instance  as  the  John  Bascom  and 
Jessie  Benton,  the  Lusa,  the  Optimus,  the  Lenora  and  Silver  Moon,  the  Tahoma 
and  Greenback  on  the  Atlanta  or  northwest  side  of  the  mountain.  On  the  south 
or  Yuba  side  are  the  North  Star  and  Hard  Times,  continuations  of  the  Atlanta, 
and  the  Sophia  Tracy.  For  working  the  three  last  named  there  is  an  excellent 
20-stamp  mill,  with  modern  improvements,  now  being  put  up  on  the  ground  by 
J.  H.  O'Neal  and  associates.  Here  also  are  the  Minerva,  Olive  Branch  and 
Confidence  lodes,  all  of  which  give  promise  of  value.  In  some  of  them  gold 
predominates,  in  others  silver.  There  are  other  claims  which  may,  when  further 
developed,  prove  valuable;  but  as  little  work  has  yet  been  done  upon  them  no 
reliable  opinion  of  them  can  be  given.  Mr.  Graham,  in  co-operation  with  an  Eng- 
lish company,  has  a  20-stamp  mill  on  the  way  up  from  San  Francisco,  intended 
to  operate  in  this  district.  The  field  for  working  in  quartz,  and  for  exploration 
and  development  is  extensive.  The  valley  through  which  runs  the  Middle  Boise 
river  is  four  miles  in  length  and  three  in  width,  and  surrounded  on  nearly  all 
sides  by  lofty,  rough  and  craggy  mountains,  some  of  which  are  covered  with 
perpetual  snow.  With  the  exception  of  this  little  valley,  and  another  of  lesser 
size  on  the  Yuba  side  of  Quartz  mountain,  the  whole  face  of  the  surrounding 
nmmry  is  rough  and  mountainous,  so  that  the  building  of  roads  is  a  serious  under- 
taking, and  the  want  of  them  a  great  drawback  to  tlie  development  of  the  dis- 
trict. It  is  only  within  the  past  year  that  a  wagon  road  has  been  opened.  Here- 
tofore, all  freight  had  to  be  transported  upon  pack  animals.  From  this  cause, 
less  has  been  done  in  this  camp,  and  it  has  attracted  less  attention  than  any 
other  of  equal  value  in  the  Territory.  But  now  that  it  has  become  partially 
accessible,  and  demonstrated  its  richness  by  the  working  of  its  ores,  it  must  soon 
become  an  important  district.  The  lower  hills  in  the  vicinity  and  surrounding 
country  afford  fine  grazing  for  cattle,  horses  and  sheep  until  the  snows  of  winter, 
which  generally  commence  in  December  and  last  till  April.  About  20  miles 
southeast  runs  the  South  Boise  river,  bordering  on  which  are  large  bodies  of 
bottom  and  table  lands,  level  and  rich,  well  suited  for  purposes  of  agriculture. 
Oats,  wheat  and  barley  in  sufficient  abundance  for  the  consumption  of  a  consid- 
erable population  can  be  produced  in  this  region.  It  is  now  covered  with  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  grass,  from  which  thousands  of  tons  of  hay  may  be  cut.  The 
depredations  of  Indians  in  neighboring  districts,  the  mismanagement,  the  want 
of  skill  and  proper  knowledge  of  the  "business,  and  the  incompetency  of  agents 
and  superintendents,  with  the  misapplication  of  capital,  have  done  much  to  retard 
the  development  of  the  Atlanta  mines.  The  regions  north  and  west  offer  induce- 
ments for  exploration.* 

"The  climate  is  not  rigorous  even  to  the  60th  parallel  of  north  latitude.  Lorin  Blodget  says : 
"  To  the  region  bordering  on  the  northern  Pacific  the  finest  maritime  positions  belong-  through- 
out its  entire  extent,  and  no  part  of  the  west  of  Europe  exceeds  it  in  the  advantages  of 
equable  climate,  fertile  soil,  and  commercial  accessibility  of  the  coast.  The  western  slope 
of  the  Rocky  Mountain  system  may  be  included  as  a  parr  of  this  maritime  region,  embracing 
an  immense  area  from  the  45th  to  the  60th  parallel,  and  live  degrees  of  longitude  in  width. 
The  eultivahle  surface  of  this  district  cannot  be  much  less  than  300,1)00  square  miles." 
(Climatology  of  the  United  States,  p.  53^.) 


522  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

OWYHEE. — Gold  was  discovered  in  1863  by  a  party  under  the  leadership  of  a 
man  named  Jordan.  They  first  found  it  about  six  miles  below  Ruby  City.  As 
the  mines  were  rich,  and  wood  and  water  abundant,  a  large  number  of  miners 
soon  collected,  and  built  Boonville,  Ruby  and  Silver  cities.  The  placers  paid 
well  for  about  two  years  ;  after  that  they  were  almost  entirely  superseded  by 
vein  mining.  Most  of  the  mines  produce  both  silver  and  gold,  though  these 
metals  vary  greatly  in  their  relative  proportion  in  different  mines.  In  the  Oro 
Fino  gold  predominates  ;  in  the  Poorman,  silver.  The  placer  gold  is  so  alloyed 
with  silver  as  to  be  worth  but  $10  per  ounce.  West  and  northwest  from  Silver 
City  is  a  vein  of  porphyry,  which  forms  a  mountain  about  a  mile  and  a  half  long, 
half  a  mile  wide,  and  1,000  feet  high,  which  is  said  to  assay  $3  per  ton.  All 
the  gulches  that  head  in  this  mountain  have  been  rich  in  gold  j  in  some,  horn- 
silver  has  been  found.  In  Owyhee  are  two  systems  of  veins.  One  has  a  strike 
nearly  north  and  south,  with  a  dip  almost  vertical.  To  this  system  belong  the 
Poorman  and  Whiskey  veins,  with  silver  predominating.  They  are  probably 
older  than  the  veins  of  the  other  system,  but  it  has  not  been  conclusively  proved. 
The  gold-bearing  system  of  veins  has  a  strike  northwest  and  southeast,  and  a 
dip  to  the  northeast.  To  this  belongs  the  Oro  Fino,  and  many  others  in  which 
gold  predominates. 

ORO  FINO. — The  Oro  Fino  is  one  of  the  most  productive  mines  in  Idaho. 
The  vein  is  large  and  well  defined,  and  the  gold  generally  diffused  through  the 
vein-stone.  It  wras  discovered  in  following  up  a  placer  deposit  to  the  vein,  on 
each  side  of  the  ridges  in  which  it  is  situated.  The  first  work  done  upon  it  as  a 
quartz  mine  was  by  Moore  and  Fogus,  who  took  a  large  amount  of  ore  from  near 
the  surface,  which  paid  handsomely.  Becoming  involved  in  other  enterprises, 
they  failed,  under  a  heavy  indebtedness  to  their  workmen.  By  an  arrangement 
with  other  creditors  the  workmen  took  the  mine,  agreeing  to  j>ay  a  certain  pro- 
portion of  the  proceeds.  Moore  &  Fogus  left  it  in  bad  condition  for  working, 
and  the  men  who  undertook  to  work  it  had  but  limited  means.  By  perseverance, 
however,  they  paid  off  the  debt ;  then  opened  the  mine  deeper  than  it  had  been 
opened  before,  and  found  a  great  increase  in  its  richness.  The  company  is  known 
as  the  "Oro  Fino  and  Morning  Star."  A  recent  crushing  of  80  tons  yielded 
$160  to  the  ton;  and  it  is  probably  now  paying  the  owners  a  good  profit.  At 
a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  held  on  the  ]  7th  of  September  last,  an  elaborate 
report  of  the  mine  was  presented,  from  which  the  following  is  extracted : 

Work  was  commenced  in  the  mine  April  28th ;  since  which  time  two  shafts  have  been 
sunk  of  9*2  and  67  feet  respectively  ;  1, 1 34  Ions  of  ore  have  been  taken  out,  and  up  to  the 
15th  instant  '2,050  tons  had  been  crushed,  which  yielded  $154,193.  The  total  amount  of 
expenditures  in  working-  the  mine,  including  repairs,  inoLieutal  expenses,  &c.,  amounted  to 
$45,508,  besides  other  liabilities  amounting  to  $12,476,  from  which  must  be  deducted  about 
$8,000,  value  of  supplies  on  hand  necessary  for  supplying  the  mill,  such  as  fuel,  quicksil- 
ver, oils,  acids,'  &c.,  including  7,000  pounds  of  shoes  and  dies.  The  company  by-laws  were 
revised  and  amended ;  one  amendment  allows  the  trustees  to  expend,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
company,  any  sum  under  but  not  exceeding  $100,000,  instead  of  $15,000  as  heretofore. 
Altogether,  the  affairs  of  the  company  are  in  a  very  healthy  state.  rlhey  are  now  ready  to 
slope,  out  and  work  a  new  level  of  70  feet,  and  consequently  they  will  take  out  much  larger 
quantities  of  ore  than  before.  A  cleari-up  from  70  tons  of  ore  last  Saturday  yielded  $10,3^7, 
and  to-morrow  they  will  probably  clean  up  nearly  as  much,  which,  added  to  the  amount 
above  reported,  will  make  an  aggregate  yield  of  above  $75,000  since  the  28th  day  of  April, 
leaving  about  $25,000  in  the  treasury,  with  everything  in  good  condition  for  future  working. 

It  is  singular  that  so  few  mines  are  owned  and  wwked  by  companies  of 
operative  miners,  especially  wThen  we  see  how  successful  such  companies  usually 
are.  Nearly  all  placer  mines  are  worked  by  such  companies,  but  when  a  miner 
works  a  quartz  vein  he  considers  himself  relieved  from  manual  labor.  The  popu- 
lar belief  that  "a  mill  is  required  to  work  a  mine"  has  had  much  to  do  in  pre- 
venting companies  of  miners  from  working  quartz  mines.  In  all  extensive  mining 
districts  where  mills  are  numerous,  miners  can  sell  their  ore  for  all  it  is  worth. 
Men  who  make  milling  their  business  can  manage  it  better  than  those  who 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  523 

are  both  miners  and  mill-men.     Wo  see  the  beginning  of  this  system  in  Cali- 
fornia, where  the  concentrated  sulphurets  are  sold. 

POORMAX. — As  this  mine  is,  in  its  location,  adverse  titles,  legal  difficulties, 
and  local  characteristics,  peculiar,  it  will  be  described  somewhat  at  length.  The 
Poorman,  or  Hays  &  Hay  mine,  was  discovered  in  the  summer  of  iS65,  at  or 
near  what  is  now  called  the  Discovery  shaft,  about  900  or  1,000  feet  south  from 
the  rich  chimney.  The  ore  at  this  point  was  good,  though  not  rich,  and  the  vein 
somewhat  small.  While  the  discoverers  were  developing  their  viens,  a  pros- 
pector named  Peck  found  some  very  rich  float-rock  about  1,000  feet  south  of 
their  shaft,  arid  out  of  sight  from  its  entrance.  By  a  small  amount  of  digging 
he  reached  the  vein,  which  he  carefully  covered  over  with  earth.  Gathering  up 
and  secret  i n <r  every  rich  piece  of  float  he  could  find,  he  went  where  the  discov- 
erers of  the  Hays  c\:  Kay  were  at  work,  and  after  ''talking  round,"  asked  them 
where  their  claim  was  located,  and  how  far  it  extended  in  each  direction.  They 
showed  him  their  boundaries,  and  walked  directly  over  the  spot  where  Peck  had 
buried  the  vein,  and  such  a  distance  beyond  that  he  was  convinced  their  claim 
embraced  the  rich  ground.  Peck  continued  to  prospect  in  that  vicinity,  and 
cautiously  commenced  negotiations  for  the  purchase  of  the  mine.  Not  being  sat- 
isfied with  their  figures,  and  there  being  few  or  no  prospectors  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, he  left  for  a  few  days,  thinking  his  absence  would  cause  the  owners  to 
come  down  in  their  price.  Before  he  returned,  another  company  of  prospectors 
found  the  same  spot  discovered  by  Peck,  called  it  the  Poorman,  and  took  out  silver 
ore  of  great  richness.  Hays  <fc  Ray  claimed  the  ground,  but  as  their  vein  was 
not  uncovered  or  traced  to  the  new  opening,  the  Poorman  company  refused  to 
leave,  and  as  the  Hays  &  Ray  party  had  no  money  to  pay  for  provisions  or  tools 
while  they  were  tracing  the  vein,  they  gave  Peck  a  share  in  it  for  tracing  it  from 
their  opening  into  the  Poorman.  The  Poorman  party,  seeing  that  they  would 
become  involved  in  litigation,  associated  their  company  with  sonic  capitalistscon- 
nected-witli  the  Oregon  Steam  Navigation  Company,  and  about  the  same  time 
'or  shortly  before  erected  a  fort  at  their  mine,  called  VFort  I>akeiy  built  of  logs, 
with  portholes  and  other  means  of  defence  usual  in  such  cases.  The  Hays  & 
Ray  party  had  their  work  so  nearly  completed  that  they  could  commence  suit, 
but  could  not  give  the  necessary  bonds.  Acting  by  the  advice  of  Peck,  they 
gave  a  portion  of  their  interest  to  the  New  York  and  Owyhee  Company,  the  lat- 
ter guaranteeing  to  carry  the*  suit  to  a  decision.  Before  trial  a  compromise  was 
effected,  the  New  York  and  Owyhee  party  getting  the  larger  share.  The  Poor- 
man, at  the  start,  had  the  great  advantage  of  possession  of  the  paying  part  of 
the  mine.  The  strike  of  the  vein  is  nearly  due  north  and  south ;  the  dip  at  the 
surface  was  to  the  west,  but  at  the  depth  of  about  150  feet  it  changed  to  the  east, 
which  is  probably  the  permanent  dip.  The  Silver  Cord  which  is  supposed  to  be 
on  the  same  vein,  at  a  depth  of  near  1,000  feet  below  the  Poorman,  has  also  the 
same  dip.  A  change  takes  place  in  the  character  of  the  ore,  as  is  usual  wrhen 
the  dip  changes.  A  large  amount  of  unnecessary  work  has  been  done  on  this 
mine ;  one  shaft  sunk  near  the  office  would  have  been  all  that  was  necessary  ; 
but  when  claims  are  in  litigation  much  useless  work  must  be  done  to  prove  iden- 
tity of  vein.  The  vein-staff  is  soft;  a  great  portion  being  a  silicious  clay  that 
will  dissolve  in  water.  Ordinarily  a  mill  will  crush  two  tons  to  the  stamp  in  24 
hours.  It  shows  considerable  free  gold.  The  snlphuret  ores  are  decomposed 
except  where  found  in  large  masses.  At  the  depth  of  near  250  feet  the  greater 
part  of  the  silver  is  in  the  form  of  a  chloride.  About  100  feet  from  the  surface 
a  body  of  ore  showing  partially  the  planes  and  angles  of  a  crystal  of  ruby  silver 
was  found,  which  weighed  over  500  pounds.  Upon  being  fractured  it  showed 
through  the  mass  a  uniform  crystalline  stratum.  There  is  probably  no  second 
example  of  a  similar  mass  of  crystalline  light-red  ruby  silver  ore  being  taken 
from  any  mine.  A  piece  of  thib  boulder  was  sent  to  the  Paris  Exposition  this  year 
and  received  a  premium  of  a  gold  medal.  Chloride  of  silver,  or  horn-silver,  is 


524  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

found  in  pure  masses,  with  crystals  of  remarkable  size  and  beauty.  It  is  said  sheets 
of  tin's  ore  were  found  more  than  a  loot  square  and  the  sixteenth  of  an  inch  in 
thickness,  some  weighing  many  pounds.  Black  sulphurets  of  silver,  or  silver 
glance,  is  common  in  the  mine  ;  also  palybasite.  The  above  enumerates  the  ores 
of  the  mine,  but  it  contains  also  small  amounts  of  the  various  silver-bearing 
minerals  usually  found  in  rich  silver  mines.  These  are  generally  more  interest- 
ing to  the  mineralogist  than  useful  to  the  metallurgist,  by  reason  of  their  small 
quantities. 

It  is  impossible  to  estimate  with  accuracy  the  amount  of  bullion  obtained 
from  the  earliest  workings  of  the  mine.  For  a  period  of  three  months,  from 
July  23,  1866,  to  October  23,  we  have  a  full  account  of  its  operations.  The 
previous  work  on  the  mines,  pending  the  litigation,  had  exposed  large  bodies  of 
ore,  but  the  working  parties  were  enjoined  from  removing  them.  The  following 
statement  from  the  official  report  of  Mr.  W.  D.  Walbridge,  the  special  agent  of 
the  company,  gives  a  clear  idea  of  the  operations  of  the  company  and  the  results 
obtained  : 

Our  first  arrangement  of  working  the  ore  produced  was  with  the  New  York  and  Oro  Fino 
mill  and  our  own  mill,  at  the  agreed  price  of  $40  per  ton  for  each  mill.  Subsequently  we 
found  that  we  were  producing  from  our  north  shaft  considerable  ore  of  a  poorer  quality, 
which  we  did  not  require  at  the  two  mills  above  named,  as  they  were  fully  employed  upon 
the  richer  silver  ore.  We  therefore  made  an  arrangement  with  the  Jackson  mill  to  work 
what  we  might  require  of  that  third-class  ore  for  $30  per  ton.  Subsequently  to  this,  having 
more  second-class  ore  than  the  first-named  two  mills  could  work,,  and  to  secure  the  use  of  a 
hoisting  engine  to  work  our  north  shaft,  we  made  an  arrangement  with  the  Ainsworth  Mill 
Company  to  use  their  engine,  by  agreeing  to  give  their  mill  all  our  surplus  ore  to  work  upon 
the  same  terms  as  was  paid  the  others.  We  were  enabled  to  produce  ore  enough  to  supply 
all  the  mills  named,  and,  by  the  several  arrangements  made,  were  enabled  to  produce  a 
much  larger  amount  of  bullion  than  we  could  have  otherwise  done,  the  great  majority  of 
our  ores  being  too  rich  for  any  of  the  mills  to  work  properly,  and  keep  nearly  up  to  their 
respective  stamping  capacity. 

We  continued  to  work  the  mine  until  October  23,  being  a  period  of  three  months  from  the 
time  it  was  opened.  During  this  time  we  mined  about  15  tons  of  first-class  selected  ore, 
which  we  determined  to  box  up  and  ship  to  New  York,  with  the  view  of  its  being  reduced 
by  the  smelting  process  to  increase  its  yield,  we  calculating  that  the  cost  of  transporting  the 
ore  would  not  be  any  more,  if  as  much,  as  it  was  costing  us  to  realize  upon  our  bullion  pro- 
duced in  Owyhee.  The  result  has  proved  that  we  have  lost  nothing  on  the  transportation, 
and  have  clearly  gained,  by  getting  a  much  larger  product  in  Newark  by  the  smelting  pro- 
cess than  we  could  have  got  in  our  mills  ;  the  cost  of  smelting  at  Newark,  by  Messrs.  Bal- 
bach,  Dieffenbach  &  Company,  being  $100  per  ton  in  gold  ;  and,  as  near  as  we  can  estimate, 
the  product  in  bullion  will  be  about  $4,000  per  ton  in  gold  ;  this  is  upon  the  ground  and  dried 
ore.  Aside  from  that,  and  from  which  the  foregoing  15  tons  of  rich  ore  was  selected,  we 
mined  2,'38'-2£  tons  second  and  third-class  ore,  which  was  crushed  and  worked  at  the  four 
mills  named — 

Producing,  in  refined  bullion $546, 691  59 

Deduct  total  cost  of  mining,  hauling,  milling,  melting,  assaying,  and  refining, 

with  revenue  tax,  as  per  statement  marked  A,  annexed  hereto 156, 440  39 

Making  net  proceeds 390,251  20 

To  which  will  be  added  avails  of  rich  ore  now  being  reduced  at  Newark. 
This  amount  has  been  appropriated  as  follows : 

Reimbursed  our  company  for  expenditure  on  Hays  and  Ray  ledge $30,  000  00 

Reimbursed  our  company  for  cost  of  interest  in  Hays  and  Ray  ledge 31 ,  000  00 

Paid  our  company  from  second  proceeds  of  mine J  00.  000  00 

Paid  P.  F.  Bradford,  per  agreement 130^00  00 

Total  payments  on  account  of  compromise 29 1, 000  00 

Leaving  for  distribution,  pro  rata,  $99,251  20. 

The  late  date  at  which  the  settlement  with  Mr.  Bradford  was  effected,  with  the  seeming 
necessity  of  working  the  mine  sharply  and  vigorously  to  secure  as  large  a  result  as  possible 
before  the  time  agreed  upon  to  close  the  mine,  November  1,  placed  us  at  much  disadvantage 
as  regards  costs  of  working  and  expenses,  so  that  the  expenses  last  fall  should  not  be  con- 
sidered as  any  criterion  for  the  future. 

At  the  company's  mill  we  crushed  880  tons  of  Poorman  ore  in  a  period  of  78  week  days, 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  525 

averaging  about  \\±  tons  for  each  working  day.  This  was  all  we  could  amalgamate  in  our 
puns,  due  partly  to  u  want  of  quicksilver,  and  partly  to  the  very  long  time  required  to  work 
such  very  rich  silver  ore.  The  want  of  quicksilver  can  be  easily  and  cheaply  remedied 
another  year;  but  even  then  our  pans  can  hardly  mure  than  amalgamate  in  24  hours  what  10 
of  our  stamps  can  crush  in  14  to  14  hours,  which  is  barely  more  than  one-fourth  our  stamp- 
ing capacity.  Therefore  the  mill  needs  more  amalgamating  pans,  by  which  much  more  rock 
can  he  worked,  and  more  of  the  stamping  force  kept  employed.  We  received  for  crushing 
the  >-n  tons  of  ore,  as  per  statement  A,  §35,200,  which  somewhat  more  than  paid  the  cost; 
but  if  we  had  had  ten  more  pans  we  could  have  worked  nearly  or  quite  three  times  the 
quantity  at  very  little  more  aggregate  expense.  In  other  words,  while  it  cost  us  nearly  >:'..'> 
per  ton  to  crush,  in  the  given  time,  880  tons  of  ore,  with  sufficient  amalgamating  capacity 
and  quicksilver,  our  mill  could  work  2,200  to  2,400  tons  of  ore,  at  a  cost  of  $18  to  $20  per 
ton,  and  perhaps  less.  I  would,  therefore,  recommend  you  to  provide  the  mill  another 
season  with  plenty  of  quicksilver,  and  about  10  more  approved  pans,  with  the  necessary 
separators,  to  properly  and  cheaply  work  the  Poorman  ore.  Quicksilver  is  always  wanted, 
because  it  is  always  wasting  by  use.  The  pans,  with  necessary  machinery  put  up,  will  cost 
about  $20,000  in  gold. 

Foreseeing,  in  July  last,  the  necessity  and  importance  of  saving  the  tailings  from  almost 
any  gold  and  silver  ore,  and  especially  from  the  Poorman  ore,  I  ordered  a  substantial  stone 
wall  built  around  our  tailing  yard,  sufficient  to  hold  securely  against  flood  about  1,500  tons. 
The  cost  was  about  $4,000,  and  it  now  contains  the  tailings  from  the  880  tons  of  ore  worked 
in  our  mill,  which  assay  about  $50  per  ton.  The  tailings  produced  at  the  Aiusworth  and 
Oro  Fino  mills  belonging  to  us  are  safely  cared  for,  and  assay  about  the  same.  Those  from 
the  Jackson  mill  were  lost,  being  of  but  little  value. 

Believing  additional  settlers  in  our  mill  would  enable  us  to  save  more  sulphurets,  and 
catch  some  quicksilver  and  amalgam,  and.  as  our  amalgamating  floor  was  very  small,  I 
determined  to  build  on  the  north  side  of  the  mill  a  one-story  addition,  to  give  us  more  floor 
room,  room  for  three  settlers  and  one  Knox  pan  for  cleaning  amalgam,  a  store-room  for 
chemicals,  and  a  small  room  for  assaying.  This  cost  about  $0,000,  answers  every  purpose 
it  was  built  for  very  well,  and,  I  believe,  will  pay  its  cost  in  saving,  besides  being  a  very 
great  convenience. 

As  I  looked  upon  the  question  of  fuel  as  one  which  would  in  the  future  enter  largely  into 
the  cost  of  working  ores,  I  aimed  to  buy  all  I  could  during  the  fall,  at  low  prices,  and  left 
orders  with  Mr.  Peck  to  contract  for  cutting  upon  our  land,  and  land  near  the  mill,  at  low 
rates.  We  had,  therefore,  on  hand,  at  and  near  the  mill,  on  January  31,  1,118  cords  of 
wood,  which  had  cost  $7, 3(10  G2.  About  (JOO  cords  of  this  is  piled  up  near  the  mill,  con- 
venient lor  use  ;  the  balance  is  at  different  points  within  one  mile  ;  all  of  it  is  so  scattered 
us  to  be  m  little  danger  from  fire.  To  be  forehanded  in  our  supply  will,  I  believe,  enable  us 
to  avail  ourselves  of  opportunities  to  get  all  we  may  need  cheaply  for  some  years. 

Not  knowing  that  working  Poorman  ore  would  require  so  large  an  amount  of  quicksilver 
as  was  proved  to  be  the  case,  we  found  ourselves  with  a  very  short  supply,  though  for  ordi- 
nary use  we  had  sufficient.  I  was  therefore  compelled  to  send  to  Portland,  Oregon,  and  San 
Francisco  for  over  100  flasks  to  come  up  by  stages,  at  a  cost  of  $1  15  per  pound  delivered  at 
our  mill.  I  also  purchased  wherever  I  could  in  town,  some  of  which  cost  us  $J  40  per 
pound  ;  but  with  all  I  could  get  we  had  barely  enough  for  effective  use  on  the  ore  we 
worked.  The  need  of  a  full  supply  was  partly  the  cause  of  the  small  quantity  of  rock 
manipulated  in  our  own  mill.  We  now  have  on  hand  137£  flasks  of  quicksilver,  say  10,9>6 
pounds,  valued  at  80  cents  per  pound,  or  $8,788  80.  I  would  recommend  the  purchase  this 
spring  of  as  much  more,  to  go  out  by  slow  freight,  Avhieh  will  cost  from  72  to  75  cents, 
delivered  at  our  mill. 

We  had  but  one  retort,  which  unfortunately  gave  way  within  two  -weeks  after  we  com- 
menced working  Poorman  ore,  so  we  had  to  rent  and  use  those  of  our  neighbors,  requiring 
us  to  carry  our  amalgam  a  distance  averaging  nearly  one  mile,  and  our  bullion  the  same, 
and  to  keep  a  double  force  to  retort  the  amalgam,  working  night  and  day,  being  the  only 
way  we  could  keep  our  small  supply  of  quicksilver  at  all  in  hand.  I  at  once  ordered  two 
new  retorts  from  San  Francisco,  but  they  were  so  large  and  unwieldy  that  they  had  to  come 
by  slow  height  via  Portland,  Oregon,  and  did  not  reach  us  until  too  late  to  be  of  service.  I 
calculate  the  loss  to  the  company  from  the  breaking  of  that  retort,  and  having  to  replace  it, 
at  fully  $4,000.  The  cost  of  new  ones  delivered  at  our  mill  would  not  exceed  $350  each  ;  I 

would  therefore  recommend  that  you  provide  against  the  recurrence  of  such  a  loss. 

*  *  **  *  *  *  * 

Prior  to  the  adjustment  of  the  Poorman  controversy,  I  secured  1,000  feet  by  location,  and 
266  feet  by  purchase,  of  a  newly-discovered  ledge  lying  upon  Florida  mountain,  opposite 
our  mill,  at  a  cost  of  $2, 103  50.  The  1,000  feet  is  so  much  undivided  in  a  claim  of  $1,400, 
the  balauce  is  undivided  in  the  adjoining  claim. 

In  addition  to  the  property  enumerated  in  statement  marked  B  is  the  company's  mill  prop- 
erty, which  consists  of  one  2C-stamp  mill,  with  10  Wheeler's  patent  pans;  five  separators; 
three  settlers;  one  Knox  pan;  one  office;  one  boarding-house;  one  barn;  one  blacksmith 
shop;  one  retort  house;  one  temporary  carpenter's  shop,  all  very  good  for  the  several  pur- 
poses used,  the  office  affording  sleeping  room  for  two,  and  an  addition  to  the  barn  affording 


526  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

storage  room  for  iron  and  tools.  The  boarding-house  having  heretofore  been  the  only  accom- 
modation of  that  kind,  as  well  for  officers  and  millnieu,  and  such  guests  as  we  found  it  to 
the  company's  interest  to  lodge,  (which,  for  several  reasons,  is  in  my  opinion  inconvenient,) 
I  would  recommend  the  building  of  a  moderate  house  cf  sufficient  capacity  to  accommodate 
a  few  persons,  independent  of  the  general  boarding-house. 

The  Poorman  mine  forms  at  present  the  chief  value  of  the  company's  investment.     The 
New  York  and  Ovvyhee  Company  now  owns  1,1 42£  feet  undivided  in  1,600  of  this  mine. 

Summary  of  accounts  from  mine  looks,  February  I,  1867,  fin  gold.) 

EXPENDITURES. 

Construction  account— cost  of  mill $147,621  6 

Legal  expenses 44,575  06 

Mining  cost 39,  045  31 

Expense  account 22, 1 16  00 

Labor  account 7, 324  41 

Interest  account 6,347  10 

$267,029  51 

Woodlands  and  ledges. 

Noonday  ledge 5,897  61 

Eureka  ledge 2,974  59 

Stamper  ledge 2,103  50 

Woodland  and  mill  site 1,625  00 

12,60070 

Houses  and  lots 2,441  75 

Supplies  account 16,308  21 

Wood  account 7,360  62 

26, 110  58 

Bullion  account— amount  sent  to  New  York 133, 942  28 

Drafts  on  Cosmos  and  Oro  Fino  Companies 5, 704  69 

139,64697 

Due  the  company. 

Cash  in  agent's  hands 2,318  06 

Bills  and  debts  receivable 7,496  06 

9,814  12 

455,201  88 


RECEIPTS. 

Drafts  on  treasurer $278,760  85 

Poorman  mine 166,888  33 

Due  by  the  company. 
Bills  and  debts  payable 9,552  70 

455,201  88 


Trial  balance  of  tJie  looks  of  the  Neiv  York  and  Owylwe  Gold  and  Silver  Mining 

Company,  March,  1867. 

EXPENDITURES. 

Real  estate— cost  of  mine $1,050,000  00 

Mining  account $678,760  85 

Exchange  account 127,223  61 

Expense  account 26,063  45 

Interest  account 20,832  62 

Insurance  on  mill 1,425  00 

454,30553 

Hays  and  Ray  ledge  account 87,362  56 

Due  the  company. 

Cash  in  treasurer's  hands 7,236  61 

Debts  receivable 20,053  33 

27,289  94 

1,618,958  03 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


527 


RECEIPTS. 

Capital  stock,  amount  paid  in $1,249,500  00 

Stock  account,  proceeds  of  sale  of  2,500  shares 1  (JO,  000  00 

Bullion  account,  realized  in  gold $133, 942  28 

Premium  on  ditto 64,70*  19 


W.  D.  W^lbridge,  agent,  realized  in  gold  from  ore  in  part 

Premium  in  gold  from  ore  in  part 


4,992  62 
1,888  10 

Due  by  the  company. 

Bonds 50,000  00 

Debts  payable 13,781  84 

Outstanding  draft 150  00 


198,645  47 
6,880  72 

63,931  84 

1,61 8..  958  03 


A. — Result  of  Poorman  mine  from  July  19  to  November  1,  1866. 


Name  of  mill. 


Tons 
crushed. 


Crude  bul- 
lion. 


Refined bul 
lion. 


Value  of 

bullion. 


Average 
of  bullion 
per  ton. 


Remarks. 


Jackson  Mill 

Ainsworth  Mill 

N.Y.  &  Oro  Fino  Mill. 
N.Y.  .fcOwyb.ee  Mill.. 


369* 
362i 
771* 


Ounces. 

7,  860  20 

34,  592  53 

129,  542  51 

156,  394  25 


Ounces. 
7,323  29 

33, 178  52 
116,753  91 
147,  960  17 


Total  value 


$25, 200  48 

62,220  81 

203,586  71 

255,  683  59 

546,691  59 


$<;*  sr. 

171  88 

264  05 

301  91 


Mostly  3d  class  gold  rock. 
87J  t'ns  3d  el's,  274*  t'ns  2d. 
40  a  50  3d  cl'8,  bal.  2d  el's. 
All  2d  class  rock. 


Whole  amount  of  rock  produced  and  sent  to  mills. 

New  York  and  Oro  Fino  Gold  and  Silver  Mining  Company — accounted  for 750| 

New  York  and  Oro  Fino  Gold  and  Silver  Mining  Company— not  accounted  for 20} 

Ainsworth  Milling  Company,  as  above 362} 

Jackson  Mill  Company,  as  above , 369} 

New  York  and  Owyhee  Gold  and  Silver  Mining  Company,  as  above 880 

Total  tons ' 2,382f 

Cost  of  hauling  1,133}  tons  to  Sinker  creek,  at  $8 $9,068  00 

Cost  of  hauling  1,249}  tons  to  Jordan  creek,  at  $6  50 8,120  12 

Total  cost  of  hauling 17,188  12 

Cost  of  milling  362}  tons  at  Ainsworth  mill $13,  170  47 

Cost  of  milling  75Uf  tons  at  New  York  and  Oro  Fino  mill 30,030  00 

Cost  of  milling  369}  tons  at  Jackson  mill 11, 082  07 

Cost  of  milling  880  tons  at  New  York  and  Owyhee  Gold  and  Silver  Milling  Co.     35, 200  00 
Cost  of  milling  20}  tons  at  New  York  and  Oro  Fino  mill  (balance) 820  00 

Total  cost  of  milling 90,302  54 

Total  expenses  at  mine  for  labor,  supplies,  lumber,  timber,  &c.,  less  profit  on 

money,  $3,286  99 $38,707  74 

Cost  of  refining  and  assaying  bullion 7,250  01 

Internal  revenue  tax,  in  gold 2,991  78 

Net  proceeds  of  2, 382f  tons  of  rock  crushed $390,251  20 

Value  of  bullion  per  ounce,  refined — Jackson  mill $3  44.11 

Value  of  bullion  per  ounce,  refined — Ainsworth  mill 1  87.53 

Value  of  bullion  per  ounce,  refined — New  York  and  Oro  Fino  mill 1  74.38 

Value  of  bullion  per  ounce,  refined — New  York  and  Owyhee  mill 1  72.81 

Average  yield  of  all  rock  crushed 229  41 

Net  yield  of  all  rock  crushed  per  ton 163  34 

All  charges  for  mining,  milling,  &c.,  per  ton 66  07 


RESOURCES    OF  -    AND    TERRITOt 

The  net  yield  of  the  ores  from  this  mi:  lorfnl.  ami  is  due  mail  ' 

-  a     :t  in  the  tailing       • 

's  mill,  by  a  \\\-}\  ami:  . 
.\.irs,  all  the:  :  when  il.« 

v  lear  and  can  "be  used  over  again.     This  mill  is  well  const- 

_  rushed  wet  and  5- 

This  ooOeda  the  f:l     g  Iver  from  the  chloride 

from  Bj  l»ut  the  gold  from  the  sulphurets,  and  nearly  all 

mbination  with  sulphur,  remain  in  the  tailings.     It   would  pi 

!.  but  in  case  of  building  a  new  one  it 

.visible  to  have  it   as  near  the  mine  as  pnu  .     ~:  year  th« 

of  hauling  from  the  mine  to  the  mill  was  §6  50  per  ton,  a  very  heavy 
mine.  \r»ense.     The  Poorman  veil*  -  ::  few  marks  of  mi>T> 

.11s,  as  might  be  inferred  from  its  nearly  vertical   ynisiiion.     It  > 
that  no  faults  of  great  extent  will  be  met  in  working  it.     The  vein  in  the  v. 
parts  is  three  feet" or  more,  but  its  average  thickness,  from  the  shaft  of 

-hown  in   the  lower  tunnel,)  for  a  distance  of  1.100  feet  north. 

\ear  the  southern  end  of  this  tunnel  is  evidence  of  another  chim- 
.  ot  so  rich,  however,  as  that  in  the  Poorman  shaft.     Doubtless  many 
;:.  I.     T..»  ~  .  .  are  the  only  chimm  veloped. 

great  richness  of  this  vein  has  caused  its  examination  by  many  speculative  men 
who  never  saw  a  mine  before,  and  who  considered   that  each  vein  exl; 
something  miraculous.     But  nature  operates  by  unchanging  laws,  and  if  these 
gentlemen  had  examined  other  mines  they  would 

producing  the  same  effects,  and  have  saved  themsel  :  ouble  of  inventing 

useless  and  ridiculous  theor 

FLINT  DISTRICT. — Flint  district  is  situated  about  nine  miles  south  from  Silver 
It  has  a  number  of  very  promising  silver-beari  all  containing 

nearly  the  same  varieties  of  ore.     Polybasite,  antimouial  silver,  and  xanth; 
are  the  principal  varieties.     All  these  require  roasting  before  they  can  be  reduced 
by  amalgamation.     A  mill  with  two  small  furnaces  has  been  recently  ei 
The  yield  of  the  ore  has  been  ve:  The  Rising  Star  has 

developed.  It  is  a  regular  vein  about  10  feet  thick,  and  contains  a  large  amount 
of  antimonial  silver  and  some  gold.  Thi:-  busy  mining  camp,  thickly 

pieopled  with  miners  and  all  at  "work.  The  Iowa  and  Idaho  mill,  with  a  capa- 
city of  15  tons  per  day.  is  nearly  completed.  This  mill  is  intended  to  work  by 
roasting  and  amalgamation.  In  theory  the  plan  is  correct.  The  mechanical 
arrangements,  either  as  they  are  or  with  some  modifications,  will  probably  l>e 
successful.  The  altitude  of  Flint  di^  »0  or  1.500  i 

Silver  City,  and  the  climate  is  milder.     Owyhee,  being  the  most  southern  mining 
region  in  Idaho,  will  receive  more  directly  the  benefits  arising  from  th< 
struction  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  which,  it  is  claimed,  will  be  only  90 
miles  in  a  direct  line  from  Silver  City.     Placer  and  vein  tinstone  have  been  found 
near  .-  ~y.     The  placer  tin  was  in  small  quantities.     Only  three  veins 

containing  this  metal  have  been  found.  Whether  the  mines  when  opened  will 
prove  valuable  is  uncertain,  but  their  appearance  encourages  a  trial. 

CLIMATE. — The  climate  of  Idaho  is  greatly  di\  -  altitude.     In 

the  mines,  which  are  generally  high  up  in  the  mountai:  :iperatur 

course  much  colder  than  in  the  valleyc.  The  following  memoranda  by  M.  M. 
Chipman,  of  Idaho,  were  kindly  furnished  by  the  observer.  Full  thermometri- 
cal  Ui  :.e  same  observer  were  destroyed  by  fire  : 


IDAHO  CITY,  July. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th  December,  1865,  the  mercury  of  Fahrenheit's '  thermometer 
stood  at  b-  below  zero.     December  19th,  at  half  past  1   o'clock  a.  m.,  at  \&~  below  zero ; 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTA 


529 


but  the  temperature  grew  milder  immediately  afterward*,  and  tbe  aaaxuij  stood  at  9°  below 
aero  at  7  o'clock  a.  m. 

February  14,  1867.— Tbe  mercnry  stood  at  5°  below  zero  at  7  o'clock  a,  m.,  and  at  2- 
below  at  lo  p.  m. 

low  zero  at  7  o'clock  a.  m. 

February  !ow  zero  at  7  o'clock  a.  m. 

The  foregoing  memorandum  show*  the  coldest  periods  of  tbe  winters  of  1365-'66  at  this 
place.  During  tbe  month  of  January  I  do  not  think  tbe  mercury  fen  below  zero.  The 
greatest  depth  of  snow  during  that  winter  occurred  about  tbe  1st  of  January,  at  which 
it  *a.<  toM  iV*-t  <:' 


deep  around  this  city,  but  much  deeper  on  the 
April  20,  1867.— I  have  had  a  fire  in  my  room  this  sprinr    rn 

date,  with  the  exception  of  one  which  waa  so  warm  aa  to  render  H 
The  winter  or  waa  milder  than  any 

(Boise)  basin  until  March,  which  was  a  colder  month 

colder  than  any  preceding  March  known  by  the 


hf  ••  Ob 


afOfc 


March  :  The  mercury  stood  at  13-  below  zero  at  7  o'clock  a.  m. 

March  13,  1867.— 17°  below  zero  at  7  o'clock  a,  m. 

The  days  mentioned  were  by  several  degrees  tbe  coldest  during  the  winter, 
were  a  few  other  days  at  about  tbe  same  time  during  which,  in  the  latter  part  of  Ute  night  aad 
tbe  early  part  of  tbe  morning,  the  mercury  imaged  at  from  1°  to  fi°  below  zero.  Danog  tbe 
three  winter  months  proper  the  mercnry  rarely  fell  as  low  aa  aero.  M.  M.  CHIPM. 

Q  e  following  table  of  quartz  mills  and  water  ditches  in 

Idaho,  omitting  names  of  owners  on  account  of  the  frequent  changes  of  owner- 
is  from  Langley's  Pacific  Coast-  Direct ory.     The  increase  in  number  during 
;ist  year  (1867)  has  been  comparatively 'small.     Notices  of  the  new  milk, 
constructed  or  in  progress,  and  of  the  ditches,  are  given  in  tbe  descriptions  of 
the  districts : 

Table  of  quartz  mills,  tcith  tktir  location,  namt,  cost,  date  of  ertction,  mumktr  of  ttamp*,  Sff. 


Name  of  mill 

LoemtkMi. 

Coot. 

\\lHM 

if 

Kami 
nrrialriw. 

1 

1HM 

Idaho 

Altta**  ennty. 
BoarOroek 

12 

j  , 

WaddiDgham  O.  &  8.  M.  Co  

40 

Do. 

Ptttaborg  ft  Idaho  G  A'  8  M  C*> 

ElkCr**k... 

10 

3 

Do. 

Harris  &.  Benson 

Bed  Warrior  Creek 

10 

Do. 

Xnv  V,  rk  ft  Idaho  O    M.  Co       . 

do  

10 

Do. 

Victor  GolJ  it.  Silver  Mlniog  Co 

do 

SO 

do 

Do. 

\ 

10 

Do. 

10 

Do. 

Raymond;" 

B^teowmty. 

10 

Do. 

e 

Do. 

Elkborn 

5 

V.'    •-  - 

[, 

Bibb.  Jackson  Si  Humaton 

(i:;:^-  -Lr-tk  

..do   . 

Do. 

Combe  4;  Co 

Idaho  C 

10 

Do. 

Middleton  

10 

• 

Do. 

Collins  &.  Hollidar 

Ice  House  Gnlch      .. 

12 

do 

Do. 

C«>b«K-n  Mi-  :tk-C'j 

Moore's  Creek 

25 

do 

Do. 

Gates 

do  

do 

Do. 

Van  Wvok... 

5 

do... 

D 

Do. 

Lincr.'n    

Golden  Creek  

20 

D« 

Comofi 

Jordan  Creek 

1C 

,; 

Do. 

Martin  1;  Co  

do  

aj 

do... 

Do. 

Jfiaoar  . 

.     .   do 

>;'      t. 

5 

d* 

Da 

do 

--     " 

- 

dn    . 

Do. 

rk  &  Oro  Pino 

...do   . 

•  • 

do 

D 

rk  &  Owrhce 

do 

,• 

^» 

Do. 

Sboenbar 

do 

•   i       •  > 

^ 

Do. 

do 

10.000 

4 

do  . 

Do. 

Atnsworth 

Sinker  Creek 

]  . 

DC 

do 

Do. 

5 

Do. 

530  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

Water  ditches,  with  the  location,  source  of  water,  length,  fyc.,  of  each. 


Name  of  ditch. 

Source  of  water. 

Miles  in 
length. 

Boise  county. 

Alderson  Crock  

3 

A'laerson  ................. 

Bannack  Bar 

5 

Buena  Vista  Bar. 

3 

8 

Deer  Creek  

q 

Grimes'  Creek  

13 

More'H  Creek  .. 

7 

Pine  Creek  

5 

9 

PROSPECTING  FOR  MINES. — All  miners  are  prospectors  to  a  certain  extent,  but 
in  all  mining  communities  on  tlie  Pacific  slope  there  is  a  class  whose  sole  busi- 
ness is  to  prospect  for  new  mines.  By  long  experience  these  men  acquire  a 
degree  of  skill  that  appears  like  instinct.  As  far  as  they  can  see  a  mountain  they 
can  determine  with  great  accuracy  the  probabilities  of  its  containing  metals  of 
value.  If  the  hills  are  smooth  and  the  points  are  rounded  off,  placer  gold  may 
be  found,  but  not  where  the  hills  are  bare  rock  with  sharp  angular  projections. 
If  there  is  granite,  slate,  porphyry,  or  limestone,  metalliferous  veins  may  be  found, 
but  if  the  rocks  are  volcanic  it  is  useless  to  look  for  anything  valuable  where  it 
prevails  exclusively.  The  color  of  the  earth  is  also  an  important  consideration ; 
over  a  metalliferous  vein  there  is  usually  a  strip  of  the  earth,  about  the  width 
of  the  vein,  different  in  color  from  the  surrounding  earth. 

The  outfit  for  either  quartz  or  placer  prospecting  is  the  same,  except  a  differ- 
ence in  tools.  Sometimes  a  single  man  goes,  but  usually  from  2  to  12  men  go 
in  a  company ;  the  latter  number  only  in  a  hostile  Indian  country. 

Each  man  has  a  saddlehorse,  and  every  two  or  three  men  a  packhorse  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  their  provisions,  cooking  utensils,  mining  tools,  and  blankets. 
In  very  stormy  weather  a  tent  is  sometimes  added  to  the  outfit. 

Cooking  utensils  consist  of  a  camp  kettle,  coffee  pot,  frying  pan,  tin  cups,  and 
knives.  The  food  is  bacon,  beans,  self-rising  flour,  sugar,  and  coffee.  These, 
with  a  Colt's  revolver,  Henry  rifle,  or  a  double-barrelled  shot-gun,  constitute  the 
armament. 

A  properly  organized  party  will  subsist  for  months  at  a  time,  and  traverse  a 
country  hundreds  of  miles  in  extent  without  fresh  supplies. 

For  placer  prospecting  the  tools  are  a  pick,  pan,  shovel,  and  axe.  For  quartz 
or  vein  prospecting,  a  palepick,  (a  pick  at  one  end  and  a  hammer  at  the  other,) 
shovel,  horn  spoon,  iron  mortar,  magnet  and  eyeglass,  a  few  vials  of  acids, 
ammonia  and  solution  of  salt,  and  some  mattrasses  and  test  tubes.  When  the 
prospector  can  use  the  blowpipe  he  always  carries  it,  with  a  few  reagents.  The 
use  of  the  pick  and  shovel  is  too  well  known  to  require  description.  The  mor- 
tar is  used  to  reduce  the  rock  or  pro  to  a  fine  powder,  which  is  worked  in  the 
horn  spoon  to  test  it  for  gold.  Very  minute  particles  of  gold  can  be  detected  in 
this  manner,  especially  where  a  magnifying  glass  is  used.  The  eyeglass  is  also 
useful  to  examine  pieces  of  rock. 

If  the  rock  is  suspected  to  contain  silver,  it  is  heated  in  a  fire  to  as  high  a 
degree  as  the  means  in- a  wild  country  will  admit,  and  if  very  rich  the  silver 
melts  and  forms  globules,  which  adhere  to  the  rock  when  cold.  This  test  is 
not  very  certain,  as  lead  and  antimony  behave  in  the  same  manner  and  are  gen- 
erally associated  with  silver,  so  that  the  presence  of  one  is  a  strong  indication 
of  ^tho  others.  Another  method  is  to  pulverize  a  portion  of  the  rock,  boil  it  in 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  531 

a  mattrass  with  nitric  acid,  and  allow  it  to  settle.  To  a  portion  of  the  clear 
liquor  in  a  test  tube  an  equal  portion  of  a  strong  solution  of  common  salt  is 
added.  If  the  rock  contains  silver  not  in  the  form  of  a  chloride,  a  white  precipi- 
tate is  thrown  down,  which  an  exposure  to  the  light  for  a  few  hours  changes  to  a 
purple,  and  in  process  of  time  turns  black.  Other  metals,  as  lead,  antimony, 
and  zinc,  form  a  white  precipitate,  but  it  does  not  change  its  color  by  exposure 
to  light.  If  the  rock  contains  copper,  a  portion  of  the  solution  with  twice  the 
amount  of  ammonia  added  turns  a  deep  blue.  By  these  means  the  presence  of 
gold,  silver,  copper,  and  lead  can  be  determined,  which,  with  tin  and  quicksil- 
ver, constitute  the  list  of  valuable  metals  on  the  Pacific  slope.  The  blowpipe, 
with  a  delicate  pair  of  scales  and  the  requisite  reagent,  will  determine  any  known 
mineral,  so  that  with  some  little  experience  any  compound  of  the  valuable  metals 
can  be  easily  identified. 

After  a  party  in  search  of  placer  mines  arrives  in  a  district  reported  to  bo  rich 
and  where  the  appearances  are  favorable,  they  select  a  camping  ground  near  some 
spring  or  stream  of  water  where  their  horses  can  get  grass,  and  proceed  to  explore 
the  country.  Smooth,  well-rounded  hills  and  beds  of  gravel,  either  near  a  stream 
or  on  the  side  or  top  of  a  hill,  are  good  indications ;  also  quartz  veins  and  boul- 
ders. The  dirt  from  the  top  of  the  earth  is  tried  by  washing  in  a  pan.  If  it 
prospects  well  the  discovery  is  made,  but  if  it  shows  nothing,  or  too  small  an 
amount  to  pay,  a  pit  is  sunk  down  until  a  change  is  observed  in  the  color  or 
consistency  of  the  gravel,  or  until  the  bed  rock  is  reached.  On  the  bars  of 
streams  the  sand  and  gravel  near  the  surface  are  finer  and  lighter  than  further  down, 
the  gold  corresponding ;  the  greatest  deposit  being  on  and  in  the  bed  rock  near 
its  surface.  In  hill  diggings  sometimes  for  the  depth  of  70  feet  the  gold  is  found 
about  equally  distributed  the  whole  distance.  If  gold  is  found  in  sufficient 
quantities  a  district  is  organized  and  a  town  springs  up.  But  if  after  the  sink- 
ing of  pits  no  satisfactory  prospect  is  found,  the  party  move  on. 

Prospectors  often  move  too  soon.  When  gold  is  found  even  in  small  amounts, 
the  pits  ought  to  be  sunk  to  the  bed  rock  before  it  is  abandoned.  Frequently 
a  body  of  hard  clay  or  cement  is  taken  for  the  bed  rock,  n'ot  only  in  prospecting 
but  in  working,  as  at  Carpeutier's  bar  in  Montana.  Some  skill  is-  required  to 
select  the  best  place  to  sink  a  pit.  In  most  gulches  a  skilful  prospector  can 
select  points  in  which  if  no  gold  is  found  it  is  almost  certain  that  there  is  none 
in  it.  The  best  points  are  where  a  ridge  of  rock  extends  across  the  channel  of 
the  stream  and  where  the  gravel  is  shallow.  If  a  place  can  be  found  where  the 
gravel  and  soil  are  not  more  than  two  feet  deep  and  the  bed  rock  is  rough,  and 
on  a  thorough  prospect  entirely  across  the  channel  no  gold  is  discovered,  it  is 
exceedingly  probable  that  none  exists  in  that  gulch,  or  at  least  near  that  portion 
of  it.  In  prospecting  for  bar  claims  the  most  favorable  points  arc  where  the 
strcu-m  now  makes  a  bend  where  it  formerly  ran  across.  What  are  called  u  hill 
diggings "  are  beds  of  gravel  deposited  by  ancient  streams  when  the  general 
tevel  of  the  country  was  higher  than  at  present.  They  are  often  found  under 
solidified  streams  of  lava,  as  under  Table  mountain  in  California. 

Perseverance  is  a  cardinal  virtue  in  a  prospector.  Many  mines  are  said  to  be 
discovered  by  accident,  as  in  Alder  creek,  where  the  prospectors  sank  a  pit,  but 
the  prospects  appearing  too  small  the  party  concluded  to  abandon  it  except  one, 
who  said  he  would  try  u  one  panful  of  dirt  more."  The  result  was  the  discov- 
ery of  the  richest  mines  in  Montana.  At  Florence,  in  Idaho,  a  man  left  in 
camp  while  the  rest  of  the  party  were  away  prospecting,  saw  some  gravel  on 
the  root  of  a  tree  in  a  swamp.  Trying  a*  panful  he  discovered  what  is  known 
as  the  Salmon  River  mines. 

Skill  and  experience  are  absolutely  essential  in  this  branch  of  mining.  Any 
mountain  not  volcanic  is  liable  to  contain  valuable  metalliferous  veins.  They 
are  found  in  rough  and  high  mountain  cliffs,  but  apparently  not  as  abundantly 
as  in  those  with  smooth  outlines.  Quartz  prospectors  follow  the  foot  of  a  mqun- 


532  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

tain  range  and  examine  the  sand  and  gravel  in  the  beds  of  streams.  These 
beds  are  generally  dry  in  summer,  which  renders  examination  comparatively 
easy.  If  the  gravel  consists  of  granite,  or  slate  with  quartz  pebbles,  they  fol- 
low up  the  stream,  breaking  open  every  piece  of  quartz  to  see  if  it  contains  any- 
thing valuable.  As  they  ascend  the  quartz  is  more  abundant  and  the  pieces 
become  larger  until  reaching  a  certain  point,  where  no  more  is  found  in  the  bed 
of  the  stream.  This  shows  that  the  vein  is  not  above  but  in  the  sides  of  the 
stream,  which  are  now  carefully  examined. 

The  vein  generally  crops  to  the  surface  and  is  easily  found.  But  when  it  is 
covered  with  soil,  trenches  are  run  through  it  down  to  the  bed  rock,  at  right 
angles  to  the  supposed  course  of  the  vein.  This  is  not  done  unless  the  quartz 
fragments,  called  "  float  quartz/'  are  rich  in  some  valuable  metal. 

Often,  though  many  veins  are  found  in  one  locality,  each  sending  down  large 
quantities  of  float  quartz,  perhaps  only  one  of  them  has  rich  float.  Here  judg- 
ment is  required  to  distinguish  between  the  different  varieties  of  float  quartz  and 
veins  with  quartz  almost  exactly  alike.  The  skill  of  some  prospectors  is  won- 
derful in  determining  the  existence  and  locality  of  small  veins  covered  deep 
under  the  soil,  whose  float  quartz  is  nearly  identical  with  that  from  a  larger  vein 
close  above  it. 

In  California  nearly  all  the  gold-bearing  veins  are  quartz,  and  the  prospectors 
hardly  ever  prospect  for  anything  else  j  but  gold  is  found  in  paying  quantities  in 
slate,  as  at  the  Harpending  mines,  near  Fulsom,  and  the  Oro  mine,  in  Bear  val- 
ley. In  Colorado  it  is  found  in  feldspar,  as  at  the  Gregory,  Bates,  and  Bobtail  j 
and  in  Idaho  in  porphyry,  as  in  the  mountains  west  from  Silver  City. 

GENERAL  REMAKES  ON  PROVING  AND  WORKING  MINES. — Vein  mining  for 
the  precious  metals  will  be  the  principal  source  from  which  they  will  be  obtained 
in  the  future.  The  product  of  placer  mines  will  grow  less  and  finally  cease, 
but  the  product  from  vein  mining  will  increase  for  an  indefinite  period.  If  the 
miners  on  the  Pacific  slope  could  have  the  benefit  of  each  others  experience, 
how  many  millions  it  would  save  annually  !  This  not  being  possible  without 
the  aid  of  a  national  school  of  mines,  as  recommended  elsewhere  in  this  report, 
a  few  suggestions  derived  from  experience  concerning  the  opening  and  working 
of  mines  may  not  be  inappropriate  in  view  of  the  undeveloped  wealth  of  Idaho 
and  Montana.  Rules  of  extensive  application  must  be  very  general  in  their 
character,  and  as  the  conditions  under  which  each  mine  is  worked  necessarily 
vary,  no  general  rule  will  exactly  apply  to  every  particular  case.  General  rules 
guard  against  loss  in  mining,  while  particular  rules  increase  the  profits.*  The 
first  quartz  mining  in  California  was  by  Mexicans  in  1S49-'50.  They  intro- 
duced the  arrastra,  and  by  carefully  assorting  the  ores  containing  fine  gold  from 
the  surface,  obtained  by  this  slow  method  very  satisfactory  results.  The  Amer- 
icans, seeing  these  results,  put  up  large  mills  capable  of  crashing  vast  quanti- 
ties, expecting  to  get  profits  in  the  ratio  of  the  amount  crushed.  Not  being 
properly  assorted,  much  of  the  rock  which  they  crushed  was  nearly  barren,  and 
their  machinery,  though  very  costly,  failed  to  extract  the  gold  which  the  ore 
contained.  Nearly  all  these  enterprises  resulted  in  a  loss  to  the  projectors,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  quartz  mining  was  in  great  disfavor  in  California.  A  few 
miners  continued  to  work  and  experiment  until  they  were  successful,  and  quartz 
mining  gradually  increased  in  productiveness  until  it  has  become  one  of  the 
most  important  interests  in  the  State. 

*  An  acquaintance  with  the  general  results  collected  and  classified  by  geology  must  be  our 
first  guide  in  the  investigation  of  mines.  This  enables  the  observer  to  judge  whether  any 
particular  district  should,  from  the  nature  and  arrangement  of  its  rocks,  be  susceptible  of 
including  within  its  bosom  beds  of  workable  ores.  It  indicates,  also,  to  a  certain  degree, 
what  substances  may  probably  be  met  within  a  given  series  of  rocks,  and  what  locality  these 
substances  will  preferably  affect.  For  want  of  a  knowledge  of  these  facts  many  persons 
have  gone  blindly  into -researches  equally  absurd  and  ruinous.  (Ure^  Dictionary.) 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  533 

The  same  changes  were  observed  in  the  silver-hearing  veins  in  Nevada.  First, 
a  season  of  discovery  and  excitement,  followed  by  wild  speculation  and  extrav- 
agant expenditure;  next  a  time  of  disappointment  and  distrust,  and  this  by  a 
general  season  of  prosperity  and  profit  to  all  well-conducted  enterprises.  The 
same  changes  are  taking  place  in  Colorado,  Montana,  and  Idaho,  with  scarcely 
any  variations,  except  such  as  are  induced  by  local  causes.  It  is  desirable  to 
know  the  causes  that  act  injuriously  in  one  locality,  so  that  they  can  be  avoided 
in  another.  The  conditions  under  which  mines  are  worked  are  nearly  similar 
on  the  whole  Pacific  slope,  and  a  mode  of  working  that  is  very  defective  in  one 
locality  must  be  objectionable  in  all  others  which  it  closely  resembles,  and  a 
mode  of  working  that  experience  has  proved  to  be  best  in  a  given  district,  with 
slight  modifications,  will  be  adapted 'to  other  districts  containing  similar  condi- 
tions. These  principles  underlie  all  business  transactions,  and  cannot  be  violated 
with  impunity.  One  of  the  fundamental  errors  in  mining  is  to  make  a  false  esti- 
mate of  the  value  of  the  mine,  the  amount  and  richness  of  the  ores,  and  the  cost 
of  extracting  them.  The  richest  mining  districts  contain  many  veins  that  will 
not  pay  to  work,  and  great  care  is  required  to  know  whether  a  vein  will  pay  for 
working  or  not.  Locality  is  very  important :  if  a  vein  be  situated  in  a  large 
mining  community  where  labor  and  materials  are  cheap  and  abundant,  the  cost 
of  working  will  be  greatly  less  than  in  newT  and  unsettled  districts,  where  the 
pioneers  must  take  all  supplies  with  them,  or  where  freights  are  high  or  wood 
and  water  very  scarce  as  in  a  sterile  region.  In  old  and  extensive  mining  districts 
the  cost  of  opening  a  mine,  extracting  the  ore  and  reducing  it,  can  be  quite  accu- 
rately determined,  and  its  value  known  by  such  extensive  workings  as  admit  of 
no  serious  mistake,  especially  when  it  is  known  wrhat  varieties  of  ore  can  be  profit- 
ably reduced  by  the  methods  of  reduction  practised  in  the  district.  In  new 
districts,  unless  freights  are  very  low,  mineg  of  gold  and  silver  only  will  pay  to 
work,  and  they  must  be  so  rich  and  large  that  there  is  no  question  of  the  quantity 
and  quality  of  their  ores.  If  a  vein  produces  rich  ore,  the  next  point  to  ascertain  is 
its  size,  and  what  quantity  of  ore  it  will  yield.  First,  thickness;  if  a  vein  is  not 
four  inches  or  more  in  thickness  its  value  is  very  doubtful,  unless  remarkably 
rich.  Very  rarely  a  vein  is  discovered  like  the  Oro,  in  Bear  valley,  Mariposa 
county,  California,  which  was  not  more  than  two  inches  thick,  but  paid  wonder- 
fully for  a  short  time,  and  then  iravc  out.  No  confidence  can  be  placed  in  the 
extent  of  such  small  veins,  for  the  extent  of  a  vein  is  usually  in  the  ratio  of  its 
thickness.  In  working  a  vein  the  miner  must  make  an  opening  three  feet  wide 
to  allow  room  for  working,  and  this  space  must  be  excavated  whether  it  contains 
ore  or  not.  Veins  arc  nearly  always  softer  than  their  walls,  and  can  be  exca- 
vated for  much  less  cost  than  the  same  amount  of  wall  rock.  In  the  three-feet 
vein  nothing  but  ore  is  taken  out,  but  in  a  four-inch  vein  only  one-ninth  is  ore, 
and  in  the  most  favorable  circumstances  the  ore  from  the  small  veins  costs  nine 
times  as  much  for  mining  as  the  larger,  and  owing  to  the  hardness  of  the  wall 
rock,  it  may  be  20  times  more.  A  two-feet  vein  sometimes  requires  heavy  tim- 
bering, but  may  be  worked  nearly  as  cheap  us  a  three-feet  one,  for  the  worthless 
rock  that  must  be  broken  can  be  used  to  secure  the  mine  instead  of  timber.  This 
is  done  in  larger  veins,  as  all  contain  barren  portions  which  are  used  to  support 
the  mine,  and  nothing  requires  more  skill  in  mining  than  to  leave  the  barren  por- 
tion, and  excavate  that  which  will  pay.  The  shafts  and  drifts  in  a  small  vein  must 
be  the  same  as  in  a  large  one,  and  the  pumps  and  hoisting  machine  nearly  or  quite 
as  costly.  It  is  a  general  rule  that  the  larger  the  vein,  other  things  being  equal, 
the  less  the  cost  per  ton  for  extracting  the  ore.  For  instance,  Quail  Hill,  No.  1 
mine,  in  Calaveras  county,  California.  Here  the  workmen  offered,  after  the  mine 
was  opened,  to  deliver  the  ore  at  the  mouth  of  the  vein  for  50  cents  per  ton. 
This  vein  is  from  70  to  80  feet  thick,  and  well  opened.  The  thickness  of  a  vein 
cannot  be  known  until  it  has  been  opened  to  a  considerable  depth,  and  traced 
on  the  surface  for  the  length  of  the  claim,  or  as  far  as  it  can  be  followed. 


534  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

Tracing  on  the  surface  'is  more  cheaply  done  than  sinking,  and  more  likely  to 
intersect  any  " chimneys"  of  ore  that  may  exist  in  the  veins.  Extent  at  the 
surface  is  commonly  in  ratio  of  depth.  Where  veins  come  to  an  end  they  usually 
split  into  a  number  of  small  seams,  which  disappear  as  they  are  followed,  but 
when  only  one  seam  is  found  the  vein  generally  continues.  It  is  important  to 
know  the  character  of  the  vein,  whether  it  is  regular  or  irregular  in  size  and 
richness,  whether  it  is  full  of  "horns"  or  afflicted  with  "faults."  Generally  the 
greater  portion  of  the  ore  is  found  in  what  are  called  ''chimneys"  or  "chutes," 
as  in  the  Comstock,  which  is  rich  for  some  hundreds  of  feet  in  length,  and  then 
for  as  great  or  greater  distance  is  barren.  Chimneys  seldom  descend  at  right 
angles  to  the  strike  of  the  vein,  but  dip  lengthwise  in  it,  and  sometimes  leave 
one  claim  and  extend  into  another.  In  estimating  the  amount  of  vein  stuff'  in  a 
vein,  it  is  safe  to  allow  14  cubic  feet  to  the  ton,  as  it  is  found  in  the  vein;  this 
is  more  than  the  formula  in  the  books  allows,  but  it  works  well  in  practice.  Thus, 
if  a  vein  is  traced  for  1,000  feet,  and  shows  an  average  thickness  of  one  foot, 
1,000  feet  deep  will  give  70,000  tons  of  vein  stuff.  Few  veins  of  this  size  pay 
to  follow  so  deep,  and  one-half  of  this  amount  of  vein-stuff  or  35,000  tons  is  all 
that  can  be  relied  on.  These  calculations  in  veins  that  are  opened  are  of  great 
value  in  estimating  the  available  ore  on  hand,  but  in  unopened  mines  they  only 
give  a  vague  idea  of  what  might  be  in  them  under  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances. In  former  times,  2,000  feet  was  about  the  working  depth  of  the  best 
mines;  but  in  the  future,  owing  to  improved  methods  of  working,  the  same  class 
of  mines  will  be  worked  to  a  greater  depth.  Some  veins  get  thicker  as  they 
are  followed  down ;  others  get  thinner  and  finally  disappear.  Generally  they 
are  more  liable  to  decrease  than  to  increase  in  value.  The  improvements  of  the 
present  time  in  mining  machinery  render  the  working  of  a  mine  much  more  rapid 
than  formerly,  and  as  much  ore  can  be  taken  from  a  mine  in  20  years  as  in  300 
when  the  ore  was  carried  on  the  backs  of  men  up  rude  ladders  out  of  the  mine. 
By  this  rapid  method  mines  can  be  worked  at  much  less  cost  than  when  the 
work  is  done  very  slowly;  thus  a  mine  that  contains  400,000  tons  of  ore,  at  100 
tons  per  day,  will  be  exhausted  in  about  15  years,  but  at  8  or  10  tons  per  day  it 
will  require  150  years,  and  the  cost  of  keeping  the  water  out  and  repairing  the 
timbering  in  the  shafts  and  drifts  would  give  a  good  profit  on  any  moderate  sized 
mining  enterprise.  Neither  could  the  ancient  miners  extract  such  vast  masses  of 
ore  as  are  taken  out  of  the  Comstock,  without  leaving  a  large  portion  in  the  form 
of  pillars  to  support  the  walls.  Probably  no  mine  was  ever  worked  under  the 
same  difficulties  as  rapidly  and  efficiently  as  the  Comstock.  The  great  loss  has 
been  in  the  treatment  of  the  ores.  If  a  vein  is  in  a  favorable  locality  for  work- 
ing, has  ore  of  sufficient  richness  to  pay  when  worked  in  quantity ,'has  the  proper 
thickness,  and  is  traced  on  the  surface  the  requisite  distance,  is  opened  in  depth 
so  as  to  show  a  body  of  ore,  and  has  tho  same  strike,  dip,  and  general  appear- 
ance of  other  good  veins  in  that  immediate  vicinity,  and  is  in  range  of  a  good 
mine,  there  can  be  little  doubt  of  its  value. 

PRODUCT  OF  IDAHO. — One  of  the  difficulties  attending  the  collection  of  relia- 
ble statistics  on  subjects  connected  with  the  value  and  yield  of  mines,  is  the 
proneness  of  interested  parties  to  furnish  exaggerated  data  for  speculative  pur- 
poses. With  the  most  earnest  desire  to  do  justice  to  individuals  and  companies 
whose  labor  and  capital  are  invested  in  mining  enterprises,  it  is  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  avoid  doing  injustice  to  the  public.  No  government  agent  can  determine 
with  certainty  how  far  the  figures  furnished  by  the  superintendents  and  subordi- 
nate officers  are  to  be  relied  upon;  and  it  is  impossible  to  verify  statements 
involving  detailed  operations  and  results  which  have  taken  place  beyond  the 
limits  of  personal  knowledge.  Thus,  the  report  of  the  New  York  and  Owyhee 
Company  for  March,  1867,  shows  a  very  favorable  condition  of  things  at  the 
Poorman.  A  letter  from  New  York,  dated  in  October  and  published  in  a  late 
number  of  the.  Oregonian,  says :  "  New  York  and  Owyhee  Companies'  stock, 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


535 


which,  soon  aftefthe  purchase  from  Bradford  last  spring  of  the  conflicting  intci^ 
ests  in  the  Poorman  mine,  was  currently  rated  at  80  to  90  cents  on  the  dollar, 
has  for  the  past  three  weeks  been  going  down.  It  was  sold  last  week  at  25 
cents,  and  to-day  we  have  heard  it  onerefd  at  10  cents.  How  long  can  this  com- 
pany afford  to  pay  $35,000  per  annum  in  salaries  to  a  few  officers  and  employes 
at  this  rate  ?  Or  are  some  few  of  the  large  stockholders  and  knowing  ones  trying  a 
freezing-out  process  ?  These  are  samples  of  the  general  condition  of  Idaho  mat- 
ters in  this  city.  Ex  uno  disce  omnes"  The  correspondent  of  the  Oregonian 
refers  to  a  similar  state  of  things  in  reference  to  the  Yuba  and  Atlanta  district. 
It  is  quite  possible  there  is  either  prejudice  or  personal  interest  in  this  statement. 
Various  causes  already  referred  to  have  retarded  the  development  of  the  Yuba 
and  Atlanta  mines ;  and  no  greater  credit  should  be  attached  to  the  assertions 
of  an  anonymous  letter- writer  than  to  the  reports  of  parties  known  to  be  inter- 
ested. The  richness  of  the  Poorman  mine  has  been  well  established ;  whether 
it  has  been  or  now  is  remunerative  or  judiciously  managed,  the  stockholders  must 
determine  for  themselves.  These  conflicting  statements  are  referred  to  for  thfc 
purpose  of  showing  how  difficult  it  is  to  avoid  error.  Probably  the  best  crite- 
rion of  the  yield  of  the  Idaho  mines  in  the  aggregate  is  to  be  found  in  the  state- 
ments furnished  by  the  agent  of  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.  at  Portland,  and  the  offioe 
at  San  Francisco.  From  this  source  it  appeal's  that  the  shipments  to  San  Fran- 
fisro  of  gold  and  silver  bullion  received  from  Idaho,  and  inclusive  of  the  receipts 
from  the  John  Day,  Powder  river,  and  Washington  Territory  placers  bordering 
on  the  Columbia,  were  as  follows  during  the  past  four  years,  viz : 


1864. 

1865/ 

1866. 

1867. 

$6  °°3  000 

$5  814  000 

$5  443  000 

$4  84°  036 

Add  10  per  cent.,  the  amount  estimated  to  be  shipped  by 
other  parties,  and  10  per  cent.,  the  probable  amount 
carried  by  private  hands  

1  244  600 

1  162  800 

1  086  600 

968  406 

Deduct  for  Oregon  and  Washington  one-fifth 

7,  4G7,  (500 
1  4(KJ  5->o 

6,976,800 
1  395  360 

6,  529,  600 
1  305  9°0 

5,  810,  44-2 
1  16°  088 

Add  for  amounts  probably  taken  out  of  Idaho  by  express 
through  NVvn<1n  and  by  privat"  hands 

5,  974,  080 
500  000 

5,  581,  440 
1  000  000 

5,  223,  680 
2  800  000 

4,  64*,  354 
1  35°  000 

Total  

6  474  080 

6  581  440 

8  023  680 

6  000  354 

It  is  not  pretended  that  these  statements  and  estimates  are  entirely  reliable, 
but  they  are  certainly  worthy  of  greater  credence  than  unsupported  individual 
assertions.  The  allowances  made  for  shipments  by  way  of  the  Hill  Beachy 
route  through  Nevada  are  deemed  amply  sufficient,  taking  into  view  that  very 
little  treasure  was  shipped  out  of  Idaho,  except  by  the  way  of  Portland,  until 
the  past  year,  owing  to  Indian  depredations.  Many  believe  that  the  miners  carry 
out  of  the  Territory  more  of  the  precious  metals  than  is  taken  by  the  express 
companies.  If  this  be  the  case  what  becomes  of  the  treasure  ?  The  same  belief 
is  entertained  in  reference  to  the  product  of  Montana.  Where  does  the  alleged 
$40,000,000  produced  by  Idaho  and  Montana  go  to  ?  The  report  of  the  Director 
of  the  Mint  shows  that  the  total  deposits  of  gold  and  silver  of  domestic  produc- 
tion from  all  sources  during  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1867,  were  as  fol- 
lows :  gold,  $30,805,748  54  ;  silver,  $1,056,680  39  ;  total,  $31,862,429  93.  The 
amount  of  bullion  exported  from  San  Francisco  to  foreign  ports  during  the  year 
ending  December  31, 1867,  was  $18,320,818  71;  to  New  York,  $23,355,903  45; 
foreign  and  domestic,  $41,676,722  16 ;  add  estimated  home  shipments  by  United 
States  assistant  treasurer,  $6,000,000  ;  total,  $47,676,722  16.  The  total  amount 
of  bullion  upon  which  the  internal  revenue  tax  was  collected,  as  stated  by. the 
Commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue,  during  the  calendar  year  ending  December 
31,  1867,  was  $58,175,047. 


536  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

If  we  allow  the  product  of  Idaho  and  Montana  to  be,  as  claimed  by  many, 
$20,000,000  each,  what  becomes  of  the  $25,000,000  of  gold  produced  by  Cali- 
fornia and  the  $20,000,000  of  gold  and  silver  produced  by  Nevada,  for  nearly 
all  of  which  we  have  the  direct  returns  of  the  express  companies  ? 

I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  the  product  of  Idaho  for  1867  is  but  little 
if  at  all  over  the  amount  stated  in  the  table  above  given ;  but  to  guard  against 
injustice  a  small  percentage  is  added,  making  the  total  product  $6,500,000.  The 
yield  of  Montana  for  1867  is  estimated  to  be  $12,000,000,  and  it  is  confidently 
believed  this  is  not  below  the  actual  amount  produced.  If  we  once  open  the 
way  to  conjecture  by  accepting  the  statement  that  the  miners  carry  away  more 
treasure  in  their  pockets  than  the  express  companies  carry  in  their  boxes,  by 
what  means  are  we  to  arrive  at  the  amount,  or  at  what  point  is  the  limit  to  be 
fixed  ?  In  the  absence  of  proof  to  the  contrary  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
the  danger  of  robbery  is  too  great  to  justify  the  practice  among  miners,  as  a 
general  rule,  of  incurring  such  extraordinary  risks  to  evade  the  payment  of  ordi- 
nary express  charges  which  secure  their  earnings  from  the  chances  of  loss.  Small 
amounts  doubtless  are  earned  out  in  the  pockets  of  individual  miners  j  but  none 
of  the  leading  companies  working  -on  any  considerable  scale  are  apt  to  incur  such 
risks.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  amount  supposed  to  swell  the  aggre- 
gate production  in  this  way  is  greatly  exaggerated.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  the 
interest  of  the  express  agents  to  magnify  the  dangers  of  robbery,  and  encourage 
the  belief  that  prudential  considerations  are  in  their  favor,  and  all  legitimate 
business  is  carried  through  their  hands.  Between  the  efforts  of  the  company  to 
monopolize  the  carrying  business,  and  the  indisposition  of  the  miners  to  incur 
expense  when  it  can  l}e  avoided,  it  is  difficult  to  arrive  at  an  equitable  conclu- 
sion. The  estimates,  therefore,  may  be  far  from  the  truth,  but  we  must  rely 
upon  the  only  available  data  in  preference  to  mere  conjecture.  When  it  comes 
to  a  test  of  the  proportion  derived  from  each  mine,  the  statistician  is  utterly 
without  data,  except  such  as  he  can  obtain  from  the  officers  of  the  company. 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  537 

WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. 

SECTION    I. 

/ 

GEOGRAPHICAL  MEMOIR. 

Until  the  recent  valnable  and  important  acquisition  of  Russian  America,  Wash- 
ington Territory  was  the  extreme  northwestern  division  of  the  United  States. 
The  Columbia  river,  to  its  intersection  by  the  46th  parallel  north,  and  that  paral- 
lel continued  eastward  to  its  intersection  of  the  Snake  river,  mark  the  southern 
boundary  and  separate  it  from  the  State  of  Oregon.  The  Snake  river  to  its 
confluence  with  the  Clearwater,  (Kooskooskie,)  and  a  line  due  north  from  the 
mouth  of  the  latter  river  to  the  49th  parallel,  bound  it  on  the  east  and  sepa- 
rate it  from  Idaho.  The  north  and  northwest  boundaries  are  defined  by  the 
Treaty  of  Limits  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  (June  15,  1846,) 
and  are  "  westward  along  the  said  49th  parallel  of  north  latitude  to  the  middle 
of  the  channel*  which  separates  the  continent  from  Vancouver  Island,  and  thence 
southerly  through  the  middle  of  the  said  channel  and  of  Fuca's  straits  to  the 
Pacific  ocean."  On  its  west  is  the  Pacific.  Its  area  closely  approximates  to 
70,000  square  miles. 

The  special  natural  features  of  the  Territory,  common  to  it  as  a  whole,  are  the 
Cascade  range  of  mountains,  and  the  great  river  of  the  West,  the  Columbia, 
which,  first  traversing  its  whole  breadth  and  setting  off  nearly  a  third  of  its  area, 
forms  a  southern  boundary  and  drains  the  remaining  two-thirds  of  the  Territory. 

THE  CASCADE  MOUNTAINS. — The  continuous  range  of  mountains  known  as 
the  Sierra  Nevada  in  California,  bears  the  name  of  Cascade  range  through 
Oregon,  Washington,  and  British  Columbia.  The  name  originates  from  the 
numerous  beautiful  cascades  which  pour  from  every  crevice,  at  every  height,  and 
sometimes  even  from  the  top  of  the  steep  bluff  sides  of  the  gorge  in  these  moun- 
tains through  which  the  mighty  Columbia  forces  its  way  to  pour  its  volume  of 
water  into  the  Pacific  ocean.  With  the  exception  of  the  lofty  ,snow- peaks, 
Ranier,  St.  Helen's,  Baker,  and  Adams,  but  few  points  in  this  Territory  attain 
an  elevation  above  the  snow-line,  about  5,000  feet.  Estimates  have  been  made 
of  the  altitude  of  several  of  these  peaks,  but  they  have  either  diminished  in 
height  or  else  were  over  measured.  The  humiliation  of  the  lofty  Mount  Hood 
by  barometric  measurement  to  two-thirds  of  its  former  accredited  proud  altitude, 
discourages  the  assertion  of  claim  for  the  majestic  Ranier,  and  estimated  alti- 
tudes are  omitted. 

The  range  as  it  passes  through  this  Territory  bears  slightly  northwest  and 
southeast.  Several  rivers  passing  through  or  taking  their  rise  in  these  moun- 
tains afford  eligible  passes  for  the  construction  of  roads.  Among  these  may  be 
named  the  Skagit  River  pass,  Cady's  pass,  or  that  following  the  Skywamish,  the 
northern  confluent  of  the  Bnohomish  river  ;  the  Snoqualmie  pass,  or  that  follow- 
ing the  river  of  that  name ;  Cedar  River,  or  Yakima  pass,  long  improperly  called 
Snoqualmie  pass ;  the  Nachess  pass,  the  Nisqually,  and  the  Cowlitz  passes.  The 
exploration  of  several  of  these  passes  is  now  in  progress,  (fall,  1867,)  under  the 

*  Two  channels,  the  Canal  de  Haro  and  Rosario  straits,  between  which  are  the  islands  of 
San  Juan  and  the  Archipelago  de  Haro,  separate  the  continent  from  Vancouver  island.  The 
former  is  the  boldest  and  most  direct,  and  secures  what  the  treaty  evidently  intended :  instead 
of  running  the  49th  parallel  west  to  the  ocean,  which  would  have  given  the  south  end  of 
Vancouver  island  to  the  United  States,  the  latter  yielded  the  whole  island  to  Great  Britain, 
with  the  free  navigation  of  the  straits  and  channel.  The  sovereignty  of  San  Juan  and  the 
islands  of  the  Archipelago  are  in  dispute ;  the  boundary  and  area  of  Washington  Territory 
are  in  doubt.  San  Juan  island  is  garrisoned  by  troops  of  both,  nations,  their  police  jurisdic- 
tion extending  midway  between  the  two  camps.  The  laws  of  the  Territory  for  the  time  being 
are  suspended  in  the  islands  west  of  Kosario  straits. 


538  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

auspices  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company.  The  work  has  been 
intrusted  to  the  efficient  management  of  General  James  Tilton,  civil  engineer, 
formerly  surveyor  general  of  the  Territory,  and  a  report  of  the  results  will  be 
submitted  to  Congress  at  its  coming  session,  (winter,  1 867-8.)  As  accurate  instru- 
mental measurement  is  the  only  satisfactory  demonstration  of  the  eligibility  of 
these  passes  as  lines  of  communication,  it  is  useless  to  anticipate  authentic  reports 
by  approximate  estimates.  It  is  proper,  however,  to  add  that  in  1854  a  con- 
gressional appropriation  of  820,000  was  expended  on  a  road  from  Wallula  to 
Fort  Steilacoom  via  the  Nachess  pass,  and  that  quite  an  emigration  came  over  it 
that  fall,  with  wagons.  The  Indian  war  commencing  the  fall  of  the  subsequent 
year,  the  road  was  but  Itttle  used.  Much  fallen  timber  is  now  an  obstruction  to 
its  travel,  and  the  freshets  of  some  of  the  mountain  streams  have  seriously  dam- 
aged the  river  crossings  and  the  portions  of  road  on  the  banks  of  such  rivers. 
Quite  an  appropriation  would  be  required  to  make  this  a  feasible  road.  The  alti- 
tude of  the  Snoqualmie  pass  is  3,130  feet.  The  ascent  upon  the  western  slope 
is  gradual  to  within  three  miles  of  the  summit,  when  the  rise  is  sudden  and  abrupt, 
it  being  nearly  900  feet  in  the  last  three  miles.  It  is  pronounced  an  admirable 
pass  for  a  wagon  road,  but  for  railroad  purposes  tunnelling  would  be  necessary. 
The  citizens  of  King  county,  with  commendable  enterprise,  have  opened  a  wagon 
road  from  Seattle  to  the  Yakinia  valley.  A  small  appropriation  by  Congress, 
judiciously  expended,  would  make  this  road  a  great  and  practicable  thoroughfare 
connecting  Puget  sound  with  the  upper  Columbia  basin,  Idaho  and  Montana 
Territories.  Parties  who  have  explored  Cady's  pass  and  the  Cowlitz  pass*  pro- 
nounce them  entirely  free  from  any  great  difficulty,  and  requiring  but  little 
expense  and  labor,  comparatively,  to  secure  good  mountain  roads.  In  all  of  these 
passes  the  approaches  arc  reported  as  of  gradual  ascent,  and  the  altitudes  of  the 
summits  much  lower  than  the  surrounding  hills. 

THE  COLUMBIA  EIVEK,  which  forms  so  large  a  portion  of  the  south  boundary 
of  the  Territory,  and  then  traverses  its  whole  breadth  from  south  to  north,  forms 
a  main  artery  for  travel  and  transportation  from  the  coast  to  the  great  interior, 
and  in  the  present  undeveloped  state  of  roads  vi a  the  Cascade  mountains,  affords 
the  channel  of  communication  between  the  inhabitants  separated  by  that  moun- 
tain chain.  It  rises  in  the  Rocky  mountains,  in  latitude  50°  20'  north,  flows 
northerly  as  high  as  52°  10',  receiving  Canoe  river,  which  has  its  source  just 
under  the  53d  degree.  The  Columbia  then  deflects  sharply  to  the  southward, 
expanding  in  51°  north  into  a  chain  of  small  lakes,  receiving  the  waters  of  the 
Kootenai  in  49°  30'.  Just  under  the  49th  parallel  the  Pen  d'Oreille,  the  great 
north  fork,  (Clarke's,)  pours  its  waters  into  it;  then  flowing  south  ward,  the  Spokane 
river  empties  into  it,  and  it  turns  almost  due  west,  the  Okinakane  flowing  into  it 
from  the  north.  Still  bending  slightly  south  of  west,  several  tributaries  from 
the  Cascade  mountains,  the  principal  of  which  are  the  MethowyChelan,  Ent^athwa, 
and  Wenachee,  contribute  their  waters,  when  it  turns  southeastwardly,  receives 
the  Yakima,  arid  then  joins  with  its  great  southern  (Lewis)  fork,  now  called 
Snake  river.  Flowing  then  almost  due  south  a  short  distance  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Walla- Walla  river,  it  turns  abruptly  to  the  west,  and  with  a  generally  west- 
erly course  flows  into  Pacific  ocean,  its  volume  still  increasing  from  several  rivers 
from  the  south,  and  some  on  the  Washington  side.  The  southernmost  tributary 
of  its  most  important  confluent,  the  Snake  river,  has  its  rise  as  low  as  latitude 

*  Since  the  preparation  of  the  above,  the  party  engaged  in  the  exploration  of  the  Cowlitz, 
or  Nisqually  pass,  have  returned.  This  pass  lies  between  and  connects  the  headwaters  of 
the  Nisqually  and  Nachess  rivers,  which  flow  in  opposite  directions  from  the  immediate 
south  base  of  Mount  Ranier.  The  altitude  of  the  summit  will  slightly  exceed  3,000  feet. 
By  a  line  of  levels  run  by  said  party  this  pass  can  be  surmounted  by  a  grade  of  65  feet  per 
mile,  ascending  from  the  west,  and  a  descending  grade  of  45  feet  on  the  eastern  slope.  From 
the  character  of  the  country,* the  western  ascent  can  be  so  distributed  that  in  56  miles  of  road 
a  grade  not  to  exceed  50  feet  per  mile  can  be  secured.  The  direct  line  to  the  summit,  after 
leaving-  the  headwaters  of  the  Cowlitz  river,  is  but  16  or  18  miles. 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  539 

41°  north.  The  easternmost  sources  of  the  two  main  forks  are  in  close  proximity 
to  tin*  headwaters  of  the  Missouri,  :is  far  east  as  longitude  111°  west  of  Green- 
Mich.  Its  mouth  is  in  124°  west  longitude.  Tims  it  will  "be  seen  that  this  vast 
river  and  its  tributaries  water  and  permeate  a  region  embracing  12  degrees  of 
latitude  by  13  degrees  of  longitude.  Its  great  importance  must  be  conceded, 
when  the  statement  is  made  that  a  land  portage  of  only  450  miles  is  required  to 
connect  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Missouri  and  Columbia  rivers. 

NAVIGABILITY  OF  THE  COLUMBIA. — From  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  the  lower 
Cascades,  160  miles,  no  obstructions  occur  to  navigation.  Sea  steamers  of  heavy 
draught  constantly  goto  Vancouver,  115  miles  from  the  mouth.  By  a  portage  at 
the  Cascades  (the  railroad  is  six  miles  in  length)  navigation  is  open  to  the  Dalles, 
(20-j  miles  from  ocean.)  Several  miles  of  portage  are  here  required  to  avoid 
rapids  and  falls,*  when  good  navigation  is  again  secured  to  Priest's  rapids,  (385 
miles  from  ocean.)  Three  miles  of  portage  avoids  the  diiliculties  at  Priest's 
rapids,  when  a  stretch  of  good  navigable  water  is  secured  to  Buckland's  rapids, 
(451  miles  from  ocean.)  At  the  mouth  of  Methow  another  interruption  occurs, 
after  which  the  navigation  is  practicable  to  Kettle  falls,  a  distance  from  the 
mouth  of  725  miles.  At  high  stages  of  water,  say  between  May  10  and  July 
15,  steamboats  can  ascend  from  the  portage  above  the  Dalles  to  Kettle  falls. 
The  big  bend  in  the  Columbia,  however,  extends  the  distance  so  greatly,  that 
White  Bluffs,  or  a  point  even  east  of  that,  must  be  practically  regarded  as  the 
head  of  navigation.  A  road  from  such  point  nearly  due  north  would  again  strike 
the  river  near  the  49th  parallel,  and  the  river  again  could  be  navigated  for  a 
distance  of  over  150  miles,  into  the  very  heart  of  the  richest  mining  regions  of 
British  Columbia.  Again,  connecting  by  road  the  mouth  of  the  Walla- Walla 
river  with  the  mouth  of  the  Powder  river,  (a  tributary  of  the  Snake,)  a  reach  of 
over  100  miles  in  Snake  river  is  navigable  for  steamers. 

NATURAL  DIVISIONS  OF  WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. — The  Cascade  moun- 
tains, varying  but  little  from  a  north  and  south  qpursc,  traverse  the  Territory  at 
an  average  distance  from  the  Pacific  coast  of  little  over  two  degrees  of  longi- 
tude, separating  the  Puget  Sound  basin  and  the  region  watered  by  the  lm\vr 
Columbia  and  its  northern  tributaries  from  the  basin  of  the  Columbia  river.  The 
portion  east  of  the  Cascades  is  not  very  unequally  divided  by  the  Columbia  river. 
Three  natural  divisions  are  thus  constituted.  Western  Washington  finds  its 
synonym  in  the  Puget  sound  country.  Central  Washington  has  attained  the 
name  of  the  Yakima  Valley.  Eastern  Washington  is  variously  termed  the  Upper 
Country,  sometimes  the  Wai  la- Walla  Valley,  and  Spokane  'Plains  ;  frequently 
"Colville"  is  made  to  embrace  a  largo  section  of  country. t 

W  KSTEUX  WASHINGTON  includes  the  Puget  Sound  basin,  the  valley  of  the 
Chehalis,  the  basin  of  Shoal  water  bay,  and  the  country  drained  by  the  lower 
Columbia  and  its  northern  tributaries,  the  principal  of  which  is  the  Cowlitz. 
Ridges,  spurs  of  the  Cascade  and  Coast  ranges  of  mountains,  clearly  demarcate 
these  several  sub-divisions,  and  a  diversity  of  soil,  products,  and  geological  con- 
format  ion  ascribe  distinctive  features  to  each. 

And  first  of  the  great  inland  sea,  Puget  sound,  which,  though  properly  the 
smallest  sub-division  of  these  waters,  has  become  the  general  cognomen  of  that 
vast  ramification  of  waters  to  which  have  been  given,  by  illustrious  navigators, 
the  names  of  Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  Admiralty  inlet,  Hood's  canal,  and  Puget 
sound,  together  with  the  almost  innumerable  bays,  harbors,  and  inlets,  each 
enjoying  a  separate  name,  and  many  of  which  would  afford  commodious  and 
adequate  harbor  for  the  combined  navies  of  the  world.  Admiral  Charles  Wilkes, 

*  The  Oregon  Steain  Navigation  Company  have  in  successful  operation  a  railroad  from, 
Dalles  to  Celilo,  15  miles  in  length,  avoiding  the  rapids  and  falls,  though  a  much  less  portage, 
if  broken,  was  requisite. 

t  See  Navigable  Rivers  of  Oregon, 


540 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


(then  lieutenant  United  States  navy,)  in  1841,  in  the  valuable  narrative  of  the 
United  States  Exploring  Expedition,  of  which  he  was  commander,  after  a  minute 
description  of  these  waters,  thus  sums  up : 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  of  these  waters  and  their  safety.  Not  a  shoal  exists  within 
the  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  Admiralty  inlet,  or  Hood's  canal,  that  can  in  any  way  interrupt 
their  navigation  by  a  74-gun  ship.  I  venture  nothing  in  saying  there  is  no  country  iu  the 
world  that  possesses  waters  equal  to  these.  They  cover  an  area  of  about  2,000  square  miles. 
The  shores  of  all  these  inlets  and  bays  are  remark  ably  bold  ;  so  much  so  that  in  many  places 
a  ship's  side  would  strike  the  shore  before  the  keel  would  touch  the  ground.  The  country 
by  which  these  waters  are  surrounded  is  remarkably  salubrious,  and  offers  every  advantage 
for  the  accommodation  of  a  vast  commercial  and  military  marine,  with  convenience  for  docks, 
and  a  great  many  sites  for  towns  and  cities  ;  at  all  times  well  supplied  with  water,  and 
capable  of  being  provided  with  everything  by  the  surrounding  country,  which  is  well  adapted 
for  agriculture. 

The  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca  are  95  miles  in  length,  and  have  an  average  width  of  11 
miles.  At  the  entrance  (eight  miles  in  width)  no  danger  exists,  and  it  may  be  safely  navi- 
gated throughout.  No  part  of  the  world  affords  finer  inland  sounds,  or  a  greater  number  of 
harbors,  than  are  found  within  the  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  capable  of  receiving  the  largest 
class  of  vessels,  and  without  a  danger  in  them  which  is  not  visible.  From  the  rise  and  fall 
of  the  tides  (18  feet)  every  facility  is  offered  for  the  erection  of  works  for  a  great  maritime 
nation.  The  country  also  affords  as  many  sites  for  water-power  as  any  other. 

To  furnish  a  better  idea  of  these  waters,  and  their  extent,  we  append  a  tabular 
statement  of  the  slwre  line,  prepared  by  James  S.  Lawson,  esq.,  the  efficient 
assistant  of  the  United  States  Coast  Survey,  now  employed  in  making  a  survey 
thereof: 

Shore-line  of  the  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  Admiralty  inlet,  Puget  sound,  Hood's 
canal,  4c-»  4^->   Washington  Territory. 


I.   STRAITS  OF  JUAN  DE  FUCA. 

From  Cape  Flattery  to  Pt.  Partridge, 
Pt.  Wilson... 


Miles. 


161 


II.   ROSARIO     STRAITS,     CANAL    DE  HARO} 
GULF  OF  GEORGIA,  ETC. 

East  side  of  Whidby's  island 79.  0 

West  side  of  Whidby's  island,  Pt.  Par- 
tridge to  Deception  Pass 14. 0 

McDonough's  island 41.0 

Main  shore,  Pt.  Gardner  to  49th  parallel  128.  5 

Fidalgo  island 56 .0 

Allan's  and  Barrow's  islands 7.5 

Gueme's  island 16.  5 

Cypress,  Sinclair,  Vendovia  &  Jack's 

islands 26.  0 

Lummi  and  Eliza  islands 25.  0 

Lopez  island 34.5 

Decatur  island 11.  0 

James'  island 4.5 

Blakely  island 9.5 

Frost  island 1.5 

San  Juan  island 40.  0 

Shaw's  island 13.0 

Obstruction  island 2. 7 

Orcas  island 57.  0 

Jones'  island 3.8 

Henry  island 5.8 

Speeden  island 5.7 

John's  island 4.0 

Stuart's  island 6.  0 

Waldron  island 8^5 

Various  small  islands 26.  0 

627. 0 


HI.   ADMIRALTY  INLET. 

(Commencing  at  line  Pt.  Partridge,  Pt.  Wil- 
son to  Puget  sound.) 

Miles. 

Pt.  Defiance  to  Possession  sound 67. 5 

Possession  sound  to  Pt.  Partridge 34. 5 

Blakeisland 4  0 

Gig  Harbor  to  Foul  weather  Bluff 102.  0 

Bainbridge  island 31.0 

Port  Ludlo w  to  Pt.  Wilson 48. 0 

Vashon  island 47.0 


334.0 


IV.  PUGET  SOUND. 

(Commencing  at  line  joining  Pt.  Defiance  and 

Gig  Harbor— embracing  all  south.) 
Main  shore,  east  side,  Pt.  Defiance  to 

Olympia 49.0 

Main  shore,  west  side,  Gig  Harbor  to 

Olympia 168.0 

Day's  island 1.3 

Hope  island 1.3 

10.5 

Herron  island 3. 0 

Stretch 4.0 

Anderson 15.5 

McNeil 10.4 

Kitson 3.0 

Fox  island 11.5 

Allshouse  island 2. 5 

280.0 


V.    HOOD'S  CANAL..,  192.0 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  541 

RECAPITULATION. 

I.  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca 161.0 

II.  Rosario  straits,  Canal  de  Haro,  Gulf  of  Georgia,  &c 1 627.  0 

III.  Admiralty  inlet 334.0 

IV.  Puget  sound 260.0 

V.  Hood's  canal , 192.0 

Total  shore  line..                                                                                              .  1,594.0 


BAYS  AND  HARBORS. — Neah  bay  is  just  inside  of  Cape  Flattery,  a  harbor 
affording  partial  shelter  for  vessels.  The  anchorage  is  good,  but  there  is  no  pro- 
tection from  northwest  winds.  It  is  a  mere  indentation  of  the  coast,  and  was 
called  by  the  early  fur  traders  Poverty  Cove.  It  is  now  universally  called  by 
its  original  Indian  name.  About  25  miles  east  of  Cape  Flattery  is  Callam  bay, 
where  a  California,  company  is  now  engaged  in  taking  out  coal.  Port  Angeles, 
further  east,  was  the  site  for  a  while  of  the  custom-house  of  this  district ;  an  admi- 
rable harbor  after  a  vessel  got  into  it,  and  difficult  to  leave  without  wind,  tide, 
and  other  favorable  circumstances.  It  lies  immediately  opposite  to  Victoria,  and 
not  very  distant  from  the  entrance  of  the  strait — two  circumstances  supposed  to 
control  the  location  of  custom-houses,  regardless  entirely  of  the  interests  of  ship- 
ping. A  small  town  grew  up  there,  but  it  has  not  improved  much  since  the  cus- 
tom-house was  retransferred  to  its  former  location  at  Port  Townsend. 

Port  Discovery,  Port  Townsend,  Port  Ludlow,  Port  Madison,  Port  Gamble, 
Port  Blakely,  Dwamish  or  Elliott's  bay,  Bellingham  bay,  and  many  others, 
each  worthy  of  distinct  notice,  having  become  the  sites  of  flourishing  towns,  exten- 
sive milling  or  mining  operations,  and  as  such,  so  many  centres  of  population, 
must  be  referred  to  hereafter  in  the  recital  of  the  material  resources  of  the  Ter- 
ritory, and  the  chronicle  of  the  progress  of  settlement — a  progress  enhanced  in 
many  instances  by  natural  advantages. 

The  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca  terminate  at  Point  Wilson  and  Point  Partridge. 
Admiralty  inlet  lies  between  the  strait  and  Puget  sound,  and  is  separated  from 
the  latter  by  the  narrows,  a  mile  in  width  and  about  lour  and  a  half  miles  long, 
on  both  sides  of  which  are  high  perpendicular  bluffs,  the  northeast  terminus  of 
which  is  called  Point  Defiance,  which  has  been  reserved  for  fortifications.  In 
the  narrows  the  tide  runs  with  great  velocity,  and  a  reference  to  the  map  exhib- 
iting this  narrow  channel  or  dalles  through  which  this  vast  body  of  water  flows 
and  reflows  twice  every  24  hours,  will  readily  account  for  that  fact. 

RIVERS  EMPTYING  INTO  PUGET  SOUND. — Adopting  the  vernacular  of  the 
country,  and  ascribing  the  name  Puget  sound  to  this  Mediterranean  of  the  north 
Pacific,  we  will  commence  on  the  east  shore,  at  the  northern  boundary,  and  follow 
round. 

The  Lummi  river  rises  in  the  Cascade  range,  northeast  of  Mount  Baker,  and 
flowing  in  a  southwest  direction  receives  the  Nook-sack  from  the  southeast,  and 
empties  into  Bellingham  bay.  It  is  a  large,  deep  and  rapid  river.  Much  excel- 
lent agricultural  and  grazing  lands  border  both  of  these  streams,  and  settlements 
to  a  very  limited  extent  have  been  commenced.  On  these  streams  the  color  can 
be  obtained  anywhere,  but  at  the  head  waters  of  the  Nook-sack  coarse  gold  has 
been  found,  some  specimens  being  nearly  as  large  as  a  pea.  The  dense  under- 
growth in  the  river  bottoms,  but  more  probably  the  disgust  following  the  Frazer 
river  excitement,  has  created  that  apathy  among  the  citizens  of  Whatcom  whick 
has  heretofore  prevented  a  thorough  prospect  from  being  made. 

The  small  river  or  creek,  Whatcom,  gives  name  to  the  town  through  which  it 
passes.  It  affords  excellent  water  power,  and  at  its  mouth  is  located  the  saw-mill 
of  Mr.  Henry  Reeder,  now  a  member  of  the  legislative  assembly  from  that  county. 

Next  south  is  the  Swinamish,  rising  in  the  Cascades  and  emptying  into  Belling- 
ham bay.  The  Swinamish  is  more  properly  a  pass  connecting  two  parts  of  the 
channel.  Next  south  is  the  Skagit  river,  rising  in  the  Cascade  range,  north  of 


542  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

the  49tli  parallel,  and  emptying  into  Port  Susan  by  several  mouths.  For  some 
six  miles  its  navigation  is  obstructed  by  large  drifts  of  logs,  the  collection  of 
}Tears,  above  which  it  can  be  navigated  some  50  miles.  The  valley  of  the  Skagit 
has  already  become  noted  for  its  extensive  and  rich  agricultural  lands.  A  few 
settlers  have  already  taken  claims.  The  timber  consists  of  cedar,  spruce,  fir, 
&c.,  upon  the  uplands,  and  alder,  maple,  and  cottonwood  in  the  bottoms.  With 
.ittle  expense  the  drifts  at  its  mouth  could  be  removed,  and  a  fine  valley  extend- 
ing some  60  miles  into  the  interior,  affording  excellent  farms  for  many,  would 
be  opened  to  settlement. 

The  Stit-a-quamish  also  empties  into  Port  Susan.  The  timber  which  skirts 
is  banks  is  very  valuable.  Traces  indicate  the  presence  of  extensive  coal  beds 
about  120  miles  from  its  mouth.  No  attempt,  however,  has  yet  been  made 
to  develop  them.  The  mouth  of  this  river  is  obstructed  with  timber  drifts, 
which  removed,  navigation  for  scows,  rafts,  or  boats  of  light  draught  could  be 
secured  for  25  miles.  One  or  two  inconsiderable  streams  flow  southeast  into  the 
sound,  when  we  come  to  the  Snohomish,  which  empties  abreast  the  south  end 
of  Whidby's  island.  About  18  miles  from  its  mouth  it  divides  into  two  confluent 
streams,  the  north  being  called  the  Sky-wamish,  and  the  south  fork  the  Sno- 

?ualmie.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Snohomish  are  extensive  cranberry  marshes, 
,ike  most  of  the  rivers  emptying  into  the  sound,  tide  flats  stretch  for  considerable 
distance  across  the  mouth  of  the  stream,  permeated  by  numerous  channels.  At 
high  water  there  is  no  difficulty  of  entrance,  but  when  the  tide  is  out  the  channel 
must  be  strictly  followed.  After  entering  the  river  the  banks  become  higher. 
During  the  annual  freshet  its  highest  banks  are  subject  to  overflow.  The  aver- 
age width  of  this  stream  is  about  90  yards,  with  tolerable  deep  water.  On  this 
river  and  both  of  its  confluents  there  is  a  large  quantity  of  first-rate  agricultural 
land.  An  intelligent  visitor  writes : 

There  are  in  some  places  large  tracts  of  land,  with  scarcely  a  stick  of  timber  standing, 
possessing  a  soil  as  rich  as  any  farmer  could  desire,  while  the  rich  bottom  lands,  covered 
with  a  light  growth  of  vine  maple  and  alder,  appear  to  say,  "come  and  till  me,  and  you 
shall  be  well  rewarded."  In  fact,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  the  country  watered 
by  the  Snohomish  and  Snoqualmie  will  at  no  distant  day  be  thickly  settled  by  those  who 
will  reap  a  rich  reward  for  their  labor. 

The  Snohomish  and  Snoqualmie  are  navigable  for  steamers  of  light  draught 
at  all  stages  of  water  to  within  a  few  miles  of  the  falls  on  the  latter  river.  The 
falls  of  Snoqualmie  are  about  35  miles  from  the  confluence  of  that  river  with 
the  Snohomish.  At  the  lowest  stage  of  water  the  width  of  the  falls  will  hardly 
exceed  10  yards,  but  when  the  river  is  full  it  amplifies  to  about  75  yards.  By 
recent  measurement  of  General  Tilton,  chief  engineer  Pacific  division  Northern 
Pacific  railroad,  the  perpendicular  descent  is  270  feet.  Beyond  the  falls  are 
several  rich  prairies  of  considerable  extent.  Following  the  headwaters  of  this 
interesting  river,  we  approach  the  Snoqualmie  pass.  Following  the  north  con- 
fluent of  the  Snohomish,  (the  Skywamish,)  we  find  Cady's  pass,  pronounced  by 
several  explorers  equal  in  all  respects  to  its  neighbor,  the  Snoqualmie  pass. 

The  next  river  of  note  is  the  Dwamish,  entering  the  bay  of  that  name, 
(sometimes  called  Elliott's  bay,)  on  which  the  flourishing  town  of  Seattle  is 
located.  The  Dwamish  has  two  principal  confluents,  White  and  Green  rivers, 
both  of  which  have  historic  importance  from  being  the  headquarters  of  the  hos- 
tile bands  of  Indians  in  the  war  of  1S55-'5G.  The  flourishing  settlement  upon 
the  former  was  for  a  time  wiped  out  after  the  horrible  massacre  of  October  28, 
1855,  in  which  11  unoffending  white  settlers,  men,  women,  and  children,  were 
surprised  at  early  dawn,  murdered,  and  their  bodies  shockingly  mutilated.  The 
savages  carried  off  such  property  as  was  valuable,  and  then  wantonly  burned 
the  remainder,  together  with  the  dwellings.  Some  of  the  bodies  were  burned, 
and  others  were  thrown  into  the  wells. 

Lake  Dwamish,  or  Lake  Washington,  lies  back  of  the  town  of  Seattle.     Its 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  543 

outlet,  about  four  and  a  half  miles  long,  called  Black  river,  empties  into  the 
Dwamish  river.  Black  river,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  lake,  receives  the 
waters  <.f  Cedar  river,  which  takes  its  rise  in  the  Cascade  mountains,  a  short 
distance  south  of  the  headwaters  of  the  Snoqualmie.  The  Cedar  River  pass,  now 
called  the  Yakiina  pass,  was  long  confounded  with  the  Snoqualmie  pass,  (from 
which  it  .is  between  five  and  seven  miles  distant,)  from  the  fact  that  it  was  tra- 
versed l>y  Snoqualmie  Indians.  Following  the  north  tributaries  of  the  While 
river  to  their  source,  a  short  distance  brings  us  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Na- 
chess,  a  tributary  of  the  Yakima.  The  valleys  of  these  two  streams  are  the 
depression  to  which  the  name  of  Nachess  pass  has  been  given,  over  which  the 
military  road  was  constructed  by  Lieutenant  Richard  Arnold,  United  States 
army,  from  Fort  Walla- Walla  to  Fort  Steilacoorn.  An  extensive  and  rich  agri- 
cultural region  is  found  in  the  valleys  of  all  these  rivers,  and  is  fast  filling  with 
settlers.  Inland  navigation  to  the  extent  of  30  miles  is  afforded  by  the  Dwarn- 
ish  and  White  rivers,  the  tide  extending  up  the  former  some  14  miles.  On  the 
Black  river  a  vein  of  coal  was  opened  and  worked  by  the  late  Dr.  Bigelowr,  and 
a  cargo  shipped  to  San  Francisco  as  early  as  1854. 

The  Puyallup  river  rises  north  of  Mount  Ranicr,  runs  northeasterly,  and 
empties  into  Commencement  bay.  It  is  a  fine  stream,  and  by  the  removal  of 
two  or  three  drifts  would  be  rendered  navigable  for  vessels  of  light  draught  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Stuck,  which  empties  into  it.  At  its  mouth  (Commencement  bay) 
there  is  an  excellent  harbor,  where  shipping  can  load  with  hay,  produce,  or  lum- 
ber. The  valleys  of  the  Puyallup  and  Stuck  afford  a  large  quantity  of  good 
agricultural  land.  The  soil  in  the  river  bottoms  is  generally  very  good,  much 
of  it  first  rate.  There  is  considerable  prairie  in  the  vicinity,  but  mostly  occupied 
by  settlers.  The  bottoms  are  thinly  timbered  with  maple,  ash,  balm,  willow, 
&c.,  and  easily  cleared.  These  lands  yield  heavy  crops  of  wheat,  barley,  oats, 
and  even  corn  has  succeeded  well.  Vegetables  attain  an  enormous  size.  The 
highlands  are  generally  rolling  and  well  adapted  to  cultivation.  The  several 
tributaries  of  the  Puyallup  supply  a  considerable  amount  of  excellent  water- 
power.  Although  this  valley  is  covered  by  the  claim  of  the  Puget  Sound  Agri- 
cultural Company,  that  circumstance  has  not  deterred  American  settlors  from 
occupying  and  improving  it. 

The  Nisqually  river  rises  south  of  Mount  Ranier,  and  at  its  mouth  is  the  site 
of  Fort  Nisqually,  a  post  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  That  company,  under 
the  treaty-recognized  alias  of  Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Company,  claim  along 
the  shores  of  Puget  sound  from  Nisqually  river  to  Puyallup  river,  back  to  the 
Cascade  mountains,  amounting  to  261  square  miles,  or  167,040  acres.  The 
prairies  in  the  vicinity  are  called  the  Nisqually  plains,  supposed  by  many  to  be 
valuable  for  pasturage.  The  best  portions  have  been  taken  as  claims  by  Amer- 
ican settlers,  who  have  no  very  high  opinion  of  a  corporation  without  a  charter, 
or  a  claim  to  land  based  upon  neither  occupancy,  purchase,  nor  possession,  except 
in  the  few  spots  dotted  here  and  there  formerly  occupied  by  their  herdsmen  or 
farmers,  where  but  little  improvement  or  cultivation  has  been  attempted*  In 
fact,  but  a  trifling  portion  was  ever  used,  even  as  a  range  for  cattle,  horses,  and 
sheep.  It  is  well  worthy  of  remark  that  just  before  the  treaty  of  June  15,  1846, 
Oregon  then  being  jointly  occupied,  under  the  treaty  of  1827,  by  American  set- 
tlers and  the  numerous  establishments  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  the  offi- 
cers of  the  latter  consented  to  co-operate  with  the  former  in  the  support  of  the 
provisional  government  of  Oregon,  provided  the  company  could  be  secured  in 
their  occupancy  of  lands  at  their  several  posts.  To  effect  this,  a  section  called 
the  <<  partnership  section"  was  incorporated  into  the  land  law  and  made  a  part 
of  the  compact  or  constitution.  This  compact  was  ratified  by  the  residents  of 
Oregon  (British  and  American)  July  5, 1845.  Under  its  provisions  the  company 
recorded  their  claim  at  Nisqually  as  containing  17  sections,  or  10,880  acres. 
And  yet  under  the  treaty,  ratified  within  a  few  months  of  the  time  at  which  they 


544  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

themselves  designated  the  extent  of  that  tract,  they  now  assert  a  claim  to  having 
occupied  167,040  acres. 

Next  is  the  Des  Chutes  river,  which  empties  into  Budd's  inlet,  the  extreme 
head  of  Puget  sound,  about  two  miles  from  Olympia,  the  capital  of  the  Terri- 
tory. Its  mouth,  named  Tumwater,  is  not  only  notable  for  its  extensive  and 
valuable  water-power,  but  also  from  the  fact  that  here  Colonel  M.  T.  Simmons, 
the  pioneer  American  settler  north  of  the  Columbia  river,  located  his  claim  in  the 
fall  of  1845. 

Several  small  streams  empty  into  the  west  side  of  the  sound,  but  the  first 
river  to  be  mentioned  is  the  Skokomish,  which  empties  into  the  elbow  of  Hood's 
canal,  28  miles  northwest  of  Olympia.  This  river  is  formed  by  two  confluents 
called  the  North  and  South  forks,  taking  their  rise  in  the  Coast  range  of  moun- 
tains and  coming  together  about  10  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  main  river. 
Upon  removing  the  customary  obstruction  of  collected  driftwood,  the  main  stream 
is  navigable  its  entire  length.  The  Skokomish  valley  varies  from  one  to  three 
miles  in  width,  with  a  soil  equal  to  the  best  bottom  land  in  the  western  States. 
The  growth  in  the  bottoms  consists  of  alder  and  vine  maple.  Union  City  has  been 
started  near  the  mouth,  and  several  claims  have  been  taken.  A  great  quantity 
of  very  desirable  land  is  still  vacant.  Information  derived  from  surveying  par- 
ties justifies  the  statement  that  the  land  upon  the  forks  is  similar  to  that  upon 
the  river.  The  average  yield  to  the  acre  in  this  valley  is  as  follows :  Potatoes, 
600  bushels  ;  wheat,  40  bushels ;  peas,  60  bushels ;  timothy  hay,  five  tons  j  oats, 
70  bushels. 

Into  Hood's  canal,  at  different  points,  from  5  to  30  miles  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Skokomish,  several  streams  empty,  the  valleys  of  which  are  marked  by  the 
same  general  features  as  that  of  the  Skokomish.  The  good  lands  are  not,  how- 
ever, in  such  extensive  bodies  as  to  invite  large  settlement. 

Along  the  southern  shore  of  the  strait  of  Fuca  several  streams  empty,  which 
take  their  rise  in  the  Coast  range  of  mountains.  The  principal  of  these  are  the 
Dungeness  and  Elwha,  the  valleys  of  bothi  of  which  are  fine  agricultural  lands. 
The  former  is  fully  settled,  and  several  farms  have  been  taken  upon  the  latter. 

RIVERS  AND  BATS  ON  THE  PACIFIC  COAST. — Passing  down  the  coast  from 
Cape  Flattery,  at  the  distance  of  28  miles  is  the  mouth  of  the  Quillehute  river. 
It  varies  in  width  from  50  to  200  yards,  and  in  depth  from  8  to  12  feet.  Rapids 
occur  at  the  distance  of  three  or  four  miles  from  its  mouth,  but  canoes  ascend  for 
many  miles.  Four  or  five  miles  back  from  the  river  is  the  Cammas  prairie,  five 
miles  long  and  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide.  The  country  is  well  adapted 
to  grazing  and  cultivation,  and  there  is  but  one  sharp  hill  to  interfere  with  open- 
ing a  good  road  from  the  valley  of  this  river  to  the  straits  of  Fuca.  At  the 
mouth  of  this  river  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company's  steamer  Southerner 
(the  old  Isthmus)  was  wrecked  December  24,  1854.  During  the  present  sum- 
mer D.  F.  Brownfield  and  several  others,  cutting  out  a  trail  from  the  river  to 
the  straits,  while  following  one  of  the  small  tributary  streams  of  the  Quille- 
hute, discovered  a  ledge  of  rock  indicating  the  presence  of  silver.  Specimens 
of  the  rock,  in  an  imperfect  assay  made  by  Dr.  Albert  Eggers,  of  Olympia, 
showed  gold  and  iron,  the  former  amounting  to  $9  per  ton.  In  other  specimens, 
tested  by  Dr.  O'Brien,  of  Port  Townsend,  traces  of  silver  were  apparent.  Mr. 
Brownfield,  who  went  through  from  the  straits  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  describes 
the  region  west  of  the  Olympic  range  as  generally  level,  extremely  fertile,  and 
interspersed  with  prairies  containing  from  500  to  2,500  acres.  The  bottom  lands 
of  the  Quillehute  are  not  only  extensive  but  well  adapted  to  agriculture. 

Quermilt  river,  a  small  stream  which  heads  in  a  lake  at  the  foot  of  the  Coast 
range,  empties  into  the  ocean  about  four  miles  north  of  Point  Grenville.  In  its 
vicinity  are  the  Indians  whose  tribal  name  is  ascribed  to  it,  noted  in  the  early 
history  of  this  coast  for  hostility  to  the  whites.  Such  names  as  Destruction 
Island  and  Ponta  de  Martires,  designating  localities  in  this  vicinity,  are  the  tes- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  545 

timonials  of  tlicir  perfidious  cruelty,  the  evidence  of  their  original  character. 
This  river  gives  name  to  a  variety  of  salmon,  as  yet  not  found  in  any  other 
locality.  They  are  short,  thick,  and  very  fat,  and  are  the  most  delicious  variety 
of  the  numerous  family  of  sdlnwnidce  which  abound  in  all  the  waters  of  this 
Territory. 

There  are  several  other  small  streams  rising  in  the  Coast  range,  and  generally 
flowing  southwest,  empty  into  this  portion  of  the  coast.  But  nothing  is  reliably 
known  of  this  section  of  the  country  afrer  leaving  the  coast. 

G  u  AY'S  HARBOR  A.\D  THE  VALLEY  WATERED  BY  THE  CHEHALIS  AND  ITS 
TiniiuiARiRS. — Gray's  harbor,  discovered  by  Captain  Robert  Gray,  of  Boston, 
in  the  ship  Columbia,  May  7,  1792,  and  by  him  named  Bulfinch  harbor,  is  a  tri- 
angular-shaped bay  with  base  toward  the  ocean,  and  the  apex  receiving  the  Che- 
halis  river.  Its  south  point  of  entrance  is  called  Chehalis  Point;  Point  Brown, 
the  north  cape,  received  that  name  from  Lieutenant  AVhidhy,  of  the  Vancouver 
expedition.  A  bank  extends  across  the  entrance,  with  a  passage  about  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  wide,  carrying  from  5  to  11  fathoms  of  water.  Outside  the 
bank  is  another  narrow  bar,  with  some  three  fathoms  of  \vater.  From  this  point 
the  depth  increases  toward  the  east,  the  deepest  wrater  being  between  the  points 
of  entrance.  The  bay  is  surrounded  by  mud  flats,  bare  at  low  water.  The  mouth 
of  the  Chehalis  nearly  due  east  of  the  entrance  is  distant  about  12  miles  from 
Point  Brown.  The  greatest  width  of  the  bay  north  and  south  is  15  miles,  and 
its  area  is  about  150  square  miles.  Competent  judges  have  pronounced  this  har- 
bor equal  in  every  respect  to  Boston  harbor.  The  Um-tulup,  Ilokium,  and  other 
small  streams  empty  directly  into  the  bay.  The  main  river,  however,  is  the 
Chehalis,  which  rises  in. the  Cascade  mountains,  not  far  north  of  the  Columbia 
river,  and  south  of  the  sources  of  several  of  the  tributaries  of  the  latter,  flows 
northerly  a  considerable  distance,  when  it  takes  almost  a  due  westerly  course, 
receiving  a  branch  from  the  Boisfort  hills,  and  finds  its  way  into  (I ray's  harbor. 
Jis  principal  tributaries  an;  the  Satsop,  Wynoochee,  \Yestican.  John's,  Black, 
Skookmn-chuck,  and  Newauktim.  This  valley  is  the  richest  and  most  extensive 
budy  of  agricultural  land  west  of  the  Cascade  mountains.  Indeed.  Chehalis  arid. 
Lewis  counties,  and  the  portion  of  Thurstmi  drained  by  these  streams,  may  be 
pronounced  the  garden  spot  of  Washington  Territory.  The  valley  varies  in 
breadth  from  If)  to  50  miles.  From  the  mouth  of  the  Satsop  through  to  Hood's 
canal,  closed  in  by  the  Black  Hills  and  the  Coast  range,  there  is  a  beautiful  open 
valley  some  14  or  15  miles  wide.  In  fact,  the  whole  country  from  the  Chehalis 
to  the  head  of  the  sound  and  the  head  ol  Hood's,  canal  is  well  adapted  to  farm- 
ing purposes.  Prairie  land  to  the  extent  of  50,000  acres  suited  for  grazing  lies 
in  the  vicinity  of  Gray's  harbor,  and  the  rich  bottoms  skirting  all  these  streams, 
covered  with  an  undergrowth  of  alder,  maple,  &c.,  so  easily  cleared,  would  fur- 
nish lirst -class  farms  for  a  vast  number  of  settlers. 

The  travel  from  Olyrnpia  to  Chehalis  Point  has  heretofore  been  by  a  road  to 
the  "  block-house"  on  the  Chehalis  river,  GO  miles  east  of  the  point,  and  thence 
down  the  riven  in  canoes,  the  total  distance  being  about  90  miles.  From  the 
mouth  of  the  Satsop,  (40  miles  from  Chehalis  Point,)  a  road  of  30  miles  in  length 
h:i*  just  been  opened,  securing  direct  communication  with  Olympia,  at  the  head 
of  the  sound.  The  Chehalis  is  navigable  at  all  tides,  for  vessels  of  light  draught 
or  small  river  steamers,  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Wynooche,  and  at  high  tide 
io  i  he  mouth  of  the  Satsop,  where  there  is  a  tidal  rise  and  fall  of  18  inches.  At 
the  lowest  water,  for  two  and  three  months  in  the  year,  shoal  places  might  obstruct 
navigation  ;  but  for  eight  months  no  difficulty  need  prevent  ascending  as  far  as 
Claqiuito,  where  the  territorial  road  between  Olympia  and  Monticello  crosses 
the  Chehalis  river.  The  Messrs.  Goff,  of  Claquato,  have  just  put  on  this  river  a 
good  light-draught  stern- wheel  boat,  and  they  express  the  assurance  that  they  can 
make  trips  most  of  the  year  to  Boisfort  prairie,  some  miles  above  Claquato.  All 
the  streams  abound  with  salmon,  trout,  and  many  varieties  of  edible  fish.  Elk 
35 


546  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

and  other  game,  large  and  small,  are  plentiful.     Coal  has  been  discovered  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  and  also  upon  several  of  the  tributary  streams. 

SHOALWATER  BAT  AND  THE  WILLOPAH  VALLEY. — From  Chehalis  Point, 
the  site  of  the  embryo  Chehalis  City,  a  splendid  beach  at  every  stage  of  the  tide 
affords  the  best  of  roads  to  Tokc  Point,  the  northern  cape  of  the  entrance  to 
Shoal  water  bay  j  distance  about  16  miles.  Along  this  road  a  continuous  tide 
prairie  appears,  constituted  almost  entirely  of  sand,  yet  yielding  the  most  excel- 
lent grass.  Shoal  water  bay,  which  is  one  of  the  best  harbors  between  San 
Francisco  and  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  is  in  the  southwest  portion  of  the  Territory. 
separated  from  the  Columbia  river  by  a  narrow  strip  of  land.  Toke  Point  lies 
about  28  miles  north  of  Cape  Disappointment.  It  is  about  five  miles  from  Toke 
Point  to  the  southern  cape,  (Leadbetter's  Point.)  Two  channels  with  middle 
sands  lying  between  afford  good  entrances,  the  north  one  being  a  good  beating 
channel.  "The  bay  is  full  of  shoals  and  flats,  and  at  low  tide  about  half  its  area 
is  bare  :  good  but  narrow  channels  run  throughout  its  extent,  worn  by  the  several 
streams  which  empty  into  it.  These  flats  are  covered  with  oysters,  which  con- 
stitute the  chief  article  of  export.  Codfish,  halibut,  and  sturgeon  are  abundant- 
Several  varieties  of  salmon  are  also  found,  and  in  spring  large  shoals  of  small 
herring  enter  the  bay.  The  annual  shipments  of  oysters  to  San  Francisco  is 
about  35,000  baskets;  about  5,000  baskets  more  are  sent  to  Portland,  Oregon, 
and  other  points  on  the  Columbia  river.  Mr.  George  Davidson,  in  his  valuable 
"  Directory  of  the  Pacific  Coast,"  thus  states  the  extent  of  this  bay  : 

The  arm  stretching-  southward  towards  Baker's  bay  is  15  miles  long  from  Leadbetter's 
Point  with  an  average  width  of  not  less  than  three  and  a  half,  while  the  upper  portion  stretches 
to  the  northeast  for  nine  miles' to  the  mouth  of  the  Willopah  river,  reckoning  from  the  middle 
of  the  line  joining  Cape  Shoalwater  (Toke  Point)  and  Leadbetter  Poin-t. 

The  same  authority,  speaking  of  the  peninsula  terminating  in  Leadbetter  Point, 
thus  describes  it : 

The  peninsula  is  a  long,  flat,  marshy,  and  sandy  plain,  elevated  but  a  few  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  covered,  like  the  entire  surface  of  the  country,  with  a  dense  growth  of 
gigantic  forest  trees,  principally  spruce,  fir,  and  cedar,  with  a  few  specimens  of  maple,  ash, 
and  black  alder.  The  spruce  frequently  attains  a  diameter  of  eight  feet. 

Several  rivers  empty  into  this  bay,  among  which  are  the  Palux,  Nasal,  and 
Wil  lopah .  The  principal  one  is  the  WiUopaL,  in  the  valley  of  which  is  a  numerous 
and  one  of  the  oldest  settlements  in  the  Territory.  This  river  enters  the  bay 
at  its  northeast  corner.  The  lower  river  is  bordered  with  tide  lands  which  are 
subject  to  overflow ;  the  uplands  are  well  adapted  to  grazing.  It  is  a  mile  wide 
at  its  mouth.  The  tides  extend  to  the  rapids,  17  miles  from  the  mouth.  A  con- 
siderable number  of  prairies  skirt  the  river  at  intervals,  and  the  bottom  is  a  rich 
deep  soil  of  a  clayey  character.  The  bottoms  are  covered  with  vine  maple  and 
alder,  and  extend  above  the  rapids  to  a  distance  of  about  20  miles,  and  are  about 
10  miles  in  width. 

THE  WASHINGTON  TRIBUTARIES  TO  THE  LOWER  COLUMBIA. — The  mouth 
of  the  Columbia  is  now  reached.  An  extended  notice  of  this  river  has  already 
been  made,  and  the  reference  to  settlements  along  its  shores  will  necessarily 
exhibit  further  features  of  the  country  bordering  upon  it.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  the  streams  flowing  into  it  from  the  north,  a  particular  description  of  several 
of  which  will  be  omitted.  The  Cowlitz  river  being  a  part  of  the  line  of  travel 
from  Columbia  river  to  Puget  sound,  deserves  particular  mention.  This  river 
having  its  source  in  the  Cascade  mountains,  between  Mounts  Ranier  and  St. 
Helens,  runs  west,  then  south,  and  empties  into  the  Columbia  about  50,  miles 
from  its  mouth.  It  runs  the  whole  length  of  Cowlitz  county,  and  nearly  the 
whole  breadth  of  Lewis,  through  good  agricultural  land,  both  prairie  and  bottom. 

TTio  fVnvlitT'.  -farms    flip  firm/lit?,  nrnivip     nnrl   flip  Hnwlifv.  Ifmflino-  are   familiar  as 


The  Cowlitz  farms,  the  Cowlitz  prairie,  and  the  Cowlitz  landing  are  familiar  as 
household  words,  and  date  their  origin  long  antecedent  to  the  commencement  of 
American  settlement.  The  first  name  alludes  to  the  claim  of  the  prairie  by  the 


WEST    OF    TIIK    JiOCKY    MOUNTAINS.  547 

Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Company,  and  flic  area  for  \vliicli  tike  United  States 
is  requested  to  pay,  under  the  treaty  of  Julyl,  18G3,  with  Great  Britain,  is  3,572 
acres,  or  nearly  six  square  miles.  The  Americans,  however,  have  squatted  on 
tliis  claim,  until  the  occupancy  of  the  company  has  been  reduced  to  75  acres. 
On  this  prairie  the  Catholics  established  a  missionary  station,  where  recently  a 
town  has  been  laid  out  in  acre  lots.  Here,  too,  was  the  site  of  the  old  Red  river 
settlement  of  Canadian  French,  introduced  in  1842  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company.  The  landing  was  the  point-  where  the  portage  com- 
menced., on  the  old  route  from  Fort  Vancouver  to  the  northern  establishments. 
To  that  point,  about  30  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  they  navigated  it  with 
battcaux  and  canoes,  which  were  cordelled  up  the  stream.  Along  the  eastern 
shore  were  two  trails,  one  used  at  low  and  the  other  at  high  stages  of  the  water. 
The  Cowlitz  river  is  still  a  link  in  the  chain  of  direct  communication  "between 
the  Columbia  river  and  Puget  sound.  It  is  a  large  rapid  stream,  at  high  stages 
of  water  navigable  for  steamers  of  light  draught  above  the  old  landing,  and  for 
most  of  the  year  to  "  Pumphrey's,"  about  24  miles  from  its  mouth,  where  steamers 
frequently  run.  A  boat  is  now  being  built,  and  will  be  placed  on  the  river  this 
fall,  to  run  from  Monticello  to  the  old  landing,  connecting  with  the  steamers  to 
Portland,  Oregon. 

In  Clarke  county  there  are  several  tributaries  of  the  Columbia,  the  principal 
of  which  are  Cath-la-poole  and  Washougal.  The  former,  made  by  two  forks 
respectively  rising  north  and  south  of  Mount  St.  Helens,  flows  nearly  west  and 
enters  the  Columbia  about  80  miles  from  its  mouth.  It  is  a  bold,  rapid  stream, 
running  about  30  yards  in  its  bed.  The  bottom  lands  at  the  lower  portion  of 
the  river  are  wide,  but  narrow  as  they  approach  the  foot  hills  of  the  Cascade 
mountains.  The  country  is  well  timbered,  occasionally  interspersed  with  small 
prairies  well  adapted  to  grazing.  The  Washougal  empties  into  the  Columbia 
about  12  miles  above  Vancouver.  A  large  settlement,  to  which  it  gives  name, 
is  located  in  its  valley. 

THE  OLYMPIC  OK  COAST  RANGE  OF  MOUNTAINS. — Among  the  natural 
features  of  this  portion  of  the  Territory,  the  Coast  range  <>!'  mountains  must  not 
be  omitted.  They  are  located  in  the  northwest  peninsula,  between  Hood's  canal 
and  the  Pacific  ocean.  Mount  Olympus,  with  an  altitude  of  8,138  feet  as  esti- 
mated by  Wilkes,  is  a  snow-capped  peak,  and  may  be  seen  far  out  to  sea.  It 
gives  identity  to  the  chain,  and  the  name  Olympic  is  now  generally  applied  to 
this  range.  This  sierra,  for  it  consists  of  several  peaks,  was  first  seen  by  Perez, 
in  1774,  who  nominated  it  La  Sierra  Santa  Rosalia.  Meares  saw  it  in  1788,  and 
describes  it  under  the  name  which  he  gave  it,  of  Mount  Olympus.  Around  and 
from  the  base  of  this  main  sierra,  the  numerous  mountains  descend  to  hills  and 
spurs,  and  abruptly  terminate  on  the  sandy  beach  of  the  ocean  in  low  perpendic- 
ular bluffs.  It  was  long  supposed  that  the  Black  Hills  near  Olympia  were  spurs 
of  the  Coast  range.  This,  however,  is  a  mistake.  Parties  have  gone  through 
and  report  that  there  is  an  open  valley  of  at  least  15  miles  in  width,  separating 
these  two  ranges. 

CLIMATE  OF  WESTERN  WASHINGTON. — The  climate  of  western  Washington 
is  essentially  different  from  that  of  the  portion  east  of  the  Cascade  mountains. 
The  fact  that  there  is  comparatively  no  winter  in  so  high  a  latitude  may  be  a 
matter  of  surprise.  Properly  speaking,  however,  there  are  but  two  seasons,  the 
dry  and  the  rai-ny.  The  grades  of  temperature  and  the  accompaniments  which 
in  other  countries  of  the  same  latitude  ascribe  the  features  and  title  to  the  four 
seasons,  spring,  summer,  autumn,  and  winter,  are  here  in  great  measure  obliterated, 
or  at  least  so  dimly  marked  that  the  seasons  imperceptibly  run  into  each  other, 
and  lose  their  distinctive  line  of  division.  It  is  not  unusual  for  the  three  winter 
months  to  be  mild,  without  snow  or  ice,  the  grass  growing  meanwhile.  In  Feb- 
ruary, the  weather  may  occur  mild  and  genial  as  May,  to  bo  succeeded  in  March 
or  April  with  our  coldest  weather.  In  July  and  August,  da}Ts  in  some  portions 


548 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


of  which  the  maximum  temperature  will  reach  90°  or  100°,  are  sometimes  fol- 
lowed by  cold  nights,  occasionally  accompanied  by  heavy  frost.  The  rainy 
season  proper  begins  late  in  October  or  early  in  November,  and  may  be  said  to 
continue  till  the  ensuing  April.  It  frequently  happens  after  the  first  rains 
that  weeks  of  weather  similar  to  Indian  summer  occur,  and  it  is  seldom  that  one 
or  other  of  the  months  of  January,  February,  or  March  does  not  prove  continu- 
ously mild  and  clear.  Tke  summers  of  this  Territory  are  unsurpassed  in  the 
world.  While  many  days  are  exceedingly  warm,  the  nights  are  always  cool  and 
refreshing,  as  if  specially  intended  for  wholesome  sleeping.  In  the  winter  months, 
six  in  number,  rains  prevail.  No  disappointment  should  be  felt  if  falling  weather 
occurred  some  part  of  each  24  hours,  and  yet  many  bright  sunshiny  days  relieve 
the  long-continued  rainy  season  of  Washington  Territory.  Of  the  16  winters 
passed  in  this  Territory,  the  writer  has  known  but  three  so  severe  as  to  render  it 
essential  to  house  and  feed  stock.  The  Indians  do  not  pretend  to  such  acts  of 
providence,  and  they  lose  but  little  of  their  small  wealth  from  exposure  or  cold. 
Rose  bushes  generally  have  proved  an  evergreen,  and  during  the  winter  of 
1860-61,  the  liermosa  continued  to  bloom  in  the  garden  of  the  write;:  till  the 
25th  of  January.  Such  weather  is  by  no  means  axiomatic,  and  an  improvident 
farmer  may  lose  his  stock  if  means  of  shelter  and  food  be  not  attainable.  Those 
who  have  followed  stock-raising  most  successfully  provide  from  two  to  three 
months'  feed  as  a  general  rule.  While  it  may  not  be  essential,  surely  "  it  is  a 
good  thing  to  have  on  hand.77  An  average  of  from  7  to  10  days  of  freezing 
weather  may  be  looked  for  with  moderate  certainty,  when  ice  may  be  formed 
sufficiently  thick  to  bear  a  man's  weight.  Under  most  favoring  circumstances, 
a  small  pond  entirely  protected  from  the  wind,  or  the  action  of  the  sun,  may  be 
frozen  tight  enough  to  permit  a  day  or  two  of  skating  to  a  limited  number  of  per- 
sons. Parties  fond  of  sleighing  consider  themselves  especially  favored  if  they 
are  afforded  a  season  of  from  three  days  to  a  week's  duration. 

From  a  series  of  meteorological  observations  taken  at  Fort  Steilacoom,  the  fol- 
lowing will  demonstrate  the  above  statements.  The  reason  for  adopting  this 
year  is  simply  because  it  will  be  found  that  the  mean  temperature  of  the  three 
winter  months  comports  with  the  register  furnished  at  the  Smithsonian  Institute, 
and  used  by  the  Hon.  Charles  Simmer  in  his  recent  exhaustive  speech  in  favor 
of  the  purchase  of  Russian  America.  In  the  register  used  by  him,  the  mean  of 
the  winter  months  for  a  series  of  years  amounted  to  39°  3SX.  In  the  year  adopted 
the  mean  temperature  is  30°  70'. 

Mem  temperature  at  Fort  Steilacoom,  Washington  Territory,  (latitude  47°  07 'J 
for  tJie  six  months  regarded  as  the  rainy  season,  or  winter,  togetlier  with  the 
amount  of  rain  and  snow,  and  the  number  of  frosts  in  each  month. 


Mean  temperature. 

. 

^ 

Rain. 

Remarks. 

.2 

S 

g 

s 

3  s 

p 

cs 

ft 

ft 

§1 

CO 

CS 

CO 

05 

S  " 

1853. 

o 

o 

0 

0 

0 

Inches 

October  

45.25 

55.58 

62.  32 

51.19 

53.32 

6.93 

Hoar  frost,  three  times.    Frost,  once. 

November  

40.02   46.0? 

50.43 

43.  73 

44.63 

18.41 

Hoar  frost,  twice.     One  strong  frost. 

December  

38.74 

44.30 

51 

44.45 

44.94 

4.42 

H  inch  snow,  23d,  morning.      .Hoar  frost,   three; 

frost,  one  ;  hard  frost,  four  times. 

1854. 

January  

24.64 

29.96 

37.80 

30.03 

31.38 

8.69 

2£  inches   snow.    Ice,  1£  inch,  (4th.)     .Snow  latter 

part  of  10th;  25  inches  sunrise  llth,  and  at  intervals 

that  day.  Snow  showers  on  12th.  Six  days  without 

frost. 

February  

34.17 

39.82 

48.17 

36.42 

43 

7.57 

1st,  i  yjch  snow.     Showers  of  snow  on  10th.    J  inch 

on  llth.     Snow  on  14th.   .Hard  frost,  four  times. 

1 

Hear  frost,  twice. 

March  .     . 

35.58 

43.58 

54.22 

40.09 

46.08 

2.89 

Light  showers  of  snow  on  10th.     Showers  of  hail  fusd 

snow  on  29ik    Two  hoar  frosts  and  one  hard  frost 

in  month. 

WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  549 

Mean  temperature  at  Fort  Steilcoom,  by  months,  for  four  years. 

MHUU  of  four  years:  January,  38°.  1 ;  February,  40°.  7 ;  March,  41°.  8;  April,  48°.  6;  May,  56°.  6;  June  61°.  1- 
July,  64°.  9;  'August, 64°.  0;  September,  50°.  9;  October,  52°.  6;  November,  46°.  2:  December,  38°.' 3 ;  for 
year,  5U°.  8;  three  winter  mouths,  3iP.  0. 

On  page  159  of  Davidson's  "Directory  of  the  Pacific  Coast"  will  be  found  a 
series  of  meteorological  observations  onthePuget  sound,  for  the  years  1855-6-7, 
of  the  summer  months.  Those  of  1857  present  the  following  results : 


d 

e 

| 

S  >> 

** 

•A 

e 

1 

1 

a 

d 

to 

03 

S 

*! 

-    3 

! 

Time. 

i 

"O 

1 

1| 

'5 

ll 

S 

s 

Ui  O 

§.3 
^  £ 

1 

Remarks. 
(Appended  below  said  register.) 

o 

o 

.*=  5 

o 

s 

DO 

B 

*  ^, 

S 

1 

1 

II 

& 

j 

• 

s 

CS 
>0j 

§ 

§ 

1 

u  * 

§ 

1 

S 

M 

*3 

« 

O 

H 

1857. 

o 

o 

0 

0 

o 

0 

o 

/7lcAcs 

Inches 

May  (3  weeks.)  . 
June 

71.7 
78.2 

48.4 
50.7 

101.5 
90.1 

46.9 
29.2 

38.5 
43.0 

18.1 
13.1 

4<».0 
36.9 

0.52 
.  62 

0.79 
1.  19 

Greatest  range  of  temperature 
during  the  above  period,  63°. 

July  

74.9 

51.6 

89.2 

26.5 

46.9 

9.3 

33.1 

.44 

0.01 

Greatest  rancro  of   barometer 

from     May    12   to    October 

13,  0°.  79  inch. 

August 

73.8 

51.1 

88.0 

28.0 

47  i 

9.7 

37.8 

.46 

0.08 

September  

65.  5 

49.8 

76.4 

23.3 

45.2 

8.5 

30.8 

.73 

0.70 

A  dry  s-eaison,  and  marked  by 
a  week  of  remarkably  hot 

October  (2  w'ks.) 

60.1 

48.9 

68.  7 

16.3 

43.4 

7.8 

25.1 

.65 

0.74 

weather  at  the  close  of  May 
and  the  begiuing  of  June. 

Mr.  Davidson  then  remarks:  "The  cerealia  generally  grows  well,  but  the 
climate  is  too  cold  for  maize.  During  the  winter  a  great  amount  of  rain  falls — 
a.s  much  as  60  inches;  and  heavy  weather  prevails  principally  from  the  south- 
ward. It  is  never  cold  enough  to  form  thick,  clear,  solid  ice." 

In  the  winter  of  186(3-7,  the  United  States  Coast  Survey  brig  R.  H. 
Fauntleroy  was  ordered  to  remain  here  during  the  winter  with  the  idea  of  testing 
whether  winter  work  was  practicable,  and  to  be  on  the  station  at  the  earliest 
opening  of  the  season.  To  test  the  propriety  of  such  order,  a  meteorological 
register  was  kept  to  show  the  number  of  days  when  work  could  not  be  done. 
Mr.  J.  S.  Lawson,  in  charge  of  the  work,  has  kindly  furnished  an  abstract. 
It  shows  that  not  much  may  be  effected  by  keeping  a  full  crew  on  duty,  but  it 
proves  still  more  the  mildness  of  a  Puget  sound  winter,  and  how  exempt  this 
climate  is  from  fogs. 

Abstract  of  meteorological  register  United  States  sun-ci/iny  brig  E.H.  Fauntkroy, 
November,  1866,  to  April,  1867,  inclusive. 

(Most  of  these  observations  were  taken  at  Olyrnpia.) 


Month. 

Clear 
days. 

Stormy  days. 

Amount 
of  rain. 

Rain. 

Fog  or 

mist. 

2 
3 
7 
2 
89 
89 

25 

as 

18 
84 

8 
8 

3 
3 

o 

2 
1 
0 

Inches. 

9,892 
B,  1KX) 
7,  506 
5,  1!>T 
0,  f-'H) 
'2,  371 

TSIarch                                                                      

April 

Snow  on  four  days. 


550  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

That  admirable  document,  the  speech  of  Senator  Sumner,  on  Russian  America, 
explains  the  phenomenon,  why  Washington  Territory  is  gifted  with  a  climate 
so  much  milder  in  winter  than  places  of  much  lower  latitude  in  Europe  or  the 
Atlantic  States.  His  remarks  were  applied  to  Sitka,  in  latitude  57°  OS7.  With 
how  much  more  force  may  they  be  applied  to  western  Washington,  with  the 
Cascade  mountains  as  a  natural  wall  effectually  barring  out  the  cold  bleak  winds 
from  the  frozen  northeast,  and  confining  the  more  genial  warm  currents  of  air 
and  ocean  which  the  distinguished  senator  so  beautifully  describes  in  the  following 
extract : 

All  this  is  now  explained  by  certain  known  forces  in  nature.  Of  these  the  most  important 
is  a  thermal  current  in  the  Pacific,  corresponding  to  the  Gulf  Stream  in  the  Atlantic.  The 
latter  having  its  origin  in  the  heated  waters  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  flows  as  a  river  through 
the-  ocean  northward,  encircling  England,  bathing  Norway,  and  warming  all  within  its 
influence.  A  similar  stream  in  the  Pacific,  sometimes  called  the  Japanese  current,  having 
its  origin  under  the  equator  near  the  Philippines  and  the  Malaccas,  amid  no  common  heats, 
after  washing  the  ancient  empire  of  Japan,  sweeps  northward  until  forming  two  branches: 
one  moves  onward  to  Behring's  straits,  and  the  other  bends  eastward  along  the  Aleutian 
islands,  and  then  southward  along  the  coast  of  Sitka,  Oregon,  and  California.  Geographers 
have  described  this  ''heater,"  which  in  the  lower  latitude  is  as  high  as  8J°  of  Fahrenheit, 
and  even  far  to  the  north  it  is  as  high  as  50°.  A  chart  now  before  me  in  Findlay's  Pacific 
Ocean  Directory  portrays  its  course,  as  it  warms  so  many  islands  and  such  an  extent  of 
coast.  An  officer  of  the  United  States  navy,  Lieutenant  Bent,  in  a  paper  before  the  Geo- 
graphical Society  of  New  York,  while  exhibiting  the  influence  of  this  current  in  mitigating 
the  climate  of  the  northwest  coast,  mentions  that  vessels  on  the  Asiatic  side,  becoming 
unwieldy  with-  accumulations  of  ice  on  the  hull  and  rigging,  run  over  to  the  higher  latitude 
on  the  American  side  and  "thaw  out."  But  the  tepid  waters  which  melt  the  ice  on  a 
vessel  must  change  the  atmosphere  wherever  they  flow. 

I  hope  you  will  not  regard  the  illustration  as  too  familiar,  if  I  remind  you  that  in  the 
economy  of  a  household  pipes  of  hot  water  are  sometimes  employed  in  tempering  the  atmo- 
sphere by  hwit  earned  from  below  to  rooms  above.  In  the  economy  of  nature  these  thermal 
currents  are  only  pipes  of  hot  water,  modifying  the  climate  of  continents  by  carrying  heat 
from  the  warm  cisterns  of  the  south  into  the  most  distant  places  of  the  north.  So  also  there 
are  sometimes  pipes  of  hot  air,  having  a  similar  purpose,  and  these,  too,  are  found  in  this 
region.  Every  ocean  wind,  from  every  quarter,  as  it  traverses  the  stream  of  heat,  takes  up 
the  warmth  and  carries  it  to  the  coast,  so  that  the  oceanic  current  is  re-enforced  by  an  aerial 
current  of  constant  influence. 

But  these  forces  are  aided  essentially  by  the  configuration  of  the  northwest  coast,  with  a 
lofty  and  impenetrable  barricade  of  mountains,  by  which  its  islands  and  harbors  are  pro- 
tected from  the  cold  of  the  north.  Occupying  the  Aleutain  islands,  traversing  the  peninsula 
of  Alaska,  and  running  along  the  margin  of  the  ocean  to  the  latitude  of  54°  40',  this  moun- 
tain ridge  is  a  climatic  division,  or,  according  to  a  German  geographer,  a  "climatic  shed," 
such  as  perhaps  exists  nowhere  else  in  the  world.  Here  are  Alps,  some  of  them  volcanic, 
with  Mount  St.  Elias  higher  than  Mount  Biauc,  standing  on  guard  against  the  Arctic  Circle. 
So  it  seems  even  without  the  aid  of  science.  Here  is  a  dike  between  the  icy  waters  of 
Behring  sea  and  the  milder  southern  ocean.  Here  is  a  partition  between  the  treeless  northern 
coast  and  the  wooded  coast  of  the  Kenanians  and  Koloschians.  Here  is  a  fence  which  sepa- 
rates the  animal  kingdom  of  this  region,  leaving  on  one  side  the  walrus  and  ice  fox  from  the 
Frozen  ocean,  and  on  the  other  side  the  humming  bird  from  the  tropics.  I  simply  repeat 
the  statements  of  geography.  And  nowayou  will  not  fail  to  observe  how  by  this  configura- 
tion the  thermal  currents  of  ocean  and  air  are  left  to  exercise  all  their  climatic  power.  (Vide, 
p.  29.) 

George  Davidson,  who  has  already  been  referred  to,  and  Avhose  works  have 
been  consulted  in  preparing  the  foregoing  memoir,  thus  briefly  but  comprehen- 
sively gives  his  view  of  the  coast  division  of  Washington  Territory  : 

Washington  Territory  has  a  climate  excelled  only  by  that  of  California.  We  know  not 
where  to  point  to  such  a  ramification  of  inland  navigation,  save  in  the  British  possessions  to 
the  northward.  For  depth  of  water,  boldness  of  approaches,  freedom  from  hidden  dangers, 
and  the  immeasurable  sea  of  gigantic  timber  coming  down  to  the  very  shores,  these  waters 
are  unsurpassed,  unapproachable. 

II.  CENTRAL  WASHINGTON. — The  second  natural  division  of  Washington 
Territory  lies  between  the  Cascade  mountains  and  the  ColumlMa  river,  both  of 
which  have  already  been  noticed.  The  following  extract  from  the  geographical 
memoir  embodied  in  the  "  narrative  and  final  report  of  explorations  for  a  route 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  551 

for  a  Pacific  railroad,  near  the  47tV  and  49th  parallels  of  north  latitude  from  St. 
Paul  to  Pugot  sound,"  by  the  hite  ( rovernor  Stevens,  c.lmrum  ct  vencrabile  nomen, 
will  give  the  best  idea  of  the  remaining  geographic  features  of  this  interesting 
region : 

Coming  now  to  the  country  lying  between  the  main  Columbia  and  the  Cascade  mountains, 
it  may  he  necessary  to  describe  with  some  particularity  the  various  streams  and  their  several 
tributaries  flowing  into  the  main  Columbia.  A  glance  at  the  map  shows  that  the  general 
course  of  these  streams  is  very  much  to  the  south,  and  between  them  are  generally  to  be 
found  high  mountain  spurs  which  run  to  the  Columbia  itself,  overhanging  it  many  hundred 
feet.  The  most  considerable  rivers  are  the  Yakima,  with  its  Pisko,  its  Atahnam,  its  Nachess, 
its  Wenass,  and  other  tributaries. 

The  Pisquouse  or  Wenachee  river,  Lake  Chelan  and  the  Chelan  river,  the  Methow  river 
and  the  Okinakane  river  may  be  described  as  follows  :  The  Yakima  rises  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  passes  of  the  Cascade  range,  latitude  47°  15',  from  several  large  and  beautiful  lakes,  and 
taking  a  general  course  to  the  southeast,  runs  for  1GO  miles  to  its  confluence  with  the  Colum- 
bia, in  latitude  48°  05'.  For  25  miles  down  the  stream  its  valley  is  only  from  half  a  mile  to  a 
mile  wide;  it  then  widens  out  in  Ketelas  plain,  which  is  10  or  15  miles  wide,  the  river  there 
being  90  feet  wide,  and  about  three  in  depth,  but  very  rapid.  Below  this  plain  the  river 
curves  gradually  to  the  south,  until  it  receives  the  waters  of  the  Pisko ;  then  turns  again 
eastward  to  its  mouth.  Between  the  Ketelas  and  Atahnam,  for  30  mil^s  the  hills  again 
encroach  on  the  valley,  but  below  that  it  again  widens  out  to  6  or  10  miles,  with  numerous 
branchings  among  the  hills.  On  the  west  side,  opposite  Ketelas  plain,  three  streams,  the 
Pteh-nuui,  Emptenuui,  and  Wenass,  rise  among  the  hills  separating  the  main  Yakima  from 
its  principal  branch,  the  Nachess.  These  streams  are  from  15  to  '20  miles  long,  and  run  through 
small  and  fertile  valleys.  The  Nachess  rises  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Nachess  Pass,  and  run- 
ning nearly  parallel  to  the  Yakima  at  a  distance  of  from  Jo  to  20  miles,  joins  it  after  flowing 
about  50  miles.  It  has  a  valley  from  half  a  mile  to  four  miles  in  width.  The  Atahnam  rises 
about  30  miles  south  of  it,  and  runs  in  a  more  easterly  course,  emptying  about  10  miles  below ; 
its  valley  is  smaller  than  that  of  the  Nachess,  but  fertile.  The  Pisko  rises  among  the  hills 
east  of  Mount  Adams,  and  in  size  and  character  resembles  the  Atahnain.  Only  two  small 
branches  join  the  Yakima  from  the  north  and  east,  one  running  through  the  middle  of  Ketflas 
plain  from  the  hills  northward,  the  other  running  almost  directly  contrary  to  the  upper 
Yakima  from  the  hills  east  of  its  southerly  bend.  The  Pisquouse  and  Enteathwa,  which 
enter  the  Columbia  near  latitude  47°  30',  are  at  their  mouths  rapid  streams,  with  high  falls  as 
they  descend  from  the  hills  at  the  foot  of  the  Cascade  range  into  the  deep  valley  of  the  Colum 
bia.  They  are  supposed  to  head  in  the  mountains  about  30  milfs  northwest  of  it.  The 
Chelan  rises  in  a  lake,  which  is  reported  by  the  Indians  to  run  for  30  miles  back  among  the 
mountains,  and  approaches  to  within  two  miles  of  the  Columbia,  into  which  its  outlet  falls, 
by  a  series  oi  cascades,  350  feet  in  this  short  distance,  in  about  latitude  47°  45'. 

The  Methow  rises  by  several  sources  in  the  mountains  northwest  of  Fort  Okin- 
agan,  and,  running  southeasterly,  empties  near  latitude  48°.  On  its  upper  part 
There  is  a  fine  wide  valley;  but  this  narrows  to  a  mile  for  10  miles  above  its 
mouth.  The  Okinakane,  rising  in  a  long  series  of  lakes  north  of  the  49th  par- 
allel, runs  nearly  south  for  seventy  miles  within  the  Territory,  joining  the 
Columbia  only  eight  miles  above  the  Methow.  It  expands  into  several  small 
marshy  lakes  in  its  course,  and  is  generally  slow  and  deep,  but  in  one  place, 
about  :;;>  miles  above  its  mouth,  there  is  a  fall  of  five  feet.  Its  valley  is  fine 
and  the  hills  around  well  grassed,  wooded,  and  arable.  It  receives  a  branch 
from  the  northwest,  near  the  falls,  which  runs  through  a  rough,  hilly  country, 
and  lias  some  high  falls  near  its  mouth. 

The  Ne-hoi-at-pu-quu  is  a  stream  which  enters  the  Columbia  opposite  Fort 
Colville.  It  has  a  winding  course  of  about  70  miles,  and  has  numerous  beauti- 
ful prairies  in«its  valley,  though  the  hills  around,  partially  wooded,  are  also  to  a 
great  extent  arable.  None  of  these  rivers  west  of  the  Columbia  are  navigable, 
eucept,  perhaps,  the  Yakima  for  a  part,  of  its  course  at  high  water.  Lake  Che- 
lan is  doubtless  navigable  for  many  miles,  but  is  cut  off  from  the  Columbia  by 
the  fall  of  its  outlet.  Between  these  rivers  are  spurs  thrown  out  from  the  main 
chain  of  the  Cascades,  and  extending  towards,  and  in  some  cases  reaching,  the 
banks  of  the  Columbia.  Those  between  the  Klikitat  and  Pisko  tributary  of 
the  Yakima  and  between  the  main  Yakima  and  the  Wenachee  or  Pisquouse 
rivers  are  considerable  mountains;  thus,  on  the  trail  pursued  by  Lieutenant 
i,  the  rise  from  the  Klikitat  valley  to  the  divide  is  2,364  feet,  and  the 


552  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

descent  to  the  Pisko  2,114  feet,  the  elevation  of  the  divide  being  3,633  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  rise  from  the  main  Yakima  to  the  divide  separating  it  from 
the  Wcnachee  is  4,048  feet,  and  the  descent  to  the  latter  stream  4,264  feet;  the 
summit  level  is  5,750  feet.  Here  the  spur  comes  upon  the  river,  making  the 
trail  difficult.  The  country  north  of  the  great  western  bend  of  the  Columbia, 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Spokane  to  the  mouth  of  the  Okinakane,  is  much  more 
gentle  and  less  elevated.  Great  injustice  has  been  done  this  country  by  a  want 
of  patience  and  consideration  on  the  part  of  the  gentlemen  who  have  gone  over 
it  rapidly  in  the  summer,-  and  wTho  have  been  over  it  but  once.  It  is  impossible 
to  speak  understandingly  of  a  country  unless  one  has  had  experience  and  oppor- 
tunities of  observation  in  countries  somewhat  similar.  Now  the  most  intelligent 
voyagers  and  best  practical  farmers  in  that  country  agree  in  opinion  that  there 
is  a  large  quantity  of  arable  land  throughout  this  country,  and  very  superior 
grazing.  This  is  the  opinion  of  intelligent  Indian  chiefs,  who  have  themselves 
made  some  progress  in  raising  crops,  and  who  are  already  great  stock  raisers. 

South  of  the  Yakima  is  a  low  divide  separating  its  waters  from  the  waters 
flowing  into  the  main  Columbia,  in  that  portion  of  the  river  where,  after  leaving 
Fort  Walla- Walla,  it  proceeds  westward.  This  divide  has  a  general  parallel 
course  to  the  Columbia,  is  nearly  east  and  west  some  30  miles  from  the  main 
river,  and  between  it  and  the  Columbia  is  a  large  body  of  arable  land,  nearly 
every  acre  of  it  adapted  to  cereals.  This  country  has  not  come  under  the  obser- 
vation of  a  scientific  party  with  instruments  in  hand,  but  has  been  much  trav- 
elled over  by  intelligent  officers  of  the  Indian  service  and  by  the  practical  agri- 
culturists of  the  country.  Little  streams  flowing  from  the  southern  side  of  this 
divide,  which  is  well  wooded  all  through,  pass  down  to  the  main  Columbia, 
watering  the  country  and  furnishing  the  means  of  supplying  the  farm  and  animals 
with  water. 

On  the  several  tributaries  of  the  Yakima,  particularly  towards  its  upper  waters, 
the  land  is  rich,  and  adapted  to  most  of  the  crops;  and  so  .in  the  valley  of  the 
Yakima  itself.  This  valley  has  been  denominated  by  some  a  desert  and  sage 
plain;  sage  does  occur  in  spots  and  small  quantities,  but  much  of  the  coun- 
try is  cultivable  and  productive.  It  may  be  observed  that  in  regard  to  the  whole 
of  this  central  portion  of  the  Territory  it  will  be  necessary  to  exercise  care  as  to 
seed  time,  and  farmers  will  have  a  disadvantage  over  those  west  of  the  Cascades 
in  their  seed  time  being  very  much  shorter 5  but  with  ordinary  care  as  to  the  put- 
ting in  seed  no  danger  need  be  apprehended  from  droughts.  This  portion  of 
the  country  is  wooded  about  half  way  up  from  the  divide  of  the  Cascade  moun- 
tains to  the  Columbia  itself,  but  you  pass  up  the  main  Yakima  70  miles  before 
you  reach  the  building  pine,  although  cotton  wood  is  found  on  its  banks  sufficient 
for  camping  purposes;  but  when  you  reach  the  Pisquouse  or  Wenachee  you 
come  to  a  wooded  region  which  extends  to  the  main  Columbia.  The  forest 
growth  of  the  upper  waters  of  the  Clearwater,  and  of  the  main  Columbia  from 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Wenachee,  furnishes  inexhaustible  supplies,  which,  after 
being  rafted  down  the  streams — that  is,  the  Snake  and  Columbia  rivers — will 
furnish  settlements  in  the  vicinity  of  those  rivers  with  firewood  and  lumber  at 
moderate  rates.  So  great  are  the  facilities  for  rafting  that  it  almost  amounts  to 
a  continuous  forest  along  the  streams.  The  Blue  mountains,  which  border  the 
Walla-Walla  valley  on  the  south,  have  a  general  course  westward,  south  of  the 
main  Columbia,  until  they  unite  with  the  Cascade  mountains,  from  which  flow 
many  streams  to  the  Columbia,  to  the  Umatilla,  Willow  creek,  Butter  creek, 
John  Day's  river,  and  the  Des  Chutes  river. 

When  this  interior  becomes  settled  there  will  be  a  chain  of  agricultural  settle- 
ments all  the  way  from  Walla-Walla  to  the  Dalles,  south  of  the  Columbia,  along 
the  streams  just  mentioned  and  north  of  the  Columbia,  on  the  beautiful  table 
land  which  has  been  described  to  border  it  from  the  Walla- Walla  westward. 
The  Dalles  is  a  narrow  pljace  in  the  Columbia  river  where  the  channel  lias  been 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  553 

worn  out  of  the  rocks,  below  which,  about  10  miles,  is  the  mouth  of  the  Kliki- 
tat  river,  whose  general  valley  i'uniislics  the  route  of  communication  with  the 
main  Yakima  and  the  several  intermediate  streams,  the  trails  pursuing  a  gener- 
ally northerly  direction.  In  this  Klikitat  valley  is  much  good  farming  land. 
It  is  also  worthy  of  observation  that  gold  w'as  found  to  exist,  in  the  explorations 
of  1853,  throughout  the  whole  region  between  the  Cascades  and  the  main  Colum- 
bia, to  the  north  of  the  boundary,  and  paying  localities  have  since  been  found 
at  several  points,  particularly  on  the  southern  tributary  of  the  Wenachee.  The 
gold  quartz  also  is  found  on  the  Nachess  river.  The  gold-bearing  crossing  the 
Columbia  and  stretching  along  Clark'*  fork  and  the  Kutanie  river  unquestion- 
ably extends  to  the  Rocky  mountains. 

CLIMATE  OF  CENTRAL  WASHINGTON". — The  meteorological  data  at  points  of 
known  altitude  within  this  region  precludes  a  satisfactory  notice  of  the  climate. 
In  the  absence  of  registered  observations  facts  may  be  stated  from  which  infer- 
ences may  be  drawn. 

A.  W.  Tinkham,  a  distinguished  civil  engineer  connected  with  the  Northern 
Pacific  railroad  survey,  left  Fort  Walla- Walla  (now  Wallula)  January  7,  1854, 
followed  the  Columbia  river  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima,  and  ascended  that 
river  to  its  sources  in  the  Cascade  mountains.  To  Kle-alurn-lake  (with  an  alti- 
tude of  3,000  feet,  which  lie  reached  January  17)  he  found  no  difficulty  in  trav- 
elling with  horses.  At  this  point  the  snow  was  about  two  feet  deep;  "30  miles 
lower  down  on  the  river  the  snow  was  very  light,  not  over  three  or  four  inches 
deep;  the  grass  was  good  and  exposed,  and  the  Indian  horses  were  in  good  con- 
dition. Extending  still  further  down  and  reaching  Walla- Walla,  the  horses  are 
ranging  in  thousands  throughout  the  borders  of  the  valley,  with  abundant  grass, 
and  rarely  with  any  trouble  from  the  snow."  From  this  camp  to  the  20th  of 
January  the  snow  nowhere  exceeded  two  and  a  half  feet  in  depth.  From  lake 
Kitclielus  to  the  summit  (Yakima  pass)  the  snow  attained  the  depth  of  six  feet. 
Mr.  Tinkham  remarks : 

Descending,  the  snow  rapidly  decreases  on  both  sides  of  the  mountain,  on  the  eastern 
side,  about  :$5  miles  from  the  summit,  amounting  to  but  from  one  and  a  half  to  two  feet  in 
depth,  and  on  the  western  side  falling  away  until,  in  the  short  distance  of  14  miles,  it  is 
only  eight  inches  deep. 

It  is  proper  to  add  that  the  winter  of  1853-'4,  when  the  reconnoissance  was 

made,  was  an  unusually  severe  winter. 

Colonel  Thorp,  of  Yakima  county,  and  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  this 
valley,  having  lost  considerable  stock  in  the  very  severe  winter  of  1861-'2,  at 
the  next  harvest  stacked  a  large  quantity  of  hay.  With  no  accessible  market 
for  the  article,  the  stacks  still  stand.  The  grass  keeping  green  all  winter  in  his 
locality,  (on  the  Yakima,  about  a  mile  above  the  mouth  of  the  Atahnam,)  his 
large  herd  of  cattle  having  had  no  occasion  to  be  fed,  the  six  or  seven  great 
hay  stacks  stand  there  undiminished  in  their  original  volume ;  they  serve  as  a 
reminder  of  that  unusually  cold  winter.  They  equally  attest  the  mild  tempera- 
ture of  the  valleys  of  Central  Washington,  and  while  one  cannot  fail  to  com- 
mend the  prudence  of  the  stock  raiser,  yet,  for  the  sake  of  his  labor  and  that  so 
much  good  hay  should  not  be  wasted,  would  almost  wish  that  real  winter  would 
come  oftener.  Sylvester  Mowry,  then  a  lieutenant  in  the  United  States  army, 
who  had  charge  of  the  meteorological  observations  of  the  western  division  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  railroad,  1853,  gives  a  series  of  means  of  observations  at  each 
camp  between  Fort  Vancouver  and  Fort  Colville,  in  the  months  from  July  to 
October,  inclusive,  to  appreciate  which' the  altitudes  of  the  camps  should  be 
included.  There  was  no  rain  in  July,  three  days -on  which  rain  fell  in  August, 
seven  days  on  which  rain  fell  in  September;  in  October,  five  days  on  which  rum 
fell,  and  snow  on  the  night  of  23d  and  morning  of  24th.  He  notices  the  great 
disproportion  between  the  temperature  at  sunrise  and  mid-day,  and  says : 

1  have  no  recollection  of  a  single  day  on  which  a  fire  was  uncomfortable  during  the  pre- 


554  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

ceding  and  succeeding  sunrise.     The  heat  was  not  generally  oppressive,  except  in  the  sun, 
throughout  the  march. 

Governor  Stevens,  who  so  thoroughly  investigated  all  these  subjects,  in  solving 
the  great  desideratum  of  these  times,  interoceanic  railway  communications,  thus 
arrives  at  the  character  of  the  climate  in  this  vicinity,  which  is  quoted  with  the 
more  satisfaction  from  the  fact  that  his  deductions  are  substantiated  by  residents 
of  the  Yakima  valley.  He  thus  argues  : 

Walla- Walla,  latitude  46°  03'',  longitude  118°  25';  altitude,  1,396  feet;  1-J  year— spring, 
.r>]°.9;  summer,  73°J  ;  autumn,  53°. 6  ;  winter,  34°.  1  ;  year,  53°.2.  Dalles,  latitude  45°  36', 
longitude  120°  55' ;  altitude,  300  feet ;  3-|  years— spring,  53°  ;  summer  70°. 4  ;  autumn,  52°. 2 ; 
winter,  35°. 6 ;  year,  52°. 8.  Lapwai,  Clearwater  valley,  latitude  46°  27',  longitude  117°, 
altitude,  1,000  feet.  2|  years  observations  for  temperature  give — spring,  51°  ;  summer,  70°. 3; 
autumn,  5I°.2  ;  winter,  36°.9  ;  year,  52°.4.  Of  those,  the  mean  may  represent  the  climate 
of  the  great  plains  and  of  the  valleys  connected  with  it  up  to  latitude  49°,  which  are  about 
of  the  same  or  a  lower  elevation,  giving  us,  for  spring,  51°. 9;  summer,  71°. 2;  autumn, 
53°  ;  winter,  35°.6  ;  year,  52°.7. 

With  respect  to  moisture,  no  record  exists  for  Lapwai ;  Walla-Walla  and  the  Dalles,  how- 
ever, are  drier  in  climate,  as  shown  by  the  records.  Fort  Walla- Walla,  1 J  years  observa- 
tions— spring,  6.40 ;  summer,  2.85 ;  autumn,  4.54 ;  winter,  7.10 ;  year,  20.89  inches.  Dalles,  3£ 
years — spring,  2.63;  summer,  042;  autumn,  4.16;  winter,  7.11;  year,  14.32  inches. 
Mean — spring,  4.51  ;  summer,  1.63;  autumn,  4.35;  winter,  7.11  ;  year,  17.60  inches. 

All  the  crops  of  the  middle  States,  including  corn,  can  be  cultivated  success- 
fully in  the  Yakima  valley.  This  statement  is  based  upon  reliable  information 
from  settlers  who  have  resided  there  and  farmed  for  several  years  past. 

III.  EASTERN  WASHINGTON. — The  Columbia  river,  which  bounds  this  sec- 
tion of  the  Territory  on  the  west,  has  already  been  a  matter  of  extended  notice. 
To  present  the  idea  of  the  vastness  of  regions  drained  by  it  and  its  tributaries, 
it  was  essential  to  allude  to  its  two  main  confluents,  the  Snake  (Lewis's  Fork) 
and  the  Pen  d'Oreille,  (Clarke's  Fork,)  as  also  the  area  of  country  through 
which  they  flowed.  These  two  rivers  have  their  respective  sources  far  to  the 
south  and  east  of  the  Territory  of  Washington,  but  they  cross  the  whole  width 
of  the  region  under  consideration,  and  in  it  are  their  mouths,  several  of  their 
tributaries,  and  the  largest  proportion  of  their  navigable  channels. 

If  the  Spokane  and  Walla-Walla  rivers,  with  their  respective  branches  and 
confluents,  be  excepted,  the  remaining  rivers  of  eastern  Washington  generally 
flow  into  one  or  other  of  the  two  great  forks  of  the  Columbia.  This  section 
may  therefore  be  considered  as  the  aggregation  of  the  Walla- Walla  valley ;  the 
basin  of  the  Lower  Snake  river ;  the  Great  Plain  east  of  the  Columbia,  circum- 
scribed by  the  big  bend  of  that  river  and  divided  by  the  Grand  Coulee  j  the 
Spokane  river,  valley  and  plains ;  and  the  valley  of  the  Pen  d'Oreille,  under 
the  general  term  of  "  Colville." 

The  Walla- Walla  river  and  its  several  tributaries,  the  Touchet,  Mill  creek, 
Dry  creek,  and  several  small  streams  which  permeate  the  valley  like  the 
branches  of  a  fan,  take  their  source  in  the  Blue  mountains,  flow  westerly,  and 
converge  in  the  main  stream,  which  enters  the  Columbia  just  above  the  northern 
boundary  of  Oregon.  At  the  mouth  of  the  river  was  located  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company's  fort,  Nez  Perce,  or  Walla- Wallaf  It  was  built  in  1820  by  an  officer 
of  the  Northwest  Company,  and  consisted  of  a  stockade,  ^OO  feet  square,  18 
feet  high,  with  a  broad  walk  on  top,  with  two  bastions  at  the  northeast  and 
southwest  angles.  The  timber  used  in  its  construction  was  drift-wood  from  the 
upper  Columbia.  In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  fort  are  plains  of  drifting 
sand,  extending  back  of  the  river  several  miles,  the  only  vegetation  being  wild 
sage.  This  fort  was  a  stopping  place  and  depot  for  the  brigade,  as  the  trading 
parties  of  the  company  were  termed.  In  later  years  it  was  the  supply  post  and 
entrepot  of  Forts  Hall  and  Boise  and  the  trapping  parties  of  the  interior.  Sup- 
plies from  Fort  Vancouver  intended  for  these  establishments  were  forwarded  by 
Tand  from  this  point,  while  such  as  were  designed  for  the  upper  Columbia  were 
transported  via  the  river.  This  fort  was  burned  in  1842,  and  rebuilt  with 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  555 

adobes.  In  November,  1855,  shortly  after  the  outbreak  of  Indian  hostilities,  it 
was  laken  by  the  Indians  and  plundered,  since  which  time  it  has  never  been 
occupied  by  the  company.  In  its  vicinity  Colonel  Kelley,  of  the  Oregon  vol- 
unteers, had  a  two  days'  battle  with  the  Indians  who  had  robbed  the  fort,  gaining 
a  decisive  victory  over  them.  In  this  action  the  notorious  Pu-pu-mox-mox,  head 
chief  of  the  hostiles,  was  slain. 

The  town  of  Wallula  now  occupies  the  site  of  this  old,  abandoned  fort.  Being 
the  eastern  terminus  of  the  regular  established  trips  of  the  steamboats  of  the 
Oregon  Steam  Navigation  Company,  an  extensive  forwarding  business  is  done 
here.  It  may  also  be  considered  the  port  of  the  city  of  Walla- Walla,  distant 
some  30  miles  east,  as  also  a  great  distributing  point  for  the  rich  mining  regions 
of  Idaho  and  Montana. 

Whitman's  missionary  station  (Waiilatpu)  was  located  on  the  banks  of  the 
Walla- Walla,  about  seven  miles  west  of  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Walla- 
Walla.  It  was  established  by  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  in  the  fall  of  1836,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  broken  up  Novem- 
ber, 1847,  by  the  atrocious  murder  of  its  pious  and  devoted  founder,  his  lovely 
wile,  and  nine  other  American  inmates,  by  a  band  of  perfidous  Cayuse  Indians. 

There  is  a  striking  peculiarity  about  the  innumerable  streams  which  flow  into 
the  Walla- Walla  river.  They  spread  themselves  in  almost  every  direction,  not 
only  in  channels,  but  over  and  on  top  the  surface,  constituting  a  most  admirable 
system  of  self-distributing  natural  irrigants.  To  this  feature  this  rich  agricul- 
tural valley  owes  very  much  for  its  remarkable  fertility  and  producing  power. 
The  main  streams  are  skirted  by  alder,  cottonwood,  and  willow,  the  only 
approach  to  timber  in  the  valley.  Distant  a  few  miles,  however,  the  Blue  moun- 
tains are  covered  with  heavy  timber,  adequate  for  all  purposes,  though  it  is  ren- 
dered expensive  by  the  cost  of  transportation. 

Mill  creek  is  worthy  of  notice,  not  only  because  upon  its  banks  is  located  the 
city  of  Walla- Walla,  the  largest  town  in  the  Territory,  but  also  from  the  remark- 
able fact  that  it  divides  itself  into  many  distinct  channels  or  creeks,  spreading 
out  laterally  and  watering  quite  an  extensive  surface,  then  gradually  converging 
and  concentrating  into  one  channel,  through  which  their  waters  are  emptied  into 
the  Walla-Walla  river.  We  know  of  no  other  such  system  of  irrigation  as  this 
provided  by  bounteous  nature  for  this  beautiful  region.  The  valleys  of  all  these 
rivers  and  their  numerous  branches  afford  abundance  of  excellent  fanning  lands, 
yielding  heavy  crops.  The  table-lands  and  surrounding  hills  are  possessed  of 
soil  of  like  character.  In  consequence  of  the  absence  of  water,  or  difficulty  of 
irrigation,  which  was  deemed  a  sine  qua  non  to  their  successful  cultivation,  until 
vcrv  recently  no  attempts  were  made  to  convert  these  lands  into  farms ;  but  as 
sen  lenient  increases,  they  are  being  occupied  and  very  successfully  cultivated. 
For  grazing,  these  tables  and  side  hills  cannot  be  excelled.  They  are  covered 
with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  native  bunch-grass  of  most  nutritious  quality. 
During  the  rains  of  spring  it  seems  to  attain  its  growth,  and  through  the  dry 
season  which  follows  it  stands  to  be  cured  into  the  best  of  hay,  preserving  its 
strength  and  esculent  properties  all  winter.  Stock  abandon  the  green  grass  of 
the  bottom  lands  to  feed  upon  it,  and  on  it  they  keep  fat  all  winter.  Another 
noticeable  feature  in  this  region  is  the  great  number  of  cold  springs  bursting  out 
upon  the  surface,  some  of  which  are  sufficiently  large  for  water-powers.  On  the 
hottest  days  they  retain  their  coolness,  and'  are  many  degrees  colder  than  the 
water  in  the  neighboring  streams,  to  which  they  are  found  in  close  proximity. 

But  the  term  Walla- Walla  valley,  in  common  parlance,  is  by  no  means 
restricted  to  the  valley  of  the  river  of  that  name.  Governor  Stevens,  in  his 
valuable  Geographic  Memoir,  thus  alludes  to  its  boundaries : 

The  Snake  river  forms  a  great  re-entering  from  the  Clearwater  to  its  junction  with  tho 
Columbia,  which  re-entering,  being  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Blue  mountains,  has  been 


556  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

named  the  Walla- Walla  valley,  although  that  term  properly  applies  to  the  immediate  system 
of  valleys  whose  streams  connect  with  the  Walla-Walla  river  itself. 

It  may  be  proper  to  add  that  the  settlers  on  the  Tukannon,  Al-pah-wah,  and 
Pa-ta-ha,  which  are  all  tributaries  of  Snake  river,  would  deem  themselves  out- 
lawed if  denied  their  residence  in.  Walla- Walla  valley.  In  language  appre- 
ciated in  this  Territory,  this  valley,  in  its  most  restricted  meaning,  would  find  its 
synonym  in  Walla-Walla  county. 

The  Snake  river,  having  formed  the  east  boundary  of  the  Territory  from  the 
46th  parallel  to  the  mouth  of  the  Clearwater,  crosses  the  entire  width  of  eastern 
Washington  and  empties  into  the  Columbia  about  nine  miles  north  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Walla- Walla.  Some  200  miles  of  its  length  courses  in  and  around  this 
section.  Its  main  northern  tributary  within  Washington  Territory  is  the  Pelouse, 
which  is  formed  by  two  main  branches,  one  rising  nearly  north  in  the  plain  of 
the  Columbia,  the  other  in  the  Bitter  Root  mountains.  The  latter,  after  running 
west  130  miles,  joins  the  north  fork  about  12  miles  from  the  mouth  of  Pelouse., 
The  Falls  of  the  Pelouse,  about  nine  miles  from  its  mouth,  are  well  worthy  of 
remark.  The  following  description  is  from  the  pen  of  J.  M.  Stanley,  esq.,  artist 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Exploring  Expedition,  (1853  :) 

The  Pelouse  river  flows  over  three  steppes,  each  of  which  is  estimated  to  have  an  ascent 
of  1,000  feet.  The  falls  descend  from  the  middle  of  the  lower  of  these  steppes.  There  is  no 
timber  along  the  course  of  this  stream,  and  but  few  willows  or  other  bushes ;  yet  the  soil  is 
fertile,  and  the  grass  nutritious  and  abundant  even  in  winter.  The  fall  of  water,  which  is 
about  30  feet  wide,  cannot  be  seen  from  any  distant  point ;  for,  flowing  through  a  fissure  in 
the  basaltic  rock,  portions  of  which  tower  above  in  jagged  pinnacles,  it  suddenly  descends 
some  1*25  feet  into  a  narrow  basin,  and  thence  flows  rapidly  away  through  a  deep  canon. 
The  distance  from  the  falls  to  Snake  river  is  about  nine  miles  The  valley  widens  consider- 
ably for  about  half  a  mile  from  the  mouth  of  the  Pelouse.  The  home  of  the  Pelouse  Indians 
is  near  this  junction,  where  they  devote  much  of  their  time  to  salmon  fishing.  The  sainaon 
ascend  to  the  falls ;  but  these  Indians  have  a  legend  which  tells  of  the  wickedness  of  the 
Indians  higher  up  the  country,  and  how  the  Great  Spirit,  in  his  displeasure,  placed  the  falls 
as  a  barrier  to  the  further  ascent  of  the  salmon. 

Of  the  great  plain  lying  east  of  the  Columbia,  Governor  Stevens  thus  speaks : 
That  portion  of  the  great  plain  lying  east  of  the  main  Columbia,  and  which  may  be  regarded 
as  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Spokane,  and  on  the  east  by  the  foot-hills  of  the  Bitter  Root 
mountains,  is,  for  the  most  part,  well  watered  and  well  grassed.  The  eastern  half  of  this 
portion  is  exceedingly  well  adapted  to  agricultural  purposes.  The  various  streams — the 
Pelouse,  the  Kamas  Prairie  creek  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene,  the  Spokane,  and  Coaur  d'Aleue 
rivers — are  well  timbered  with  pine,  and  numerous  rivulets  and  springs  are  found  through 
that  portion  of  the  country,  facilitating  the  progress  of  settlements,  and  rendering  the  whole 
at  once  available  for  agriculturists. 

The  Grand  Coulee,  which  is  the  peculiar  specialty  of  this  region,  commences 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Columbia,  immediately  north  of  the  chain  of  hills  which 
skirt  the  river  in  its  bend  from  White  Bluffs  westward  ;  after  running  in  the 
same  general  direction  as  these  hills  eastward  some  30  miles,  it  turns  sharply  to 
the  north,  and  continues  in  that  direction  till  it  opens  again  upon  the  Columbia, 
some  60  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Spokane.  The  information  as  to  this 
south  arm  and  mouth  of  the  Grand  Coulee  is  derived  from  A.  J.  Tread  way,  esq., 
who  surveyed  several  townships  in  its  vicinity  during  the  past  summer,  (1867,) 
under  contract  with  the  surveyor  general  of  this  Territory.  He  thus  describes  it : 

The  south  or  southwest  eod  of  the  Grand  Coulee  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  Columbia,  in 
township  16  N.,  R.  23  E.,  at  about  centre  of  the  range  and  south  side  of  the  township.  '  It 
extends  through  ranges  24,  25,  26,  27,  28  east, and  then  turns  nearly  to  the  north.  Near  the 
southern  boundary  of  the  township  is  a  range  of  high  hills  from  1,000  to  1,500  feet  high, 
running  nearly  east  and  west,  parallel  with  the  township  line.  In  the  '  oulee  are  numerous 
broken  or  detached  ledges  of  rocks  from  10  to  75  or  100  feet  high,  and  fi  mi  100  feet  to  one  or 
two  miles  in  length,  running  generally  in  the  same  direction  with  the  Coulee.  Scattered 
through  the  valley  are  numerous  mounds  of  broken  rocks  seldom  more  than  10  or  20  feet  in. 
height. 

Lieutenant  Richard  Arnold,  United  States  army,  of  Stevens's  Exploration, 
(1853,)  describes  the  north  end  as  starting  from  the  Columbia  60  miles  below 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  557 

the  mouth  of  the  Spokane,  and  moving  in  a  general  direction  south-southwest. 
lie  says  : 

The  Grand  Coulee  is  about  10  miles  wide  where  it  opens  on  the  river  at  its  northern  end, 
which  is  ]00  feet  above  the  water,  and  gradually  widens  towards  the  south;  its  walls,  800 
tVct  hio;h,  are  formed  of  solid  basaltic  rock,  but  diminished  in  height  southward  as  the  bottom 
rosr  toward  the  summit  of  the  plain,  until  in  20  miles  distance  they  ended.  Numerous  lat- 
eral ravines  and  canons  were  seen,  running  in  various  directions,  some  of  them  containing 
lakes  without  outlet,  and  streams  10  feet  wide  and  two  deep. 

The  portion  west  of  the  Grand  Coulee  bounded  by  the  Columbia  is  of  basaltic 
formation,  sparsely  grassed  and  scantily  supplied  with  water.  A  large  propor- 
tion of  country  east  and  south  of  the  Grand  Coulee  is  well  adapted  to  grazing 
and  tillage. 

The  Spokane  river  empties  into  the  Columbia  just  below  the  48th  parallel, 
and  near  the  point  where  the  Columbia,  deflecting  sharply  from  its  southerly 
course,  forms  the*  north  limb  of  the  big  bend  of  that  river  to  the  westward.  A 
few  miles  within  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Territory  it  receives  its  main  con- 
fluent, the  Coeur  d'Alene,  the  outlet  of  Coeur  d'Alene  lake,  which  is  located  in 
that  narrow  strip  of  Idaho  Territory  situate  between  eastern  Washington  and 
Montana.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  effort  now  being  made  to  re-annex  this  strip 
to  Washington  will  meet  with  success.  It  is  a  useless  appendage  to  Idaho,  and 
if  county  organization  became  necessary,  the  isolation  from  the  body  of  the  Ter- 
ritory and  the  capital  would  prove  a  source  of  inconvenience  to  the  residents. 
The  reannexation  would  divest  Idaho  of  incongruous  shape,  avoid  parallels  of 
latitude  and  imaginary  lines  as  boundaries,  substituting  therefor  mountain  chains, 
and  it  would  render  intact  a  region  of  country  with  community  of  natural  feature 
and  resources,  and  if  inhabited  at  all,  its  population  would  depend  upon  simi- 
larity of  pursuit. 

The  Cceur  d'Alene  river  has  several  tributaries,  the  principal  of  which  are  the 
St.  Joseph's  and  South  Fork.  The  valleys  of  the  SpoKane  and  Cceur  d'Alene 
are  well  adapted  to  settlement,  abundantly  supplied  with  timber  and  water,  and 
affording  a  large  proportion  of  arable  land.  This  region  may  be  repinled  us 
bounded  on  the  north  by  Clarke's  fork,  or  the  Pen  d'Oreille  river,  which,  after 
leaving  Pen  d'Oreille  lake,  (east  of  this  Territory.)  runs  northwest  and  enters 
the  Columbia  under  the  49th  parallel.  From  the  Spokane  river  to  the  northern 
boundary  the  country  is  heavily  wooded,  interspersed  with  valleys,  many  of 
Avhieh  are  now  occupied  by  settlers.  The  extensive  prairie,  or  plain  of  the 
Spokane,  must  not  be  overlooked  ;  through  it  passes  the  wagon  road  from  Walla- 
Walla  to  Pen  d'Oreille  lake.  This  vicinity  is  memorable  for  the  short  but  bril- 
liant and  decisive  campaign  of  the  late  distinguished  General  George  Wright, 
(then  colonel  9th  United  States  infantry,)  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1858,  against 
a  hostile  combination  of  the  Spokane,  Pen  d'Oreille,  Pelouse,  and  Ccenr  d'Alene 
tribes  of  Indians,  a  large  number  of  whom,  on  the  16th  May  previous,  had  sur- 
prised and  defeated  Colonel  Steptoe,  of  the  same  regiment,  on  Snake  river. 
Colonel  Wright  was  sent  by  General  N.  S.  Clarke  to  chastise  them.  On  the 
1st  September  he  thoroughly  whipped  them  at  "Four  Lakes,"  (latitude  47°  32', 
longitude  117°  39',)  without  the  loss  on  his  part  of  a  single  man.  On  the  6th 
he  repeated  the  lesson  at  "  Spokane  plains,"  (latitude  47°  40',  longitude  117°  19',) 
in- a  right  continuing  over  seven  hours,  in  which  the  Indians  were  driven  some  14 
miles,  two  of  their  chiefs  killed,  and  numbers  of  lesser  note.  The  prompt  and 
efficient  conduct  of  Colonel  Wright  forced  the  Indians  to  sue  for  peace.  He 
marched  as  far  as  the  Coeur  d'Alene  mission,  curtailing  their  ability  for  further 
depredation,  and  established  quiet  in  that  region,  which  till  this  time  remains, 
lie  also  gloriously  wiped  out  the  humiliation  of  Steptoe's  disaster. 

West  of  the  Spokane  prairie  a  range  of  hills  divides  the  waters  of  the  Spokane 
and  lower  Pen  d'Oreille.  Between  these  hills  and  the  Columbia  are  the  Col- 
ville  and  Chcrnakane  valleys,  separated  by  a  low  divide.  In  the  latter  was 


558 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


located  tlie  missionary  station  of  Key.  Messrs.  Eels  and  Walker,  established  in 
1838,  under  the  auspices  of  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  suc- 
cessfully conducted  till  the  winter  of  1847,  when,  after  the  "Whitman  massacre," 
it  was  abandoned.  This  valley  affords  a  large  quantity  of  excellent  agriculti"-1 
land,  and  is  capable  of  supporting  a  considerable  settlement. 

The  Colville  valley  derives  its  name  from  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  for 
of  that  name,  situated  near  the  bank  of  the  Columbia,  in  latitude  48°  37'.  This 
post  was  established  in  1825,  and  during  the  period  when  the  company  were  in 
active  operation  was  second  only  in  importance  to  Fort  Vancouver.  It  was 
erected  upon  a  terrace  about  a  mile  back  from  the  river,  and  about  two  miles 
from  Kettle  falls,  a  vicinity  formerly  noted  for  the  abundance  of  salmon.  The 
establishment  consisted  of  a  dwelling-house,  three  or  four  warehouses,  a  black- 
smith shop,  and  several  one-story  log  houses.  In  primitive  days  these  were 
enclosed  'within  a  stockade  some  70  yards  square,  with  bastions  at  two  of  the 
angles.  Nine  miles  from  the  fort  was  the  Cattle  Ranch ;  a  grist-mill  situate  on 
the  Stauntelms  river,  (now7  Mill  creek,)  three  miles  from  the  fort,  where  quite  an 
extensive  farm  was  cultivated.  This  mill  supplied  the  adjacent  country  and  the 
northern  posts  with  flour,  made  from  the  wheat  raised  in  this  vicinity  by  its  few 
settlers,  mostly  in  the  company's  service,  and  Indians  living  within"  a  circuit  of  « 
70  miles,  who  had  been  instructed  in  agriculture  by  the  Protestant  missionaries, 
also  supplied  considerable.  This  fact  alone  speaks  largely  as  to  the  capacity  of 
Colville  valley  as  a  wheat-producing  region.  The  batteaux  used  by  the  com- 
pany in  the  navigation  of  the  Columbia  were  built  at  .this  fort.  It  was  in  fact 
a  recruiting  station  and  rendezvous  for  the  company's  brigades  ;  the  point  where 
the  results  of  trade  were  consolidated  to  be  transmitted  across  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains to  headquarters  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  territory,  from  whence  shipments  were 
made  to  England. 

In  the  immediate  vi^nity  of  the  fort  the  soil  is  sandy,  but  a  short  distance- 
back  it  produces  abundant  crops.  We  have  no  recent  meteorological  data  suffi- 
ciently full  to  make  an  exhibit  of  climate  ;  but  the  assertion  is  fully  warranted 
that  the  winters  are  many  degrees  milder  than  in  the  same  latitudes  east  of  the 
Rocky  mountains.  Captain  Mullan,  United  States  army,  who  has  been  tho- 
roughly acquainted  with  this  whole  region  since  1853,  compares  the  climate  of 
this  region  with  that  of  St.  Joseph's,  Missouri,  in  latitude  41°.  The  summer  is 
apt  to  be  hot  and  dry ;  but  little  rain  falls  except  in  spring  and  fall.  Corn  suc- 
ceeds well,  though  later  in  maturing  than  in  the  middle  States.  Wheat,  barley, 
oats,  patatoes.  melons,  &c.,  yield  abundantly. 

Colville  valley  proper  is  about  50  miles  long  and  three  wide,  and  large  quan- 
tities of  very  rich  land  are  unoccupied  and  open  to  settlement.  Hon.  J.  E. 
Wyche,  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court,  Washington  Territory,  but  recently 
returned  from  holding  court  at  Pinckney  City,  thus  refers  to  it  : 

On  the  rich  lands  now  unoccupied  in  the  valley  and  on  Mud  lake  and  along  on  different 
points  on  the  Columbia  river  there  are  now  the  finest  opportunities  for  settlement  and  happy 
and  prosperous  homes  of  any  part  of  this  upper  coast.  From  100  to  300  families  may  find 
as  rich  land  as  the  sun  shines  on,  with  no  timber  to  be  cleared,  and  with  splendid  timber  just 
at  hand,  and  the  finest  streams,  and  needing  only  the  touch  of  the  husbandman's  hand  to 
yield  abundant  harvests. 

Pinckney  Cit^,  oftener  called  Colville,  has  recently  been  established,  arid 
already  has  a  population  of  over  200.  Near  it  are  the  United  States  military 
post  (Fort  Colville)  and  the  Indian  reservation. 

This  vicinity  has  attracted  much  attention  as  a  gold  mining  region  since  1854  ; 
indeed  the  name  of  "  Colville  "  has  attached  to  the  whole  mining  region  of  the 
upper  Columbia  and  its  tributaries,  south  of  the  49th  parallel.  Gold  is  found 
on  all  the  streams  and  bars  from  the  Spokane  river  to  the  northern  boundary, 
and  up  the  Pen  d'Oreille  to  the  Catholic  Mission.  The  richer  fields  of  British 
Columbia  have  attracted  thither  white  miners,  but  a  large  number  of  Chinamen 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  559 

have  found  successful  employment  on  these  various  bars  for  the  past  several 
years. 

( >n  the  18th  November,  1865,  the  steamer  Forty-nine  was  launched  at  the  old 
Hawkins  barracks,  the  former  winter  quarters  of  the  Northwest  Boundary  Com- 
mission. She  is  11-1  feet  long,  20  feet  4  inches  wide,  and  r>  feet  deep,  with  two 
engines,  l:jA-inrh  bore,  4  feet  stroke — SO-horse  power.  She  was  built  by  Cap- 
tain Lemuel  White,  the  pioneer  steam  navigator  of  the  upper  Columbia.  She 
runs  from  Little  Dalles,  just  south  of  the  49th  parallel,  to  La  Porte  or  Death 
rapids,  distance,  by  course  of  river,  270  miles,  and  within  15  miles  of  Big  Bend, 
British  Columbia. 

Little  Dalles  is  an  embryo  town  established  on  the  Columbia,  some  30  miles 
from  Pinckney  City,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  an  excellent  wagon  road. 
The  collector  of  customs,  district  of  Puget  Sound,  has  located  at  this  point  a 
United  States  deputy  collector.  A  large  quantity  of  merchandise  passes  through 
this  place,  as  is  proven  by  the  following  exhibit,  very  kindly  furnished  by  Major 
J.  J.  H.  Van  Bokkelin,  who  acted  in  the  capacity  of  deputy  collector  from  March 
1, 1866,  to  December  1,  1866,  inclusive : 

Value  of  goods  imported  by  Hudson's  Bay  Company  on  which  duties  were  paid  at  Port  Angelas. 

Amount  of  invoices $4,  (532  00 

Duties  paid  on  same 2,928  21 

Statement  of  goods  in  transitu  from  Vancouver's  island  and  British  Columbia  via  Little  Dalles. 

47  saddle  horses,  183  pack  animals,  merchandise;  value §34,175 

From  Kooteuais,  British  Columbia,  to  Vancouver's  island  and  British  Columbia: 
68  saddle  horses,  225  pack  animals,  42  packages  furs  ;  value 18,  5GO 

To  Fort  Bhepfaard,  British  Columbia,  from  Vancouver's  island  and  British  Colum- 
bia: 34  saddle  horses,  167  pack  auimals  :  value  of  merchandise 42,781 

From  Fort  Shephard  to  British  Columbia  and  Vancouver's  island :  38  saddle  horses, 

195  pack  animals,  35  packages  of  furs  ;  value 18,  500 

Statement  of  merchandise  shipped  from  Little  Dalles  to  British  Columbia. 

From  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  Fort  Colvillc:  18  riding  horses,  167  pack  horses, 

28  packages  of  furs  ;  value $16,700 

From  Oregon  and  Washington  Territory,  via  Yakima  valley  and  Soogoos  lake : 

2,7f>4  head  of  sheep 22,032 

2,2*55  head  of  beef  cattle .* 148,550 

483  head  of  horses 33,810 

13  head  of  mules 4,300 

1,132  head  of  pack  animals 113,200 

2<i4  head  of  saddle  horses 26,400 

From  Little  Dalles  to  Big  Bena,  British  Columbia,  via  Columbia  river — canoes  and  boats : 
Vessels  clcan-d  at  custom  house,  19  canoes,  35  boats,  15  trips  of  steamer  Forty -nine ;  mer- 
chandise cleared  at  custom  house,  $142,487  25. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Valuation  of  merchandise  imported  into  Colville  district $7,560  21 

Valuation  of  merchandise  passed  in  transitu 114,016  00 

Valuation  of  animals 83,400  00 

Valuation  of  merchandise,  &c.,  exported 507,479  25 

CLIMATE  OF  EASTERN  WASHINGTON. — As  the  central  division  may  be 
regarded  as  the  west  half  of  the  great  plain  of  the  Columbia,  the  general  remarks 
upon  its  climate  measurably  apply  to  the  eastern  portion  of  said  plain.  Meteor- 
ological data  from  continued  observations  at  known  points  are  not  accessible 
within  the  time  allowed  in  the  preparation  of  this  memoir,  and  we  are  forced  to 
content  ourselves  with  a  single  citation,  the  mean  result  of  one  and  a  haff  years7 
observations:  Fort  Walla-Walla,  latitude  46°  3',  longitude  118°  25',  altitude 
1,396 — spring,  47°  j  summer,  73°.  1  j  fall,  53°.6  j  winter,  34°.  1 5  mean  for  year, 
53°.2. 


560  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Captain  Mullan,  late  of  United  States  army,  long  on  duty  in  this  section,  in 
his  Military  Road  report,  thus  refers  to  the  climate : 

The  meteorological  statistics  collected  during  a  great  number  of  years  have  enabled  us  to 
trace  an  isochimenal  line  across  the  continent  from  St.  Joseph's,  Missouri,  to  the  Pacific ; 
and  the  direction  taken  by  this  line  is  wonderful,  and  worthy  the  most  important  attention 
in  all  future  legislation  that  looks  towards  the  travel  and  settlement  of  this  country.  This 
line,  which  leaves  St.  Joseph's  in  latitude  40°,  follows  the  general  line  of  the  Platte  to  Fort 
Laramie,  where,  from  newly  introduced  causes,  it  tends  northwestwardly,  between  the  Wind 
River  chain  and  the  Black  Hills,  crossing  the  summit  of  the  Rocky  mountains  in  latitude 
470 — showing  that  in  the  interval  from  St.  Joseph's  it  had  gained  six  degrees  of  latitude. 
Tracing  it  still  further  westward,  it  goes  as  high  as  48°,  and  develops  itself  in  a  fan-like 
shape  in  the  plains  of  the  Columbia. 

It  may  certainly  be  said  of  the  upper  Columbia  basin,  considering  its  altitude 
and  high  latitude,  its  climate  is  remarkable  for  mildness.  On  the  open  prairie 
the  snow,  never  deep,  seldom  covers  the  ground  a  week  at  a  time ;  in  the  heavy 
timber  and  in  sheltered  places  it  remains  much  longer  on  the  surface.  It  is  sel- 
dom essential  to  house  or  feed  stock,  though  occasional  severe  winters  serve  as 
warnings  to  provide  food  and  shelter.  One  or  two  months'  feed  is  the  extent 
which  necessity  ever  requires  in  the  heaviest  winters.  The  Indians,  who  own 
extensive  bands  of  horses,  take  no  precaution,  sometimes  shifting  their  camps 
for  better  grass,  and  they  seldom  lose  stock  by  occasion  of  severity  of  winter. 
A  noticeable  concomitant  of  the  winter  of  the  upper  Columbia  is  the  Chenook 
wind ;  it  is  a  warm  current,  more  properly  a  gale,  occasionally,  during  the  winter 
months,  blowing  up  through  the  channel  of  the  Columbia  from  the  southwest. 
A  few  hours'  continuance  will  remove  every  vestige  of  snow  from  the  earth,  over 
which  it  sweeps. 

There  is  no  hazard  in  the  statement  that,  for  health  and  salubrity,  there  is 
no  climate  in  the  world  which  surpasses  that  of  Washington  Territory  in  the 
two  portions  east  of  the  Cascade  mountains. 

THE  COUNTIES  OF  WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. — The  Territory  is  divided 
into  21  counties,  viz:  Chehalis,  Clallam,  Clarke,  Cowlitz,  Island,  Jefferson, 
King,  Kitsap,  Klikitat,  Lewis,  Mason.  Pacific,  Pierce,-  Skamania,  Snohomish, 
Stevens,  Thurston,  Wahkiakum,  Walla-Walla,  Whatcom,  and  Yakima, 

CHEHALIS. — Population,  300;  assessed  value  of  property,  $100,199  94; 
area,  1,600  square  miles.  The  geographical  .position  of  this  comity  is  best 
defined  by  referring  to  its  special  feature,  Gray's  harbor,  and  the  valley  of  the 
river  which  confers  its  name.  It  lies  upon  the  Pacific,  and  its  north  boundary 
is  about  midway  between  Capes  Disappointment  and  Flattery.  It  was  organ- 
ized by  act  of  Uie  Washington  Territory  legislature,  April  14,  1854.  County 
seat,  Montesano  j  post  offices  or  towns,  Ccdarville,  Ohehalis  City,  Cosmopolis, 
Elma,  and  Satsop.  It  contains  a  large  quantity  of  rich  bottom  lands  and  prai- 
ries, and  is  one  of  the  best  agricultural  sections  of  the  Territory. 

Roads. — Till  recently  the  travel  between  these* settlements,  all  located  upon 
Gray's  harbor  or  the  Chehalis  river,  was  by  water.  The  road  from  Olympia, 
on  Puget  sound,  terminated  at  Cedarville,  where  canoes  were  taken  for  the 
remaining  journey  to  Gray's  harbor,  although  there  wrere  trails  along  the  banks 
of  the  river,  and  one  crossing  to  the  Willopah  settlement  in  Pacific  county.  A 
road  has  just  been  completed  from  Satsop  to  Olympia,  very  materially  shorten- 
ing the  distance  between  the  lower  Chehalis  settlements  and  the  sound.  A 
beach  road  from  Chehalis  City  to  the  northern  cape  of  Shoalwater  bay  con- 
nected these  settlements  with  Pacific  county  and  Astoria,  Oregon. 

CLALLAM. — Population,  305  ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $97,39*6  31  ;  area, 
1,720  square  miles;  number  of  acres  of  land  on  which  taxes  are  paid,  9,300. 
This  county  was  established  by  act  of  Washington  Territory  legislature,  April 
26,  1854.  *  Its  full  northern  length  is  washed  by  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  and  its 
western  boundary,  about  40  miles  in  length,  borders  on  the  Pacific  ocean. 
County  seat,  New  Dungeness  j  post  offices  and  towns,  Port  Angelos  and  Nee-ah 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS  561 

Bay.  Skirting  the  straits  from  the  cast  boundary  to  near  Port  Angelos  there 
is  ii  wide  belt  of  excellent  land,  which  is  very  generally  occupied  by  settlers. 
The  river  bottoms  are  very  rich,  and  the  opening  of  the  roads  from  the  straits 
to  the  Quillehuyte  river  lias  developed  the  existence  of  a  rich  section  of  land 
heretofore  unknown.  Most  of  the  travel  from  place  to  place  is  by  the  straits. 
A  road  has  been  opened  from  the  eastern  settlements  to  Port  Angelos,  and  short 
roads  connect  the  former  settlements  with  Port  Discovery  and  Port  Townsend. 

CLARKE. — Population,  2,089;  assessed  value  of  property,  8611,657 ;  area, 
1,400  square  miles ;  number  of  acres  of  land  on  which  taxes  are  paid,  94,731. 
Acres  planted  in  wheat,  932  j  in  oats,  1,805  ;  in  rye,  52 ;  in  barley,  78 ;  in  peas, 
120  ;  in  potatoes,  215.  Lumber  mills,  12  j  flouring  mills,  3  ;  schools,  26  ; 
churches,  9;  stores,  31.  One  steam  vessel.  Horses,  1,039  ;  mules,  87 ;  cattle, 
3,980;  slieep,  4,463;  hogs,  1,469. 

This  is  the  oldest  county  in  the  Territory.  The  provisional  government  of 
Oregon,  June  27,  1844,  established  the  district  of  Vancouver,  embracing  all  of 
the  then  Oregon  Territory  north  of  the  Columbia  river.  By  act  under  same 
government,  December  22,  1845,  the  word  "county"  was  substituted  for  "  dis- 
trict." Under  the  Oregon  territorial  government  the  name  of  "Clarke"  was 
adopted  in  place  of  "Vancouver."  County  seat,  city  of  Vancouver,  one  of  the 
most  thriving  settlements  in  the  Territory.  Here  was  established  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  The 
early  Catholic  missionaries,  in  1838,  first  commenced  their  labors  at  this  point. 
Early  after  the  treaty  of  1846  United  States  troops  arrived  in  the  Territory, 
since  which  time  it  has  been  occupied  as  a  military  post,  long  the  headquarters 
of  a  militar}'-  division  or  department. 

Toums  and  Post  Offices. — Lake  River,  Lincoln,  Pekin,  Union  Ridge,  and 
WaehougaL  The  county  borders  the  Columbia  river,  and  is  about  equidistant 
from  the  Pacific  ocean  and  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  mountains.  The  settle- 
ments are  connected  by  roads,  but  the  main  territorial  road  from  Fort  Vancouver 
to  Fort  Steilacoorn,  passing  along  the  Columbia  river  to  the  Cowlitz,'  at  certain 
seasons  is  inundated ;  from  this  fact  and  the  facility  of  travelling  on  the  Colum- 
bia this  road  has  only  a  nominal  existence. 

COWLITZ. — Population,  480  j  assessed  value  of  property,  $186,079;  area,  460 
Fsjiiaro  miles  ;  number  of  acres  on  which  tax  is  paid,  20,918. 

This  county  lies  immediately  west  of  Clarke,  with  about  20  miles  of*  shore 
line  on  the  Columbia  river,  with  25  miles  of  length  of  the  Cowlitz  river  trav- 
ersing it  north  and  south.  Its  southeast  corner  is  about  35  miles  east  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia  river.  Besides  the  valley  of  the  Cowlitz  several  tribu- 
taries of  that  river  afford  a  large  quantity  of  rich  bottom  land.  Nearly  one-third 
of  the  county  is  included  in  these  valleys.  A  short  distance  back  of  the  rivers 
large  tracts  of  unoccupied  lands  afford  great  inducement  for  settlement.  No 
port  ion  of  the  county  is  further  removed  from  either  the  Cowlitz  or  Columbia 
than  15  miles,  hence  access  to  market  is  insured.  The  whole  county  is  good 
soil.  Fifty  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre  is  not  an  unusual  yield  in  these  bottom 
lands.  This  county  was  set  off  from  Lewis  county  by  the  legislature  of  this 
Territory,  April  21,  1854.  Monticello  is  the  county  seat.  This  is  the  point  of 
departure  for  travel  from  the  Columbia  river  to  Puget  sound.  Castle  Rock  and 
Oak  Point  are  the  remaining  post  offices.  At  the  latter  point  is  located  Aber- 
nethy's  saw-mills,  at  which  about  4,000,000  feet  of  lumber  are  annually  manu- 
factured. There  is  also  a  small  saw-mill  on  the  Cowlitz  river  about  12  miles 
jilmvo  Monticello. 

Roads. — This  county  is  so  located  that  roads  from  the  Columbia  river  to 
Puget  sound  must  either  commence  in  or  pass  through  it.  Here  commences 
or  terminates  the  land  travel  between  the  river  and  the  northern  settlements. 
The  military  road  from  Steilacoorn  and  the  territorial  road  from  Olympia  end  here, 
and  thi'  transit  to  Portland  or  Vancouver  is  completed  by  steamboats  via  the 
36 


562  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

river.  The  portion  of  road  between  Monticello  and  Vancouver  is  located,  but 
scarcely  used.  The  old  Hudson's  Bay  trail,  which  comes  down  the  Columbia  river, 
may  be  travelled  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  and  was  much  used  for  driving 
stock,  but  even  they  are  now  most  generally  transported  in  barges  to  Monticello, 
towed  by  the  steamers.  On  the  east  side  of  Cowlitz  river  a  road  is  opened  con- 
necting all  the  settlements.  From  Monticello  to  Oak  Point,  and  from  Oak 
Point  to  Boisfort  prairie  in  Lewis  county,  roads  have  been  opened,  the  latter 
connecting  with  a  territorial  road  from  Boisfort  to  Olympia. 

ISLAND.— Population  409;  assessed  value  of  property  $261,731;  area  250 
square  miles.  The  following  surplus  produce  remained  on  hand  May,  1867,  at 
time  of  annual  assessment,  which  indicates  the  producing  character  of  this  set- 
tlement: 1,416  tons  of  hay;  2,687  bushels  wheat;  15,815  bushels  barley  j 
9,382  bushels  of  oats;  5,925  bushels  of  potatoes;  fruit  trees,  9,868;  horses, 
268;  cattle,  964;  sheep,  1,234;  hogs,  1,156. 

The  county  was  established  by  the  Oregon  territorial  legislature,  January 
6,  1853.  It  consists  of  the  two  islands  of  Whidby  and  Camano.  The  county 
seat  is  Coupeville.  Towns  and  post  offices — Coveland,  Crescent  Harbor,  Oak 
Harbor,  and  Utsalada,  the  latter  of  which  places  is  the  site  of  the  extensive 
saw-mill  of  Messrs.  Greman  and  Craney,  on  Camano  island.  While  isolated 
from  the  remainder  of  the  Territory  the  settlements  on  Whidby's  island  are  con- 
nected by  good  roads. 

JEFFERSON. — Population,  650 ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $301,584  27 ; 
area,  1,670  square  miles.  Established  by  the  Oregon  territorial  legislature 
December  22,  1852. 

This  county  has  an  extensive  shore  line  upon  the  straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca  and 
Admiralty  inlet,  embracing  ports  Discovery,  Townsend,  and  Ludlow.  It  then 
extends  south  of  Clallam  county  to  the  Pacific  ocean.  On  ports  Discovery  and 
Ludlow  extensive  steam  saw-mills  are  located,  giving  employment  to  numerous 
hands  and  constituting  centres  of  population.  Port  Townsend,  on  the  bay  of 
that  name,  is  the  county  seat.  It  is  the  site  of  the  custom-house  of  the  district 
of  Puget  sound  ;  the  marine  hospital  is  located  here,  and  at  the  head  of  the  bay 
is  the  military  post,  (Fort  Townsend.)  The  bay  is  six  miles  long,  four  wide, 
and  an  excellent  harbor.  Towns  and  post  offices — Chemican,  Port  Discovery, 
and  Port  Ludlow.  Water  transportation  is  relied  upon,  as  most  of  the  settle- 
ments "are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  sound.  Roads  connect  Port  Townsend  with 
Port  Discovery,  and  with  the  prairie  settlements  back. 

KING. — Population,  725 ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $414,043  ;  area,  1,800 
square  miles  ;  acres  under  cultivation,  3,650.  Organized  by  the  Oregon  territo- 
rial legislature  December  22,  1852. 

In  this  county  are  embraced  the  rich  agricultural  valleys  of  the  Dwamish, 
White,  and  Green  rivers,  and  the  extensive  coal  fields  back  of  Lake  Washing- 
ton on  the  Squak,  Black,  Dwarnish,  and  Green  rivers.  Seattle  is  the  county 
seat ;  a  thriving  town,  in  which  is  located  the  university  of  the  Territory.  Towns 
and  post  offices — Cedar  river  and  Freeport. 

Roads. — Seattle  is  connected  with  Steilacoom  by  a  good  wagon  road,  and  dur- 
ing the  past  season  a  wagon  road  has  been  constructed  across  the  Snoqualmie 
pass  of  the  Cascade  mountains  into  the  Yakima  valley. 

KITSAP. — Population  610 ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $551,266  ;  area,  400 
square  miles. 

This  county  was  organized  by  act  of  the  legislative  assembly  of  this  Territory, 
passed  January  16,  1857,  under  the  name  of  Slaughter  county,  in  honor  of  the 
gallant  ^  Lieutenant  W.  A.  Slaughter,  United  States  army,  who  was  killed  in 
the  Indian  war  of  1855-56.  By  a  provision  in  the  bill  the  people  of  the  county 
were  authorized  to  vote  for  a  name  at  the  next  general  election,  (1857.)  At  such 
election  the  name  Kitsap  was  adopted  after  the  Indian  chief  whose  tribe  occu- 
pied considerable  portion  of  the  county,  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  able 


WEST    OF    THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  563 

of  tlie  leaders  of  the  hostile  Indians.  The  county  may  be  described  as  the 
peninsula  between  Hood's  canal  and  Admiralty  inlet,  including  Bainbridge  and 
Blake's  islands,  with  50  miles  of  shore  line  upon  Hood's  canal  and  80  upon 
Admiralty  inlet.  No  portion  of  the  county  lies  further  from  navigable  water 
than  four  miles.  This  county  is  noted  for  its  extensive  lumbering  mills.  Port 
Madison  is  the  county  seat,  on  the  excellent  harbor  of  that  name.  Towns  and 
post  offices — Teekulet,  Seabec,  Port  Orchard,  and  Port  Blakely. 

Roads. — Between  Port  Madison  and  Teekalet  the  portage  is  made  by  a  road 
nine  miles  in  length.  Port  Orchard  to  Seabec,  a  distance  of  four  miles,  is 
made  over  a  well-defined  trail.  Water  transportation  is  the  prevalent  method 
of  communication  between  the  settlers  themselves,  as  also  with  other  portions  of 
the  Territory. 

KLIKITAT. — Population,  300;  assessed  value  of  property,  $125,342;  area, 
1,850  square  mSes;  number  of  acres  of  land  on  which  taxes  are  paid,  6,778; 
established  by  legislative  assembly  of  this  Territory  December  20,  1859  ; 
county  seat,  Rockland.  The  Dalles  in  Oregon  is  the  post  office  for  this  whole 
region,  including  even  the  county  seat.  The  Yakima  Indian  reservation  and 
the  Simcoe  agency  are  located  in  this  county.  The  Indian  industrial  school, 
under  management  of  Rev.  J.  II.  Wilbur,  at  this  agency,  has  been  a  decided 
success. 

LEWIS. — Population,  550  ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $268,095  ;  area,  1,580 
square  miles.  Established  by  the  Oregon  provisional  government  December 
21,  1845;  county  seat,  Claquato;  towns  and  post  offices — Boisfort,  Cowlitz, 
Highland,  Newankum,  Saunders,  and  Skookum  Chuck. 

This  county  is  one  of  the  best  agricultural  sections  west  of  the  Cascade  moun- 
tains. Thoroughly  watered  by  the  Chchalis  and  Cowlitz  rivers  and  several  of 
their  tributaries,  its  prairies  and  rich  bottoms  offer  great  inducement  to  settlement. 

Roads. — The  territorial  road  and  mail  route  from  Olympia  to  Monticello  runs 
through  the  whole  breadth  of  this  county.  A  second  territorial  road,  crossing 
the  Skookum  Chuck  and  Newankum  and  avoiding  the  Chehalis  river, terminates 
at  the  old  Cowlitz  landing.  Boisfort  is  connected  with  Claquato  by  a  good 
wagon  road,  and  also  by  a  road  with  Mopah,  in  Pacific  county. 

MASON. — Population,  219  ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $44,480  ;  area,  1,600 
square  miles.  Organized  under  the  name  of  Sawamish  county  by  the  Washing- 
ton Territory  legislature,  March  13,  1854.  Name  changed  to  Mason,  January 
8,  1864,  in  honor  of  the  memory  of  Mr.  Charles  II.  Mason,  deceased,  first  sec- 
retary of  the  Territory  in  order  of  time  as  well  as  by  efficiency  of  service,  and 
long  and  ably  its  acting  governor.  County  seat,  Oakland.  Towns  and  post 
offices — Arkada,  Kamilchie,  Skokomish,  Sherwood's  mills,  and  Union  city.  A 
road  has  been  opened  from  Oakland,  near  the  head  of  Skookum  bay,  to  Olympia, 
which  is  used  for  driving  stock.  Water  communication,  by  the  sound  and  its 
several  bays,  is,  however,  the  usual  method,  and  in  the  present  location  of  settle- 
ments the  most  available. 

PACIFIC. — Population,  375;  assessed  value  of  propcrt}*,  $135,568;  area,  1,140. 
Established  by  Oregon  territorial  legislature  February  4,  1857.  This  is  the 
southwestern  county  of  the  Territory,  bordering  on  the  Columbia  river  and  the 
Pacific  ocean,  its  great  specialty  the  basin  of  Shoal  water  bay.  It  is  noted 
for  its  oysters  and  fisheries.  An  extensive  establishment  for  the  manufacture  of 
water  cement  has  just  been  completed  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Knapp,  on  the  Columbia 
river,  about  two  miles  east  of  Chenook.  The  supply  of  rock  is  inexhaustible. 
] 'reparations  are  made  to  supply  at  least  150  tons  per  month.  About  $20,000 
have  been  expended  in  the  buildings  and  machinery. 

The  county  seat  of  Pacific  county  is  Oysterville.  Other  post  offices  and  towns — 
Willopali,Bruceport,  Chenook,  and  Pacific  City. 

PIEIICE. — Population,  860  ;  assessed  value  "of  property,  $508,806  50;  area, 
2,000  square  miles.  Organized  by  act  of  the  legislative  assembly  of  Oregon 


564  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Territory,  December  22,  1852.  In  this  county  is  located  the  mammoth  claim 
of  the  Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Company  for  lands  appurtenant  to  Fort  Nis- 
qually,  called  the  Nisqtially  claim.  About  a  mile  east  of  the  city  of  Steilacoom 
the  United  States  fort  of  that  name  is  located.  From  this  point  commences  the 
military  road  to  Wallula  (the  old  fort  Walla-Walla)  via  the  Nachess  pass  of 
the  Cascade  mountains,  opened  by  the  people  of  Thurston  and  Pierce  counties 
in  the  summer  of  1853,  and  an  appropriation  by  Congress  of  $20,000  expended 
upon  it  in  1854,  by  Lieutenant  Richard  Arnold,  United  States  army.  A  general 
idea  of  the  line  of  this  road  will  be  obtained  by  consulting  the  table  of  distances 
measured  by  odometer  at  the  time  of  construction.  The  points  designated  gen- 
erally indicate  camps  where  the  best  water  and  the  greatest  amount  of  wood  and 
grazing  may  be  obtained.  The  first  column  of  figures  indicate  the  distance 
from  noint  to  point,  and  the  second  the  distance  from  Steilacoom  : 


Miles. 


ToPuyallup  river  ........................................................        i  £ 

First  crossing  of  White  river  ...............................................     i>i  3If 

Last  prairie  on  White  river  ................................................     6£  38 

Second  crossing  of  White  river  .............................................  lljt  43£ 

Sixth  crossing  of  White  river  ..............................................     5f  55$ 

LaTete  .................................................................     3J  59± 

First  crossing  of  Green  river  ...............................................     1$  61£ 

Bare  Prairie  ..............................................................     «|  63| 

Las"t  crossing  Green  river  at  western  base  of  mountain  .......................  10£  73f 

First  prairie  on  summit  of  mountain  ........................................     3-f  77£ 

Last  prairie  on  summit  of  mountain  ........................................     2^  79£ 

First  crossing  of  Nachess  river  ...........................................     5-J  84f 

Crossing  of  Papattsally  ...................................................   l©i  9^i 

Month  of  Bumping  .......................................................    4*  99£ 

Last  crossing  of  Nachess  river  ...........................................  1  1  f  l^J  j 

Wenass  .................................................................   10  121* 

Where  road  leaves  Wenass  valley  ..........................................   16  1  '^^ 

First  crossing  of  Yakima  river  ...................................  .  .........     4  14l| 

First  water  after  leaving  Yakima  river  ......................................   18f  lG9-£ 

Second  water  after  leaving  Yakima  river  ....................................     7£  167 

Brackish  Spring  ......  ....................................................   IGf  183$ 

Great  Bend  of  the  Yakima  ........  .........................................   18|  202 

Near  mouth  of  Yakima  .........  ..........................................  15£  %17$ 

Terminus  of  route,  opposite  Wallula  .......................................   17£  234^ 

The  road  from  Fort  Vancouver  passes  through  this  county,  continuing  to  Fort 
Bellingham  at  the  extreme  north  of  the  Territory,  though  not  travelled  beyond 
Seattle.  From  Steilacoom  to  this  latter  point  the  mails  are  carried  tri-weekly 
on  this  road.  The  settlements  scattered  through  tire  county  are  connected  with 
each  other  by  good  roads  permeating  the  county,  and  communicating  also  with  the 
farming  settlements  of  Thurston  and  King  -counties. 

The  county  seat  is  Steilacoom.  Post  offices  —  Franklin,  Ts  isqually,  and  Span- 
away  ;  the  former  named  being  the  post  office  of  the  flourishing  agricultural 
settlement  in  the  valley  of  the  Puyallup.  Here,  also,  is  an  Indian  reservation, 
at  which  are  concentrated  most  of  the  tribes  of  the  head  of  Puget  sound. 

SKAMANIA.  —  Population,  270;  assessed  value  of  property,  $260,365;  area, 
1,800  square  miles  ;  organized  by  act  of  legislative  assembly,  Territory  of  Wash- 
ington, March  9,  1854.  This  is  a  mountainous  section,  there  being  but  little 
available  land  within  'its  great  area  immediately  bordering  on  the  Columbia 
river.  The  width  of  the  county  embraces  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  range  ;  in 
it  are  the  great  cascades  of  the  Columbia,  the  great  gorge  made  by  the  vast 
aggregation  of  the  waters  of  the  upper  Columbia  and  its  innumerable  confluents 
and  tributaries  forcing  an  exit  through  this  great  mountain  chain.  Through  this 
pass,  around  these  rapids  and  falls,  the  first  railroad  west  of  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains was  constructed  to  avoid  these  obstructions  to  steamboat  navigation. 

Another  matter  worthy  of  remembrance  connected  with  this  county  was  the 
passage  by  the  legislative  assembly  of  this  Territory  of  an  act  (  January  "l  4,  1865) 
dismembering  this  county  and  dividing  its  territory  between  Clarke  and  Klikitat 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  565 

counties.  Congress  having  in  the  organic  act  reserved  the  privilege  to  disprove 
territorial  legislation,  annulled  said  law  of  the  assembly  of  the  Territory,  (June 
29,  1866,)  and  reinstated  Skamania  county ;  the  only  instance  in  territorial  legis- 
lation in  which  Congress  has  intervened. 

County  seat  is  Cascades.  15 v  this  is  meant  Lower  Cascades;  the  Upper  Cas- 
cades is  the  only  other  town.  Both  are  the  termini  of  the  Cascade  railroad  ;  both 
are  points  of  departure  for  the  steamboats  of  the  Oregon  Steam  Navigation  Com- 
pany plying  up  or  down  the  Columbia  river. 

The  narrow  strip  of  land  over  which  the  railroad  passes  affords  but  little  room 
for  any  other  road.  There  is,  however,  a  military  road  from  Fort  Vancouver 
(called  in  the  act  of  Congress  making  the  appropriation  for  its  construction, 
Columbia  City  barracks)  to  Fort  Dalles.  This  road  affords  land  communication 
between  the  Cascades  and  the  settlements  of  Clarke  county,  but  travel  by  the 
river  almost  the  universal  mode  of  communication. 

SxonOMiSH. — Population,  285;  assessed  value  of  property,  $69,022  86  ;  area, 
1,500  square  miles;  acres  under  cultivation,  1,200;  organized  by  act  of  Wash- 
ington Territory  legislature,  January  14,  1861.  This  county  is  noted  for  the 
pine  timber  which  skirts  its  numerous  streams,  which  are  resorted  to  by  logging 
camps.  These  camps  are  transitory  and  made  up  entirely  of  males,  and  hence 
the  great  preponderance  of  male  population.  This  also  accounts  for  the  fact 
that  at  different  periods  such  discrepancies  arise  in  attempted  estimates  of  popu- 
lation. 

The  county  seat  is  Snohomish  City;  Mnckelteo  and  Tulalip  (the  latter  the 
site  of  the  Indian  reservation)  are  the  other  post  offices  in  this  county. 

STEVENS. — Population,  550;  assessed  value  of  property,  $200,579;  area, 
28,000  square  miles;  acres  under  cultivation,  2,500.  This,  county  embraces 
over  one-third  of  the  area  of  the  Territory,  lying  upon  both  sides  of  the  Columbia 
and  between  the  Cascade  mountains  and  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Territory. 
On  the  29th  January,  1858,  the  present  county  of  Stevens  and  the  territory 
'included  within  the  county  of  Yakima  were  erected  into  a  county  by  the  legis- 
lature of  this  Territory.  No  organization  being  effected  under  said  act  the  legis- 
lature passed  a  similar  law  January  27,  1862,  constituting  the  before  described 
territory  into  Spokane  county.  On  the  20th  January,  1863,  the  territory  east 
of  the  Columbia  was  set  off  and  erected  into  a  separate  county,  and  named 
Stevens  county  in  honor  of  the  late  General  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  Washington's 
first  and  most  distinguished  governor.  January  19,  1864,  Stevens  and  Spokane 
counties  were  consolidated  and  the  name  of  Stevens  ascribed  to  the  united  terri- 
tory. To  attempt  a  description  of  this  large  and  interesting  region,  would  be 
to  renew  the  notice  of  the  great  plain  of  the  Columbia,  the  Spokane  plains,  the 
Grand  Coulee,  the  Colville  valley,  all  of  which  have  been  extendedly  noticed 
in  the  preceding  geographic  memoir,  which  is  referred  to  as  largely  applicable 
to  this  county. 

The  county  seat  is  Pinckney  City.  There  are  other  settlements  and  towns 
at  various  points,  but  it  alone  is  a  post  office. 

Hoods. — Wagon  roads  from  Walla- Walla  to  Colville;  from  White  Bluffs  to 
Lake  Pen  d'Oreille,  the  Mullan  road ;  a  road  from  the  Dalles  through  the  Yakima 
valley,  and  on  the  west  side  of  the  Columbia,  to  Colville,  and  roads  connecting 
with  the  passes  of  the  Cascade  mountains  traverse  this  region,  and  are  much 
travelled  by  miners  and  parties  driving  stock  into  British  Columbia  and  to  the 
Pen  d'Oreille  and  other  mining  regions. 

THURSTON. — Population,  2,045;  assessed  value  of  property,  $776,622  75; 
area,  672  square  miles;  liurnber  of  acres  on  which  taxes  are  paid,  82,522  ;  cattle, 
2,691;  sheep,  7,877;  hogs,  696.  Established  by  act  of  Oregon  territorial  gov- 
ernment, January  12,  1852.  County  seat,  Olympia,  the  seat  of  government  of 
the  Territory.  At  Turn  water,  in  this  county,  the  first  American  settlement  north 
of  the  Columbia  was  made  in  the  fall  of  1845. 


566  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

Post  Offices  and  Toivns. — Beaver,  Chamber's  Prairie,  Coal  Bank,  Miami,  Grand 
Mound,  and  Turnwater. 

Roads. — Olympia  being  the  head  of  Puget  sound,  water  communication  from 
the  northern  settlements,  Victoria  and  British  Columbia,  and  the  land  travel 
from  the  Columbia  river  northward,  terminates  at  this  point.  Here,  then,  may 
be  said  to  start  the  great  thoroughfare  of  communication  between  the  sound  and 
Columbia  river,  terminating  at  Monticello,  where  steamboat  navigation  is  resumed. 
There  are  no  less  than  three  routes  within  this  county  southward  to  Skookum 
Chuck,  two  thence  to  the  Cowlitz  river; — one  (the  military  road)  continuing  down 
the  Cowlitz  to  Monticello;  an  excellent  wagon  road  connects  with  Steilacoom 
and  thence  to  Seattle.  This  county  is  admirably  adapted  for  roads,  and  the 
settlements  are  all  accessible  by  well  defined  and  good  roads. 

WAHKIAKUM. — Population,  63 ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $9,653  33 ;  area, 
225  square  miles.  Established  by  act  of  Washington  legislature,  April  25,  1854. 
Cathlamette  is  the  county  seat,  and  post  office  for  the  whole  county.  This  county 
borders  on  the  Columbia  river  just  east  of  Pacific  county.  The  greatest  portion 
is  rough  and  mountainous,  confining  settlements  to  the  river  front.  The  timber 
is  of  an  excellent  quality  and  most  abundant,  but  agricultural  tracts  are  few  and 
not  extensive. 

WALLA-WALLA. — Population,  3,500 ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $1,762,816  j 
area,  8,000  square  miles;  acres  of  land  on  which  taxes  are  paid,  21,152;  acres 
in  corn,  2,307;  acres  in  wheat,  7,729;  acres  in  oats,  4,045;  acres  in  barley,  1,125; 
acres  in  timothy,  568.  In  1866  the  yield  wasas  follows :  Wheat,  500,000* bushels ; 
oats,  250,000  bushels;  barley,  200,000  bushels;  corn,  150,000  bushels;  beans, 
170,000  pounds.  Six  flouring  mills,  six  saw-mills,  two  planing  mills,  two  dis- 
tilleries, one  foundry,  52  threshing,  heading  and  reaping  machines. 

The  act  of  assembly  of  this  Territory  creating  this  county  passed  April  25, 
1854.  It  then  included  all  the  territory  between  the  Cascade  mountains  and 
the  Rocky  mountains  and  the  46th  and  49th  parallels,  excepting  thereout  a 
fraction  of  Skamania  and  the  county  of  Klikitat.  Settlers  were  scattered  through* 
this  vast  region,  but  so  widely  apart  that  no  organization  was  at  the  time 
attempted.  The  Indian  war  of  1855-'56  caused  many  to  abandon  the  region. 
At  its  close,  Colonel  Steptoe  issued,  to  say  the  least,  a  most  remarkable  order, 
dated  August  20,  1856,  that  "  no  emigrant  or  other  white  person,  except  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  or  persons  having  ceded  rights  from  the  Indians,  will 
be  permitted  to  settle  or  remain  in  the  county."  This  emanated  from  Major 
General  Wool,  then  commander  of  the  Pacific  military  department.  This  decree 
of  expatriation  and  forbidding  of  settlement  continued  till  the  spring  of  1859, 
when  Major  Grier,  United  States  dragoons,  consented  that  the  rich  valley  of  the 
Walla- Walla  might  be  occupied  by  American  settlers.  Its  growth  and  progress 
dates  from  that  period,  and  it  is  now  the  most  populous  and  wealthy  county  in 
the  Territory. 

The  county  seat  is  the  city  of  Walla- Walla,  the  largest  town  in  Washington 
Territory.  Post  offices — Coppei,  Mullan's  Bridge,  Touchet,  Wallula,  all  centres 
of  thriving  settlements. 

Roads. — Wallula  (the  old  Fort  Walla-Walla)  was  the  point  where  the  great 
emigrant  route  coming  into  Oregon  struck  the  Columbia  river.  It  is  now  the 
eastern  terminus  of  usual  steam  navigation  on  the  Columbia,  though  occasional 
trips  at  favorable  stages  of  water  are  continued  as  far  as  White  BlufTs.  In 
primeval  days  the  emigrants  continued  down  the  river  in  boats  or  on  a  road  along 
the  river  to  the  Dalles.  In  1853,  a  road  was  constructed  from  this  point,  or 


year. a  road  (Wastuckna  wagon  road)  connects  it  with  the  forks  of  Mullan's  road 
and  the  wagon  road  from  Walla- Walla  to  Colville,  insuring  direct  communica- 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  567 

tion  from  Wallula  to  Colville  or  Fort  Benton.     This  road  is  in  length  58  miles. 
The  distance  via  Walla- Walla,  from  Wallula  to  same  point,  was  100  miles. 

Walla- Walla  is  a  centre  from"  which  roads  diverge  in  all  directions,  connect- 
ing the  settlements  of  the  county  with  each  other,  and  affording  routes  to  Fort 
Benton,  on  the  Missouri,  (by  Mullan's  military  road,)  to  Fort  Colville,  Lewiston, 
and  Boise,  to  Lake  Pen  d'Oreille,  and  to  the  rich  mining  regions  of  Montana. 

WHATCOM. — Population,  244  ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $42,522  50 ;  area, 
4,300  square  miles;  organized  by  act  of  Washington  legislature,  March  9,  1854. 
This  is  the  northernmost  of  the  Puget  Sound  counties.  Within  is  Bellingham 
bay,  the  shores  of  which  are  so  noted  for  their  extensive  and  valuable  coal  mines, 
which  are  fully  noticed  in  an  article  upon  the  coal  fields  of  the  Territory. 

County  seat,  Whatcom ;  post  offices,  San  Juan,  on  the  disputed  island  of  that 
name,  and  Swinamish. 

YAKIMA. — Population,  125 ;  assessed  value  of  property,  $68,676  28  j  area, 
7,000  square  miles  j  organized  under  act  of  assembly  of  Washington  legislature, 
January  21,  1865.  It  embraces  the  Yakima  valley  proper  lying  between  the 
Wenacliee  river  and  the  northern  boundary  of  Klikitat  county.  This  and  the 
neighboring  valleys,  passing  under  the  general  cognomen  of  the  Yakima  country, 
are  the  best  stock  raising  region  in  the  Territory  ;  fine  soil,  excellent  grass,  and 
mild  winters,  with  occasional  very  short  feeding  seasons,  never  exceeding  between 
one  and  two  months.  Several  extensive  stock  ranches  are  already  commenced, 
and  large  bands  of  cattle  are  owned  in  this  valley.  The  county  seat  is  on  Colonel 
Thorp's  claim  on  the  Yakima,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Atahnam,  and  not  far  from 
the  old  Catholic  mission.  Thirty-five  miles  above,  at  the  foot-hills  of  the  Cas- 
cade mountains,  is  the  Kitatash  valley,  40  miles  in  length  and  15  in  width,  well 
watered  by  the  Yakima  and  its  tributaries,  abundantly  though  not  heavily  tim- 
bered, and  of  excellent  soil.  The  new  road  opened  the  past  season  from  Seattle 
through  the  Snoqualrnie  Pass  runs  through  this  valley,  joins  the  Nachess  mili- 
tary road  at  Thorp's,  and  as  one  road  they  continue  to  Wallula.  The  road  from 
the  Dalles,  Oregon,  to  the  Wenacliee,  Pen  d'Oreille,  and  mines  of  the  upper 
Columbia,  crosses  the  Yakima  river  about  25  miles  below  Thorp's,  and  passes 
through  the  whole  breadth  of  this  county. 

The  post  office  for  the  county  is  the  Dalles,  Oregon,  from  which  it  is  separated 
by  the  Columbia  river,  the  width  of  Klikitat  county,  the  Simcoe  mountains,  and 
the  Yakima  river.  A  county  containing  200  inhabitants,  with  more  induce- 
ments for  immediate  settlement  than  almost  any  portion  of  the  Territory  in  con- 
sequence of  mineral  resources,  rich  agricultural  tracts,  and  salubrious  climate, 
ought  to  have  one  post  office  and  one  post  route. 


SECTION    II. 

MINERAL    RESOURCES. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Columbia  river  from  the  Dalles  the  country  is  broken 
and  hilly  to  the  Klikitat  river,  which  empties  into  the  Columbia  above  the 
Dalles.  In  the  Klikitat  valley  there  is  considerable  fanning,  and  a  large 
amount  of  grazing  land,  with  small  patches  of  pines  and  fir.  The  Cascade 
range  of  mountains  is  well  supplied  with  forests  of  pine  and  fir,  except  the  highest 
peaks,  as  Mount  Adams,  St.  Helens,  and  Ranier,  which  are  covered  with  per- 
petual snow,  arid  consequently  are  entirely  barren. 

Along  the  foot  of  the  mountains  from  the  Dalles  to  the  Nachess,  the  whole 
country  is  volcanic,  with  no  minerals  of  value.  On  the  head  of  the  South  Fork 
of  Yakima  river  a  conglomerate  is  found,  composed  of  pebbles  and  boulders  of 
sandstone  and  granite,  with  small  masses  of  quartz.  When  this  has  been  disiu- 


568  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

tegrated  a  trace  of  gold  has  been  found.  To  the  north  of  the  Nachess  quartz 
veins  exist,  but  they  are  generally  small  and  barren.  Gold  is  rarely,  though 
occasionally  found  in  them.  Further  north,  near  lake  Chelan,  some  diggings  have 
been  discovered,  which,  however,  did  not  pay  wages. 

On  the  Columbia  river,  above  Priest  rapids,  a  number  of  ^the  bars  paid  fair 
wages  for  a  short  time.  The  gold  was  very  fine,  and  had  evidently  been  moved 
a  long  distance  by  the  action  of  the  water.  The  eastern  slope  of  the  Cascade 
range  in  this  Territory  has  been  pretty  thoroughly  prospected  for  gold.  Except 
in  the  instances  before  mentioned,  none  has  been  found.  There  is  a  large  amount 
of  good  grazing  and  farming  lands,  but  no  mining.  In  the  northeastern  portions 
of  the  Territory,  about  Fort  Colville,  mines  have  been  worked,  though  not 
profitably.  In  the  regions  adjacent  to  the  Rocky  mountains,  doubtless  good  mines 
will  yet  be  found. 

COAL. — The  appearance  of  veins  and  outcroppings  of  coal  in  almost  every 
section  of  the  Territory  west  of  the  Cascade  mountains  indicates  its  very  general 
distribution  and  inexhaustive  supply.  It  is  found  on  the  Columbia,  as  also  upon 
streams  emptying  directly  into  the  Pacific;  it  appears  at  Clallam  bay,  just  within 
the  Straits  of  Fuca ;  following  round  our  inland  sea,  we  find  it  in  exhaustless 
fields  back  of  Seattle,  then  upon  the  Sto-lu-aua-mah,  and  at  Bellingham  bay,  in 
the  extreme  north.  Its  presence  at  intermediate  sections  within  an  area  bounded  by 
the  above  designated  points  uppn  the  Cowlitz  and  Skookum  Chuck,  the  Chehalis, 
and  on  the  Dvvamish,  Black,  and  Green  rivers  attests  its  thorough  and  univer- 
sal diffusing;  the  continuity  of  the  strata  through  this  whole  region. 

George  Gibbs,  favorably  known  to  the  scientific  world,  and  highly  regarded  by 
his  fellow-citizens  of  his  adopted  Territory,  thus  alludes  to  the  universality  of 
coal  indications : 

The  whole  of  this  formation  has  been  considered  by  geologists  as  tertiary,  and  the  coal 
as  not  belonging  to  the  true  coal.  Be  this  as  it  may,  its  value  for  economical  purpose  is 
unquestionable.  Even  that  on  the  Cowlitz  and  Skookum  Chuck,  though  inferior  to  the  pro- 
duct of  the  Dwamish  and  Bellingham  bay  mines,  was  abandoned  only  from  its  not  being 
accessible  to  tide- water. 

A  singular  circumstance  in  connection  with  this  subject  has  been  noticed  at  the  southern 
end  of  Whidby's  ialand.  A  crevice  in  the  earth  exists  there,  from  which  smoke  constantly 
ascends,  rising  undoubtedly  from  the  burning  of  a  bed  of  coal  or  lignite  beneath.  The  clay 
around  its  edge  is  said  to  be  baked  of  a  brick  red.  It  has  been  burning  since  the  settlement 
of  the  country,  and  is  popularly  called  a  volcano. 

No  scientific  exploration  whatever  has  been  made  of  this  region,  nor  even  such  an  exami- 
nation of  particular  beds  as  to  justify  any  opinion  respecting  their  value.  Such  experiments 
as  have  been  tried  indicate  that  for  steaming  purposes  the  quality  of  the  coal  is  very  good, 
but  to  what  extent  the  beds  can  be  worked  is  not  settled.  They  appear  on  the  edge  of  the 
water,  most  of  them  not  above  the  high  tides  of  winter,  and  it  would  seem  that  they  dip 
slightly  in  shore,  as  well  as  in  a  direction  parallel  to  it.  From  the  appearance  of  upturned 
edges  of  sandstone  between  high  and  low-water  mark,  it  is  conjectured  that  the  coal  extends 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  bay,  and  that  to  the  north  of  it  it  will  be  perhaps  found  in  place 
and  in  the  natural  position  of  the  strata.  The  formation  commences  at  th«  Columbia  river, 
where  lignite  or  brown  coal  is  found  in  thin  seams,  and  extends  continuously  northward  to  a 
great  distance,  the  quality  of  the  coal  improving  in  that  direction. 

BELLIXGHAM  BAT  MIKES. — These  mines  are  located  in  the  extreme  north  of 
the  Territory,  and  have  already  acquired  a  wide-spread  reputation,  not  only  for 
their  extent,  but  also  for  the  quality  of  the  coal.  In  the  fall  of  1852,  Captain 
William  Pattle,  then  engaged  upon  a  contract  to  furnish  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany with  timber  from  Lopez  island,  crossed  over  to  the  shore  of  Bellingham 
bay  in  search  of  suitable  trees  for  his  purpose ;  while  wralking  along  the  beach, 
he  observed  several  seams  of  coal.  Himself  and  two  parties  working  with  him 
(Messrs.  Morrison  and  Thomas)  each  immediately  located  adjoining  claims  of 
160  acres,  fronting  upon  the  bay,  under  the  provisions  of  the  donation  law,  then 
in  force  in  this  Territory.  The  northernmost  one  was  taken  by  Pattle; 'it  is 
next  south  of  the  claim  on  which  the  present  town  of  Sehome  is  erected ;  the 
other  claims  were  taken  in  the  order  named. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  569 

Messrs.  1 'attle,  Morrison  &  Thomas  leased  these  claims  to  a  San  Francisco 
company,  who  sent  Captain  William  A.  Howard  (now  of  the  United  States 
revenue  service  on  duty  at  Sitka)  to  the  hay  as  superintendent.  A  vein  was 
opened  on  the  "  Morrison  claim,"  called  the  "  Ma-moosie  mine,"  from  which  a  cargo 
of  150  tons  was  taken  out,  when  the  enterprise  was  abandoned.  George  Gibbe, 
esq.,  the  geologist  of  the  western  branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Explo- 
ration, thus  speaks  of  it,  March  1,  1854  : 

The  seam  which  had  been  most  worked,  that  known  as  the  Ma-moosie  mine,  was  altogether 
eight  feet  through,  but  divided  by  three  feet  of  clay  and  slate,  leaving  only  an  equal  amount 
of  workable  coal.  A  drift  had  been  carried  in  about  175  feet,  the  quality  improving  somewhat. 
About  150  tons  only  had  been  got  out,  which  was  mostly  on  board  a  vessel  bound  to  San 
Francisco. 

The  "Pattle  claim"  has  upon  it  a  vein  11  feet  thick.  No  attempts,  however, 
liavo  been  made  to  develop  it,  except  that  Captain  Pattle  himself  took  out  by 
hand  a  small  quantity  of  coal.  The  claim  now  belongs  to  Reuben  L.  Doyle,  esq., 
of  Whidby's  island.  The  u  Thomas  claim"  is  settled  upon  by  Daniel  W.  Harris, 
who  has  occupied  it  since  its  abandonment  by  Thoma*  In  it  are  two  seams 
visible  from  the  beach.  No  real  attempt  at  work  has  ever  been  done  upon  this 
claim. 

In  1860,  Morrison  sold  his  claim  to  Charles  E.  Richards,  esq.,  (to  whom  as 
assignee  the  United  States  government  issued  patent  in  1866.)  In  1860,  Mr. 
Richards  associated  with  him  several  gentlemen  under  the  name  of  the  Union 
Coal  Company.  They  opened  a  vein  and  sunk  a  shaft  about  100  feet.  The 
vein  worked  was  but  two  feet  in  thickness,  although  there  was  another  of 
eight  or  nine  feet  upon  the  claim.  That  company  took  out  and  shipped  to  San 
Francisco  an  aggregate  of  about  2,500  tons.  This  claim  has  lately  been  trans- 
ferred to  a  company  in  New  York,  who  propose  the  present  fall  to  commence  a 
thorough  system  of  operations. 

The  mine  of  the  Bellingham  Bay  Company  is  the  mine  upon  which  the  repu- 
tation of  this  whole  region  has  heretofore  depended.  It  is  situate  between  the 
towns  of  Sehomc  and  Whatcom,  on  the  shore  of  the  bay,  about  two  niiles  north 
and  east  of  Pattle's  discovery.  The  vein  had  been  laid  bare  by  the  blowing 
down  of  a  large  tree.  Claims  were  at  once  taken  by  the  discoverers,  Messrs. 
Brown  and  Hewitt,  in  the  fall  of  1853.  Late  that  fall  several  gentlemen  of 
San  Francisco  formed  the  Bellingham  Bay  Company,  and  sent  Captain  W.  H. 
Fauntleroy  and  Calhoun  Benham,  esq.,  to  examine  the  mines.  They  purchased 
the  two  claims  for  $18,000.  Colonel  E.  C.  Fitzhugh,  afterwards  judge  of  the 
supreme  court  of  this  Territory,  was  for  several  years  the  superintendent,  and  up 
to  1860  the  shipment  of  coal  to  San  Francisco  averaged  about  500  tons  per  }7ear. 
In  1860  the  old  Bellingham  Bay  Company  lease<J  these  mines  to  Moody  and 
Sinclair,  granting  to  the  lessees  the  privilege  of  taking  out  1,000  tons  per  month. 
But  the  yield  exceeded  that  quantity ;  their  exportation  the  first  year  amounted 
to  not  less  than  15,000  tons,  which  gradually  increased  each  subsequent  year. 
In  1866  the  present  management  commenced,  with  Colonel  A.  Hay  ward,  the 
modern  Croesus,  holding  the  controling  interest.  R.  E.  Myers,  esq.,  is  resident 
superintendent.  The  delays  in  the  fall  of  1866,  incident  to  the  change  of  man- 
agers, caused  a  suspension  of  active  mining  operations.  By  the  time  matters 
were  satisfactorily  adjusted  the  mine  took  fire,  the  extinguishment  of  which  pre- 
vented the  resumption  of  mining  till  June,  1867.  Indeed,  now  (September  1) 
the  lower  gallery  is  not  yet  completely  pumped  out.  This  company  own  about 
3,000  acres  of  land  in  compact  form,  and  have  expended  in  improvements  not 
less  than  $100,000.  The  shaft  is  about  500  feet  deep,  the  slope  at  an  angle  of 
45°,  decreasing  as  you  descend  ;  the  first  gallery  300  feet  down,  and  the^  one 
DOW  being  worked  extends  some  600  yards.  The  lower  gallery,  which  is  still 
being  pumped  out,  (though  in  it  operations  will  soon  be,  if  they  are  not  already, 


570 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


renewed,)  has  been  worked  to  the  distance  of  600  yards.  It  is  in  contemplation 
this  fall  to  widen  the  slope  to  admit  a  double  track,  enabling  the  simultaneous 
descent  and  ascent  of  cars  into  and  from  the  mine.  About  100  tons  per  day  are 
now  being  taken  out,  but  arrangements  are  in  progress  by  which  the  daily  yield 
will  be  increased  to  400  tons.  The  present  cost  per  ton  to  put  on  shipboard  is 
about  $3.  Practical  miners  express  the  opinion  that  if  the  claim  was  worked 
further  from  the  beach  there  would  be  less  slate,  the  coal  would  be  clearer,  and 
the  expense  per  ton  could  be  materially  reduced  by  the  cleaning  process  being 
rendered  unnecessary. 

Mr.  John  Hewston,  well  known  on  the  Pacific  coast  as  a  leading  chemist, 
analyzed  this  coal  in  October,  1858.     The  following  is  his  report: 

Specific  gravity v 1.309 

Water  (hygroscopic) 5.60  percent. 

Dry  coal .:.-...— 94.40^ 

The  dry  coal  consists  of — 

Carbon 74.41 

Hydrogen >. 4.63 

Oxygen,  nitrogen,  and  sulphur 17.61 

Ashes  (red) 3.35 

100. 00 

Amount  of  coke  procured 62.60  per  cent. 

Subjoined  is  a  copy  of  the  analysis  of  various  samples  of  Welsh,  Newcastle,  and  Scotch 
coals,  with  which  it  will  be  seen  the  analysis  of  the  sample  from  Bellingham  bay  compares 
very  favorably : 


®  —  : 

J* 

^ 

pjj 

*  § 

s 

•as 

2 

1  S 

•s-s 

Locality  or  name  of  coal. 

M 

a 

rs 

i 

11 

I 

6 

>> 

K 

O 

3 

Us 

WELCH. 

Aberdare  Co'8  Methyr  

1.31 

88.28 

4.24 

4.22 

3.16 

85.83 

Nixon's  Methyr                                                   .        ... 

L31 

90  27 

4.12 

4  36 

1  25 

79  11 

NEWCASTLE  COALS. 

Newcastle  Hartley 

1  29 

81  81 

5  50 

5  55 

7  14 

64  61 

Healey's  Hartley   .................     .............   .. 

1  31 

80.26 

5.28 

5  34 

9.12 

72.31 

Bates'  West  Hartley 

1  25 

80  61 

5  26 

9  gg 

4  25 

West  Hartley  Main  

1  25 

81  85 

5.29 

10  35 

2.51 

59.20 

Buddies'  West  Hartley 

I  23 

80  75 

5  04 

10.36 

3  85 

Hastings'  Hartley  ......... 

1  25 

82  24 

5.42 

9.40 

2.94 

55.60 

SCOTCH. 

Wallsend  Elgin  Vein  

1  20 

76  09 

5  22 

7  99 

10  70 

58  45 

Dalkeith  Coronation  Vein  

1  31 

76.94 

5.20 

14.75 

3.10 

53.05 

Dalkeiih  Jewel  Vein  

1  28 

74  55 

5  14 

15  94 

4.37 

49  80 

BELLINQH  AM  BAY  

1  31 

74  4JL 

4  63 

17  61 

3  35 

62  66 

WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


571 


The  test  for  the  calorific  value  of  this  sample  of  coal  shows  it  to  compare  very  favorably 
with  the  same  coals,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  following  table : 


Name  and  locality  of  coal. 

Pounds  of  water 
which  1  pound 
of  coal  is  capa- 
ble of  elevating 
from  38°  to  212° 
Fahrenheit. 

PoundH  of  water 
which  1  pound 
of  coal  is  capa- 
ble of  evapor- 
ating from  212° 
Fahrenheit. 

WELCH. 

77.11 

72.00 
69.83 
68.61 
65.08 

64.13 
54.96 

59.90 

14.37 

13.42 

13.  01 
12.78 
12,13 

11.94 
10.24 

11.17 

NEWCASTLE  COALS. 

Newcastle  Hartley                ..                     . 

Healy'H  Hartley 

Steamboat  Wallsend    

SCOTCH. 
Wellwood  

BELLINGHAM  BAY          .                 .. 

STO-LU-AUA-MAH  COAL. — This  exists  in  workable  seams,  but  at  present 
seems  inaccessible  to  market.  A  specimen  was  sent  by  Commodore  C.  W^. 
Skinner,  United  States  navy,  to  Professor  Walter  R.  Johnson  for  analysis. 
That  distinguished  chemist  thus  speaks  of  it : 

It  seems  to  be  one  of  the  finest  American  coals  which  I  have  yet  seen.  It  has  a  specific 
gravity  of  1.315,  and  will  weigh,  in  the  merchantable  state,  from  51  to  55  pounds  per  cubic 
foot,  according  to  size  of  lumps,  and  will  require  on  board  a  steamer  about  42£  feet  of  space 
to  stow  one  gross  ton.  It  is  of  brilliant  lustre,  wholly  free  from  liability  to  soil.  It  is  com- 
posed of—- 
Volatile matter  40.36 

Fixed  carbon 56. 84 

Earthy  matter 2.80 

100. 00 


After  the  luminous  flame  ceases  the  coke  burns  with  a  bright  glow,  and  leaves  a  light 
brick  red,  or  salmon-colored  ash. 

In  coking,  the  coal  scarcely  increases  in  bulk,  has  no  tendency  to  agglutinate,  and  conse- 
quently preserves  an  open  fire,  burning  freely,  and  does  not  cover  itself  with  ashes  to  such  a 
degree. as  materially  to  obstruct  the  combustion.  I  suspect  the  specimen  sent  to  have  been 
taken  from  near  the  outcrop  of  the  bed.  If  so,  we  may  reasonably  expect  that,  when  pur- 
sued under  greater  covering,  the  amount  of  illuminating  gas  given  out  will  be  greater  than 
was  shown  by  this  specimen.  The  coal  seems  to  be  nearly  free  from  sulphur.  The  ratio  of 
its  fixed  to  its  volatile  combustible  matter  is  1.4  to  1,  and,  under  a  well-constructed  boiler, 
ought  to  produce  from  seven  and  a  half  to  eight  and  a  half  pounds  of  steam  from  212°  to 
one  pound  of  coal  burned. 

THE  SKOOKUM  CHUCK  COAL  FIELDS. — The  late  Dr.  R.  H.  Bigelow,  who 
was  thoroughly  conversant  with  coal,  and  afterwards  opened  a  mine  in  the 
vicinity  of  Seattle,  made  an  examination  of  these  veins.  He  thus  describes  the 
geological  position  of  the  coal : 

Resting  upon  argillaceous  and  sandstone  shale,  overlaid  by  new  red  sandstone,  averaging 
.(sandstone  and  earth)  30  to  50  feet  thick,  interspersed  with  ochre,  red  chalk,  and  a  grayish- 
brown  clay — such  as  is  used  in  Europe  for  making  fire-brick — the  average  thickness  of  the 
coal  strata  being  from  four  to  nine  feet.  The  coal,  when  ignited,  retains  a  flame  of  the 
greatest  fervency,  leaves  no  cinder,  and  is  perfectly  free  from  all  foreign  substances. 

CLALLAM  BAY  MINE,  sometimes  called  the  Thorndike  mine,  after  its  dis- 
coverer, Captain  J.  K.  Thorndike,  formerly  of  Port  Ludlow,  Washington  Ter- 
ritory, is  situated  on  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  about  midway  between  Pillar  bay  and 


"672  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Clallam  bay,  23  miles  east  of  Cape  Flattery.     Captain  Thorndike  thus  describes 
Lis  discovery : 

The  height  of  the  mountain  is  from  1,000  to  1,200  feet ;  the  formation  is  sandstone.  Six 
leads  of  coal,  ranging  in  thickness  from  one  to  three  feet,  dip  10  degrees,  distance  between 
coal  leads  ranging  from  12  to  100  feet.  From  high-water  mark,  30  feet ;  to  low-water  mark, 
150  feet.  From  coal  leads  to  five  fathoms'  water,  about  600  feet. 

An  officer  on  the  United  States  steamer  Massachusetts  thus  speaks  of  the 
character  of  this  coal : 

I  find  it  superior  to  any  coal  I  have  seen  on  this  coast,  with  one  exception — that  is  its 
rapidity  of  combustion.  It  leaves  about  five  per  cent,  of  clinker,  which,  with  proper  tools, 
can  easily  be  removed  from  the  grates.  The  weight  is  47  pounds  per  cubic  foot,  and  deposits, 
including  clinker,  about  30  per  cent,  by  measure.  It  compares  with  Cumberland  coal  for 
weight  against  equal  bulk  as  8  to  10  ;  evaporative  efficiency,  6  to  10. 

An  analysis  of  a  specimen  of  this  coa*l  by  Professors  J.  H.  Alexander  and 
Campbell  Morfitt  'exhibits  the  following  result : 

Specific  gravity,  at  62C  Fahrenheit 1.  316 

Carbon,  volatile  and  fixed • 0.69272 

Hydrogen 0.06778 

Sulphur,  volatile 0.03402 

Oxygen,  nitrogen 0. 12048 

Ash! 0.08500 

1.00000 


This  mine  is  now  being  worked  under  the  auspices  of  a  California  company, 
and  but  recently  a  cargo  of  450  tons  was  shipped  to  San  Francisco.  The  great 
drawback  here  is  the  absence  of  any  harbor  or  good  anchorage.* 

SEATTLE  MINE. — The  extensive  coal  fields  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
flourishing  town  of  Seattle  are  now  commanding  great  attention.  The  earliest 
attempted  development  was  in  1854,  upon  what  is  known  as  the  Bigelow  mine, 
on  Black  river,  about  10  miles  from  Seattle  in  a  direct  line.  This  mine  is 
accessible  by  light-draught  steamers  to  within  several  hundred  feet.  It  was 
recently  purchased  by  S.  B.  Hinds  and  Company,  an  enterprising  firm  at  Seattle, 
who  have  commenced  active  operations  towards  its  development.  All  work  upon 
it  had  been  suspended  for  years  before  the  death  of  its  original  owners,  Dr.  R. 
H.  Bigelow.  A  shaft  is  being  sunk,  which  will  reach  the  coal  at  the  depth  of 
70  feet,  from  the  mouth  of  which,  by  a  chute,  the  coal  can  be  directly  laden  into 
scows  or  barges.  The  vein  at  the  croppings  is  23  feet  thick,  mostly  clean,  pure 
coal,  mixed  with  dirt  on  the  sides,  but  to  all  appearances  free  from  slate  or  sul- 
phur. No  analysis  has  been  made,  but  smiths  who  have  used  it  pronounce  it 
superior,  for  their  purposes,  to  any  coal  obtainable  on  this  coast,  though  inferior 
to  the  Cumberland.  It  burns  up  very  clean,  leaving  nothing  but  a  clear  white 
ash,  wkh  no  clinkers. 

LAKE  WASHINGTON  COAL  FIELDS. — These  mines,  which  are  now  attracting 
so  much  interest,  are  situated  from  two  to  three  miles  east  of  Lake  Washington, 
and  are  distant  from  Seattle  in  a  direct  southeast  line  eight  or  nine  miles.  Coal 
of  the  same  character  is  also  found  in  the  Squak  valley,  some  three  or  four  miles 
southeast  of  Lake  Washington ;  in  fact,  through  this  whole  region,  for  some  miles 
distant.  By  some  these  seams  are  regarded  as  continuous.  But  the  country  lying 
between  is  rugged  and  mountainous,  and  it  may  be  found  that  the  basins  are 
separate,  though  without  doubt  they  were  originally  the  same  deposit.  The 

*  George  Davidson,  esq.,  in  his  Directory  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  thus  describes  this  bay : 
"  The  shore-line  is  nearly  straight,  bluff,  and  bordered  by  rocks,  with  an  occasional  stretch 
of  sandy  beach.  The  bay  is  at  the  western*  termination  of  a  high,  bold,  wooded  ridge,  run- 
ning parallel  to  the  shore,  with  an  almost  perpendicular  water-face,  and  falling  away  rapidly 
inshore.  This  easily  recognized  ridge  is  about  1,000  feet  high  and  seven  miles  long.  The 
water  along  the  face  of  this  ridge  is  very  deep,  and  the  bottom  rocky  and  irregular.  *  *  * 
Off  the  mine,-  at  the  distance  of  a  cable's  length,  a  depth  of  35  fathoms  is  found,  with  a 
swell  upon  the  rocks  sufficient  to  destroy  any  boat  loading  there." 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  573 

Rev.  George  F.  Whitworth,  a  gentleman  of  scientific  culture,  whose  judgment  is 
entitled  to  great  respect,  thus  speaks  of  these  mines: 

The  coal  is  found  in  what  I  take  to  be  the  tertiary  formation.  It  is  not  as  solid  as  the 
Cumberland  coal,  nor  is  it  of  the  same  specific  gravity;  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
nil  the  coal  as  yet  taken  out  is  little  better  than  mere  outcropping.  Some  of  the  very  first 
coal  taken  out.  upon  being  tested,  was  found  of  the  specific  gravity  of  1.178,  while  similar 
samples  1'rorn  the  Nanaino  at  the  time  of  its  opening  were  1.04.  The  later  coal,  from  the 
deep  of  the  seam  where  it  is  now  worked,  is  1.25.  A  similar  increase  may  be  expected  as 
this  coal  is  more  deeply  worked.  It  is  remarkably  clean,  is  a  jet  black,  and  as  we  advance 
along  the  seam  is  becoming  much  harder.  Some  of  it  seems  to  be  nearly  as  hard  as  anthra- 
cite. It  burns  with  a  clear  flame,  does  not  emit  the  black  smoke  so  common  to  other  coals 
on  the  coast,  and  so  i'ar  as  tried  it  is  pronounced  superior  for  purposes  of  steam.  Its  heating 
power  seems  to  be  very  great.  It  burns  up  thoroughly,  making  no  clinker,  and  leaving  a 
very  small  proportion  of  ashes. 

Competent  engineers,  employed  in  the  navigation  of  these  waters  and  in  found- 
ries connected  with  our  large  mills,  speak  of  this  coal  as  "kindling  quickly, 
burning  freely  and  clean,  emitting  a  strong  heat,  making  little  or  no  clinkers, 
and  leaving  about  10  per  cent,  in  ashes."  One  of  them,  an  old  engineer,  Bays : 
41  For  steaming  I  prefer  it  to  any  coal  I  have  as  yet  tried  on  the  Pacific  coast." 

Two  companies  have  been  incorporated  for  the  purpose  of  working  these  mines. 
The  first,  called  the  "  Coal  Creek  Road  Company,"  derive  their  act  of  incorpo- 
ration from  the  legislative  assembly,  with  right  of  way  to  build  a  rail  or  tram- 
road  from  their  mine  upon  Coal  creek  along  its  bank  to  where  it  empties  intp 
Lake  Washington,  (distance  three  miles.)  The  capital  stock,  in  shares  of  $200 
each,  may  be  increased  from  $5,000  to  $500,000.  The  mine  of  this  company  is 
on  a  quarter  section  of  land,  distant  in  a  direct  line  from  Seattle  about  eight  miles. 
The  Lake  Washington  Coal  Company,  incorporated  under  the  general  incorpo- 
ration law  of  the  Territory,  own  three  quarter  sections,  adjoining  the  claim  of 
the  Coal  Creek  Company.  Capital  stock  $500,000,  divided  into  shares  of  $100 
each. 

31  r.  Whitworth's  description  of  the  mines  of  the  latter  company  will  give  a 
general  idea  of  all  these  mines.  He  says  : 

We  have  four  seams  of  coal,  but  have  only  opened  two  of  them  at  a  point  where  they  crop 
out  on  the  creek,  and  have  only  penetrated  them  on  a  level  from  30  to  50  feet  from  the 
entrance.  So  far  as  wo  havo  gone  there  is  very  little  lying  above  where  we  have  worked, 
hence  no  great  amount  of  pressure,  but  with  every  seam  we  have  a  good  floor,  and  covering 
of  sandstone.  They  all  dip  at  the  same  angle  \W  toward  the  north,  and  their  general  direc- 
tion is  from  east  to  west.  The  seams  we  are  working  would  be  counted  as  the  second  and 
fourth  in  the  series,  the  latter  being  the  furthest  down  the  creek,  but  is  the  highest  in  the 
strata,  and  consequently  the  latest  in  formation.  This  seam  is  about  seven  feet  thick,  but 
has  from  one  to  two  feet  of  slate  or  fire-clay,  which  separates  quite  freely  from  the  ceal  in  the 
process  of  mining,  leaving  about  five  feet  of  pure  coal.  Seam  No.  2  is  about  10  feet  thick, 
and  has  only  one  or  two  thin  streaks  of  clay  of  about  half  an  inch  thick,  which  also  sepa- 
rates from  the  coal  in  mining,  giving  over  nine  feet  of  pure  coal  to  the  seam.  The  coal  in 
each  seam  is  very  similar,  but  that  in  No.  2  is  deemed  the  better.  The  other  scams  have  not 
been  worked,  but  judging  from  the  outcrop  are  similar  both  in  size  and  quality  to  the  other 
two.  I  am,  however,  of  the  opinion  that  when  we  get  to  work  at  seam  No.  1,  which  is  geo- 
logically 500  feet  below  the  others,  it  will  be  found  really  superior  to  any  of  them. 

The  attempt  has  been  made  to  exhibit  the  character  of  coal  as  it  is  found  in 
several  localities  remote  from  each  other.  That  there  is  good  coal  universal  ly 
diffused,  in  quantities  inexhaustible  and  generally  accessible  for  transportation', 
cannot  be  doubted.  Capital  and  energy  are  all  that  arc  requisite  to  develop 
these  boundless  sources  of  wealth.  Nature  has  made  the  Territory  the  "  Penn- 
sylvania" of  the  Pacific.  Possessed  of  such  a  resource,  there  can  be  no  cause 
for  discouragement  as  to  the  future  prominence,  wealth,  and  importance  of  the 
Territory  of  Washington. 

Mi  IP-BUILDING. — Mr.  Joseph  Cushman,  receiver  of  public  moneys  at  Olym- 
pia,  has  kindly  furnished  the  following  data  in  reference  to  the  resources  of  Puget 
sound : 

The  time  is  not  far  distant  when  nearly  all  the  ship-building  on  the  Pacific 


574  RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

coast  will  be  done  on  the  shores  of  Puget  sound.  No  other  place  has  the  same 
natural  advantages  for  building  either  sail  or  steam  vessels.  From  the  Cascade 
range  to  the  Pacific,  comprising  about  one-half  of  Washington  Territory,  the 
surface  is  densely  covered  with  the  finest  forest  growth  in  the  world  j  some  of 
the  trees,  straight  as  an  arrow,  are  400  feet  in  height,  and  14  feet  in  diameter 
near  the  ground.  Varieties  of  the  fir  predominate,  interspersed  with  spruce, 
hemlock,  tamarack,  white  cedar,  maple,  ash,  white  oak,  and  on  some  of  the  moun- 
tain slopes  white  pine. 

The  yellow  fir  (abler  Douglasii)  is  a  tree  peculiar  to  the  north  Pacific  coast 
from  the  42d  parallel  to  Alaska,  and  is  only  found  east  of  the  Cascade  range 
north  of  the  boundary  of  49°.  This  is  principally  the  timber  used  at  the  saw-mills 
on  the  sound,  and  is  both  strong  and  durable;  in  fact,  it  is  the  strongest  timber 
on  the  coast,  both  in  perpendicular  pressure  and  horizontal  strain.*  It  is  dura- 
ble for  ship  frames,  decks,  outside  plank,  and  spars,  and  will  hold  fostering  bet- 
ter and  longer  than  the  common  acidulous  oak.  The  abundance  of  timber,  coal, 
water-power,  and  iron  ore  in  the  vicinity  of  navigable  waters,  together  with  fine 
harbors,  large  saw-mills,  temperate  climate,  and  natural  facilities  for  manufac- 
turing cordage,  all  clearly  indicate  that  the  Puget  sound  country  will  soon  occupy 
a  prominent  position  in  ship-building.  British  Columbia  and  Vancouver's  island 
can  be  the  only  possible  rivals  on  this  coast,  and  their  vessels  can  only  freight 
coastwise  in  British  ports.  Their  facilities  for  ship-building  may  be  a  good  argu- 
ment for  annexation,  but  not  proper  to  discourse  here.  On  the  waters  south  of 
Port  Townsend,  what  is  generally  called  Puget  sound,  probably  about  50  sea- 
going vessels  have  thus  far  been  built.  Some  of  them  are  fine  steamers.  Several 
schooners  are  now  on  the  stocks,  to  be  launched  this  autumn.  Some  10  or  12  ves- 
sels will  be  built  the  next  year,  including  two  or  three  barks  for  the  San  Francisco 
lumber  trade.  Four  or  five  hundred  schooners,  averaging  100  tons  burden  each, 
will  be  wanted  for  the  northern  cod  fisheries;  say  30  or  40  ships  for  the  northern 
whaling  fleet,  and  30  or  40  more  ships  for  the  coal  and  lumber  trade  from  the 
sound.  Nowhere  can  these  vessels  be  built  so  cheaply  as  where  the  timber  costs 
a  mere  nothing,  and  where  all  other  natural  facilities  exist.  Capital  only  is 
wanted,  and  that  will  naturally  seek  its  own  best  interests ;  skilled  labor  also 
will  seek  its  own  reward  ;  so  that  it  is  hazarding  little  to  predict  that  ship-build- 
ing will  be  one  of  the  great  interests  of  Washington  Territory. 

PUGET  SOUND  AND  THE  NORTHERN  FISHERIES. — Prominent  among  the 
resources  of  the  Puget  sound  country  is  the  building  of  fishing  schooners  and 
using  them  in  the  northern  cod  fisheries. 

The  cod  and  halibut  banks  in  the  north  Pacific,  both  on  the  Asiatic  and  Ameri- 
can coasts,  and  also  around  the  intervening  islands,  are  known  to  be  numerous, 
and  fish  abundant. 

The  market  for  cured  fish  will  increase  with  the  supply.  Five  hundred 
schooners,  averaging  100  tons  burden  each,  and  employing  5,000  men,  engaged 
in  the  fishing  business,  with  more  than  ordinary  fisherman's  luck,  would  not 
over  supply  the  Pacific  market.  San  Francisco  would,  of  course,  be  the  whole- 
sale centre  of  trade  and  supply  for  California  and  other  mining  countries,  the 
Pacific  islands  and  fleet,  Hongkong  and  other  Asiatic  ports,  and  all  ports  south 
to  Valparaiso.  Decayed  codfish  via  the  Horn  will  no  longer  be  a  marketable 
article  in  San  Francisco.  The  Atlantic  cod  fleet,  American,  English,  and  French, 
number  some  3,000  vessels,  manned  with  about  30,000  men ;  yet  the  price  of 

*  Experiments  made  by  the  French  authorities  in  the  imperial  dock-yard  at  Toulon  (see 
Forbes's  Vancouver's  Island,  p.  62,  and  appendix  to  same,  p.  14)  show  that  masts  from 
Vancouver's  island  are  superior  to  the  best  class  of  Riga  spars.  The  report  of  the  French 
engineers,  which  is  equally  applicable  to  the  masts  and  spars  of  Puget  sound,  says:  ''The 
principal  quality  of  these  woods  is  a  flexibility  and  tenacity  of  .fibre  rarely  met  with  in  trees  so 
aged  ;  they  may  be  bent  and  twisted  several  times  in  contrary  directions  Avithout  breaking," 
and  possess  other  rare  qualities,  such  as  "  exceptional  dimensions,  strength,  lightness,  absence 
of  knots,  &c." 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  5751 

dry  and  pickled  fish  has  been  gradually  rising  for  the  last  15  years,  and  this,  too, 
miller  the  bounty  act  of  Congress  and  the  reciprocity  treaty  with  Great  Britain. 

The  main  eastern  cod-fishing  fleet  lies  at  anchor  in  the  eternal  fogs  of  the 
Grand  banks,  in  the  track  of  nearly  all  vessels  running  between  the  eastern  States 
and  Europe.  Owing  to  collisions  and  stormy  seas  on  a  rock-bound  coast,  and 
various  other  causes,  the  eastern  fishing  business  is  far  more  perilous  to  life  than 
either  the  whaling  or  merchant  service.  It  is  not  so  on  the  waters  of  the  north 
Pacific.  Storms  there  are  unfrequent  during  the  fishing  season,  from  April  to 
September,  and  the  climate  is  mere  mild  and  equable  than  on  the  eastern  coast 
10  degrees  further  south. 

Puget- sound  has  unrivalled  advantages  for  prosecuting  the  cod  and  halibut 
fisheries  at  the  north.  No  other  locality  except  Vancouver's  island  has  similar 
advantages,  and  their  fish  would  be  subject  to  heavy  duties  in  American  ports. 

With  no  rivalry  from  the  east  or  elsewhere  j  with  abundance  of  fish,  unfrequent 
storms  during  the  fishing  season,  the  best  climate  to  cure  fish,  safe  harbors,  salt 
by  the  cargo  at  a  comparatively  low  price,  and  all  the  requisite  provisions  for  an 
outfit,  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  overrate  the  advantages  of  this  region  as  the 
centre  of  the  great  fishery  of  the  north  Pacific.  The  sound  waters  are  full  of 
clams  and  small  fish  for  bait.  Good  ship  timber  can  be  had  near  the  shores  for 
tbe  mere  cost  of  cutting. 

Situated  only  a  few  days7  sail  from  the  best  fishing  grounds,  the  sound  must 
become  the  main  depot  of  business.  Fish  cannot  be  properly  dried  and  cured 
either  in  Russian  America  or  California  ;  the  climate  of  the  formerbeing  change-* 
able  and  too  damp,  and  the  latter  too  hot  and  dry.  There  is  a  large  population 
of  Fish  Indians  *  both  on  the  sound  and  in  Russian  America,  or  Alaska,  who  will 
make  good  sailors  and  fishermen. 

Finally,  the  market  is  extensive  and  highly  remunerative.  What  more  could 
be  desired  for  the  successful  prosecution  of  the  business  f  Fishermen  make  good 
sailors;  the  cabin  of  the  fishing  smack  is  the  school-house  of  the  ocean.  Tbe 
full  development  of  this  important  branch  of  industry  will  be  a  great  benefit  to 
the  sound  country,  to  the  whole  coast,  to  the  shipping  interest,  and  to  the  gov- 
ernment as  a  great  means  of  offence  and  defence  during  a  war  with  any  mari- 
time nation. 

"What  Mr.  Forbes  says  in  reference  to  the  fisheries  of  Vancouver's  island  is  generally 
applicable  on  this  coast.  The  business  of  fishing  forms  "an  exceptional  case  us  regards 
Indian  labor,  for  in  such  an  occupation  as  this  the  natives  will  work  ireely  and  better  than  a 
white  man.  Salmon,  cod,  halibut,  sturgeon,  herring,  enlachon,  &c.,  may  all  be  caught  in 
great  quantities  and  prepared  for  export."  (Vancouver's  Island,  its  Resources,  &c.,  by 
Charles  Forbes,  esq.,  M.  D.,  M.  R.  C.  S.,  p.  62.  K 


7576  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

OREGON. 

SECTION    I. 

BOUNDARIES,  SUBDIVISIONS,  NAVIGABLE  RIVERS,  AND  TOWNS. 

In  describing  the  boundary  lines  of  tins  State,  we  cannot  do  better  than  quote 
from  the  rccenf  report  of  the  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office : 

Oregon  has  California  on  the  south  and  Washington  Territory  on  the  north,  extending 
from  the  Pacific  ocean  to  Snake  river,  the  latter  constituting  a  part  of  its  eastern  boundary. 
It  is  350  miles  long  from  east  to  west*  and  275  wide  from  north  to  south,  containing  95,274 
square  miles,  or  00,975,360  acres,  being  about  half  as  large  as  the  State  of  California. 

The  Coast  mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevada,  traversing  California,  continue  northward 
through  Oregon ;  the  latter,  after  leaving  California,  are  named  the  Cascades.  Near  the 
southern  boundary  the  chain  throws  off  a  branch  called  the  Blue  mountains,  which  extends 
northeastwardly  through  the  State,  passing  into  Washington  and  Idaho. 

The  course  of  the  Cascades  through  the  State  is  generally  parallel  with  the  shore  of  the 
Pacific,  and  distant  therefrom  an  average  of  1 10  miles.  In  California  the  direction  of  the 
Coast  mountains  and  coast  valleys  is  that  of  general  parallelism  with  the  sea-shore ;  the  moun- 
tains sometimes  approaching  close  to  the  shore  and  then  receding  miles  from  it,  leaving  belts 
of  arable  land  between  them  and  the  ocean  In  Oregon  the  Coast  range  consists  of  a  series 
of  high  lands  running  at  right  angles  with  the  shore,  with  valleys  and  rivers  between  the 
numerous  spurs  having  the  same  general  direction  as  the  highlands. 

In  reference  to  climate  and  agricultural  capacities,  Oregon  may  be  divided  into  two  distinct 
f>arts,  the  eastern  and  western,  lying  respectively  on  the  east  and  west  sides  of  the  Cascades. 

Western  ^Oregon,  the  portion  of  the  State  first  settled,  and  containing  the  great  prepon- 
derance of  its  present  population,  is  275  miles  in  length,  with  an  average  width  of  1 10,  being 
nearly  one-third  of  the  whole  State,  and  contains  about  31,000  square  miles,  or  nearly 
20,000,000  acres,  all  of  which  is  valuable  for  agriculture,  for  grazing,  or  for  timber-growing, 
excepting  the  crests  of  some  of  the  highest  mountains.  It  is  more  than  four  times  as  large 
as  Massachusetts,  nearly  three  times  as  large  as  Maryland,  and  is  greater  in  extent  than  the 
United  areas  of  Maryland,  New  Jersey,  Massachusetts,  and  Rhode  Island. 

SUBDIVISIONS. — Oregon  is  divided  into  22  counties.  The  genera,!  character- 
istics, boundary  lines,  population,  &cv  of  each  county,  are  thus  given  in  McCor- 
mick's  Directory : 

BAKER  COUNTY  is  situated  east  of  the  Cascade  mountains,  embracing  within  its  bounda- 
ries large  tracts  of  excellent  agricultural  land,  together  with  numerous  valuable  mining  claims 
which  are  annually  being  developed.  County  seat,  Auburn. 

BENTON  COUNTY  contains  an  area  of  about  1,556  square  miles,  and  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Polk  county,  on  the  south  by  Lane,  on  the  east  by  the  Willamette  river,  and  on 
the  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean.  Number  of  legal  voters,  950.  County  seat,  Corvallis. 

COLUMBIA  COUNTY  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  east  by  the  Columbia  river,  on  the  south 
by  Washington  and  Multnomah  counties,  and  on  the  west  by  Clatsop  county.  According 
to  the  late  census,  it  contains  a  population  of  449,  viz  :  males,  297  ;  females,  152.  Number 
of  veters,  173.  Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  745.  The  total  value  of  assessable  property 
in  the  county  is  $159,970.  County  seat,  St.  Helens. 

CLACKAMAS  COUNTY  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Multnomah,  on  the  east  by  the  Cascade 
mountains,  on  the  south  by  Marion  and  on  the  west  by  Washington  and  Multnomah.  Popu- 
lation, 4,144.  County  seat,  Oregon  City. 

The  establishment  of  a  woollen  factory  and  a  paper  mill  at  Oregon  City  has  proved  bene- 
ficial to  its  progress.  Number  of  legal  voters  in  the  county,  1,242.  Number  of  males,  2,448 ; 
females,  1,096.  Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  6,092.  Value  of  assessable  property, 
$1,605,594. 

CLATSOP  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  .689,  viz :  males,  388;  females,  301.  Voters, 
179.  Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  760.  Value  oi  assessable  property,  $280,000.  County 
seat,  Astoria. 

CURRY  COUNTY  is  situated  in  the  extreme  southwestern  portion  of  the  State,  and  contains 
a  population  of  389,  viz:  males,  224;  females,  165.  Number  of  voters,  105.  Number  of 
acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  400.  Value  of  assessable  property,  $100,600.  Large  quan- 
tities of  good  land,  suitable  for  cultivation,  remain  unoccupied  in  this  county.  A  new  mining 
district  has  recently  been  opened  near  the  mouth  of  Rogue  river,  where  hundreds  of  men  can 
find  employment  during  eight  months  of  the  year.  County  seat,  Ellensburg. 

Coos  COUNTY  is  situate  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  State,  on  the  coast,  between  Douglas 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  577 

and  Curry  counties.  The  population,  according  to  the  late  census,  is  1,024,  viz :  males,  637  : 
feimik's,  '587.  Number  of  voters,  313.  Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  950.  Value  of 
^able  property  in  the  county,  $200,000.  County  seat,  Empire  City. 

DOUGLAS  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  about  4,000,  viz :  males,  2,250  ;  females,  1,750. 
Number  of  voters,  1,1 3!».  Number  of  acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  21,404.  Value  of 
sable  property,  $1,331,208.  County  seat,  Roseburg. 

GRANT  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  2,250,  viz:  males,  2,000  ;  females,  250.  Num- 
ber of  voters,  1,300.  Acres  of  land  nnder  cultivation,  5,000.  Value  of  assessable  property, 
s-J(j:>,000.  County  seat,  Canyon  City. 

JACKSON  COUNTY  is  situate  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  State,  and  contains  within  its 
boundaries  rich  gold  mines,  which  give  employment  to  a  large  number  of  its  citizens.  The 
population  of  the  county  is  2,955,  viz:' males,  1,755;  females,  1,200.  Number  of  voters, 
1,253.  Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  13,901.  Value  of  assessable  property,  §1,293,465. 
County  seat,  Jacksonville. 

JOSEPHINE  COUNTY  is  situate  in  the  southern  portion  of  Oregon,  between  Jackson  and 
Curry  counties,  and  contains  a  population  of  about  2,000.  The  assessable  property  in  the 
county  is  estimated  at  $300,000.  County  seat,  Kerbyville. 

LANE  COUNTY  is  situate  in  the  central  portion  of  the  State,  extending  from  the  Pacific 
ocean  to  the  Cascade  range.  The  population  of  this  county  is  5,527,  viz :  males,  3,077  : 
females,  2,450.  Number  of  legal  voters,  1,318.  Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  30,083. 
Value  of  assessable  property,  $3,000,000.  County  seat,  Eugene  City. 

LINN  COUNTY  is  situate  north  of  Lane,  and  contains  a  population  of  7,709,  being  an  increase 
of  937  since  1866.  In  1850  the  population  of  this  county  was  only  994.  Linn  county  con- 
tains an  area  of  877  square  miles,  or  561,200  acres.  Number  of  males  in  the  county,  4,2:  jr> ; 
females,  3,474.  Voters,  2,250.  Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  49,405.  Value  of  assessa- 
ble  property,  §2,500,000.  During  1865  a  splendid  brick  court-house  was  erected  at  Albany, 
the  county  seat,  at  a  cost  of  $31,000.  The  post  offices  in  this  county  are  Albany,  Peoria, 
Lebanon,  Scio,  Brownsville,  Pine,  and  Harrisburg. 

MARION  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  about  9,000.    County  seat,  Salem. 

MULTNOMAH  COUNTY  is  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  Willamette  river,  in  the  northern 
portion  of  the  State,  and  is  the  wealthiest  county  in  Oregon.  It  contains  a  population  of 
7,000,  viz :  males,  4,020 ;  females,  2,980.  Number  of  voters,  1,723.  Males  under  21 ,  1,540. 
Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  4,051.  The  total  value  of  assessable  property  is $4, 517,291. 
Since  1865  the  population  has  increased  1,086.  Portland,  the  county  seat,  is  the  principal 
city  in  the  State.  During  the  past  year  a  new  court-house  has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$100,000.  Numerous  brick  buildings  and  dwelling-houses  have  also  been  constructed,  and 
the  city  wears  an  aspect  of  general  prosperity. 

POLK  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  4,993,  viz  :  males,  2,788 ;  females,  2,205.  Number 
of  voters,  1, 125.  Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  90,127.  Value  of  assessable  property  in 
the  county,  $1,033,179.  County  seat,  Dallas. 

TILIAMOOK  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  about  300. 

UNION  COUNTY  is  situate  east  of  the  Cascade  range  of  mountains,  and  contains  a  popu- 
lation of  about  2,000.  Number  of  voters,  705.  County  seat,  Le  Grande. 

UMATILLA  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  1,805,  viz:  males,  1,049;  females,  75fi. 
Number  of  voters,  797.  Acres  of  laud  under  cultivation,  5,770.  Value  of  assessable  prop- 
erty, $887,148. 

WASCO  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  1,898,  viz:  males,  1,092:  females,  806.  Num- 
ber of  voters,  604.  Value  of  assessable  property,  $1,771,420.  County  seat,  Dalles. 

WASHINGTON  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  3,491,  viz  :  males,  1,903;  females,  1,578. 
Number  of  voters,  824,  being  an  increase  of  120  since  1865.  Acres  of  land  under  cultiva- 
tion, 14,224.  County  seat,  Hillsboro'. 

YAMIIILL  COUNTY  contains  a  population  of  4,018,  viz:  males,  2,200;  females,  1,818. 
Number  of  voters,  1,082.  Acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  26,343.  Value  of  assessable 
property,  $1,000,000.  County  seat,  Lafayette. 

37 


578 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

Census  of  Oregon  in  18G5. 


Counties. 

Number  of  legal 
voters. 

Males  21  and  tip- 
ward. 

c3 

0 

1! 
11 

0 

1 

a 
s 

1 

1 

S-2 

ll- 
iS 

Females  under  18 
and  over  10. 

0 

r-4 
i, 
^ 

a 
ft 

8 

1 

Total  population. 

Benton 

739 

744 

682 

599 

525 

270 

533 

3,  353 

Baker                       

413 

41  y 

60 

105 

126 

37 

110 

857 

903 

898 

507 

701 

719 

360 

617 

3,  802 

13-2 

136 

55 

65 

78 

46 

48 

423 

197 

218 

71 

99 

143 

57 

101 

689 

114 

117 

20 

58 

45 

20 

46 

306 

197 

225 

28 

85 

97 

30 

86 

551 

939 

947 

419 

719 

614 

329 

681 

3,716 

1,402 

1,  592 

101 

137 

303 

54 

107 

2,  193 

976 

979 

261 

515 

512 

196 

492 

2,  955 

Josepbine  

328 
1,867 

349 

1,  885 

44 
900 

118 
1,450 

127 
1,370 

35 

74  1 

119 
1,363 

792 

7,  7C9 

1,318 

1,  322 

645 

1,110 

899 

489 

1,  062 

5,  5-.T 

^'U1P  

i>,  004 

2,C40 

932 

1,536 

1,  612 

791 

1,460 

8,371 

1,723 

1,866 

453 

1,087 

1,404 

497 

1,019 

6,386 

Polk            

944 

957 

490 

841 

731 

397 

C77 

4,093 

64 

64 

18 

36 

37 

22 

34 

211 

Umttilli                                       

660 

749 

158 

142 

326 

99 

331 

1,805 

791 

841 

205 

350 

336 

240 

362 

2,334 

Wa^co 

604 

613 

135 

314 

3l>9 

109 

328 

1,  8'J8 

701 

735 

350 

613 

588 

307 

513 

3,106 

Yimbiil 

978 

998 

442 

706 

778 

323 

771 

4,018 

Total 

17,  997 

18,  694 

6,976 

11,416 

11,  695 

5,449 

10,  860 

*65,  CSX) 

*Estimated  population  January,  1868,  78,000. 

NAVIGABLE  RIVERS.* — The  Columbia,  Willamette,  Snake  river,  and  Pen 
d'Oreille  or  Clark's  Fork  are  the  four  principal  navigable  rivers,  to  which  may 
be  added  the  names  of  rivers  navigated  for  short  distances  during  the  season  of 
high  water,  as  follows :  Cowlitz  river,  emptying  into  the  Columbia  ;  Yamhill, 
Tualitin,  and  Santiam,  emptying  into  the  Willamette ;  and  Clear  water,  emptying 
into  the  Snake  river.  All  these  rivers  have  been,  and  are  now  being,  success- 
fully navigated  by  steamers. 

The  Columbia  is  the  principal  river,  and  is  obstructed  at  different  points  by 
falls  and  rapids  of  such  a  character  as  to  prevent  its  continued  navigation.  This 
great  river  is  divided  into  four  navigable  sections.  The  first  is  from  its  mouth 
to  the  Cascades,  a  distance  of  160  miles.  As  far  up  as  the  mouth  of  the  Willa- 
mette it  is  a  broad,  deep  river,  navigable  at  all  seasons  by  the  largest  vessels 
that  cross  the  bar  at  its  mouth.  The  obstruction  to  navigation  at  the  Cascades 
is  of  such  a  character  as  to  make  a  portage  of  six  miles  necessary.  This  portage 
is  now  made  by  means  of  a  railroad  stocked  with  excellent  locomotives  and 
cars.  The  second  section  of  the  Columbia  is  from  Cascades  to  Dalles,  a  dis- 
tance of  50  miles,  through  the  Cascade  range  of  mountains.  Here  is  another 
obstruction  to  navigation,  known  as  the  Great  Dalles  of  the  Columbia.  This 
makes  a  second  portage  necessary,  and  is  at  present  accomplished  by  means  of 
14  miles  of  railway,  equal  in  character  to  the  road  at  the  Cascades.  The  third 
section  of  the  Columbia  reaches  from  the  Dalles  (or  Celilo)  to  Priest's  rapids,  a 
distance  of  185  miles.  From  Priest's  rapids  to  Fort  Colville,  a  distance  of 
about  1 00  miles,  the  river  is  so  frequently  obstructed  with  rapids  that  the  navi- 
gation has  never  been  attempted.  Beyond  Fort  Colville,  for  a  distance  of  250 
miles  into  British  Columbia,  this  great  river  is  navigable,  and  is  now  being 
navigated  by  an  American  steamer  of  about  100  tons  capacity. 

Snake  river  empties  into  the  Columbia  about  12  miles  north  of  old  Fort  Walla- 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  J.  C.  Ainsworth,  president  of  the  Oregon  Steam  Navigation  Com- 
pany, for  the  data  furnished  on  this  subject.  It  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Ainsworth  in  answer 
to  questions  in  writing  submitted  by  me  during  a  visit  to  Portland  in  August,  1867.-— J.  R.  B. 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  579 

AV:illa,  ami  is  navigable  as  high  up  as  Lewiston,  in  Idaho,  a  distance  of  160 
miles.  From  this  point,  in  ascending  Snake  river,  you  go  almost  due  south,  and 
f«>r  an  additional  distance  of  150  miles  little  or  nothing  is  known  of  the  river, 
except  that  it  passes  through  a  chain  of  high  mountains,  and  is  so  obstructed 
with  rapids  and  falls  as  to  make  navigation  impossible;  but  from  above  this 
chain  of  mountains,  continuing  in  a  southerly  direction,  the  river  is  navigable  a 
distance  of  150  miles.  A  fine  steamer  of  200  tons  capacity  is  now  on  this  sec- 
tion of  th.e  river,  and  has  succeeded  in  reaching  a  point  within  30  miles  of  the 
Great  Salmon  Falls.  By  the  use  of  this  boat  and  the  navigation  of  Salt  Lake^ 
(which  is  said  to  be  practicable)  the  land  travel  from  Great  Salt  Lake  City  to 
Portland  in  Oregon  would  be  reduced  to  about  400  miles. 

Ten  d'Oreille  river,  or  Clark's  Fork  of  the  Columbia,  is  navigable  from  foot 
of  Pen  d'Oreille  lake  to  mouth  of  Jako,  a  distance  of  about  225  miles.  Three 
fine  steamers  are  now  running  from  foot  of  the  lake  to  Thompson's  Falls,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  150  miles.  Two  short  portages,  of  less  than  seven  miles  in  all, 
arc  made  to  connect  these  boats.  One  more  boat,  above  Thompson's  Falls,  will 
enable  the  traveller  to  reach  a  point  within  125  miles  of  Fort  Benton,  on  the 
Missouri. 

The  distance  from  the  main  Columbia  to  Pen  d'Oreille  lake  is  160  miles, 
over  a  good  wagon  road.  Thus  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Columbia  and 
Missouri  rivers  are  only  separated  by  360  miles  of  land  travel,  which  can  be 
reduced,  by  adding  a  fourth  boat  on  Clark's  Fork,  to  285  miles. 

The  Willamette  river  is  navigable  from  its  mouth  to  Eugene  city,  a  distance 
of  about  200  miles.  The  only  obstruction  to  the  navigation  of  this  river  is  a 
forty-foot  fall  at  Oregon  City,  making  a  portage  of  one  mile  necessary. 

There  are,  in  all,  some  30  river  steamers  navigating  the  waters  above  named, 
with  an  average  carrying  capacity  of  about  125  tons  each,  and  employed  as  fol- 
lows, to  wit:  semi-weekly  from  Portland  to  Astoria;  tri-weekly  from  Portland 
to  Monticello;  daily  from  Portland  to  Dalles;  tri-weekly  from  Dalles  to  AVal- 
lula;  semi-weekly  from  Wallnla  to  Lewiston;  once  a  week  from  Fort  Colvills 
to  La  Porte,  in  British  Columbia;  daily  from  foot  of  Pen  d'Oreille  lake  to  Cabi- 
nett,  on  Clark's  Fork;  once  a  week  from  Cabinett  to  Thompson's  Falls;  daily 
from  Portland  to  Fort  Vancouver;  daily  from  Portland  to  Oregon  City;  semi- 
weekly  from  Oregon  City  to  Corvallis;  once  a  week  from  Oregon  City  to  Eugene; 
tri-weekly  from  Oregon  City  to  Yamhill  river.  In  addition  to  these  regular 
routes  there  are  several  small  steamers  and  propellers  that  run  as  business  oilers. 

The  amount  of  freight  and  number  of  passengers  carried  on  the  different 
routes  named  is  very  difficult  to  ascertain,  but  from  the  secretary  of  the  Oregon 
Steam  Navigation  Company  I  have  obtained  a  statement  of  freight  and  passes 
gers  transported  on  the  Columbia  river  from  1861  to  1864,  inclusive: 

No.  of  passengers.  Tons  of  freight. 

1861 10,f>00  6,290 

1862 2-1,5(10  14,550 

1863 22,000  37,646 

1864 36,000  2], 834 

The  freight  thus  shipped  was  all  np  freight,  and  intended  as  supplies  for  mili- 
tary posts  east  of  the  Cascades  and  the  different  mining  camps  of  Idaho,  Wash- 
ington, and  eastern  Oregon.  As  late  as  I860  the  principal  business  on  the 
Columbia  river  was  the  transportation  of  troops  and  supplies  ibr  the  then  Indian, 
country  east  of  the  Cascades. 

The  mineral  developments  made  at  a  subsequent  date  in  that  vast  section  of 
country,  extending  from  latitude  42°  to  56°  north,  and  from  the  Cascade  range 
to  the  Bitter  Root  and  Rocky  mountains,  have  been  the  means  of  inducing  per- 
manent settlements  in  several  of  the  rich  agricultural  districts  that  lie  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  this  country ;  the  result  of  which  is  that  the  military  are  now  sup- 
plied with  grain,  flour,  bacon,  &e.,  at  a  less  cost  than  was  formerly  paid  for 


580  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

transportation  alone,  and  tlio  miner  is  supplied  at  rates  that  encourage  him  to 
prospect  the  country  and  thus  develop  its  treasures. 

During  the  last  two  years  the  down  freight  on  the  Columbia  has  largely 
increased.  During  the  month  of  June  of  the  present  year  Walla-Walla  valley 
alone  shipped  over  500  tons  of  flour  for  San  Francisco  and  New  York  markets, 
retaining  a  surplus  estimated  at  20,000  barrels.  To  this  must  be  added  the 
new  crop  now  being  harvested,  and  variously  estimated  at  from  200^000  to 
300,000  bushels.  Grande  Ronde  valley,  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Blue  moun- 
tains on  the  east,  has  a  large  surplus — perhaps  as  much  as  Walla- Walla.  Pow- 
der river  and  Boise  valleys  are  producing  large  supplies.  There  are  many  other 
valleys  in  this  section,  rich  in  agricultural  wealth,  that  only  await  the  enterpris- 
ing emigrant,  to  offer  him  a  luxuriant  arid  happy  home. 

'The  banks  of  the  Columbia  river,  from  its  mouth  as  far  up  as  the  Dalles,  are 
thickly  wooded,  principally  with  fir,  oak,  cottonwood,  and  pine,  and  maple  and 
ash  are  not  uncommon  and  can  be  had  in  limited  quantities.  From  J)alles  to 
Priest's  rapids,  and  from  the  mouth  of  Snake  river  to  Lewiston,  <he  banks  and 
adjacent  country  are  entirely  destitute  of  timber.  The  vast  and  sparsely  popu- 
lated country  through  which  these  rivers  flow,  east  of  the  Cascade  range,  is  cov- 
ered with  a  luxuriant  "bunch  grass."  Stock  raisers  are  appropriating  a  portion 
of  this  immense  pasture,  and  are  yearly  accumulating  fortunes  by  raising  cattle 
and  sheep,  for  which  they  find  a  ready  and  profitable  market  in  the  different 
mining  camps  of  Idaho,  Montana,  Washington,  eastern  Oregon,  and  British 
Columbia. 

From  the  1st  of  March  to  the  15th  of  July,  of  this  year,  there  were  shipped 
on  steamboats  from  Portland  to  Dalles  12,191  head  of  cattle  and  horses,  0,283 
head  of  sheep,  and  1,594  head  of  hogs.  There  has  doubtless  been  an  equal 
number  driven  across  the  Cascade  mountains  during  the  months  of  July  and 
.August,  all  intended  for  feeding,  accumulating,  and  marketing  as  indicated. 

The  whole  country  may  be  said  to  be  mineral.  Gold  in  paying  quantities  is 
:  annually  taken  from  the  banks  of  the  Columbia  river  as  low  down  as  Umatilla. 
•On  Snake  river  the  banks  for  miles  below  Lewiston  are  profitably  worked  by 
v Chinamen.  This  extensive  mineral  section,  embraced  within  the  limits  before- 
. named,  though  adding  considerable  amounts  annually  to  the  treasure  of  the 
•world,  has  scarcely  been  prospected.  The  work  done  to  develop  the  mineral 
wealth  amounts  to  little  more  than  surface  explorations. 

The  Pen  d'Oreille  river  runs  through  a  magnificent  grazing,  agricultural,  and 
timbered  country,  almost  entirely  uninhabited. 

The  Willamette  river  drains  the  beautiful  valley  of  that  name.  This  valley 
is  about  200  miles  long  and  from  20  to  30  miles  wide,  and  sustains  a  popujation 
•  of. about  60,000,  with  ample  room  and  resources  for  a  million.  It  is  rich  in 
grain-growing  and  grazing  lands,  and  contains  extensive  deposits  of  iron  ore.* 
Coal  and  copper  are  also  found,  but  as  yet  little  developed. 

PORTLAND. — The  principal  town  on  the  Willamette  river  is  Portland,  situate 
on  the  west  bank  about  12  miles  from  its  mouth.  The  location  is  excellent, 
and  the  city  presents  an  appearance  of  thrift  arid  prosperity  indicative  of  the 
steady  progress  of  the  State.  Many  of  the  public  buildings  would  be  credita- 
ble to  the  best  cities  of  the  east  of  equal  population.  The  new  court-house, 
completed  in  1866,  the  buildings  of  the  Oregon  Steam  Navigation  Company, 
and  other  public  and  private  edifices,  are  among  the  neatest  and  most  substantial 
specimens  of  architecture  on  the  Pacific  slope. 

Population. — Another  evidence  of  the  prosperity  of  Portland,  says  Mr.  McCor- 
mick  in  his  valuable  directory,  may  be  found  in  the  annually  increasing  popula- 
tion of  the  city,  which  has  increased  in  a  ratio  almost  equal  to  any  city  in  the 
Union.  In  1863  the  population  of  Portland  was  4,057.  In  1864  it  amounted 

*  See  article  on. miscellaneous  minerals  of  Pacific  coast. 


WEST  OF  TUE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  581 

-19;  in  1865  it  was  estimated  at  G,OGS.  In  1866  it  increased  to  6,508, 
juvonling  to  a  census  taken  especially  by  canvassers  for  this  work.  The  follow- 
ing table  shows  the  population  according  to  the  several  classifications : 

Males  '21  years  and  upwards 2,017 

Males  under  '2 1  years ],  10-1 

Females  '2 1  years  and  upwards 1 ,  330 

Females  under  '21  years 1,  103 

Colored,  males . 82 

Co'ored,  females 43 

Chinese,  males 208 

('hinrse,  females 1IG 

Flouting  population,  estimated  from  hotel  registers,  &c.,  &c 500 

Total..  ,.  6,508 


Being  an  increase  of  440  inhabitants  during  the  year  just  closed.  Then- 
figures  do  not  exhibit  a  very  rapid  growth,  but  they  denote  a  steady  progress, 
which  must  prove  not  only  interesting  but  even  satisfactory  to  the  well-wishers 
of  Portland. 

The  present  population  of  Portland  is  estimated  at  8,000,  and  a  rapid  increase 
is  expected  during  the  ensuing  year,  owing  to  the  reduced  rates  of  passage  from 
the  east,  and  the  recent  gratifying  progress  in  the  development  of  the  iron,  coal, 
and  agricultural  interests  of  the  State. 

Assessable  property. — Mr.  McCormick  says  : 

The  assessable  property  in  Portland  is  valued  at  $4,200,000.  Taxes  levied  and  collected 
during  I860,  §-100,000.  Of  this  amount  $91,000  was  collected  for  State,  county,  school,  and 
road  purposes  ;  §150,000  was  collected  by  the  officers  of  the  United  States  for  federal  pur- 
poses, and  §I5(,U;0()  (including  licenses  and  lines)  was  collected  by  the  city  of  Portland.  Of 
this  amount  §75,000  was  expended  for  street  improvements,  and  §>4,000  for  general  and 
special  purposes.  The  salaries  and  fees  of  city  officers  during  J866  amounted  to  §15,000. 
The  expense  of  city  surveys,  §3.700.  Tlie  cost  of  boarding  city  prisom-is,  >'.>.">»,  Salary 
of  the  city  attorney,  $1,000.  Expense  of  the  recorder's  court  and  city  polLv,  S^MM;.  The 
amount  expended  in  the  improvement  of  the  Willamette  river  last  year  exceeded  $30,000. 
Of  this  amount  §20,0(10  was  raised  by  loan,  and  S|t»,Hi2  obtained  by  special  tax.  The 
expense  of  lighting  the  city  with  gas  was  §:;,</<iO,  and  for  furnishing  the  engine  house  and 
city  offices  with  water,  §(!00.  The  city  printing  during  the  year  just  closed  cost  §700.  From 
the  foregoing  figures  a  crude  idea  may  be  gathered  of  the  approximate  expenses  of  the  sev- 
eral departments  of  the  municipal  government  of  Portland. 

Summary  of  produce  shipped  from  Portland  during  18G6. 

Pork ,72  barrels,  at  $20  per  barrel $1,440 

Apples,  68,860  boxes,  at  §1  per  box 68,860 

Kggs,  1,763  packages,  at  §10  per  package .. 17-J-030 

Bacon,  4,376  gunnies,  at  §16 per  gunny *....  70,016 

Hides, 4,674, at  §1  50  per  hide 7,(.'l  I 

Onions,  1,325  sacks,  at  §4  per  sack 5,  3i:<) 

JSiiup,  ]<Sr>  barrels,  at  §8  per  barrel 1,480 

"Wool,  1,C.7I  bales,  at  §40  per  bale 66,840 

Pitch,  2l>2  barrels,  at  §6  per  barrel 1 , 752 

Varnish,  124  packages,  at  §10  per  package 1,240 

Dried  apples,  2, 6U3  packages,  at  §10  per  package 26,030 

Flour,  2(J,815  barrels,  at  §5  per  barrel 14U,  075 

Salmon,  2,5(54  packages,  at  $8  50  per  package 21,71J4 

Staves  and  headings,  5^,203,  average 15,000 

Shooks,  14, 972, at  40  cents  per  shook l,98i) 

Value  of  specified  merchandise,  produce,  &c 455, 457 

Value  of  gold  dust,  bars,  &e 8,070,600 

The  foregoing  tables,  although  necessarily  very  incomplete,  exhibit  the  gratifying  fact  that 
the  export  trade  of  Portland  is  greatly  on  the  increase,  the  above  amount  being  §1,120,5:53 
in  excess  of  1865. 

The  next  place  of  interest,  ascending  the  Willamette,  is  Qswego,  eight  miles 
from  Portland.  Here  is  located  the  first  iron  furnace  on  the  Pacific  coast. 


582  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

Four  miles  above  this  place  is  Oregon  City,  situated  on  the  east  bank,  just  below 
the  Great  falls.  This  is  a  thriving  little  place  of  1,200  inhabitants.  Woollen 
and  paper  factories  are  the  chief  features  of  the  place.  Salem  is  about  65  miles 
by  water  from  Oregon  City,  and  is  the  capital  of  the  State.  It  contains  a  popu- 
lation estimated  at  4,000.  Thirty-five  miles  further  up  is  Albany,  a  prosperous 
town  and  known  as  the  granary  of  Oregon ;  estimated  population,  2,500.  The 
next  place  of  importance  is  Corvallis,  a  flourishing  little  city  of  about  3,000 
inhabitants,  distant  from  Albany  15  miles.  Eugene  City,  71  miles  from  Cor- 
vallis, is  the  next  place  of  importance,  and  is  located  at  the  head  of  navigation 
on  the  Willamette  river ;  population  estimated  at  2,000.  There  arc  many  small 
towns  and  neighborhood  landings  situated  at  different  points  between  the  places 
named,  all  or  most  of  which  present  evidences  of  thrift. 

The  principal  towns  on  the  Columbia  river  are,  first,  Astoria,  about  18  miles 
from  the  bar;  population  estimated  at  1,000.  Next  is  Cathlamette,  30  miles; 
then  Oak  Point,  12  miles;  then  Rainier,  15  miles;  then  St.  Helens,  20  miles; 
then  Vancouver,  24  miles ;  then  Cascades,  45  miles.  All  of  these  places,  except 
Astoria  and  Vancouver,  are  small  villages  or  landings.  At  Cascades  is  the  first 
portage  on  the  Columbia.  On  the  north  side  of  the  river,  as  before  stated,  is  an 
iron  railroad  six  miles  long ;  on  the  south  side  is  a  wooden  tramway  of  six  miles, 
over  which  passed  all  the  freight  of  the  upper  Columbia  prior  to  April,  1863,  at 
which  time  the  iron  road  was  completed.  The  next  town  of  any  importance  is 
the  Dalles,  50  miles  further  up.  This  is  a  busy  little  place,  containing  a  popu- 
ulation  of  about  2,500.  Here  another  iron  railroad  of  14  miles  connects  with 
the  upper  boats  at  Celilo.  Eighty-five  miles  further  up  is  TJmatilla,  the  great 
landing-place  for  Idaho  and  eastern  Oregon;  its  population  is  about  1,500. 
Thirty-five  miles  further  up  is  Walliila,  or  old  Fort  Walla- Walla.  This  is  the 
landing  for  Walla- Walla  and  Grande  Konde  valleys,  and  during  the  season  of 
low  water  is  the  landing  for  goods  shipped  to  Montana  via  Pen  d'Oreille  lake, 
and  for  Fort  Colville  and  British  Columbia.  This  place,  though  one  of  the 
oldest,  has  only  a  population  of  about  200.  The  next  and  only  place  of  any 
note  above  Wallula  is  Lewiston,  in  Idaho,  distant  about  160  miles.  This  place 
has  a  population  of  about  1,000,  is  the  head  of  navigation  on  Snake  river  west 
of  the  mountains,  and  was  formerly  the  seat  of  government  of  Idaho  Territory. 


SECTION   II. 

AGRICULTURAL  AND  MISCELLANEOUS  RESOURCES. 

Oregon  is  peculiarly  an  agricultural  and  fruit-growing  State,  though  by  no 
means  deficient  in  valuable  mineral  resources.  Possessing  a  climate  of  unrivalled 
salubrity,  abounding  in  vast  tracts  of  rich  arable  lands,  heavily  timbered  through- 
out its  mountain  ranges,  watered  by  innumerable  springs  and  streams,  and  sub- 
ject to  none  of  the  drawbacks  arising  from  the  chilling  winds  and  seasons  of 
aridity  which  prevail  further  south,  it  is  justly  considered  the  most  favored  region 
on  the  Pacific  slope  as  a  home  for  an  agricultural,  fruit-growing,  and  manufac- 
turing population.  As  yet  it  is  but  thinly  settled,  a  fact  owing  in  part  to  the 
injudicious  system  pursued  under  the  donation  act  of  1852,  by  which  large  tracts 
of  land  (320  acres  to  single  settlers,  640  to  married  couples)  were  held  by  per- 
sons^vhp  were  unable  to  cultivate  them ;  and  in  part  to  the  insufficiency  of  com- 
munication with  the  markets  of  the  world.  These  drawbacks,  however,  will 
soon  be  remedied  by  the  establishment  of  railroads,  the  increase  of  steam  navi- 
gation, and  the  consequent  accession  of  population.  The  wonderful  richness  of 
the  valleys,  the  extraordinary  inducements  to  settlement  by  families,  the  beauty 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  583 

of  the  scenery  and  healthfullness  of  the  climate,  must  soon  attract  large  immi- 
gration. The  writer  has  traversed  this  State  from  the  Columbia  river  to  the 
southern  boundary,  arid  can  safely  assert  that  there  is  no  equal  extent  of  coun- 
try on  the  Pacific  slope  abounding  in  such  a  variety  of  attractions  to  those  who 
seek  pleasant  homes.  The  Willamette,  the  Umpqua,  Rogue  River,  and  many 
others,  are  regions  unrivalled  for  farming  and  stock-raising. 

The  following  extracts  from  a  premium  essay  written  by  Mr.  W.  Lair  Hill  for 
the  State  Agricultural  Society  give  a  correct  idea  of  the  general  resources  and 
productions  of  Oregon.  The  descriptions  of  the  country  and  facts  stated  are 
entirely  reliable : 

Oregon  is  peculiar  in  climate,  especially  that  portion  lying  west  of  the  Cascade  moun- 
tains, which  is  affected  greatly  by  its  proximity  to  the  ocean.  This  portion  has  a  climate  in 
many  respects  closely  resembling  that  of  England.  Although  in  a  high  latitude,  it  is  mild — 
neither  very  hot  in  summer  nor  extremely  cold  in  winter  ;  is  damp  and  somewhat  disagree- 
able during  what  is  termed  the  rainy  season,  corresponding  with  the  winter  of  the  east ;  but 
delightful  through  the  summer  and  autumn. 

The  climate  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  State  has  some  resemblance  to  that  of  the  older 
northwestern  States,  excepting  the  frequent  rains  which  fall  in  those  States  during  the  late 
summer  months. 

As  a  whole,  the  State  of  Oregon  presents  so  great  a  variety  of  climate  that  it  cannot  be 
accurate!}-  exhibited  under  any  general  description,  and  which  will  more  fully  appear  from 
special  descriptions  and  tables  hereafter  presented.  It  is  a  matter  to  be  regretted  that  the 
compass  of  a  orief  essay  does  not  permit  the  presentation  of  minute  and  extensive  details  of 
observations  on  this,  as  well  as  many  other  subjects  connected  with  this  infant  State,  so  far 
as  the  same  are  obtainable  ;  but  it  is  much  more  to  be  regretted  that  no  record  has  been  kept 
from  which  statistical  information  might  be  collected,  showing  the  industrial  and  commercial 
capabilities  of  the  State,  except  to  a  very  limited  extent. 

#****# 

Oregon  was  admitted  into  the  Union  in  February,  1859,  and  in  1661  began  to  give  addi- 
tional promise  of  future  prosperity  by  the  discovery  of  rich  and  extensive  gold  mines  on  its 
northeastern  border  and  the  contiguous  districts  of  Washington  Territorj-. 

PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY,  &c. — All  the  country  in  North  America  lying  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  has  a  common  axis  of  elevation,  which  is  the  great  chain  of  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains, and  their  southern  continuation,  the  Cordilleras  of  Mexico.  The  Sierra  Nevada  range, 
with  its  northern  extension,  the  Cascade  mountains  of  Oregon  and  Washington  Territory, 
constitutes  a  secondary  axis  which  materially  affects  the  entire  country  of  the  Pacific  coast, 
both  in  soil  and  climate.  To  the  volcanic  forces  of  these  two  great  central  lines  of  subter- 
raneous commotion  is  originally  due  the  physical  geography  of  Oregon. 

It  is  generally  known  that  the  Rocky  mountain  range  is  chiefly  of  igneous  composition. 
Some  portions  of  this  range  are  of  plutouic  character,  while  some  bear  unmistakable  evi- 
dences that  their  upheaval  was  prior  to  the  process  of  consolidation.  Sandstone  abounds  in 
many  places  in  these  mountains,  and  very  considerable  silurian  deposits  are  also  found. 
Gold-bearing  rocks  occur  in  various  localities.  Where  sedimentary  rocks  are  found  they  are 
frequently  regular  in  their  stratification ;  generally,  indeed,  distorted  from  their  original 
position,  but  nevertheless  retaining  perfectly  their  stratified  character.  These  rocks  are 
usually  interlaid  with  micaceous  slate,  and  rest  on  masses  of  granite  and  gneiss.  Mica  is  so 
abundant  in  some  places  that  it  may  be  found  in  extremely  thin  flakes  in  all  the  water  of'the 
mountain  streams. 

Of  the  same  general  character  is  the  geological  structure  of  the  Cascade  range,  except  that 
there  is  less  of  stratified  rocks,  and  stronger  indications  of  recent  volcanic  action  are  observed. 
Basaltic  and  granitic  rocks  constitute  the  geological  basis  of  the  country.  Slate  and  other 
argillaceous  rocks,  and  a  sort  of  irreducable  limestone,  also  characterize  the  western  slope 
of  the  continent.  Metamorphic  features  become  more  marked  the  nearer  we  approach  the 
Pacific  coast,  until,  arriving  at  the  Cascade  range,  this  characteristic  is  seen  in  its  most  clear 
and  unmistakable  aspects. 

Certain  differences  between  the  soil  and  vegetation  on  the  east  and  those  on  the  west  side 
of  this  second  volcanio  axis  of  the  country  may,  it  is  thought,  be  satisfactorily  explained  by 
atmospheric  or  meteorological  peculiarities ;  so  that  the  upheaval  of  this  ridge,  notwith- 
standing those  differences,  was  probably  contemporaneous  with  that  of  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains, or  at  least  at  no  earlier  period.  Whether  this  be  so  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  the  Cas- 
cade range  has  undergone  much  more  recent  convulsions ;  and,  indeed,  of  the  numerous 
vents  standing  along  the  summit  line,  some  might  be  properly  classed,  at  present,  as  active 
volcanoes. 

llct  ween  the  Cascade  and  Rocky  mountain  chains,  the  country  is  composed  of  immense 
plateaux,  interspersed  with  numerous  unconnected  mountain  ridges,  of  recent  volcanic  origin. 
Some  of  these  are  covered  with  immense  forests,  while  others  are  merely  sterile  masses  of 


584  EESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

trappean  rocks,  piled  together  in  rugged  heaps  by  the  elevatory  force  of  internal  fires.  By 
some  of  these  less  noted  elevations  and  by  spurs  projecting  from  the  two  main  ranges,  the 
broad  table  lands  above  mentioned  are  divided  into  three  distinct  valleys,  or  rather  basins  ; 
namely : 

The  Utah  basin,  centring  at  Great  Salt  lake,  but  having  many  undulations  forming 
minor  geographical  centres,  to  which  its  rivers  flow  and  disappear  in  the  sandy  plains,  or 
discharge  their  currents  into  inland  lakes.  This  basin  has  no  outlet  to  the  sea. 

The  Klamath  basin,  lying  to  the  northwest  of  the  Utah,  and  drained  by  the  Klamath 
river,  running  to  the  Pacific  ocean,  and  the  river  Des  Chutes,  emptying  into  the  Columbia. 

The  Columbia  River  basin  extends  over  a  vast  area  of  country,  including  all  that  portion 
of  Oregon  lying  east  of  the  Cascade  mountains,  and  known  as  eastern  Oregon,  except  the 
small  surface  occupied  by  the  Klamabh,  a  part  of  which  is  in  California,  ana  an  almost 
equally  small  portion  of  the  Utah  basin,  which  lies  principally  in  Utah  Territory. 

Eastern  Oregon,  besides  containing  several  large  lakes,  is  traversed  by  numerous  rivers, 
but  none  are  navigable  except  the  Columbia  and  the  Snake  or  Lewis  river ;  which  two 
streams,  however,  afford  facilities  for  steamboat  travel  from  the  ocean,  across  the  whole 
extent  of  the  State  in  its  greater  dimension,  from  west  to  east. 

That  portion  of  the  State  lying  west  of  the  Cascade  mountains  is  divided  into  three  prin- 
cipal valleys,  the  Willamette,  the  Umpqua,  and  Rogue  river,  drained  by  the  rivers  bearing 
these  respective  names.  This  country  is  quite  different  from  eastern  Oregon  in  respect  to  its 
physical  geography,  geology,  and  climate. 

Although  the  general  character  of  this  region  is  indicative  of  its  having  had  formerly  a 
volcanic  origin,  still  there  is  found  here  a  large  proportion  of  sedimentary  recks,  especially 
sandstone  and  a  sort  of  conglomerate  of  highly  silicious  composition,  which  often  contains 
shells  and  other  indications  of  its  sedimentary  formation.  In  the  Willamette  valley  this 
feature  is  chiefly  observed  on  the  western  side  of  the  river  j  and  in  the  Umpqua  and  Rogue 
River  valleys  it  becomes  more  marked  on  approaching  the  sea-coast.  Shales  and  a  sort  of 
argillaceous  limestone,  irreducable  by  the  ordinary  process  of  heating  and  slaking,  also 
abound  in  many  places.  The  country  here  is  of  a  much  less  mineral  character  than  that 
east  of  the  Cascade  mountains,  or  even  than  those  mountains  themselves.  Notwithstanding 
the  evidences  of  volcanic  origin  common  to  all  the  western  coast  of  America,  and  of  which 
this  region  presents  many,  the  rocks  here,  and  especially  on  the  Coast  mountains,  are  often 
found  regularly  stratified,  and  in  some  instances  their  parallelism  remains  undisturbed  for 
considerable  distances. 

The  geological  basis  of  the  Coast  mountains  is  sandstone.  Scoriaceous  and  trappean 
masses  occur  in  the  more  volcanic  localities.  At  the  intersection  of  these  mountains  by  the 
Umpqua  river,  sandstone  prevails,  and  the  strata  remain  uninterrupted,  except  at  long 
intervals. 

Numerous  bays  and  estuaries  of  different  magnitudes  intersect  the  shore  along  the  western 
border  of  the  State,  and  several  streams  having  their  sources  in  the  Coast  mountains  flow 
into  the  ocean  through  small  valleys  of  great  fertility  and  beauty. 

CLIMATE. — Eastern  Oregon  possesses  a  climate  much  resembling  that  of  the  Upper  Mis- 
sissippi valley,  but  not  so  cold.  It  is  dry  and  open ;  usually  somewhat  bleak,  owing  to  the 
large  proportion  of  prairie  land,  but  seldom  bitter  cold,  the  merctiry  rarely  falling  below 
zero  in  the  extreme  of  winter.  Last  winter,  however,  it  was  exceedingly  cold  in  this  region ; 
but  that  was  a  winter  unexampled  in  severity  everywhere  in  the  Pacific  States. 

Spring  in  eastern  Oregon  is  fine,  early,  and  open.  Summer  is  hot  and  generally  dry, 
with  cool  nights.  Variations  of  temperature,  corresponding  with  differences  of  altitude,  are 
observed,  sometimes  amounting  to  several  degrees  at  places  only  a  few  leagues  apart. 
Autumn  frosts  begin  some  time  in  October,  but  it  does  not  become  wintry  till  very  late.  Lit- 
tle rain  or  snow  falls  except  in  the  mountains.  Eastern  Oregon  is  exposed  to  an  almost  con- 
tinuous breeze  which  sometimes  swells  into  quite  a  gale,  but  storms  never  occur.  The  wind 
in  summer  is  from  the  southwest. 

Western  ^Oregon  has  a  moist,  mild,  and  peculiarly  uniform  climate.  Except  in  rare  cases 
the  whiter  is  not  cold  nor  the  summer  hot  more  than  two  or  three  days  in  succession,  and 
extreme  heat  or  cold  never  occurs. 

It  is  rarely  necessary  to  feed  stock  for  more  than  a  fortnight,  and  frequently  not  at  all 
during  the  whole  year. 

The  amount  of  rain  which  falls  in  this  part  of  the  State  during  the  rainy  season  has  been 
greatly  exaggerated,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  annexed  tables,  which  exhibit  rnoie 
specifically  the  ciimatical  peculiarities  of  the  State. 

Observations  taken  in  several  other  States  are  inserted  in  some  of  the  tables  for  the  purpose 
of  making  comparisons.  The  first  table  is  compiled  chiefly  from  the  Smithsonian  report; 
tho  rest  are  from  various  reliable  sources. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 

TAIM.I:  I. — Showing  comparative  nuan  temperatures. 


585 


Time. 

Astoria,  Oregon. 

Corvallis,  Oregon. 

Dalloa,  eastern  Oregon. 

Augusta,  Illinois. 

Ilazk'wood,  Miun. 

San  Diego,  Cal. 

r* 

fc 

>. 

£ 

< 

Dnbuquc,  Iowa. 

Years  of  observation  »  

1  1-5 

1  1-6 

3i 

IJ| 

2 

5i 

£4 

3£ 

51  16 

5°  19 

53  00 

51  34 

4°  33 

50  07 

47  61 

47  36 

Summer  temperature  ..         

61  3G 

67  13 

70  36 

72  51 

69  95 

71  08 

?•)  17 

71   4° 

53  55 

53  41 

5°  °1 

53  38 

4°  Gi' 

64  *>6 

50  01 

f-0  '54 

"\Vi  'itcr  truiprrattiro   

42  43 

39  27 

35  59 

29  PO 

13  06 

52  29 

25  83 

52  13 

53  00 

5°  79 

51  7(3 

41  97 

61  93 

4ti  41 

4,  -,-j 

The  only  point  in  eastern  Oregon  whose  temperature  is  exhibited  in  this  table  is  the  Dalles, 
which,  situated  as  it  is,  immediately  at  the  base  of  the  Cascade  mountains,  does  not  fairly 
represent  the  temperature  of  the  extensive  valleys  further  east,  which  constitute  the  agricul- 
tural region  of  that  country.  The  summer,  in  most  of  those  valleys  as  well  as  on  the  table 
lands,  is  much  warmer  than  at  the  Dalles.  The  winter  temperature,  it* will  be  observed,  is 
much  higher  than  that  of  other  States  in  the  same  latitude,  while  that  of  the  spring  is  nearly 
the  same,  and  the  summer  not  quite  so  high. 

TABLE  II. — Showing  the.  number  of  rainy  days  during  the  winter,  at  Astoria,  Oregon,  Ullla- 
jnctte  valley,  Oregon,  and  Pcoria,  Illinois,  respectively. 


Mouth. 

Astoria,  Oregon. 

Willam'tte 
valley,  Or. 

Peoria,  III 

1857-8 

1858-9 

1859-60 

1856-7 

1856-7 

1687-8 

November  

J  )'Vfinbfr         

81 

25 
17 
9 

16 
14 
19 

20 

19 
15 
19 
17 

9 
13 

15 
6 

9 
10 
4 
10 

16 
7 
6 

8 

February  

Total  

72 

69 

70 

43 

33 

37 

This  table  includes  all  rainy  days,  without  reference  to  whether  it  rained  all  day  or  only  a 
part.  It  also  includes  snowy  days,  very  few  of  which  are  seen  in  Oregon  in  an  ordinary 
winter. 

In  1846-'47,  Hugh  Burns,  esq.,  of  the  "Willamette  valley,  kept  a  diary  from  which  it 
appears  there  were  four  days  of  continuous  rain  in  November,  three  in  December,  three  iu 
January,  and  two  in  February,  making  only  12  in  the  four  months  of  the  rainy  season. 
During  the  same  time  there  were  66  entirely  clear  days,  viz  :  12  in  November,  17  in  Decem- 
ber, 16  in  January,  and  21  in  February.  From  the  first  of  November,  1645,  to  the  first  of 
March,  1«46,  there  were  20  rainy  and  40  clear  days  ;  the  rest  were  variable. 


586  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

TABLE  III.— Showing  the  amount  in  inches,  at  Astoria,  Oregon,  and  Peoria,  HI.,  respectively. 


Month. 

Astoria,  Oregon. 

Peoria,  111. 

,858 

1859 

1860 

1857 

1858 

1.48 
1.95 
3.15 
6.  25 
10.64 
5.95 
5.85 
3.24 
2.96 
3.24 
4.85 

• 

8.58 
4.80 
6.83 
3.52 
2.49 
1.38 
.44 
3.40 
3.91 
4.88 
8.06 
12.44 

10.82 
12.02 
21.52 
2.85 
3.17 
2.10 
.48 
1.42 
9.18 
5.46 
7.77 
6.16 

13.30 
6.69 
5.58 
5.69 
5.04 
1.40 
1.35 
.24 
2!  54 
6.96 
12.44 

.37 
5.32 
3.84 
1.39 
2.80 
2.77 
1.40 
5.61 
2.  16 
2.10 
1.6-2 
1.50 

Total            

60.73 

82.95 

61.23 

30.88 

49.  56 

From  this  table  it  would  appear  that  the  amount  of  rain  at  Astoria  is  a  little  less  than  dou- 
ble that  at  Peoria  ;  the  one  in  a  country  where  the  only  winter  known  is  a  rainy  season,  and 
the  other  in  a  country  distinguished  for  its  cold  and  dry  winters. 

SOIL  AND  EXTENT  OF  AGRICULTURAL  LANDS. — The  two  natural  divisions  of  Oregon  dif- 
fer in  respect  to  the*quality  of  their  soil  as  well  as  in  climate.  The  plateaux  of  eastern 
Oregon  have  a  moderately  rich  soil  whose  chief  component  is  silicia,  and  containing  but  a 
small  amount  of  vegetable  matter.  Little  effort  has  been  made  to  test  its  capabilities  for 
agricultural  purpose  until  very  recently.  The  experiment,  so  far  as  tried,  has  proved  exceed- 
ingly gratifying,  and  many  persons  maintain  that  these  uplands  are  destined  to  be  the  first 
grain  lands  in  the  State.  But  the  natural  adaptation  of  these  immense  tracts  is  to  grazing, 
cattle  herdi»g,  and  bucalic  pursuits.  Rolling  prairies  and  level  plains  of  almost  illimitable 
extent  stretch  out  from  the  foot  of  the  Cascade  mountains  almost  to  the  eastern  border  of  the 
State,  and  are  covered  with  luxuriant  bunch  grass,  (fcstuca,)  affording  an  inexhaustible  pas- 
ture for  any  amount  of  stock.  This  grows  in  large  tufts  not  joined  together  by  their  fibrous 
roots,  as  is  the  case  with  most  other  grasses.  It  grows  to  different  heights,  from  six  to  18 
inches,  according  to  the  quality  of  the  soil.  In  nutritive  properties  it  is  not  excelled  by  any 
grass  known.  Attaining  its  full  growth  about  the  time  the  dry  season  commences,  it  cures 
into  a  fine,  flavorous  hay,  which,  owing  to  the  absence  of  dew  in  this  region  in  the  summer, 
remains  excellent  until  the  autumn  rains  come,  when  the  whole  country  is  again  covered 
with  green  grass. 

Mountain  streams,  having  their  sources  in  the  mountain  chains,  intersect  these  table  lands 
flowing  through  valleys  and  rondes  of  various  dimensions  and  amazing  fertility.  The  val- 
leys of  the  Des  Chutes  and  its  tributaries  are  all  that  have  been  extensively  tested  with  cereals, 
and  they  have  yielded  very  large  crops.  Vegetables  of  nearly  all  varieties  yield  almost  fab- 
ulous crops.  Indian  corn  does  as  well  in  eastern  Oregon  as  in  any  State  in  the  Union,  and 
will  soon  become  a  staple  production.  Fruit  promises  "finely.  This  is  thought  to  be  as  good 
a  fruit  country  as  that  west  of  the  Cascade  mountains,  so  jwstly  denominated  the  "fruit 
garden  of  America." 

Its  hot  summers  admirably  adapt  eastern  Oregon  to  the  culture  of  sorghum  or  Chinese 
sugar-cane ;  and  sufficient  trial  has  been  made  to  warrant  the  assertion  that  this  plant  can  be 
produced  here  as  successfully  as  in  any  of  the  northwestern  States.  Judge  Laughlin,  of 
Wasco  county,  who  has  paid  some  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  this  plant,  in  a  published 
letter  of  his  dated  January  12,  1861,  says  :  "  I  have  cultivated  some  (sorghum)  the  past  two 
years,  and  find  it  grows  remarkably  well.  *  *  It  will  produce  double  as  much  food  as 
anything  (else)  I  can  raise  on  the  same  amount  of  land.  *  '  *  Mr.  Phelps,  of  this  county, 
has  made  some  very  nice  sirup,  and  intends  cultivating  a  crop  for  that  purpose  next  season." 

The  cost  of  making  this  sirup  will  not  exceed  50  cents  per  gallon.     Its  market  value  can- 


manufacturing  sirup  in  eastern  Oregon,  could  not  fail  of  amassing  a  large  amount  of  money 
in  a  very  short  space  of  time.  The  extent  of  these  valley  lands  is  not  definitely  known,  as 
no  official  survey  has  ever  been  made  of  the  region  in  which  they  lie,  excepting  compara- 
tively small  bodies  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Des  Chutes.  This  stream,  the  largest  affluent  of  the 
Columbia  in  Oregon  east  of  the  Cascade  mountains,  flows  through  a  valley  large  enough  to 
maintain  a  population  of  many  thousand  persons.  It  has  already  some  considerable  settle- 
ments, mostly  composed  of  stock  raisers. 

John  Day  river  waters  a  valley  much  larger  than  that  of  the  Des  Chutes,  and  of  equal  fer- 
tility.   It  is  unsettled,  and  offers  great  inducements  to  farmers  desiring  homes  near  the  mines, 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


587 


where  market  will  always  be  ready,  and  produce  will  command  high  prices.  It  %  about  30 
miles  east  of  the  Des  Chutes  and  has  the  same  general  trend,  both  running  north  into  the 
Columbia. 

Powder  river  runs  through  the  largest  valley  in  eastern  Oregon,  and  probably  equal  to 
any  other  in  the  excellent  quality  of  its  soil.  Emigrants  from  the  east  are  fast  settling  up 
this  valley,  and  the  prospect  is  that  it  will  soon  contain  a  large  population.  No  settlements 
were  made  on  Powder  river  previous  to  the  discovery  of  the  gold  mines  on  its  head  waters 
but  it  is  stated  that  a  large  number  of  the  emigrants  of  this  season  have  already  selected  their 
future  homes  there,  and  expect  soon  to  be  surrounded  by  an  industrious  and  thriving  com- 
munity, and  enjoying  all  the  amenities  of  civilization. 

Burnt  river  has  its  course  through  a  broken  region,  very  fertile,  but  better  adapted  to  graz- 
ing than  to  agriculture.  This  stream  is  southeast  from  Powder  river,  and  having  the  same 
general  direction,  Hows  northeast  into  Snake  river. 

East  of  Burnt  river  the  country  is  exceedingly  uninviting.  What  valleys  there  are  are 
small  and  frequently  unproductive.  The  land,  impregnated  with  alkalies,  has  scarcely  any 
vegetation  growing  upon  it  except  artemesia,  or  sage.  Grass  is  scarce  and  of  poor  quality, 
even  along  the  streams.  Of  his  entering  the  Burnt  river  country  from  this  inhospitable 
waste,  in  his  official  explorations,  General  Fremont  says  he  now  came  into  "  a  mountainous 
region  where  the  soil  is  good,  and  in  which  the  face  of  the  country  is  covered  with  nutritive 
grasses  and  dense  forests  ;  land  embracing  many  varieties  of  trees  peculiar  to  the  country, 
und  on  which  the  timber  exhibits  a  luxuriance  of  growth  unknown  to  the  eastern  part  of  the 
continent  and  to  Europe.  This  mountainous  region,"  he  continues,  "  connects  itself  in  the 
southward  and  westward  with  the  elevated  country  belonging  to  the  Cascade  or  California 
range,  and  forms  the  eastern  limit  of  the  fertile  and  timbered  lands  along  the  desert  and 
mountainous  region  included  within  the  great  (Utah)  basin." 

The  Grande  Roude,  lying  a  few  leagues  north  of  the  Powder  River  valley,  is  a  beautiful 
circular  valley  some  20  or  30  miles  in  diameter,  watered  by  a  stream  bearing  the  same  name. 
Surrounded  by  high  hills  or  spurs  of  the  Blue  mountains,  its  amphitheatrical  form,  relieving 
its  smooth,  grassy  surface,  intersected  by  a  bold  stream  fringed  on  either  margin  with  small 
trees,  renders  it  sufficiently  charming,  to  say  nothing  of  the  fertility  of  its  soil,  which  is 
unsurpassed.  Settlements  are  being  made  in  this  valley,  also,  by  the  emigrants  who  have 
come  over  the  plains,  but  it  will  not  all  be  occupied  this  season. 

The  following  analysis  of  the  soil  in  Powder  River  and  Grande  Rondo  valleys  is  reported 
by  Frdmoiit : 


POWDER  RIVER. 

Silica 72.30 

Alumina C.  25 

Carbonate  of  lime 6.86 

Carbonate  of  magnesia 4. 62 

Oxide  of  iron 1.20 

Organic  matter 4. 50 

Water  andloss  — .  4.27 


100.00 


GRANDE  RONDE. 

Silica 70.81 

Alumina 10.07 

Lime  and  magnesia 1.38 

Oxide  of  iron 2.21 

Organic  matter 8. 16 

Phospate  of  lime 1.  38 

Water  andloss 5.46 

100.  00 


The  Klamath  basin,  it  is  said,  contains  a  large  tract  of  good  agricultural  lands,  but  this 
may  be  questionable,  as  no  experiments  have  yet  been  made  to  test  its  qualities  for  farming 
purposes.  It  is  a  fine  grazing  district;  even  in  the  midst  of  December  it  has  been  found 
covered  with  fresh  and  luxuriant  grass.  The  Klamath  is  a  magnificent  lake,  possessing 
one  feature  in  particular,  which  lakes  do  not  ordinarily  have,  viz:  it  has  no  water  in  it.  It 
is  a  fact,  though  not  generally  known,  that  this  lake  is  nothing  more  than  a  broad  savannah, 
sometimes  covered  in  places  with  a  thin  sheet  of  water  for  a  brief  period,  but  never  entirely 
inundated,  and  capable  of  being  easily  drained  and  reduced  to  cultivation. 

Goose  lake,  Lake  Abert,  and  some  others  of  considerable  size,  lie  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
Utah  basin,  and  are  said  to  be  surrounded  by  large  tracts  of  as  fine  agricultural  land  as  can 
bo  found  ill  the  State.  That  there  is  some  good  country  around  these  lakes,  is  certainly 
true;  but  enough  is  not  known  of  this  region  to  warrant  a  positive  statement  that  they  are 
very  extensive. 

Rogue  River  valley,  occupying  the  extreme  southern  portion  of  western  Oregon,  and 
extending  into  California  is  a  broken  country,  or  series  of  valleys,  separated  by  rolling 
highlands,  covered  in  some  places  with  dense  forests  of  fir  and  cedar,  and  in  others  thialy 
timbered  with  oak,  and  finely  set  with  grass.  It  is  a  very  good  country  for  farming,  and  a 
superior  one  for  stock  raising.  Rogue  river  is  not  navigable  on  account  of  its  numerous 
cascades.  Like  all  the  western  portion  of  the  State,  this  valley  is  well  watered  by  numerous 
mountain  streams,  which  are  sufficiently  large  to  afford  motive  power  for  running  any  amount 
of  machinery.  It  is  thinly  populated,  and  would  furnish  homes  for  an  indefinite  number  of 
immigrants.  Jacksonville,  its  principal  town,  is  a  place  of  some  importance  as  a  mining 
town. 


588  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

The  Uifpqua  valley  is  a  beautiful  country,  drained  by  the  Umpqua  river,  a  stream  of  some 
magnitude,  and  navigable  25  miles  from  its  mouth  for  ocean  vessels.  This  fertile  valley 
contains  1,000,000  of  acres.  It  is  principally  rolling  or  hilly  land,  the  face  of  the  country 
in  many  places  forcibly  reminding  one  of  the  rugged  districts  of  Vermont,  or  the  charming 
•  stories  he  read  when  but  a  child  of  the  mountain  home  of  the  Swiss. 

Numerous  tributaries  of  the  Umpqua,  some  of  them  quite  large,  flow  through  the  valley, 
affording  excellent  water  privileges.  Perhaps  no  country  is  more  conveniently  provided  with 
good  soil,  good  timber,  and  good  water  than  the  Umpqua  valley.  Its  population  is  about 
4,500,  leaving  ample  room  for  20,000  more,  allowing  160  acres  to  each  family  of  four  persons. 
Roseburg  and  Winchester,  the 'most  important  places  in  this  valley,  are  pleasant  villages. 

But  the  most  important  agricultural  district  in  western  Oregon,  and  probably  in  the  whole 
State,  is  the  Willamette  valley.  It  is  separated  from  the  Umpqua  by  the  Calapooya  moun- 
tains, a  densely  timbered  belt,  having  an  altitude  of  about  o,000  feet,  and  extending  from  the 
Cascade  to  the  Coast  range.  This  valley  is  drained  by  the  Willamette  river,  flowing  north  into 
the  Columbia,  and  which' is  navigable  to  the  distance  of  130^  miles  from*  its  mouth,  direct 
measure,  with  only  a  single  obstruction,  the  falls  at  Oregon  City. 

No  person  can  survey  the  Willamette  valley  with  its  alternations  of  rich  meadow-like 
prairies,  undulations,  and  beautiful  streams,  without  feeling  that  he  beholds  the  most  delight- 
ful spot  in  America.  The  agricultural  country  lying  along  the  banks  of  the  Willamette, 
includes  an  area  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  entire  State  of  Connecticut,  with  a  combination 
of  advantages  inferior  to  no  other  section  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  William  H.  Knight 
describes  this  valley  as  "  possessing  a  soil  of  unsurpassed  fertility,  a  mild  and  genial  climate, 
an  abundant  growth  of  timber,  large  natural  pastures,  where  stock,  may  range  unsheltered 
the  year  round,  an  excellent  commercial  position,  superior  facilities  for  transportation,  and  a 
rapidly  increasing  population."  This  is  stating  the  case  in  rather  too  strong  a  light,  and 
•requires  some  qualification  in  two  of  its  particulars.  The  population  of  the  Willamette 
valley  has  not  increased  very  rapidly  for  some  years  past,  owing  to  causes  which  will  become 
manifest  when  the  subject  of  commerce  is  discussed.  And  the  other  modification  proposed 
is,  that  we  sometimes  have  a  "cold  snap"  of  two  or  three  weeks  duration  in  the  winter,  and 
the  last  winter  still  longer,  so  that  stock  may  not  ''range  unsheltered  the  year  round  "  every 
year,  and  should  not  be  forced  to  do  so  any  year,  as  the  continuous  rains  of  the  winter 
months  are  very  injurious  to  all  kinds  of  domestic  animals.  Aside  from  this  slight  inaccu- 
racy, Mr.  Knight's  description  is  certainly  a  very  correct  one,  and  the  impulse  given  to  the 
State  by  the  recent  discovery  of  extensive  gold  fields  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  State,  cannot 
fail  to  make  it  become  speedily  true  in  .respect  to  the  increase  of  population. 

This  valley  is  mostly  smooth  prairie  land,  large  bodies  of  it  undulating,  but  not  hilly, 
interspersed  at  intervals,  never  greater  than  a  few  miles,  often  much  less,  with  streams  of 
various  sizes,  flowing  in  across  the  valley  from  the  mountains  on  either  side.  Ranges  of 
low  hills,  covered  with  oak  timber,  are  common  throughout  the  valley. 

Some  of  the  largest  affluents  of  the  Willamette,  as  the  Santiam,  Yamhill,  and  Tualatin,  are 
navigable  to  considerable  distances  into  the  interior;  while  there  is  scarcely  one  which  does 
not  afford  an  ample  volume  of  water  to  drive  any  desired  amount  of  machinery  for  milling 
and  manufacturing  purposes. 

The  Willamette,  in  common  with  all  this  region  of  the  Pacific  coast,  belongs  to  the  tertiary 
period.  Shells  and  ligneous  petrifactions  are  numerous,  and  mammal  fossils  have  been 
found  in  various  places,  indicating  a  very  recent  formation. 

The  soil  of  western  Oregon  may  be  divided  into  four  general  classes,  viz : 

1st.  A  brown  clay  loam,  of  good  quality,  thinly  timbered  with  oak,  producing  good  grass, 
and  affording  fine  stock  range.  It  is  found  chiefly  along  the  spurs  of  mountains  or  extended 
ranges  of  hills,  never  in  the  level  prairie. 

2d.  A  dark  or  black  porous  soil  formed  by  the  admixture  of  vegetable  mold  with  the 
clay  loam  just  described.  This  soil  occurs  only  in  the  valleys  close  by  or  between  the  moun- 
tains, and  is  unrivalled  in  productive  power.  Both  of  these  classes  are  thirsty,  and  suffer 
whenever  the  summer  drought  is  of  very  long  duration. 

3d.  A  grajdsh  calcareous  sandy  loam  of  exceedingly  fine  quality,  covered  with  a  thick 
turf  of  grass,  and  admirally  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  cereals,  especially  wheat,  oats,  and 
barley.  This  class  embraces  five-sixths  of  the  entire  valley,  including  most  of  the  prairie, 
and  much  of  the  oak-timbered  land.  It  is  little  affected  by  drought,  and  though  not  naturally 
porous,  is  pulverized  with  great  facility,  and  is  exceedingly  mellow. 

4th.  A  strictly  alluvial  soil,  lying  along  the  immediate  banks  of  the  river,  and  composed 
of  sand,  vegetable  matter,  and  various  decomposed  earths,  washed  by  the  current  from  above. 
Most  of  this  class  of  soil  is  overflowed  in  extraordinary  freshets,  which,  ho*wever,  never  occur 
in  the  growing  season  of  the  year,  and  it  is  unexcelled  in  fertility. 

Many  small  and  very  rich  valleys  lie  along  the  seacoast,  and  will  doubtless  yet  become 
valuable^  Among  them  are  the  Tillamook,  situated  on  a  bay  of  the  same  name,  the  Celets, 
the  Yaquina  on  Yaquina  bay  and  river,  the  Coquille  on  Coquille  river.  The  Coquille  and 
Tillamook  already  contain  settlements  of  some  magnitude. 

HARBORS.— There  are  already  opened  four  ports  of  entry  in  this  State.  The  most  import- 
ant harbor  is  that  of  the  Columbia  river,  but  it  is  not  the  only  one  likely  ever  to  assume 
much  importance.  Umpqua  river,  Port  Orford,  and  the  Coquille  want  nothing  but  the  set- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  589 

tlement  of  the  rich  districts  surrounding  them  to  bring  them  into  consideration  as  commercial 
points,  while  vessels  have  entered  several  others  and  found  good  harbors.  Yaquina  bay, 
first  brought  to  notice  only  a  year  ago,  is  said  to  be  an  excellent  harbor,  extending  30  miles 
into  the  coast,  and  easy  of  access  from  the  heart  of  the  Willamette  valley. 

HEALTH. — It  would  seem  inviduous  to  discriminate  in  favor  of  any  portion  of  the  State 
of  Oregon  in  respect  to  its  salubrity.  Everything  that  nature  could  do  to  render  a  country 
perfectly  healthful  has  been  done  for  this  State.  The  mountain  air,  not  less  than  the  moun- 
tain water,  has  a  vivifying  influence ;  and  the  gentle  breezes  of  summer,  coming  fresh  from 
the  sea,  are  a  pleasant  and  effectual  preventive  against  all  the  violent  diseases  ordinarily  to 
be  feared  in  dry  and  sultry  regions. 

The  climate  of  Oregon  is  thought  to  be  unfavorable  to  the  health  of  persons  who  are  pre- 
disposed to  pulmonary  affections.  This  is  probably  true.  Notwithstanding  this  general 
opinion,  however,  it  is  found  that  fewer  persons  die  here  of  consumption,  in  proportion  to 
the  population,  than  in  any  one  of  the  New  England  States.  And  it  is  certainly  beyond 
question,  that  in  every  other  respect,  there  is  no  other  State  in  the  Union  worthy  to  be  com- 
pared with  this  for  salubrity  of  climate. 

Persons  are  frequently  met  with  here  who  had  been  unable  to  perform  any  labor  for  years 
before  leaving  the  east,  on  account  of  ill  health,  but  have  become  rugged  and  strong  in  this 
country,  and  are  now  regularly  engaged  in  their  callings  without  any  physical  inconvenience 
whatever. 

MISCELLANEOUS. — Some  peculiarities  and  special  adaptation  of  this  State  deserve  to  be 
more  particularly  noticed,  though  space  will  not  allow  this  to  be  done  at  length. 

SHEEP. — A  very  intelligent  writer  of  New  England  calls  Oregon  a  "  mammoth  sheep  pas- 
ture." From  what  has  been  exhibited  of  its  soil,  climate,  and  mines,  it  will  be  perceived 
that,  with  equal  propriety  and  no  greater  allowance  of  hyperbole,  it  might  be  denominated, 
also,  a  mammoth  grain  field  and  vegetable  garden,  and  a  mammoth  gold  placer.  In  a  country 
eminently  fitted  by  nature  for  so  many  branches  of  business  as  Oregon,  discrimination  in 
favor  of  any  one  particularly  will  seem  unwarranted,  not  to  say  unjust.  But  certainly  if 
Oregon  has  a  speciality,  it  is  her  pro-eminence  as  a  wool-growing  country  Until  very 
recently,  little  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  matter  of  sheep  raising,  but  it  is  now  becoming 
one  of  the  staple  interests  of  the  State.  Sheep  thrive  better  here  than  in  any  other  State. 
Disease  among  them  is  exceedingly  rare.  They  increase  here  faster  than  in  the  east,  and 
the  wool  is  of  excellent  quality.  Only  one  manufactory  of  woollen  goods  is  yet  in  ftctive 
operation.  This  is  located  at  Salem.  Another  is  in  course  of  construction  in  Linn  county. 
The  wool  clip  of  the  State,  in  1861,  amounted  to  444,000  pounds.  That  in  1862  (estimated 
by  Mr.  L.  E.  Pratt,  of  the  Willamette  Woollen  Manufacturing  Company)  is  344,000  pounds. 
The  difference  of  amount  is  owing  chiefly  to  the  losses  of  last  winter.  The  average  price  of 
wool,  in  1861,  was  18  cents  a  pound;  in  J862  it  is  20  cents.  In  respect  to  the  quality  of 
Oregon  wool,  Mr.  Pratt  says  "there  is  no  inferior  wool  grown  in  the  State."  When  the 
eastern  papers  quote  the  price  of  "  Oregon  burr  wool,"  they  mislead  dealers  to  the  prejudice 
of  this  State,  as  there  are  no  burrs  in  the  country  ;  they  probably  refer  to  wool  grown  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  are  imposed  upon  by  dealers  of  that  State. 

The  Willamette  Woollen  Manufacturing  Company  turn  out  annually  4, 000  pairs  of  blankets, 
10,000  yards  flannels,  60,000  yards  cloths  and  tweeds,  and  4,000  pounds  stocking  yarn.  The 
cloths  are  worth,  on  an  average,  $1  ]2£  per  yard  ;  the  blankets,  $8. 

The  expenses  of  the  factory  are  $56,000. 

LUMBER. — Everything  has  been  done  which  nature  could  do  to  make  Oregon  to  the  Pacific 
what  Maine  is  to  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  best  of  timber,  with  unexampled  water  privileges 
convenient  of  access  for  sea-going  vessels,  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired  in  this  respect  but 
enterprising  men  who  will  engage  in  the  business  of  supplying  foreign  markets. 

FISHERIES. — All  along  the  sea-coast  oyster  and  salmon  fisheries  might  be  made  highly 
profitable.  The  salmon  on  this  coast  are  not  only  more  abundant,  but  acknowledged  to  be 
of  much  better  quality  than  those  of  the  Atlantic.  Clain  and  cod  fisheries  might  also  be 
established  along  the  coast. 

BEES.— The  introduction  of  bees  into  Oregon  is  of  very  recent  date.  They  prosper  well, 
and  produce  a  large  amount  of  honey.  Three  years  since  a  hive  was  worth  §150 ;  now  it  is 
worth  $25. 

FRUIT. — Reference  has  already  been  made  to  this,  but  something  a  little  more  specific  is 
required.  For  apples  and  pears  Oregon  is  unrivalled.  Cherries  thrive  passably  well. 
Peaches  do  not  generally  succeed  well,  except  some  very  hardy  varieties.  Plums  are  in  great 
abundance,  and  fairly  flavored.  Quinces  and  apricots  flourish.  Grapes  are  good,  especially 
early  varieties.  Shrub  fruits  generally  produce  exceedingly  well.  All  in  all,  Oregon  is  tlve' 
fruit  garden  of  America,  if  not  of  the  world. 

PULSE  of  all  kinds,  like  cereals,  yield  largely. 

COMMERCE.— From  the  geographical  position  and  internal  resources  already  shown,  it  does 
not  require  that  much  should  be  said  of  its  commerce.  Certain  circumstances,  however, 
Lave  prevented  the  development  of  the  strength  of  the  State  in  this  respect,  the  principal  of 
which  is  the  law  under  which  the  land  of  Oregon  is  held.  At  an  early  period  of  the  settle- 
ment of  the  country,  a  law  was  passed  by  Congress  donating  640  acres  of  land  to  each  man 
having  a  wife— or  rather  320  acres  ea«h  to  the  man  and  wife — and  320  acres  each  to  single 


"590  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

men  settling  in  the  Territory.  The  result  of  this  large  donation  has  been  to  render  the  popu- 
lation of  the  State  so  sparse  that  all  interests  of  the  body  social,  all  the  nerves  of  civilization 
aiid  progress  have  been  completely  paralyzed.  This  effect  has  been  visible  more  in  connec- 
tion with  the  commercial  than  witk  any  other  branch  of  the  social  e.conomy  of  the  State, 
unless  it  be  the  educational.  It  is  hoped,  however,  that  these  detrimental  consequences  of 
the  nation's  liberality  will  not  longer  continue  to  operate  as  they  have  done  hitherto;  since 
the  largeness  of  the  gift  has  reduced  a  great  majority  of  the  donees  to  such  a  condition  as 
compels  them  to  divide  their  large  tracts  of  land.  When  this  is  done,  and  not  before,  Oregon 
will  begin  to  exhibit  that  degree  of  prosperity  for  which  God  has  given  her  such  ample  capa- 
bilities. 

SCHOOLS.— Oregon,  though  a  new  country,  is  not  without  its  school  system,  and  the  people 
of  the  State  manifest  an  interest  in  the  subject  of  education  which  cannot  fail  of  raising  the 
intelligence  and  refinement  of  the  country  to  a  high  standard  as  soon  as  the  population  is 
sufficient,  Common  schools  are  kept  in  almost  every  neighborhood,  and  grade  schools  and 
academies  are  located  in  several  places.  Limits  of  ^space  forbid  more  specific  statements. 

CHURCHES. — Also  the  religious  statistics  of  the  State  will  evidence  that  the  immigrant  to 
Oregon  need  not  fo.ar  that  he  is  coming  to  a  barbarous  or  half-civilized  land.  While  the  popu- 
lation of  the  State  is  only  about  60,000,  it  contains 

Denomination.  Churches.     Members. 

Methodist 33  ^,0d3 

Baptist 29  1,073 

Congregationalist 10  J'^7 

Moravian 00  700 

Reformers,  (number  large,  but  not  accurately  known.) 

Catholic 8  10  000 

THE  QUESTION. — It  may  now  be  asked  where  and  on  what  terms  can  land  be  obtained  in 
.Oregon.  In  the  western  portion  of  the  State,  that  is  in  the  Rogue  river,  Urnpqua,  and  Wil- 
lamette valleys,  the  best  laud  is  occupied.  Farms  can  be  had,  however,  in  these  valleys  for 
from  $5  to$JO  per  acre,  according  to  location.  There  is  ample  room,  and  settlement  is  invited. 
As  good  agricultural  land  as  there  is  in  the  world  can  be  bought  for  $8  per  acre  in  any  of 
the*e  districts. 

The  laud  in  eastern  Oregon  is,  for  the  most  part,  vacant.  Homes  may  be  obtained  by 
simply  occupying  them  under  the  provisions  of  the  homestead  law,  which  will  take  effect  on 
the  1st  day  of  January,  1863,  or  by  the  provisions  of  the  pre-emption  law.  These  lands  are 
not  yet  surveyed,  but  no  difficulty  need  he  apprehended  on  this  account.  The  immigrant 
lias  nothing  to  do  but  to  comply  with  the  conditions  under  which  he  takes,  and  his  title  will  be 
secure  to  a  home  for  his  family  which  even  the  rapacity  of  pitiless  creditors  cannot  wrest  from 
them,  and  which  in  return  for  moderate  industry  will  enable  him  always  to  have  enough  aud 
to  spare  of  the  good  things  of  this  world. 


SECTION    III. 

MINERAL  RESOURCES, 

The  mineral  resources  of  Oregon,  though  not  so  thoroughly  prospected  as 
those  of  adjacent  States  and  Territories,  are  both  extensive  and  valuable,  and 
will  no  doubt  at  some  future  time  form  a  prominent  source  of  wealth. 

Placer  mining  has  been  carried  on  extensively  and  profitably  in  the  southern 
counties  since  1852,  and  the  mines  of  John  Day  and  Powder  river  have  yielded 
several  millions  of  dollars  since  their  discovery  in  I860.  The  annual  product 
of  these  mines,  until  within  the  last  two  years,  has  been  from  $1,500,000  to 
$2,000,000.  In  common  with  the  surface  deposits  of  elsewhere,  there  is  a  gradual 
diminution  as  the  placers  become  exhausted.  New  discoveries,  however,  are 
being  continually  made. 

WILLOW  CHEEK  MIXES.— A  writer  in  the  Oregonian  thus  describes  the  mines 
in  the  Willow  creek  country,  a  region  which  has  attracted  considerable  attention 
of  late  J 

Willow  creek  is  a  branch  of  the  Malheur,  having  its  source  near  the  head  of  John  Day's 
river,  and,  flowing  near  100  miles  in  an  easterly  direction,  discharges  its  waters  into  the 
Malheur  about  35  miles  above  its  junction  with  Snake  river.  Although  a  long  stream, 
"Willow  creek,  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  country  through  which  it  flows,  much  of  it  being 
a  low  mountain  or  hill  country,  destitute  of  timber,  receives  but  few  tributaries,  and  those 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  591 

few  of  small  size.  It  is  but  a  small  stream  in  proportion  to  its  length,  and  its  surroundings 
are  gloomy  enough  and  differ  but  little  from  those  of  the  Mulheur,  Owyhee,  and  other  trib- 
utaries, on  the  south  side  of  Snake  river,  between  Farewell  Bend  and  old  Fort  Hall. 

The  mines  on  the  tributaries  of  Willow  creek  were,  I  believe,  first  discovered  in  1862,  at 
what  is  known  as  Mormon  or  Humboldt  basin,  nearly  at  the  same  time,  by  one  party  from 
Salt  lake  and  another  from  the  Humboldt  mining  region  in  Nevada.  This  is  a  small  but 
rich  camp,  and  only  lacks  plenty  of  water  to  render  it  one  of  the  richest  in  the  upper  coun- 
try. But  water  it  can  never  have  from  any  outside  source,  as  the  basin  is  higher  than  the 
source  of  any  of  the  streams  around  it,  so  that  the  miners  in  that  locality  will  have  to  be 
content  with  the  scanty  supply  they  now  have  for  three  or  four  months  in  the  year. 

But  what  are  known  as  the  Willow  creek  mines  are  situated  on  the  south  slope  of-  the 
divide,  between  the  waters  of  Willow  creek  and  Burnt  river,  and  are  now  divided  into 
Slw-sta,  Easton,  and  Willow  Creek  districts. 

Shasta  district  comprises  Shasta  creek,  Rich  creek,  Cottonwood  creek,  Quartz  gulch,  and 
many  others.  Mining  has  been  carried  on  to  some  extent  on  Shasta  creek  for  several  years, 
but  it  was  not  until  last  vummcr  that  the  district  was  prospected  to  any  extent,  or  assumed 
any  importance  as  a  mining  camp,  or  became  known  as  such  outside  of  its  immediate 
vicinity.  Since  then  greatly  exaggerated  reports  have  gained  circulation  in  Idaho,  Oregon, 
California,  &c..  as  to  the  richness  and  extent  of  the  mines.  In  most  of  the  creeks  and 
gulches  in  Shasta  district  good  prospects  have  been  obtained  of  rather  coarse  gold,  mostly 
on  the  bed  rock,  which  is  usually  of  slate,  and  generally  from  10  to  25  feet  below  the  surface. 
Shasta,  like  most  of  mining  districts,  contains  an  embryo  town  which  rejoices  in  the  name 
of  El  Dorado  City,  indifferently  supplied  with  everything  but  whiskey. 

Easton  district  was  organized  last  summer,  and  is  situate  east  of  and  joining  Shasta  dis- 
trict. It  contains  a  large  number  of  gulches,  some  of  which  were  worked  during  last  sum- 
mer, paying  very  well.  Good  prospects  have  been  obtained  in  many  others,  and  if  water 
were  plenty  it  would  be  a  lively  camp  next  season,  and  continue  so  for  two  or  three  years. 
In  these  districts  the  gold  is  finer  than  in  Shasta  district,  and  the  bed  rock  (if  rock  it  can  be 
called)  is  a  kind  of  cement  of  clay  and  gravel. 

Willow  Creek  district  has  recently  organized,  and  comprises  the  lower  part  of  Mormon 
Basin  creek  and  a  number  of  gulches  east  of  it,  but  gold  in  paying  quantities  has  only  been 
found  in  one  of  them.  This  district  is  immediately  east  of  Easton  district,  and  the  mines 
are  of  the  fame  character.  These  districts  are  all  on  the  north  side  of  Willow  creek,  and 
are  comprised  in  a  space  of  about  12  miles  in  length  and  but  little  over  one  in  width. 

Water  is  very  scarce  in  all  the  mines  in  this  vicinity.  During  the  spring  the  melting 
snow  furnishes  a  good  many  gulches  with  water  for  two  or  three  months.  After  that  is 
gone,  all  the  natural  water  in  Shasta  district  would  not  amount  to  more  than  one  sluice  head 
in  Easton  district,  including  the  water  in  Mormon  basin  creek,  about  two,  in  Willow  Creek 
district  about  one.  And  in  speaking  of  creeks  in  those  districts  the  reader  must  bear  in 
mind  that  all  the  gulches  in  which  water  flows  during  summer  (no  matter  how  small  the 
quantity)  is  called  a  creek.  Most  of  the  gulches  are  dry  during  the  full  and  winter,  and  a 
prospector  frequently  has  to  carry  dirt  one-half  mile  or  more  to  find  water  to  wash  it. 
Another  great  inconvenience  here  is  the  scarcity  of  timber,  it  being  on  the  mountains  and 
in  canons  remote  trom  the  mines.  Lumber  for  mining  and  building  purposes  has  to  be 
hauled  from  8  to  16  miles,  and  fire- wood  from  two  to  five  miles,  the  former  costing  about  £>70 
per  1,000  feet,  and  the  latter  from  $12  to  $14  per  cord. 

The  climate  here  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Grande  Ronde  and  Powder  River  valleys,  the 
amount  of  snow  falling  being  much  less  than  in  the  mining  regions  of  Idaho.  Yet  the 
winters  are  very  cold.  The  past  two  weeks  have  been  about  as  cold  as  any  weather  I  ever 
saw  during  several  years'  residence  in  the  mountains.  The  snow  is  now  about  10  inches 
deep  in  the  mines,  and  perhaps  two  feet  deep  on  the  divide  between  Willow  creek  and  Burnt 
river. 

There  is  much  good  agricultural  land  along  Willow  creek,  Burnt  river,  and  other  streams 
in  this  vicinity,  upon  which  abundant  supplies  could  be  raised  for  all  this  part  of  Oregon, 
unless  the  crickets,  which  seem  to  be  one  of  the  natural  productions  of  the  country,  should 
claim  too  lurge  a  percentage  of  the  crop. 

Several  different  ditches  have  been  talked  of  for  bringing  water  from  Willow  creek  and 
Burnt  river  for  mining  purposes,  which  -would  supply  Shasta  district  and  subsequently  dis- 
tricts east  of  that,  only  one  of  which  has  been  prosecuted  to  any  extent ;  that  being  the 
ditch  of  Carter,  Packwood  &  Company,  which  Is  one  of  large  extent,  and  will,  when  com- 
pleted, supply  a  large  extent  of  mining  ground  with  water  and  give  employment  to  many 
men.  But  unfortunately  there  is  little  probability  of  its  completion  in  time  to  do  any  good 
next  summer  ;  so  that  many  owning  claims  will  have  to  wait  another  year  before  they  can 
work  them  to  any  extent,  as  the  mines  are  of  such  a  nature  that  they  can  only  be  workod 
by  the  hydraulic  or  ground  sluice,  which  requires  a  large  amount  of  water. 

There  is  a  large  extent  of  unprospected  country  in  this  part  of  Oregon,  in  much  of  which 

it  is  probable  gold  may  be  found.     Were  the  facilities  better  for  working  the  mines,  this 

would  soon  be  a  populous  portion  of  the  State,  but  much  of  the  country  is  destitute  of  timber 

and  water. 

Tb±;re  is  but  little  to  induce  men  to  come  here  at  present,  but  if  any  do  come  from  Oregon 


592  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

and  California,  they  had  best  not  come  before  the  first  of  May,  as  before  that  time  the  weather 
will  be  stormy  and  unsettled,  and  they  will  find  it  rough  camping  out  in  a  country  where 
even  sage  brush  for  fuel  is  not  very  plenty. 

There  are  a  few  stores  in  the  country,  at  Clark's  creek,  Mormon  Basin,  and  other  camps, 
but  they  are  poorly  furnished  with  mining  tools,  clothing,  groceries,  and  in  fact  everything 
but  whiskey,  and  other  beverages  of  like  nature,  which  are  supposed  to  be  necessary  in  a 
country  where  water  is  not  very  plenty.  Our  nearest  post  office  is  at  Express,  nearly  20 
miles.  We  get  our  mail  matter  from  there  or  from  Auburn,  which  is  upwards  of  35  miles 
distant.  A  mail  route  which  would  accommodate  Clark's  Creek,  Mormon  Basin,  and  the 
Willow  mines  is  very  necessary,  and  should  receive  the  attention  of  our  postal  authorities. 

QUARTZ  LODES. — Numerous  gold-bearing  quartz  lodes  have  been  discovered 
in  various  parts  of  the  State,  but  none  of  them  have  been  developed  to  any 
great  extent.  East  of  Eugene  City,  near  the  McKenzie  river,  (north  branch 
of  the  Willamette,)  some  excellent  lodes  have  been  prospected,  one  of  which 
extends  north  to  Santiam  and  south  across  the  head  branches  of  the  middle  fork 
of  the  Willamette,  Coast  Fork,  North  and  South  Umpqua,  &c.  The  Blue 
mountains,  in  the  vicinity  of  Canon  City,  John  Day's  river,  abound  in  quartz 
which  the  miners  think  will  pay,  but  as  there  are  placer  mines  in  the  vicinity, 
and  a  lack  of  capital  to  erect  the  necessary  mills,  they  have  not  yet  been  worked 
to  any  considerable  extent.  A  writer  in  one  of  the  Oregon  papers  says : 

The  discoveries  made  in  Auburn  district,  near  the  western  line  of  Baker  county,  are 
known  to  be  rich,  but,  as  is  usual,  the  discoverers  are  poor  and  unab'e  to  purchase  and  erect 
suitable  mills  for  reducing  their  rock,  and,  therefore,  must  be  content  with  simply  working 
out  the  assessments  required  by  law  to  hold  them.  In  fact,  in  no  less  than  five  districts  in  the 
county,  quartz  is  known  to  exist  in  paying  quantities,  but  will  not  be  worked,  perhaps,  for 
years  to  come — until  labor  is  cheaper  and  the  cost  of  machinery  is  correspondingly  cheaper, 
and  the  placer  mines  are  more  thoroughly  worked.  The  fact  is  that  wherever  placer  mines 
will  daily  exhibit  to  the  laborer  the  fruits  of  his  toil,  at  but  little  outlay,  he  is  hard  to  be 
persuaded  to  invest  time  and  labor  and  capital  in  the  business  of  quartz  crushing. 

Outside  of  our  county,  too,  there  are  known  to  be  rich  quartz  mines,  occupying  about  the 
same  practical  position  that  ours  does.  The  quartz  of  Elk  creek,  Granite  creek,  and  Canon 
City,  in  Grant  county,  together  with  tuose  of  Eagle  creek,  m  Union  county,  are  destined  to 
attract  attention  before  long. 

THE  IRON  INTEREST. — By  far  the  most  important  mineral  resource  yet  dis- 
covered in  Oregon  is  the  vast  deposit  of  iron  known  to  exist  between  the  Willa- 
mette river  above  Portland  and  the  Columbia,  at  St.  Helen.  Of  the  entire 
extent  of  this  valuable  deposit  there  is  as  yet  but  little  knowledge,  but  it  has 
been  traced  for  a  distance  of  at  least  25  miles,  and  is  beyond  doubt  inexhaustible. 
A  description  of  the  geological  formation  in  whicli  this  iron  is  found,  with  some 
observations  on  the  character  of  the  ore,  cost  of  manufacture,  &c.,  and  of  iron 
ores  generally  on  the  Pacific  coast,  will  be  found  in  the  article  on  miscellaneous 
mineral  resources.*  The  following  detailed  description  of  the  iron  works  at 
Oswego  is  from  the  Oregonian,  a  newspaper  published  at  Portland : 

It  is  cause  for  sincere  rejoicing  that  the  efforts  of  the  enterprising  company  which  has  under- 
taken the  development  of  this  most  important  resource  of  our  State  are  now  almost  sure  to 
be  rewarded  with  complete  success.  It  would  be  difficult  to  name  an  interest  on  this  coast 
which  may  affect  the  general  prosperity  more  directly  and  permanently  than  the  successful 
working  of  our  iron  mines.  It  is  not  so  much  that  the  proprietors  may  make  money  out  of 
them,  but  it  is  that  some  of  the  chief  courses  of  trade  arid  manufactures  will  be  turned  in 
entirely  new  channels.  These  works,  if  present  prospects  are  hereafter  realized,  will  be  able 
to  supply  the  greater  part  of  the  demand  of  the  whole  coast  for  raw  iron.  This  alone  is  a 
vast  interest;  but  when  we  take  into  consideration  that  iron-rolling  mills  and  manufacturing 
establishments  of  various  kinds  will  surely  follow  the  success  of  this  pioneer  effort,  the  interest 
which  the  whole  country  has  in  it  is  immense — entirely  beyond  the  possibility  of  present 
conception.  In  view  of  this,  we  shall  certainly  not  be  censured  if  we  devote  to  the  various 
matters  connected  with  these  works  the  greater  part  of  our  column  to-day. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMPANY. —The  "Oregon  Iron  Company"  was  incorporated  by 
signing  and  filing  articles  in  the  offices  of  the  county  clerk  of  this  county,  and  of  the  secre- 
tary of  State,  on  the  24th  day 'of  February,  1865.  The  incorporators  were  H.  D.  Green,  W. 
S.  Ladd,  and  John  Green.  The  capital  stock  was  fixed  at  $500,000.  The  stock  was  soon 
taken,  the  number  of  stockholders  being  20,  including  many  of  our  most  sagacious  and 

*  Notes  on  the  coal  and  other  miscellaneous  mineral  productions  of  Oregon  will  be  found 
m  the  same  article. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  593 

energetic  business  men.  On  the  13th  of  May  following,  the  stockholders  held  their  first 
Hireling,  and  organized  under  the  provisions  of  the  statute  by  electing  a  board  of  directors, 
consisting  of  W.  S.  Ladd,  H.  C.  Leonard,  John  Green,  T.A.Davis,  P.  C.  Schuyler,  H.  D. 
(irecn,  and  Henry  Failing.  At  a  subsequent  meeting  of  the  directors,  W.  S.  Ladd  was 
chosen  president ;  H.  C.  Leonard,  vice-president,  and  H.  D.  Green,  secretary.  Mr.  P.  C. 
Schuyler  is  at  present  acting  secretary. 

COST  OF  THE  WORKS. — Thus  far  the  sum  of  all  the  assessments  levied  on  the  stock  is 
only  27  per  cent.,  all  of  which  has  been  paid  in  with  the  exception  of  $11,000,  delinquent 
by  three  of  the  stockholders.  The  expenditures  for  building,  opening  the  mines,  construct- 
ing machinery,  and  stocking  wifh  material,  was,  up  to  the  1st  of  August,  between  $124,000 
and  ,s  125, 000.  Since  that  date  there  have  been,  of  course,  some  further  expenditures,  which 
can, at  present,  only  be  estimated;  but  the  total  amount  is  probably  within  $l2ij,-OUO. 

MAGNITUDE  OF  THE  WORKS. — The  company  having  prospected  the  mine,  which  is  about 
two  and  half  miles  from  the  present  village  of  Oswego,  and  having  had  the  ore  thoroughly 
tested,  began  excavating  for  the  walls  of  the  furnace  and  tower,  on  the  21st  of  May,  18b'5.  Since 
then  the  work  of  building  and  opening  the  mine  has  been  carried  on  without  more  than  tempo- 
rary suspensions  till  the  present  day.  The  works  are  run  by  water,  taken  from  Oswego  lake. 
The  dam  across  the  creek,  just  below  the  foot  of  the  lake,  is  148  feet  in  length,  and  22  feet  in 
height,  and  is  a  structure  of  great  strength.  The  flume  by  which  water  is  conveyed  to  the 
works  is  <)n<)  feet  long  and  3  feet  square.  The  machinery  in  the  blast-house  is  driven  by 
one  of  Leffel's  double-turbine  water-wheels,  which  also  works  a  force  pump  for  supplying 
the  tanks  with  water.  The  blast-house  (where  the  wrind  is  made)  is  38  feet  square  and 
20  feet  high.  The  casting-house  is  136  feet  long,  58  feet  wide,  and  is  a!2-feet  story.  The 
stack  frame  is  34  feet  square,  and  32  feet  high.  The  top-house  is  34  feet  square,  and  20  feet 
high.  The  stack  and  chimney  together  are  65  feet  in  height.  The  bridge-house  is  a  12-li>et 
story,  121)  feet  long,  and  25  feet  wide;  one  end  resting  on  the  ground  on  the  hili-side,  the 
other  supported  on  heavy  truss-work,  and  connecting  with  the  stack.  The  first  coal-house 
connecting  with  the  bridge-house  is  a  12- feet  story,  148  feet  longhand  38  feet  wide.  The 
second  coal-house,  standing  a  little  apart  from  the  other,  is  a  24-feet  story,  100  feet  long,  and 
40  feet  wide.  The  water  tank  is  J2  feet  sqtare,  and  8  feet  deep.  These  are  the  buildings 
which  constitute  the  works  proper;  but  the  company  has  one  or  two  other  buildings  in  the 
village,  one  of  which  is  a  storehouse,  50  by  37  feet,  and  a  story  and  a  half  high.  The  stack 
within,  which  is  the  furnace,  is  a  massive  pile  of  masonry,  32  feet  square  at  the  base,  and  34 
feet  high.  There  is  probably  not  a  finer  or  stronger  piece  of  masonry  on  this  coast  tha.i  this 
stack.  The  capacity  of  the  furnace  is  about  800  bushels.  The  buildings  are  supplied  or  to 
be  supplied  everywhere  with  water-pipes,  to  be  used  both  in  the  ordinary  daily  operations 
and  in  case  of  fire.  Everything  about  the  entire  works  is  constructed  for  strength  arid  dura- 
tion. In  this  respect  the  company  has  wisely  thought  that  the  additional  cost  of  heavy, 
strong,  and  finished  work,  above  that  of  mere  make-shift,  cannot  fail  to  be  returned  in  the 
duration  of  the  works.  The  machinery  in  the  blast-house  is  massive,  and  finely  finished. 
The  blast  of  air  is  obtained  by  the  use  of  two  large  air  pumps,  whose  pistons  attach  to  the 
ends  of  a  huge  walking-beam.  The  air  is  forced  through  a  regulator,  which  serves  to  keep 
the  current  constant.  In  the  regulator,  as  the  machinery  was  driven  yesterday,  the  pressure 
of  air  was  five-eighths  of  a  pound  to  the  square  inch.  From  the  regulator  the  air  is  forced 
through  ;i  long  pipe  to  the  top  of  the  stack,  when  it  goes  through  several  lar<je  cast  tubes,  so 
placed  as  to  be  all  the  time  red-hot.  This  is  for  the  purpose  of  heating  the  air  before  it  strikes 
the  fire  and  mass  of  ore  at  the  bottom  of  the  furnace.  From  these  heating  tubes  the  air  then 
goes  through  large  tubes,  concealed  in  the  masonry,  to  the  bottom  of  the  furnace,  where  it  is  dis- 
charged with  great  force  into  the  interior  of  the  furnace.  The  effect  upon  the  burning  mass 
of  coal,  ore,  and  lime  is  something  too  fierce  for  description.  To  prevent  the  end  of  the  air- 
pipe  from  being  consumed  by  the  intense  heat,  it  is  inserted  in  a  massive  piece  of  casting, 
called  a  tiiicr,  and  which  is  subjected  to  a  constant  stream  of  cold  water. 

MAKING  IRON. — The  first  casting  of  iron  into  pigs  was  made  on  Saturday,  August  24.  The 
manner  of  doing  it  is  something  as  follows :  Of  course  the  furnace  lias  had  (ire  in  it  for  some  time, 
and  was  hot  when  the  work  began.  The  workmen  first  put  in  at  the  top  26  bushels  of  coal,  then 
H)0  pounds  of  ore,  adding  to  this  mass  about  20  per  cent,  of  limestone.  This  proportion  is 
observed  till  the  furnace  is  full.  The  limestone  and  ore  are  broken  under  the  hammer,  before 
being  put  in  the  furnace.  The  use  of  the  lime  is  to  amalgamate  with  itself  all  the  dross  and 
impurities  of  the  ore,  released  in  the  process  of  smelting.  This  dross  is  constantly  drawn  off 
from  the  furnace  at  the  hearth,  and  when  cooled  is  thrown  away.  The  company  propose  to 
use  ii  for  grading  their  roads  and  grounds.  When  the  reservoir  at  the  bottom  gets  full,  the 
hearth  is  tapped,  the  molten  iron  runs  off  in  a  sparkling*  white  stream,  down  a  channel  to 
the.  pit,  where  it  falls,  first,  into  a  gutter  called  the  sow,  and  from  this  into  smaller  and  shorter 
gutters,  where  the  iron  is  shaped  into  pigs.  Yesterday  the  hearth  was  tapped  twice,  the 
result  being  about  six  tons  ef  pig  iron.  It  is  expected  that  when  the  furnace  gets  formed 
and  thoroughly  heated,  the  company  will  be  able  to  cast  three  times  at  least  in  24  hours, 
rnakintr  between  three  and  four  tons  at  each  casting.  Tlie  ore  now  used  yields  about  55  per 
cent,  of  iron,  which  would  be  considered  anywhere  in  the  world  very  rich.  The  coal  costs 
about  six  cents  per  bushel.  Lime  costs  $(>  per  ton.  The  ore  is  estimated  to  cost  about  $1  75 
per  ton.  The  company  is  now  employing  80  men  as  miners,  coal  burners  and  heavers, 

38 


594 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


teamsters  and  artisans,  at  the  works.     The  coal-houses  now  have  in  them  about  80,000 
bushels  of  coal,  and  it  is  coming  in  at  the  rate  of  about  2,500  bushels  per  day.    The  iron  thus 


grain, 

To  conclude  this  article  we  will  mention  that  of  the  first  casting,  Mr.  J.  C.  Trullinger,  the 
proprietor  of  the  town  site,  has  secured  two  pigs,  which  he  will  have  engraved  with  his  own 
initials,  the  date  of  casting  and  the  trade  stamp  of  the  company,  and  then  planted  as  street 
monuments  at  the  corners  of  blocks  Nos.  1  and  2,  at  the  junctions  of  Furnace,  Ladd  and 
Durham  streets. 


TaUe  of  distances. 


FROM  PORTLAND  TO  DALLES  CITY. 

Miles. 

Vancouver  (by  steamer) 18 

Lower  Cascades 45  G3 

Upper  Cascades  (by  railroad) 6  69 

Dalles  City  (by  steamer) 45  114 

FROM  DALLES  CITY  TO  LEVVISTON. 

Celilo  (by  railroad} 15 

Columbus  (by  steamer) 6  21 

John  Day's  river 10  31 

Indian  Rapids 3  34 

Squally  Hook 3  37 

Rock  Creek 4  41 

Chapman's  wood-yard 8  49 

Big  Bend 6  55 

Willow  Creek 9  64 

Castle  Rock 8  72 

Canoe  Encampment 2  74 

Foot  of  Long  Island 4  78 

Head  of  Long  Island 7  85 

Grande  Roude  Lauding 5  90 

Umatilla  City 7  97 

Head  of  Umatilla  Rapids 6  103 

Wind  Mill  Rock 3  106 

Wallula...., 15  121 

Mouth  of  Snake  river 11  132 

First  Rapids,  Snake  river 6  138 

Fish  Hook  Rapid ._ 10  148 

Lower  End  of  Canon 2  150 

Upper  End  of  Canon 2  152 

Jim  Fort  Island 6  158 

Pine  Tree  Rapids 7  165 

Palouse  Crossing 30  195 

Fort  Taylor,  at  Tukannon 5  200 

Taksas  Rapids 6  206 

Pa-na-wa  Creek  and  Indian  Farm.  25  231 

Almota 14  245 

Indian  Wood  Yard 21  266 

El-pa-wa  Creek 5  27 J 

Jackson  &  Buckley  Ferry 3  274 

Lewiston 7  281 

FROM  DALLES  CITY  TO  UMATILLA  CITY. 

Celilo  (by  railroad) 15 

Des  Chutes  (by  land) 1  16 

Spanish  Hollow 9  25 

John  Day's 15  40 

Willow  Creek .. : .  23  63 

Well  Spring ]4  77 

Ewing's 18  95 

Umatilla  City 16  111 

PROM  UMATILLA  TO  IDAHO  CITY. 

Franklin  House 12 

Swift's 2G  38 

Willow  .Springs 12  50 


Miles. 


64 

77 

85 

101 

106 


116 


124 

125| 

129 


Meacham's  or  Lee's  Encampment  14 

Station  ........................  13 

LaGrande  .....................  12 

Union  .........................  16 

Pyles  .........................  5 

Kentucky  House  ..............  H  1074 

Stark's  ........................  5 

Austin  ........................  4 

Mountain  View  House  ..........  2 

Carter's  .......................  6 

Valley  House  ..................  1 

Ward's,  or  Slough  House  ........  3| 

Henkler's  Ranch  ...............  3£ 

Baldock's  .....................  6 

Mud  Springs  ...................  6 

Illinois  Ranch  .................  5i 

Straw  Ranch,  or  H.  Huffman's.  .  4 

New  York  House  ...............  4 

California  Ranch.  ..............  3| 

Express  Ranch  .................  * 

Central  ........................  2 

Wilson's  ......................  5 

Hawkins  ......................  4 

Scott's  ........................  5 


150 
154 

158 


Whiteside's  ....................  6 

Miller's  ........................  1 

Marshall's  .....................  5 

Old's  Ferry,  or  Snake  River  .....  1 

Snake  River  Bend  ..............  8 

Monroe  Rouse,  or  Weizer's  ......  8 

Jasper  &  Beard's  Station  ........  4 

Snake  River  Slough  ............  2 

Forty-Nine  Ranch  ..............  10 

Fay  ette  River  and  Bluff  Station..  4 

Junction  House  ................  3 

Thompson's  ...................  4 

Payette  Ranch  .................  8 

Block  House  ..................  5 

Payette  Junction  ...............  2 

Bernal's  .......................  11 

Horse  Shoe  Bend  ...............  8 

Shafer's  .......................  4 

Herzog  &  Company  ............  4 

Allen's  ........................  10 

Placerville  .....................  2 

Centreville  ....................  5 

IdahoCity  .....................  8 


162 
164 
169 
173 
178 
184 
185 
190 
191 
199 
207 
211 
213 
223 
227 
230 
234 
242 
247 
249 
260 
268 
272 
276 
286 
288 
293 
301 


FROM  UMATILLA  CITY  TO  INDEPENDENCE. 
Franklin  House  ................   12 

Alkali  Hollow  .................  12  24 

Forks  of  Birch  Creek  ...........  10  34 

Beard's  Saw  Mill  ...............   12  46 

Dealy  Ranch  ...................   18  64 

Horse  Ranch  ...................   12  76 

Day's  Flat  on  Granite  Creek  .....  22  98 

Independence  ..................     6  104 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


595 


Table  of  distances — Continued. 


FROM  INDEPENDENCE  TO  CANON  CITY  (BY 
TRAIL. ) 

Miles. 

Little  Salmon 20 

Vim-rut's  Gulch 18      38 

Canon  City 22      60 

FROM  INDEPENDENCE  TO  AUBURN. 

Head  of  Powder  Kiver 20 

BearGulch 5      25 

Auburn 15      40 

FROM  WALLA-WALLA  TO  IDAHO  CITY. 

Walla-Walla  River 13 

Liukton'sMill 9  22 

Mountain  House 12  34 

Phillips' 13  47 

Willow  Creek 11  58 

Hendershott's 16  74 

Union 6  80 

Idaho  City 200  280 

FROM  IDAHO  CITY  TO  BOISE  CITY. 

Warm  Springs 2 

Minuehaha  Ranch 10  12 

Fourteen-mile^  House 2  14 

Sampson's,  or  Twelve-mile  House.  8  22 

Boise  City 12  34 

FROM  UMATILLA  CITY  TO  BOISE  CITY. 

Payefte  Junction 249 

Boise  City 30    279 

FROM  WALLA-WALLA  TO  BOISE  CITY. 

(As  measured  with  a  roadometer)  265 

FROM    IDAHO    CITY   TO  ROCKY    BAR   (BY 
TRAIL.) 

Meadow  Creek  Ranch 14 

North  Boise  Bridge  and  Toll  House    4  18 

Middle  Boise  Ranch 6  24 

Brady's  Ranch II  35 

Rocky  Bar 13  48 

FROM  BOISE  CITY  TO  RUBY  AND  SILVER 
CITIES. 

Seventeen-mile  Station 17 

Slough 15  32 

Snake  River 1  33 

Carson's  Ranch 15  48 

Honey  Lake  Smith's 6  54 

Boonvilla 8  62 

Ruby  City 2  64 

Silver  City f  64f 

FROM  BOISE  CITY  TO  VOLCANO. 

Boise  River 7 

Fifteen-mile  House 8       15 

Squaw  Creek 15      30 


Miles. 

Syrup  Creek 11  41 

Little  Camas  Prairie 16  57 

Franklin 3  60 

Volcano 10  70 

FROM  BOISE  CITY  TO  ROCKY  BAR. 

Little  Camas  Prairie 57 

Wood  Creek 8  65 

LimeCreek 2  67 

Warm  Springs 10      77 

Cowhide  Ranch 5      82 

Toll  Gate H    83£ 

Milk  Ranch 4      85  J- 

Rocky  Bar 14      99^ 

FROM  BOISE  CITY  TO  RED  BLUFF,  VIA  BOON- 
VILLE,  (ilBB'S  CREEK,  AND  SUSANVILLE, 
IN  HONEY  LAKE. 

Seventeen-mile  Station 17 

Slough 15      32 

Snake  River 1      33 

Carson's  Ranch 15      48 

Honey  Lake  Smith's 6      54 

Boonville 8      62 

Jordan's  Ranch 18      80 

Muskrat  Lakes 16      96 

Cbild's  Ferry 17  113 

Gibb's  Creek,  or  forks  of  road  ...     8  121 

Head  of  Gibb'.s  Creek 14  135 

Mountain  Creek 16  151 

Trout  Creek 17  Kid 

1'ucbla  Mountain 10  177 

Hot  Springs 6  184 

Alder  Creek 8  192 

Summit  Lake 12  104 

Three  Lakes 12  216 

Canon  Creek 9  225 

Surprise  Valley 13  238 

FurCreek 14  252 

Swift  Creek 15  ^67 

Rapid  Creek 4  271 

Susanville,  in  Honey  Lake 6  277 

Red  Bluff 99  376 

Susanville  to  Chico 95  372 

BOISE  CITY  TO  STARR  CITY,  VIA  BOONVILLE. 

Seventeen-mile  Station 17 

Slough 15      32 

Snake  River 1       33 

Carson's  Ranch 15      48 

Honey  Lake  Smith's 6      54 

Boouville 8      62 

Jordan's  Ranch 18      80 

Muskrat  Lakes 16      96 

Child's  Ferry 17  113 

Gibb's  Creek 8  121 

WellSpriug 12  133 

Mouth  of  Canon 10  143 

Summit  Spring 20  163 

East  Fork  of  Queen's  River 8  171 

Paradise  Valley 60  231 

Cherokee 12  2-13 

Starr  City 26  269 


596 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 


Table  of  distances — Continued. 


EIA. 

Touchet  

il 
15 

ales. 

Spring  

11 

•:,• 

Palouse.  011  Snake  river  

46 

Forks  of  the  Palouse  

15 

Cow  Creek  

rj 

73 

Camp  

12 

9G 

Cottonwood  Springs  

8 

98 

Dragoon  Encampment  
Pine  Timber  

ie 

6 

111 
119 

Rock  Creek  

1-2 

131 

Lake  to  the  right  of  road  

13 

144 

Hangman  Creek  

Antoine  Plant  Ferry,  or  Crossing  of 

10 

154 

^ne  River  

1'2 

166     : 

Dutchman's  

a 

- 

Slongh  
Pen  d'Oreille  Lake  

- 

9 

210  ; 

Head  of  Pen  d'Oreille  Lake  

30 



9 

249   i 

Stampede  Lake,  to  the  left  of  the 

road  

18 

267   ' 

Kootanie  Ferry  

1- 

285   ! 

Spring  

JO 

06 

n  Mile  Creek  

8 

303 

Commission  Creek,  one  mile  to  left 

of  road  

9 

312 

Round  Prairie  

10 

Boundary  line  

7 

329  i 

Moya  River  

7 

336  j 

Third  Crossing  of  Moya  River  

10 

340 

Log  Hcase  

12 

358  i 

Miner  's  Creek  

Id 

376 

Peavine  Prairie  

12 

- 

Si.  Joseph's  Prairie  

12 

400 

Central  Ferry  

10 

410 

Fisherville  

7 

417 

FROM  NEW  FERRY  TO  ROCK  CJ 

IEE1 

>pnngs  

15 

Kentuek's,  on  the  first  Mullan's  road 

9 

04 

Six-mile  Camp  .  

6 

30 

Springs  

9 

39 



10 

49 

Timber  Camp  

9 

58 

Rock  Creek  

12 

70 

FROM  WALLA- WALLA  TO  ROCK  CREEK. 

Xew  Ferry 121 

Tukannon  to  Rock  Creek 

JOHN  DAY^  TO  POWDER  RIVER  AND 
LA  GRANDE. 

9 

Harrison's  on  Willow  creek 14      23 

Forks  of  Willow  creek 

Forks  of  Butter  creek 16      45 

: 

; 20       7-j 

McWii.Is 17      89 


MB*, 

Burk's 16 

•<  Ranch - 12  117 

Grande  Ronde  river,  or  forks  of  road    4  121 

Powder  river 20  141 

Grande  Rond  river  (road  to  1-  . 

La  Grande 20  161 

FROM  DALLES  CITY  TO  CANON  CITY.  VIA 
NIXON'S  BRIDGE. 

Nixon's  bridge 16 

HayStack.r 27      43 

Cross  Hollows,  or  forks  of  road..  25  63 

ColdCamp 11       79 

Current  Creek 10       39 

Muddy  Creek 4      93 

CherryCreek 6      99 

BridgeCreek 9  108 

Alkali  Flat 10  118 

Foot  of  the  mountain 0  1 27 

Mountain  House 6  133 

Camp  Watson  (military  post) 6|  12H 

Rock  Creek ." 6^  14o" 

Cottonwood 15  161 

SouthFork 6 

Hagen's  Ranch 15  1-2 

Veatch's  Ranch 8  190 

Canon  City 10  200 

* 

FROM  DALLES  CITY  TO  CANON  CITY.    VIA 
GILLAM'S. 

Gillam's.. 12 

Mcltee 17.     29 

BakeOven 19 

Cross  Hollows,  or  forks  of  road..  10 

ColdCamp 11      69 

Current  Creek 10      79 

MuddyCreek 4      83 

CherryCreek 6      69 

BridgeCreek 9 

AikaliFlat 10    108 

Canon  L  .  ; rJ    190 

FROM  WALLA-WALLA  TO  LEWISTON. 

Tusha  Crossing 20 

Tukannon-.-f. 22  42 

Pataha 12  -"4 

Alpowa 12  66 

Lewiston 17  83 

FROM  LEWISTON  TO  ELK  CITY,  FLORENCE, 
AND  IDAHO  CITY. 

Lewiston  to  Elk  City 142 

Lewiston  to  Florence 12" 

Lewiston  to  Ida  190 

From  White  Bluff  to  •  150 

From  Wallula  via  Union  to  Idaho  City, 
about 300 

From  Dalles  C.                  klin  House  on 
the  Idaho  and  Umatilia  road 102 


r    OF    THE    ROCK?    MOUXTAI.  597 


ALAS  K A . 

.11  the  information  we  po0ae§B  touching  the  mineral  resources  of  Alaska 
'•  accompanying  the  Presidents  rnes.- 
•ngreaB,  2d  16081011,)  and  in  • 

of  li  inner  on  the  cessi"  |  .    •  rica  to  the  United 

•  Ji.-hed  in  the  same  document,  pp.  124-1  SO.)    These  valuable  and 

-'•arches  of  the  most  reliable  authorities,  and  «!cm0o- 

strate  beyond  question  that  the  newly-acquired  territory  abounds  in  the  precious 
meta  'ful  minerals,  though  r  admitted  that  oar  knowlexL 

•.  chiefly  confined  to  the  sea-coast  an 
lands.     Of  th  •  *  inental  interior  we  know  cotnpar- 

!y  nothing ;  in  the  language  of  Mr.  Snmner,  "  perhaps  no  region  of  equal 
:  on  the  globe,  unless  \ve  except  the  interior  of  Africa,  or  possibly  Green- 
-  little  known.     Here."  Sumner.  -  I  do  not  speak  for  myself 

alone  ;  a  learned  German,  whom  I  have  already  quoted,  after  saying  that  explo- 
ratk»:  •  en  limited  to  the  e  ;  or.  not  only  < : 

'uent,  but  even  of  the  island  of  Sitka,  is  to-day  unexplored,  and  is  in  • 

i  ra  incognita  /  the  same  has  been  repeated  of  the  islands  also." 
tta  beyond  what  has  already  become  familiar  to  the  public,  it  would  b- 
therefore,  to  encumber  this  report  with  any   speculations  or  conje< 
'•ting  the  mineral  resources  of  a  comparatively  unexplored  region.     It  is 

known  to  abound  in  gold,  silver,  copper. 

and  coal,  anfl  that  it  possesses  many  other  valuable  resources,  chief  among 
are  its  fisheries  and  forests. 

In  this  enlightened  age  it  seems  singular  that  an  at  f  such  inesti- 

mable importance,  in  its  political  and  commercial  aspect,  to  the  future  of  our 
—  hat  portion  of  it  lying  on  tl.  — 

D  "ii  the  part  of  any  intellL  rican.     If  tL 

lit  of  value  than  its  vast  forests  of  pine,  si 

fir,  hemlock,  and  other  trees  useful  for  lumber  and  shipbuilding,  it  would  l»e 
re  than  ten  ti;  m  stipulated  to  be  paid  .for  it  under  the  treaty. 

A  momei  '-ration  will  show  how  important  a  question  the  supj> 

timl  itories  of  the  Pacific  within  a  compar- 

atively short  time.     The  States  of  California,  Nevada,  and  Oregon,  and  the 
itories  of  Arizona,  Utah,  Montana,  Idaho,  and 
•  »f  903,0 19  square  miles,  with  an  estimated  popul; 
than  one  iuhabitai.'  mfle.     The  area  of  timbered  land  withii. 

!*e  of  country  is  almost  confined  to  a  narrow  strip  along  the  coast  north 
^an  Francisco,  and  to  a  belt  extending  along  the  crests  and  slopes  of  the 

:ying  in  width,  and  at  scattered  intervals,  from 

•r  50  mil-  vnce  to  The  maps  will  show  timbered  area 

in  a  twentieth  part  of  the  entire  surface  of  the  country,  and  is  diminish- 
ing j>«  i\«  r  year.     The  consumption  of  lumber  in  California  and 
'ang  of  the  exports,  is  without  parallel  in  the  history  of  new 
.     Immense  quantities  of  lumber,  timl>er.  and  firewood  are  used  in  the 
building  and  supply  of  towns;  in  rnih-  und  for  all  the 
rt-ijuireinents  •                   llaneous  and  progressive  population.      1-  :     not  to  be 
supposed  that,  with  increased  facilities  forlmm:_  icts  of  minaal 
and  agricultural  land,  now  sustaining  less  than  one  inhabitant  to  the  square  mile, 
will  long  reni;.                                                'iin  the  next   10  years  the  popu! 
of  our  Pacific                           rritories  will,  in  all  probability,  exceed  2,000,000. 
:ng  up  at  frequent  intervals  throughout  this  immense  domain. 
Our  scanty  timber  lands,  already  suffering  from  fires  and  from  reckless  waste  on 


598  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

the  part  of  settlers,  will  be  forced  to  pay  tribute  to  the  increasing  population. 
Estimating  the  consumption  from  the  rate  at  which  the  forests  of  California  have 
disappeared  since  1849,  it  would  not  take  many  years,  with  a  largely  enhanced 
population,  to  denude  all  the  available  timber  districts,  increase  the  price  of  lum- 
ber so  as  to  retard  the  development  of  many  lucrative  branches  of  industry,  and 
probably  destroy  the  export  trade  in  that  article,  which  is  now  becoming  so 
important  an  element  in  the  growth  of  our  intercourse  with  China. 

The  completion  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad  will  inaugurate  a  new  era  for 
the  States  and  Territories  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  With  population  new 
sources  of  wealth  will  be  opened,  and  railroads  will  be  established  north  and 
south,  with  branches  penetrating  the  mountain  passes  and  valleys  in  every  direc- 
tion, to  supply  the  wants  of  many  growing  and  prosperous  communities. 

If  Mr.  Secretary  Seward  had  accomplished  nothing  more  in  the  course  of  his 
official  career  than  the  acquisition  of  Alaska,  he  would  for  that  act  alone  be 
entitled  not  only  to  the  thanks  of  every  citizen  of  the  Pacific  coast,  already 
awarded  him,  but  to  the  gratitude  of  millions  yet  unborn,  by  whom  the  bound- 
less domain  of  the  west  is  destined  to  be  peopled. 

For  the  convenience  of  those  who  may  desire  to  consult  the  principal  authori- 
ties on  the  resources  of  Russian  America,  I  have  caused  to  be  prepared  a  chrono- 
logical summary,  or  bibliography  in  brief,  of  the  publications  on  that  region, 
from  A.  D.  1600  to  1867.  "  The  author,  Dr.  Alexander  S.  Taylor,  of  Santa^Bar- 
bara,  California,  is  a  gentleman  of  great  learning  and  research,  whose  labors  for 
the  preservation  of  all  the  known  records  of  discovery  and  adventure  on  the 
Pacific  coast  cannot  be  too  highly  commended. 

Bibliography  of  Alaska. 

1600. — Hakluyt  RiclCd.  Voyages,  discoveries,  navigations,  &c.,  of  the  English  nation. 
IBI  two  volumes,  small  folios  ;  London,  1599-1600.  Also  another  volume  by  the  same  author 
of  voyages  not  included  in  the  first  work,  and  not  published  until  1811,  at  London,  in  one 
volume,  quarto  ;  contains  the  earliest  notices  of  the  far  northern  voyages  on  the  Pacific  and 
Atlantic. 

1600. — Original  Documents  on  the  Voyages  and  Services  of  Frida  Andres  de  Urdanetta, 
pilot  of  Legaspis  Manila  expedition  in  1565,  collected  by  Martin  Fernandez  de  Navarette, 
president  of  the  Royal  Spanish  Academy  of  History ;  in  one  volume,  8vo,  in  the  set  of  five 
volumes;  Madrid,  about  1816.  It  was  Urdanetta  who  first  discovered  the  currents  and 
winds  above  40°,  with  which  he  sailod  his  ships  from  Manila  till  he  made  the  north  shores 
of  California,  and  thence  down  the  coasts  to  Mexico. 

1625. —  The  Pilgrims  of  Samuel  Purchase,  in  three  volumes,  quarto  ;  London,  1625.  Con- 
tains the  voyage  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  the  Greek  pilot,  in  1592,  for  original  documents  pertain- 
ing to  which,  obtained  from  the  island  of  Cepbalonia,  see  the  author's  notes  on  de  Fuca  in 
Hutchings's  California  Magazine  for  1859,  also  Greenhow's  History. 

1640. — Histoire  du  Novcau  Monde,  by  Jean  de  Laet.     Folio  ;  Leyden,  1640. 

1682.—  The  Geography  of  the  World,  by  Jean  Bleu.     Folio  ;  Amsterdam,  1662. 

1699. — De  Originibus  Americanis,  by  George  Home.     Folio;'  Antwerp,  1699. 

1712. — Historical  Researches  respecting  the  New  World,  by  Henric  Scherer,  professor  in  the 
University  of  Ingoldstadt,  Bavaria.  In  German,  about  1712. 

1715.— Rccueil  du  Voyages  au  Nord,  in  nine  volumes,  12mo;  Amsterdam,  1715. 

1704-1750. — Voyage  Collections  :  Churchill's  Collection  of  Voyages,  6  vols.,  folio,  1704- 
17J2;  Harris's  Collection  of  Voyages.  2  vols.,  folio,  1715-1720;  Hawkesworth's  Collection 
of  Voyages,  5  vols.,  folio,  1735-1740;  Osborne's  Collection  of  Voyages,  2  vols.,  folio,  1746- 
1750 ;  account  of  De  Pontes  apocryphal  voyage  through  the  Northwest  Passage  in  J640  in 
the  London  Monthly  Miscellany  of  1708;  Voyages  of  Francisco  Coreal,  1666-1697,  from 
the  Spanish,  in  2  vols.,  12mo,  Paris,  172S. 

l~22.—Pothcries  Historic  Amerique  Septentrionelle,  in  4  vols.,  12mo  ;  Paris,  1722. 
1729. — Origin  de  los  Indios  de  el  Nuevo  Alundo  y  Indies  Occidcntales,  by  Friar  Greo-orio 
Garcia  ;  folio,  Madrid,  1729. 

1753  —Nouvelles  Cartes  de  UAmiral  Fonte  et  Autres  Xavi.ga.tcurs  Espagnoles,  Anglais, 
Sfc.,  dans  le  mer  Septentrional,  by  G.  de  Lisle  ;  quarto;  Paris,  1753. 

1757.— History  of  California,  by  the  Jesuit  Father  Miguel  Vanegas,  3  vols.,  12mo  ;  Mad- 
rid, 1/57,  and  published  shortly  after  in  French,  English,  and  German.  Contains  notations 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  59*9 

up  to  1752  on  the  far  northwest  coast  and  connections  wi'th  China,  with  valuable  maps  of  the 
north  coasts,  &c. 

]7f>7. — Researches  on  the  Voyages  of  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  to  the  American  Coasts,  by 
M.  De  Guignes  ;  vide  Journal  Academy  of  Inscriptions  and  Belles  Lettres  ;  Paris,  1757. 

1757. — Letres  Edifiantcs  ct  Curir.usfs,  Sfc.,  Sfc.,  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries  in  all  parts  of 
the  world,  from  1600  to  1700,  published  in  French,  with  translations  in  English,  Spanish, 
German,  Italian,  &c.,  in  some  30  vols.,  12mo.  Some  of  the  volumes  contain  exceedingly 
interesting  accounts  of  the  first  travels  in  the  far  northern  parallels  of  Asia  and  America, 
and  discoveries  of  the  proximities  of  the  old  and  the  new  continents  to  the  north  of  California 
and  of  China.  Jesuit  writers  lay  claim  to  the  first  mention  of  this  connection  to  the  world 
of  letters  and  science,  and  one  of  the  volumes  of  the  Letres  Edifiantes  contains  the  celebrated 
narration  of  Father  Greelon,  who  was  transferred  to  China  before  1660,  and  travelled  exten- 
sively as  a  missionary  among  the  Manchoo  and  Mongolian  populations  of  that  empire.  In 
one  of  his  journeys  in  Chinese  Tartary  he  fell  in  with  an  Indian  woman  of  the  Huron  tribes, 
whom  he  had  known  when  serving  in  the  far  west  of  Canada,  and  who  confessed  her  sins  to 
him  as  a  priest  of  the  Catholic  church  at  this  immense  distance  from  her  native  country. 
This  wornun  informed  Greelon  that  she  had  been  taken  prisoner  in  an  Indiam  fight,  and  had 
afterwards  been  transferred  as  a  slave  from  tribe  to  tribe,  until  she  had  crossed  in  boats  over 
a*  piece  of  water,  which  was  salt,  and  again  sold  from  one  person  to  another  until  conveyed 
to  the  plains  of  Tartary.  This  fact  is  said  by  some  to  have  first  stimulated  the  attention  of 
the  Russian  authorities,  which  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  Behring  Straits  and  Alaska. 
It  was  the  redoubtable  old  sailor,  Peter  the  Great,  and  after  him  his  wife,  the  Empress 
Catherine,  who  set  afloat  the  great  discovery  voyages  of  Vitus  Behring  and  Alexander 
Tschitikoff  in  1728-'29  and  to  1741,  which  sailed  from  Kainschatka,  and  discovered  the 
straits  which  separated  Asia  from  America,  and  fully  confirmed  the  speculations  of  the  old 
Jesuit  missionaries  of  Canada,  California,  and  China.  (See  the  curious  map  of  the  Pacific 
in  the  Spanish  edition  of  Venega's  California.  See  also  on  this  curious  subject  of  Asiatic 
and  American  ethnographic  connections  the  celebrated  work  "  Melanges  Asiatiques"  of  A. 
Remusat,  and  the  notes  of  Kurz  in  the  Nouvetle  Journal  Asiatique  on  Chinese  history.) 

1774. — Discoveries  of  the  Russians  on  the  Northwest  Coasts  of  America,  &c.,  by  Von  Mul- 
ler ;  quarto,  London,  1774.  Contains  the  earliest  Russiuu  voyages  to  Pacific  America. 

1774. — Account  of  the  Northern  Archipelago  to  the  east  of  Kamtschatka,  &fc.  8fc.,  by  J. 
Von  Staehlin.  1  vol.,  8vo,  London,  1774. 

1778. — American  Atlas,  or  description  of  the  whole  continent  of  America,  in  grand  folio, 
by  Thos.  Jeffreys  ;  London,  177s. 

1780. — Discoveries  of  the  Russians  in  the  North  Pacific,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  Cox  ;  quarto, 
London,  1780.  Contains  the  accounts  of  Behring's  voyage  of  1741,  and  other  valuable 
histories. 

1780.—  Journal  and  Proceedings  of  the  Imperial  Academy  of  St.  Petersburg,  from  1780  to 
present  time  ;  many  volumes. 

1781.— Hiatorirtil  ami  (Jntnraphical  Miscellanies,  by  Hon.  Daenis  Barriugton,  I  or  2  vols., 
8vo;  LDndon,  1781.  Contains  papers  on  extreme  North  Pacific  coasts. 

1788. —  The  Apocryphal  Voyage  of  Francisco  Maldonnda  through  the  Northwest  Pmani^t; 
published  in  Madrid  about  1795  by  the  Royal  Academy  of  History,  from  MSS.  discovered 
in  the  Ambrosian  library  of  Milan.  Also,  Cevallo's  Voyages  of  Maldonada,  De  Fuca,  and 
Fonte,  1  vol.,  8vo,  Madrid,  1798. 

n&9.— Voyage  of  Captains  Portlock  and  Dixon  to  the  Northicfst  Coasts  of  America,  8fc., 
5fc.,  in  the  King  George  and  Queen  Charlotte,  in  1788-'89 ;  quarto,  London,  1789. 

173"). —  risscrtation  Geographico  de  Novo  California,  Sfc.t  by  J.  A.  llartman  ;  quarto, 
Marburg  1789. 

17H9. —  Relation  of  a  recent  Spanish  voyage  to  the  northwest  coasts  of  America,  ante  1789, 
by  J.  F.  Bourgoing.  3  vols.,8vo,  (French)  3d  edition,  Paris,  1803. 

]790  — Cook's  Voyages.  The  three  voyages  of  Captain  James  Cook  between  1706  and 
1770,  to  the  Pacific  and  northwest  coasts.  The  only  reliable  editions,  which  are  in  several 
volumes,  are  those  published  under  the  directions  of  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admi- 
ralty of  England,  printed  at  London  at  separate  periods  before  179*. 

1790. —  The  Voyages  of  Captain  Killings  to  [tehring  Straits,  jriamstchatka,  Sfc.,  ffc.,  1785- 
1790,  in  the  Russian  service,  by  Martin  Saner;  quarto,  London,  3790. 

1790. —  Voyages  made  in  1788-'89  between  China  and  Northwest  America,  by  Captain  John 
M  ear  res,  R.  N.;  quarto,  London,  1790.  Captain  Dixon's  reply  to  the  same,  1  vol.,  quarto, 
London,  1790. 

1791. — Journal  of  the  Voyage  of  the  Spanish  Exploring  Ships  Atrcvida  and  Discuhierta, 
under  Captain  Alexander  Mulaspina,  in  1791 ;  preserved  in  MiSS.  in  the  viceroy's  library  in 
Mexico  and  in  the  Spanish  hydrography  at  Madrid  Malaspiua's  charts  wen-  published  in 
a  quarto  volume  by  the  Spanish  government  about  1802,  and  credited  to  the  voyage  of  the 


600  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

Sutil  and  Mejicana,  and  afterwards  became  the  established  authorities  in  the  Spanish  marines 
for  the  north  Pacific  coast  down  to  1830. 

179-2.—  The  Viceroy's  Archives  of  Mexican  History,  collected  and  arranged  under  orders 
from  Viceroy  Revilla  Gigedo  by  Father  Francisco  Garcia  Figueroa,  and  arranged  hi  32  or 
more  folio  volumes,  and  now  in  the  old  viceroy's  library  in  Mexico  City.  Perfect  copies  of 
this  valuable  collection  are  stated  to  have  been  also  sent  to  Madrid  before  1800.  It  contains 
invaluable  material,  collated  by  Cassasola  and  Bonilla,  on  the  Spanish  discovery  voyages  to 
that  portion  of  ancient  Alta  California  between  the  latitudes  55°  and  61°,  as  claimed  by 
Spain,  which  afterwards  became  the  domain  of  Russian  America,  and  now  forms  a  portion 
of  the  United  States  Territory  of  Alaska.  See  also  contribution  of  Secretary  Seward,  in 
1865,  on  Spanish  northwest  voyages,  contained  in  the  Bibliografa  Californica  of  the  author. 

1793.— Voyages  and  Travels  in  Asiatic  Russia  and  in  the  North  Pacific,  compiled  by  Pro- 
fessor Pierre  Simon  Pallas  ;  4  or  5  vols.,  quarto,  Paris,  1789-'93.  There  are  also  English  edi- 
tions of  the  works  of  Pallas,  who  was  a  celebrated  German  professor  in  Russia  under  the 


America  in  German.  Pallas  was  one  of  the  greatest  naturalists  of  his  day,  and  his  writings 
covered  a  multitude  of  subjects.  His  notations  on  the  locust  and  grasshopper  ravages  in 
the  Crimea,  noticed  by  the  learned  Russian  entomologist,  Motschulsky,  and  also  by  the 
author  of  this  bibliography  in  the  Smithsonian  report  for  1859,  are  of  great  value  in  science. 

1793. —  Voyages  and  Travels  to  the,  Coppermine  River  and  the  Countries  west  of  Canada  in 
1789-'93,  by  Alexander  Mackenzie;  in  8vo  and  quarto,  London,  1801  and  1802.  The  work 
of  Samuel  Hearne,  describing  his  voyage  of  1770-177-2  in  some  of  the  countries  visited  by 
Mackenzie,  and  for  the  discovery  of  copper  mines,  was  published  in  London  in  quarto  in 
1795. 

1799.—  Voyage  round  the  World,  by  Captain  Jean  Francois  G.  de  La  Perouse  ;  edited  by 
M.  Millet  Muriau.  Government  edition  in  French,  4  vols.,  quarto,  1797,  maps  and  illustra- 
tions ;  also  English  and  German  editions. 

1799.  —  Voyage  to  the  Northwest  Coa  ts  of  America  aiid  Round  the  World,  1790  to  1792,  in 
the  French  ship  Solide,  by  Captain  Etiene  Marcband,  preceded  by  an  historical  introduction 
of  discoveries,  &c.,  on  the  northwest  coasts  of  America,  by  Claret  Fleurell,  (in  French,)  in 
4  vols.,  quarto,  Paris,  1799. 

IgQl. —  Voyage  of  Discovery  and  Exploration  on  the  Northwest  Coasts  of  America  in  1790 
to  1795,  &c.,  8fc  ,  by  Captain  George  Vancouver,  R.  N.;  plates  and  maps;  published  by  the 
government  in  5  or  6  vols.,  quarto,  London,  1801.  Lieutenant  Broughton,  an  officer  ot  one 
of  Vancouver's  vessels,  also  published  an  account  of  the  voyage  in  quarto  form  at  London, 
in  1804. 

1802.—  Voyage  of  the  Sutil  and  Mcxicana,  exploring  vessels,  under  Captains  Dionisio  Gal- 
iaiio  and  Cayatauo  Valdez,  of  the  Spanish  navy,  in  1792,  to  the  northwest  coasts  ;  published 
by  order  of  the  King  of  Spain,  in  1  vol.,  8vo,  in  1802,  with  map.  The  Memorias  sobre  las 
Observaciones  Astronomicas  que  ban  servido  de  fuudamentos  a  las  Cartas.de  la  Costa  Nor- 
weste  de  America,  written  about  1810  by  Admiral  Espinosa,  of  the  Spanish  navy,  and  pub- 
lished by  the  Hydrographic  office  of  Madrid,  is  spoken  of  by  liuniboldt  as  a  work  of  value. 

1805. — Catulogo  de  las  lenguns  Conocidas,  y  numeracion,  division  y  closes  de,  estas,  segun  la 
diversidad  de  sus  idiomas  ydialcctos,  by  Father  Lorenzo  Hervas,  soc.  Jesuits,  in  six  vols., 
quarto,  of  nearly  400  pages  each.  Published  at  Madrid  1800  to  1805  ;  also  in  octavo. 

1806. —  The  "  M ithra dates  odtr  AUgmcine  Sprachinlmnde  mil  dem  Vatir  als  Sprachhone," 
&c.,a  famous  authority  in  the  philosophy  of  languages,  was  commenced  by  John  Christo- 


radates  contains  valuable  matter  on  the  Indian  languages  of  the  far  north  Pacific  coasts. 

1811. —  Works  of  Alexander  Humboldt.  A  critical  examination  of  the  history,  navigation, 
and  geography  ol  the  Now  World  and  the  progress  of  nautical  astronomy  in  the  15th  and 
16th  centuries;  in  French,  5  vols.,  8vo,  Paris,  Jd3b*-'39.  Also,  Researches  concerning  the 
Institutions  and  Monuments  of  the  Ancient  Inhabitants  of  North  America,  with  descriptions 
and  scenes  in  the  Cordilleras,  plates,  maps,  and  plans;  in  2  vols.,  folio,  Paris,  18JO;  Lon- 
don edition,  2  vols.,  8vo,  1814.  Also,  Essay  on  the  Kingdom  of  New  Spain,  in  2  vols., 
folio,  Paris,  1808-1811,  plates,  maps,  and  plans  ;  London  edition  in  4  vols.,  8vo,  1811 ;  also 
a  New  York  edition  in  2  vols.,  8vo,  1811.  All  these  works  contain  valuable  notations  on  the 
Alaskan  countries. 

1812. — Puteschestwil  W.  America,  by  Chvostov  I.  Davidoff.  2  vols.,  8vo,  St.  Petersburg, 
1812. 

1814. —  Voyage  Round  the  World  in  the  Russian  ships  Neva  and  Nadedsda,  in  1803-1806, 
commanded  by  Adam  John  Von  Kruesenstern,  (afterwards  admiral  in  the  imperial  navy.) 
English  edition,  in  quarto,  London,  18 14,  with  maps,  plates,  &c.  Also,  Berlin  edition.  The 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  601 

other  works  published  on  this  voyage  by  Kruesenstern's  officers  are  Dr.  Langsdorff's  work, 
in  '.'  vols.,  quarto,  London,  1816,  and  Captain  Wrey  Lisiansky's,  in  1  vol.,  quarto,  London, 
IS  14.  They  were  also  all  published  in  different  forms  in  the  Russian  language  and  in 
French.  Admiral  Kruesenstern  also  wrote  a  work  of  78  pages  on  the  Indian  languages  or' 
Alaska,  for  the  St.  Petersburg  Academy,  in  1813.  He  was  also  the  most  thoroughly  instructed 
seaman  in  the  world  on  the  hydrography  of  the  Pacific,  and  compiled  those  charts  of  the 
great  ocean  which  are  the  models  of  all  others,  all  of  which,  with  his  nautical  notes  and 
memoirs  accompanying  these,  have  made  him  celebrated  among  the  savans  of  America  and 
Europe,  lie  fore  his  death,  about  Ib50,  he  had  tilled  many  posts  of  the  highest  honor  in  the 
imperial  service,  and  was  a  man  of  the  most  estimable  personal  character. 

1817.— Collection  of  Voyages  in  the  South  Seas  and  the  North  Pacific,  from  1527  to  J800. 
By  Admiral  James  Burney,  R.  N.  In  G  vols.,  quarto,  London,  J8I4-1817;  with  plates, 
charts,  &c.  This  valuable  work  contains  very  little  on  voyages  after  1??<). 

JH17.— The  American  Coast  Pilot,  Sfc.  By  Edmund  Blunt,  of  New  York.  The  editions 
of  this  well-known  work  subsequent  to  1850  contain  valuable  notices  of  the  hydrography 
of  Russian  America  and  the  northwest  coasts.  The  same  may  be  said  of  "The  American 
Navigator,"  by  N.  A.  Bowditch ;  but  the  editions  of  both  works  prior  to  1850  are  very 
meagre  on  the  coasts  mentioned. 

}8\8-,tt.— Voyage  to  California  and  the  North  Pacific  Coasts,  in  the  French  trading  ship 
Bordvlfiis.  By  Captain  Camile  Rocquefeul.  2  vols.,  8vo,  Paris,  1823.  Voyage  Round  the 
llorld  in  the  French  trailing  ship  Heros,  in  1826-1829.  By  Captain  Duhaut  Cilley.  In  2 
vols.,  8vo,  Paris,  1834.  Both  these  works  relate  to  California  and  the  coasts  further  north, 
and  contain  much  interesting  matter  on  the  fur  trade  of  the  epoch  ante  1830. 

I-J3. —  Voyage  of  Discovery  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  Bchring's  Straits,  California,  Sfc.,  in 
the  Russian  ship  Ruric,  in  1815-1818.  By  Captain  Otto  Von  Kotzebue,  (afterwards  admiral 
in  the  imperial  navy.)  In  3  vols.,  8vo,  London,  1823.  Editions  also  in  German  and  French. 
Chamisso  was  the  surgeon  and  naturalist  of  the  Ruric,  and  for  many  years  after  made  val- 
uable contributions  to  the  learned  societies  of  Russia,  Germany,  and  France,  on  the  fauna 
and  flora  of  the  countries  visited,  particularly  of  Alaska.  Kotzebue  also  made  another  voyage 
to  Russian  America,  the  central  Pacific  islands,  and  California,  in  1823  to  1826,  in  the  Kns- 
sian  ship  Enterprise,  or  Predpriate,  an  account  of  which  was  published  in  English  at  London 
in  1K50,  in  2  vols.,  8vo.  In  this  voyage  Escbscholz  went  as  naturalist,  and  after  his  arrival 
in  Russia  contributed  valuable  material  on  the  fauna  and  flora  of  Alaska,  California,  &c., 
in  different  German,  Russian,  and  French  journals  of  learning  and  science,  which  art'  highly 
esteemed.  Choi  is,  the  artist  of  Kotzebue's  voyage,  who  was  afterwards  killed  in  Mexico, 
also  published  an  illustrated  work  on  the  voyage,  entitled  4l  "Voyage  Pittoresque."  These 
two  voyages  of  Kot/ebue  are  often  confounded  as  ovze,  and  the  names  of  Chamisso  and 
Eschscholz,  which  Kotzebue  attached  to  certain  localities  in  Alaska,  are  sometimes  mistaken 
for  Indian  or  Spanish  terms,  and  both  as  members  of  one  expedition.  Admiral  Kotzebue 
served  in  the  Crimean  war,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  his  government,  and  a  hydro- 
graphic  author  of  eminence.  He  died,  we  believe,  in  1858. 

1824. —  Voyage,  to  Russian  America  Sfc.,  by  M.  Chromtschenko  ;  vide  St.  Petersburg 
Archives  of  History,  &c.,  &c-.,  fur  lr-24;  also  in  German  in  the  periodical  Hertha,  for  1-24. 
Chromtschenko  and  Etoline  made  surveys  of  the  Alaskan  coasts,  which  were  reduced  to 
charts  and  maps. 

1831. —  Voyage  of  the  ship  Blossom  to  the  North  Pacific  and  Bchring's  Straits  in  1825  to 
1828,  to  co-operate  with  the  Arctic  Expeditions  from  the  Atlantic.  By  Captain  F.  W.  Boechey, 
R.  N.,  (afterwards  admiral.)  Published  under  orders  of  the  British  Admiralty.  In  1  vol. 
quarto,  also  in  2  vols.,  8vo,  London,  1831 ;  both  with  plates,  maps,  «Xrc.  A  quarto  volume 
on  the  natural  history  of  the  voyage  was  also  published  at  London  in  1839.  The  botanical 
collections  we're  edited  by  Sir  William  J.  Hooker  and  others,  in  the  separate  volumes  included 
in  the  Flora  lioicala  Americana,  published  in  2  vols.,  quarto,  about  1840,  and  Hooker's  Plantac 
Iconii,  of  1844.  A  large  amount  of  valuable  material  relating  to  Alaska  is  to  be  found  in 
all  these  volumes.  Admiral  Beechey,  we  believe,  died  in  London  in  1859. 

183»3. —  Voyage  to  the  North  Pacific  in  the  Russian  ship  Scniavive,  in  1826-'29,  by  Captain 
Frederick  Lutke,  (now  admiral  in  the  Imperial  navy,)  in  4  vols.,  8vo;  St.  Petersburg  and 
Paris,  1835-'36.  This  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  works  on  Russian  America  and  the  north 
Pacific.  The  author  served  in  the  Crimean  war  of  1856. 

1839. — Bacr,  Von  K,  E.  Statistics  and  Ethnography  of  the  Rassian  American  Countries. 
This  author,  it  is  said,  was  with  Admiral  Von  W  ran  gel  when  governor  of  Sitka,  and  made 
valuable  contributions  on  the  above  subjects  and  on  natural  history  to  the  scientific  journals 
of  St.  Petersburg  and  Berlin,  between  1837  and  1845. 

1839.—  The  Physical  History  of  Man.  In  2  vols.,  8vo,  plates  ;  1839.  The  Natural  His- 
tory of  Man.  In  2  vols.,  8vo,  plates;  1855.  Both  by  Dr.  J.  Pritchard,  of  London,  and 
esteemed  as  high  authorities  iu  ethnology.  They  contain  valuable  matter  on  the  Alaska 
Indians.  The  volumes  of  transactions  of  the  ethnological  societies  of  New  York,  London, 
and  Paris  also  contain  accounts  of  the  tribes  of  the  Territory  to  be  found  in  no  other  publica- 


602  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

tions.     In  this  category  are  also  the  learned  ethnological  works  of  Dr.  S.  G.  Morton,  of 
Philadelphia,  from  1840  to  1850. 

]839.— Beitrage  zur  Kentniss  des  Russian  Reichs,  und  der  angranzanden  Lander  Asies, 
by  K.  E.  Von  Bar  and  G.  Von  Helmersen,  in  several  volumes,  from  1839  et  sig. 

1840. — Notes  on  the  Islands  of  the  district  of  Unalaska,  Sfc.,  in  3  vols.  8vo,  1840.  Also 
notes  on  the  Koloschon  and  other  Russian  American  Indian  tribes  and  their  languages,  in 
1  vol.,  8vo,  1846,  by  the  Greek  Priest  Jvan  Veniaminov,  (in  Russian,)  both  published  in  St. 
Petersburg.  W.  Schott  also  published  seme  philological  papers  on  the  Koloschon  language, 
in  Ermau's  archives,  Berlin,  3d  vol.,  1843 

IMS.— Voyage  of  the  Sulphur  to  the  North  Pacific,  Sfc.,  in  1837-1841,  under  Sir  Edward 
Belcher,  R.  N°  (now  admiral.)  In  2  vols.,  8vo,  1840.  The  zoology  of  the  expedition,  in 
quarto,  was  published  in  1843-45.  These  accounts  relate  largely  to  Russian  America.  They 
are  government  works. 

1844. Explorations,  Sfc.,  in  the  two   Californias,  8fc.,  Sfc.,  in  1840-43.     By  Duflot  de 

Mofras.     In  3  vols.,  8vo,  with  volume  of  atlas  and  plates.     Paris,  1844.     Government  work. 
Contains  notices  of  Alaska  and  its  trade,  Indians,  &c. 

1844.— Anales  de  la  Philosophic  Chretiene.  Vol.  15  and  others.  Contains  papers  of  M. 
Prevaney  on  the" ethnological  connections  of  Alaska  and  Mexico  by  the  Mongolian  races. 

1845. — Overland  Journey  Round  the  World,  Sfc.  By  Sir  George  Simpson,  governor  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  territories  in  1841-42.  In  2  vols.,  8vo,  London,  1845.  Also  in  New  York. 

]845. — Exploring  Expedition  Round  the  World,  in  the  Vincennes  and  other  government 
vessels  of  the  United  States,  in  1838-42,  under  Lieutenant  Charles  Wilkes,  (now  admiral 
U.  S.  N.)  In  5  vols.,  imperial  octavo.  Government  work,  1845.  Plates,  maps,  charts,  and 
plans.  Some  40  volumes  altogether  were  published  on  the  results  of  this  expedition,  many 
of  which  contain  more  or  less  valuable  of  scientific  matter  on  Alaska.  A  number  of  the 
officers  of  the  expedition  afterwards  served  in  California  from  1846  to  1867. 

1846. — IS  Oregon  ct  les  Cotes  du  Norde  Pacifique,  Sfc.  By  M.  Felix.  With  map;  1  vol., 
8vo.  Paris,  1846. 

1846. — Ethnology  and  Philology  of  Jrilkcs's  Exploring  Expedition.  By  Horatio  Hale.  1 
vol.,  quarto.  Philadelphia,  1846. 

1847. — History  of  Oregon,  California,  and  the  North  Pacific  Coasts.  By  Robert  W.  Green- 
how.  1  vol.,  8vo,  4th  ed.,  Boston,  1847.  Mr.  Greenhow  was  United  States  attorney  for 
the  California  Land  Commission  of  1852,  and  died  in  San  Francisco  in  1856.  His  work 
contains  valuable  notations  on  Alaskan  history. 

]g47. — Studies  on  the  Primitive  History  and  Antiquities  of  the  Races  of  America  and  Ocean- 
ica,  by  Gustave  D'Eitcthal,  2  vols.,  8vo.  Fragments  on  the  History,  Geography,  &c,,  of 
America,  by  C.  F.  Jomard  ;  1  vol.,  8vo.  Both  these  works  were  published  (in  French)  at 
Paris  in  1847. 

1848. — Volume  of  Charts  and  Maps  on  Russian  America,  8?c.,  printed  by  the  lithographic 
press  at  Sitka  in  1848. 

1849. — The  Collections  of  Lieutenant  Z'igoskin,  of  the  Imperial  navy,  on  the  Indian  Tribes 
and  Languages  of  Alaska,  are  printed  in  the  Memoirs  of  the  St.  Petersburg  Geographical 
Society  for  1847-'48-'49,  ct  seq.,  and  also  in  his  work  of  travels,  in  2  vols.,  8vo. ;  St.  Peters- 
burg, 1847-1848. 

1850-'60. —  Orography,  8fc.,  of  the  North  Pacific  Countries,  by  Professor  Grewingk,  pub- 
lished in  Transactions  of  the  Mineralogical  Society  of  St.  Petersburg,  and  also  in  Germany. 
This  is  stated  by  Mr.  Sumner  to  be  a  very  valuable  work,  particularly  on  the  mineral  devel- 
opments of  Alaska. 

1850. — National  History  of  the  Varieties  of  Man,  by  Dr.  R.  G.  Latham.  8vo,  London, 
1850. 

185J. — Sir  John  Richardson"1  s  Arctic  Expedition.  2  vols.,  8vo,  London,  1851. 
1851. — A  Nautical  and  Historical  Directory  of  the  Pacific  Coasts  and  Islands,  8fc.,  &c.,  by 
Alexander  G.  Findlay ;  2  vols.,  royal  8vo,  London,  1851.  This  is  a  work  of  great  merit, 
and  one  of  the  best  compiled  on  oceanic  hydrography,  and  has  been  of  great  utility.  The 
author  is  well  known  in  England,  and  an  eminent  collaborator  in  the  proceedings  of  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society.  His  notations  on  the  Alaskan  coasts  are  from  the  best  author- 
ities of  Russia  and  other  nations. 

1852.— Voyage  of  the  ship  Herald,  under  Captain  Hy.  Kellet,  in  1845  to  1851,  being  three 
cruises  to  the  Behring's  straits  countries  and  a  voyage  round  the  world  ;  by  Dr.  B.  Seeman; 
2  vols.,  8vo,  1853.  Other  volumes  on  the  natural  history  of  the  voyage  were  published  by 
Prof.  Edward  Forbes,  1  vol.,  quarto,  1853.  A  separate  volume  was  written  by  Dr.  Seeman 
on  the  botany  of  the  voyage,  in  quarto.  All  of  them  are  in  high  esteem  in  the  learned 
world.  See  also  the  volumes  of  Sir  Leopold  McClintock  on  his  voyage  to  Behring's  straits 
and  the  Arctic,  of  1852  to  1854  ;  also,  the  volumes  of  the  London  Nautical  Magazine.  The 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  603 

•work  of  Seeman  contains  the  model  of  an  exploring  voyage,  and  is  the  most  convenient 
thing  of  the  kind  we  have  ever  seen. 

1  -.".."). — Admiral  I'on  H'rangel.  This  gentleman,  who  several  times  visited  California,  was 
governor  of  Russian  America  before  IHjs,  and  wrote  largely  in  the  Russian  ancl  German 
•ournals  on  the  status  and  natural  history  of  Alaska.  His  works  are  considered  of  first-class 
merit. 


•xp<  .litioii  i  V  l~f>-l-'5<5.     These  notices  were  publ 

ies  of  Philadelphia,  New  York,  and  Boston,  from  1855  to   ISJ3.  and  would  now  make 

I'Jino.  of  some  300  pages,  and  have  become  standard  authorities  in  natural  science.  The 
author  is  well  known  in  California,  has  contributed  valuable  services  to  the  Smithsonian 
Institute,  and  is  now  in  charge  of  the  Chicago  Museum  of  the  Natural  Sciences.  His  nota- 
tions on  the  invertebrate  animals  of  the  Alaskan  coasts  are  extremely  interesting  and  curious. 

1 -.").'). —  Transactions  of  the  California  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  in  4  vols.,  Hvo,  from 
I-:.:)  10  JSCO;  contains  several  valuable  papers  on  the  natural  history,  &c.,  of  Alaska,  by 
writers  of  the  Pacific  domain. 

1 -.")'). — The  Birds  of  Texas,  California,  Oregon,  Sfc.,  by  John  Cassin,  in  2  vols.  quarto  : 
Philadelphia,  !-:..">:  with  plates.  Also  the  volumes  of  John  J.  Audubon  on  the  Biography 
of  .\<>rth  American  Birds,  and  his  great  work  of  accompanying  plates,  all  published  before 
!-.",;>.  The  Quadrupeds  of  North  American  is  a  celebrated  wo:  k  ;  also  written  by  Audubon 
and  Dr.  John  Bachman,  1840-'43.  All  these  volumes  are  splendidly  illustrated,  and  relate 
largely  to  the  natural  history  of  Alaska. 

1  -.~>7. — John  C.  E.  Buschmann,  Librarian  of  the  Royal  Library  of  Berlin.  The  philolog- 
ical treatises  of  this  eminent  savau  on  the  Indian  languages  of  Russian  America,  and  show- 
ing their  relations  to  the  Athabascan  families  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  compari- 
sons with  the  northern  tribes  of  Mexico,  are  contained  in  the  volumes  of  Transactions  of  the 
Royal  Academy  of  Berlin  since  1  •<>(). 

1857. — The  North  Pacific  Exploring  and  Surveying  Expedition,  by  Lieutenant  A.  W.  Hab- 
wsham,  U.  S.  Navy ;  1  vol.,  8vo,  1857. 

l-.">7.—  Three  Years  in  Washington  Territory,  with  notices  of  the  northwest  coasts,  by  Jas. 
G.  Swan;  1  vol.,  l^rno,  New  York,  1857. 

is~>?.— Mission  to  the  Government  of  Japan,  by  Commodore  M.  C.  Perry,  U.  S.  Navy;  in 
3  vols.,  quarto,  1857,  copiously  illustrated.  Contains  highly  valuable  notices  on  the  hydro- 
graphy of  the  north  Pacific,  its  great  sea  currents,  &c.,  &c. ;  government  work. 

l-~>? . —  The  Pacific  Railroad  Survey  volumes,  from  lH53to  1858,  in  12  vols.,  quarto,  copiously 
illustrated.  The  first  volume  and  the  8th,  9th.  nud  loth  contain  valuable  notations  on  the 
Indians,  birds,  fishes,  and  animals,  &c.,  of  the  Pacific  domains  and  of  Alaska.  In  the  eighth 
and  ninth  volumes  may  be  found  Spencer  F.  Baird's  Bibliographies  of  American  Natural  His- 
tory, where  all  the  authorities  on  Alaskan  zoology  are  set  forth. 

1858.— Reports  of  the  United  States  Coast  Survey  Office,  in  quartos,  since  1853.  That  of 
1^.">>  contains  the  excellent  directory  of  George  Davidson  of  the  coasts  of  California  and  to 
the  far  north,  and  incidentally  of  Alaska. 

1 -T>H. — Literature  of  the  At/original  Languages  of  America,  by  H.  E.  Ludewig  ;  with 
additions  by  W.  W.  Turner  and  N.  Truebner.  1  vol.,8vo.,  London,  1858. 

]860. — Chinese  Repository.  An  English  magazine  published  at  Canton  since  1838,  and 
making  now  over  30  volumes.  It  contains  an  immense  amount  of  matter  on  Asiatic  litera- 
ture, and  has  papers  on  Alaska  and  Kamstchatka.  It  was  first  edited  by  an  American  mis- 
sionary from  Massachusetts. 

I860.— Geographical  Dictionary  of  all  the  Countries  of  the  World,  by  J.  B.  McCulloch ; 
in  2  vols.,  royal  8vo,  London,  1855,  and  recent  editions. 

I860. — The  Forest  Trees  of  North  America,  by  Dr.  J.  G.  Cooper-,  of  California;  in  Patent 
Office  Report  for  I860.  This  is  an  addendum  to  the  great  work  of  Michaux  and  Nuttall. 

18GO.—  The  Flora  of  North  America,  by  Dr.  John  Torrey  and  Dr.  Asa  Gray  ;  in  royal  8vo 
volumes.  Also,  their  continuations  in  the  volumes  of  the  Railroad  Surveys. 

1860. — Smithsonian  Institution.  The  volumes  of  annual  reports  of  this  Institution,  and 
those  entitled  "Contributions  to  Knowledge,"  contain  several  valuable  notations  on  tho 
Indians  and  natural  history  of  Alaska.  Major  Robert  Kenuicott,  of  Chicago,  one  of  their 
most  famous  assistants,  and  who  explored  the  eastern  sections  of  Alaska  in  186'2-'64,  died 
at  Michaelowski,  in  that  Territory  in  May,  1866,  while  engaged  in  explorations  connected 
with  Bulckley's  Telegraph  Survey.  The  manuscripts  of  his  travels  are  said  to  be  in  posses- 
sion of  his  friends  in  Chicago  and  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

1860.  —  The  Indianalogy  of  California,  including  notes  on  the  Indian  tribes  of  Alaska  and 
other  portions  of  the  Pacific  domain  ;  published  in  the  California  Farmer  newspaper  in  four 
series  of  150  numlx  rs,  from  1-r.ii  to  H«;j,  by  Alex.  S.  Taylor;  perfect  set  in  the  mercantile 


604  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

library  of  San  Francisco,  and  the  library  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution.  The  valuable  papers 
of  the  late  Albert  Gallatin  on  the  northwest  Indian  nations  are  to  be  found  in  the  volumes 
of  the  New  York  Ethnological  society,  after  1845. 

I860. —  The  Geography  of  the  Sea,  by  Lieutenant  M.  F.  Maury,  8th  edition,  New  York, 
3861  ;  also  his  Wind  and  Current  Charts  of  the  Pacific  ocean.  This  author  was  Superin- 
tendent of  the  National  Observatory  at  Washington,  and  afterwards  became  an  admiral  in 
the  rebel  service  of  the  southern  confederacy.  The  work  contains  valuable  notations  on  the 
winds  and  currents  of  the  North  Pacific. 

J861. The  Vegetation  of  the  Coasts  and  Islands  of  the  Pacific,  from  the  collections  on  the 

voyage  of  the  Russian  ship  Seniavive,  under  Captain  Lutke,  1826-1829,  by  P.  H.  You 
Kitlitz,  in  quarto,  published  in  Germany,  in  1861. 

1861. — History  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Earth,  by  Carl  Von  Ritter  ;   London,  1861. 

1861. History  of  Eastern  Asia,  Mongolia,  China.  Manchuria,  the  Amoor,  Kamtschatka, 

Sfc.,  8fc..,  Sfc.,  by  Professor  Frederick  C.  Neuman,  of  Munich  and  Berlin;  London,  Ifc't51. 

1862. — Discoveries  in  northern  Pacific  from  Mongolian  Asia,  before  the  times  of  the  Ice- 
landers, (A.  D.  500.)  These  are  said  to  be  written  by  Mr.  C.  G.  Lelaud,  and  published  iu 
the  Knickerbocker  and  Continental  magazines  of  1848  and  1862,  and  are  mostly,  as  is  under- 
stood, from  the  work  of  Professor  F.  C.  Neuman,  of  Munich  and  Berlin. 

1802. — History  of  the  Discovery  and  Chartography  of  the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  coasts  of 
North  America,  by  Dr.  John  G.  Kohl.  1  vol.,  8vo,  London,  1862. 

1863. — Report  to  the  Imperial  Government  on  the  Resources  of  Russian  America,  fcc.,  with 
notices  of  British  Columbia,  California  and  the  north  coast  countries,  in  I860-'61,by  Cap- 
tain P.  N.  Golowniu;  St.  Petersburg,  1863.  Also  published  in  some  periodical  in  numbers, 
and,  as  is  said,  in  English. 

1863. — Les  Per/pies  de  la  Russic.  This  we  judge,  from  Sumner's  remarks,  is  a  very 
voluminous  and  valuable  work  on  the  populations  of  the  Russian  empire,  published  about 
1863.  (See  also  the  Alinanach  de  Gotha  for  1867,  on  the  same  subject.) 

1864. — Travels  in  the  countries  of  the  river  Amoor,  with  Notices  of  Russian  America  find 
North  Pacific  Commerce,  by  Major  Perry  D.  McCollins  ;  1  vol.,  8vo  ;  New  York,  1864.  This 
was  written  in  furtherance  of  the  great  enterprise  of  the  telegraph  connecting  North  Amer- 
ica and  Asia. 

1865. — Atlas  for  the  Histnrii  of  the  Discovery  of  America,  compiled  under  direction  of  the 
Royal  Academy  of  Munich.  This  collection  is  made  by  photographing  old  and  scarce  rr.aps 
on  the  Americas  to  the  number  13,  and  100  copies  of  the  work  were  published  in  18!'.."),  at 
Munich,  at  the  price  of  $18.  Some  of  these,  relating  to  the  northwest  coasts  before  1571,  are 
taken  from  a  scarce  and  celebrated  chartographical  collection  of  the  Portuguese  scholar  A'az 
Dourada.  (See  notes  of  Professor  F.  C.  Neuman,  in  the  San  Francisco  Evening  Bulletin.) 

1867. — Speech  of  Senator  Sumner,  of  Massachusetts,  in  the  United  States  Senate,  in  M<ty, 
1867,  on  the  purchase  of  Alaska,  and  the  resources,  Sfc.,  of  the  Territory.  Pamphlet,  8vo,  of 
48  pages  and  large  map  of  the  Territory  and  vicinities.  The  discussions  on  the  transfer  of 
Alaska  in  the  United  States  Congress  will  be  found  preserved  in  the  volumes  of  the  Con- 
gressional Globe,  written  down  by  the  official  reporters,  in  1867. 

1867. —  The  official  correspondence  between  Secretary  Seward,  of  the  State  Department,  and 
the  Russian  diplomats,  on  the  purchase  and  transfer  of  Alaska,  will  be  found  at  large  in  the 
volumes  accompanying  the  President's  message  for  1867-1868,  from  April  to  December,  It67. 
(See  also  the  San  Francisco  newspapers.) 

1867. — New  Map  of  Alaska.     A  new  and  extended  map  of  Russian  America  was  pre- 

Sared  in  May,  1867,  by  the  officers  of  the  coast  survey  in  California,  which  is  stated  to  be 
etailed  from  the  most  recent  authorities,  and  the  best  to  date. 

1.867. — Bulcl;  ley's  Telegraph  Survey.  The  officers  of  this  expedition  are  stated  to  be  engaged 
in  the  preparation  of  a  woik  on  the  Explorations  of  British  Columbia  amd  Alaska,  connected 
with  this  great  enterprise. 

1867. — Sea  Charts.  Some  excellent  navigating  charts  of  the  North  Pacific  coasts  have 
been  within  the  last  18  months  issued  from  the  admiralty  office  of  London.  These  contain 
the  most  recent  and  reliable  notations  prior  to  the  Coast  Survey  map  mentioned  in  the  fore- 
going. 

1868. — Letters  to  the  New  York  Tribune  and  Boston  Adrcrtiscr. 

1868.— Letters  and  speech  of  Senator  Cole,  of  California,  in  favor  of  the  acquisition  of 
Alaska. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  605 


GENERAL  OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  PACIFIC  SLOPE. 

PROGRESS  OF  SETTLEMENT-IMMIGRATION  AND  LABOR. 
SECTION   I. 

INFLUENCE  OF  MINING  ON  OTHER  INTERESTS. — Within  the  brief  space  of 
nineteen  years  our  people  have  opened  up  to  settlement  a  larger  area  of  territory, 
valuable  as  a  source  of  supply  for  nearly  all  the  necessities  of  man,  than  has 
ever  before  in  the  world's  history  been  brought  within  the  limits  of  civilization 
in  so  short  a  time.  Nineteen  years  ago  California,  Arizona,  Colorado,  Montana, 
Idaho,  Washington  Territory,  Oregon,  Utah,  and  Nevada,  occupying  more  than 
one-third  of  the  entire  area  of  the  United  States,  were  regions  chiefly  known 
to  trappers  and  traders;  traversed  and  occupied  for  the  most  part  bv  barbarous 
hordes  of  Indians.  That  this  extraordinary  advance,  with  all  its  concomitant 
rcsulfs  in  the  trade  and  commerce  of  the  world,  has  been  achieved  by  the;  discov- 
ery and  development  of  our  mineral  resources,  no  reasonable  man  pretends  to 
dispute.  Kvery  day's  progress  in  our  history  speaks  for  itself,  and  the  i'aets 
are  patent  to  all. 

It  seems  a  little  singular,  considering  the  millions  of  treasure  thus  added  to 
our  national  wealth,  the  vast  range  of  industry  opened  to  our  people,  the  won- 
derful impulse  given  to  agriculture,  commerce,  and  manufactures,  that  of  all  our 
great  national  interests,  the  business  of  mining  has  had  the  hardest  struggle  to 
enlist  the  favorable  consideration  of  our  government.  Of  late  years,  through 
the  irresistible  logic  of  results,  something  has  been  achieved  in  the  way  of  more 
intelligent  federal  legislation. 

The  mineral  lan.l  law,  of  July  28,  1866,  granting  titles  in  fee  to  the  miners, 
is  an  advance  in  the  right  direction.  4The  appropriation  for  the  collection  of 
mining  statistics  is  another. 

There  are  in  the  Atlantic  States  many  who  will  speak  of  mining  as  an  inter- 
est inimical  to  tl:e  welfare  of  a  people,  owing  to  its  fluctuating  and  hazardous 
character,  .'ind  to  the  contempt  it  is  supposed  to  beget  for  the  more  gradual 
methods  of  acquiring  wcahh.  Tin-re  is  much  truth  in  this  view  when  it  is  con- 
iined  to  the  early  style  <•!'  mining,  which  despised  restraint  and  debauched  the 
morals  as  it  impaired  the  constitutions  of  those  who  followed  it  in  a  spirit  of 
wild  adventure.  But  the  objection  does  not  lie  against  mining1  as  a  regular,  sys- 
tematic pursuit,  directed  by  skill  and  capital,  and  relying  upon  the  steady  con- 
tinuance of  moderate  proliis.  This  kind  of  mining,  by  common  consent,  is  des- 
tined to  be  one  of  the  most  permanent  and  healthful  sources  of  prosperity.  The 
application  of  American  ingenuity  and  enterprise  to  the  development  of  the 
deposits  of  precious  metals  found  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  is  certain  ulti- 
mately to  make  mining  for  gold  and  silver  as  legitimate  and  safe  a  business  as 
mining  lor  coal  and  iron,  and  as  great  a  promoter  of  diversified  industry. 

If  we  take  mining  only  in  its  past  condition  and  its  present  transition  state, 
we  must  admit  that  with  all  its  evil  effects  upon  individuals,  it  has  caused  most 
important  general  benefits,  especially  in  anticipating  by  generations  the  peopling 
of  the  immense  Territories  of  the  west,  and  thus  widening  the  field  for  the  dis- 
play of  national  energies,  broadening  the  spirit  and  firmly  bracing  the  national 
credit.  But  for  the  mining  furor  of  the  last  19  years,  California  would  proba- 
bly have  remained  a  vast  cattle  range  to  this  day,  and  all  the  great  Territories 
that  adjoin  it,  now  peopling  with  civilized  communities,  and  nearly  traversed  by 
a  railroad  uniting  both  shores  of  the  continent,  would  still  be  savage  wastes, 
held  and  controlled  by  the  barbarians  who  are  fast  retiring  before  the  forces  of 
modern  progress. 

The  direct  effect  of  mining  upon  agriculture  and  commerce  is  strikingly  shown 


606  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

in  California,  How  much  wheat  would  now  be  exported  from  San  Francisco 
but  for  the  mines  and  the  population  attracted  by  them?  How  many  interior 
towns  would  have  been  built ;  how  far  would  the  Pacific  railroad  have  been 
constructed;  where  would  have  been  the  overland  mail  and  telegraph,  and  the 
China  steamship  line,  but  for  the  necessities  created  by  the  development  of  our 
mineral  wealth?  The  mines  have  not  only  led  to  these  things,  but  they  have 
built  up  a  great  manufacturing  interest,  which  already,  in  San  Francisco  alone, 
estimates  its  annual  product  by  a  figure  nearly  as  high  as  that  of  the  gold  fields. 

The  truth  is,  agriculture,  commerce,  manufactures,  and  mining,  are  essentially 
homogeneous  pursuits.  The  only  antagonism  is  one  of  wrong  methods,  ana 
these  are  sure  to  be  rectified  in  time.  In  some  quarters  of  the  globe  it  is  com- 
merce that  leads,  in  others  agriculture,  in  others  mining.  The  last  has  been 
especially  conspicuous  as  a  motor  of  emigration  and  industrial  development  in 
the  Pacific  States,  and  has  caused  the  others  to  flourish  where  nothing  else  could 
have  attracted  them  for  a  long  time  later.  The  rich  silver  mines  of  Nevada 
have  peopled  that  State  with  an  industrious  and  thriving  population.  Farms 
are  seen  where  sage-brush  deserts  existed  a  few  years  ago  ;  the  rugged  declivi- 
ties of  the  mountains  abound  in  gardens.  On  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  we  have  luxuriant  orchards  and  vineyards,  in  the  place  of  endless  for- 
ests of  pine.  Baron  Humboldt,  the  most  learned  of  travellers  and  most  acute 
of  observers,  tells  us  that  the  best  cultivated  fields  of  Mexico  are  those  which 
surround  the  richest  mines  ;  and  he  bears  testimony  to  the  fact  that  "  wherever 
metallic  veins  have  been  discovered,  in  the  most  uncultivated  parts  of  the  Cor- 
dilleras, on  the  isolated  and  desert  table-lands,  the  working  of  mines,  far  from 
impeding  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  as  it  is  generally  imagined,  has  been  singu- 
larly favorable  to  it."  And  the  reasons  he  gives  are  conclusive  : 

Want  soon  awakens  industry.  The  soil  begins  to  be  cultivated  in  the  ravines  and  decliv- 
ities of  the  neighboring  mountains,  wherever  the  rock  is  covered  with  earth.  Farms  are 
established  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mines.'  fcThe  high  price  of  provisions,  from  the  com- 
petition of  purchasers,  indemnifies  the  cultivator  for  the  privations  to  which,  he  is  exposed 
from  the  hard  life  of  the  mountains. 

The  truth  of  these  observations  is  strikingly  illustrated  by  the  example  of 
California.  But  mining  in  that  State  has  a  still  more  direct  influence  upon  the 
development  of  our  agricultural  resources  than  the  direct  demand  it  creates  in 
the  mining  districts  for  agricultural  products.  The  vast  net-work  of  ditches  in 
the  central  counties  has  inaugurated  a  system  of  irrigation  which  may  some  day 
be  almost  as  indispensable  to  the  farms,  orchards,  and  vineyards  of  the  dry 
uplands  as  to  the  placer  diggings.  No  purely  agricultural  interest  could  bear 
the  expense  of  constructing  these  immense  ditches,  some  of  which  range  from 
50  to  60  miles  in  length,  and  cost  singly  several  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
Most  of  these  ditches  will  be  available  for  purposes  of  irrigation  and  manufac- 
ture, long  after  the  original  occasion  for  them  shall  have  passed  away. 

That  the  agricultural  and  manufacturing  will  be  far  in  advance  of  the  mining 
interests  of  California  within  a  few  years,  none  who  have  studied  the  market 
and  shipping  lists  for  the  past  year  or  two  can  doubt  j  nor  can  it  be  denied  that 
this  is  a  matter  of  congratulation,  for  while  mining  is  so  efficient  as  a  stimulating 
and  co-operating  industry,  it  is  not  the  most  solid  or  genuinely  productive  and 
lucrative  industry,  and  all  human  experience  shows  that  a  people  never  attain 
the  highest  prosperity  and  the  best  culture  who  are  largely  devoted  to  a  single 
pursuit.  Humboldt  says  "the  influence  of  the  mines  on  the  progressive  culti- 
vation of  the  country  is  more  durable  than  they  are  themselves."  While  it 
must  be  admitted,  therefore,  that  "  the  produce  of  the  earth  derived  from  agri- 
culture is  the  sole  basis  of  permanent  opulence,"  it  is  but  just  to  sav,  so  far  at 
least  as  the  Pacific  coast  is  concerned,  that  the  working  of  mines  *has  tended 
more  than  all  other  causes  to  the  development  of  that  pre-eminent  branch  of 
industry. 


WKST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  607 

Although  the  business  of  mining  lias  not  advanced  in  any  remarkable  degree 
during  the  past  year,  the  average  yield  is  lair,  and  greater  confidence  exists  than 
ever  liei'ore  in  the  profits  to  be  derived  from  this  pursuit  when  conducted  upon 
legitimate  principles.  The  depression  in  mining  stocks,  so  far  from  affording 
evidence  of  any  actual  decline  in  the  value  of  the  mines,  is  a  healthy  indication. 
It  proves  that  the  era  of  reckless  speculation  which  has  resulted  BO  disastrously 
to  thousands  of  our  citizens  is  drawing  to  a  close.  It  presents  conclusive  evi- 
dence that  a  system  of  mining  based  upon  the  fluctuations  of  a  stock  market 
can  never  be  permanently  prosperous.  Wherever  the  mines  are  carefully  worked 
by  individuals  or  by  companies  we  find  the  average  of  success  quite  as  great  as 
iu  other  branches  of  industry. 

It  is  manifest,  however,  that  quartz-mining,  apart  from  the  hazards  naturally 
incident  to  it,  labors  under  disadvantages  which  do  not  pertain,  in  so  great  a 
degree,  to  any  other  pursuit.  It  requires  a  greater  amount  of  capital  and  the 
employment  of  a  larger  number  of  men  than  any  other  productive  branch  of 
industry,  excepting,  probably,  manufactures,  which  are  not  subject  to  the  same  risks. 
Taking  the  aggregate  of  losses  and  profits  on  all  the  investments  made  in  quartz- 
mining,  there  is  no  business,  so  far,  on  the  Pacific  slope  which  has  proved  less 
remunerative  to  capitalists.* 

COST  OF  LABOR  AND  EXPENSES  OF  LIVING. — A  serious  obstacle  to  the  pros- 
perity of  the  mining  interest  on  the  Pacific  slope  is  the  high  cost  of  labor.  It  is 
impossible  that  any  mine,  however  productive,  can  long  continue  to  bear  the  drain 
upon  its  resources  necessary,  at  the  present  rate  of  wages,  to  defray  the  expenses 
of  working  it.  There  are  innumerable  mines  in  every  State  and  Territory  west 
of  the  llocky  mountains  now  idle,  which  could  be  worked  at  a  profit  if  the 
expenses  of  labor  were  not  so  disproportionate  to  the  cost  of  living.  Wages  are 
still  in  manv  instances  more  than  double  what  they  are  in  the  Atlantic  States, 
and  tenfold  more  than  the  wages  paid  in  Europe.  The  question  arises,  why 
should  this  be  the  case,  when  the  cost  of  living  is  now  but  little  greater  in 
many  of  the  mining  districts  than  in  the  Atlantic  States,  and  certainly  bears 
no  proportion  between  the  wages  paid  and  the  cost  of  living  in  Europe. 

In  California  the  rate  of  wages  lor  unskilled  labor  in  the  mines  is  $2  50  to 
$3  per  day;  cost  of  board  and  lodging,  8-'>  to  *7  per  week.  In  Nevada,  wages 
$4  per  day  ;  living,  £7  to  s  I  o  per  week.  In  Montana,  wages  86  per  day ;  living, 
$10  1o  Nl'l  per  week.  In  Idaho,  wages  $5  to  86;  living,  $9  to  $12  per  week. 
In  Oregon  and  Washington,  SI  50  to  $2  50  per  day  ;  living,  $4  to  $6  per  week. 
Skilled  labor  varies  greatly,  according  to  the  demand  and  supply.  The  follow- 
ing rales  paid  in  Virginia,  Nevada,  for  the  various  grades  of  labor,  may  be  taken 
as  a  medium  illustration  : 

Gold. 

Ordinary  miners,  per  shift  of  eight  hours 84  00 

Carpenters  and  millwrights,  per  day 5  00 

Stone  and  brick-masons,  per  day 6  00 

Engineers,   secwnd  class,  per  day $5  00  to  6  00 

Engineers,  first  class 6  00  to  8  00 

MILL  HANDS,  TWO  SHIFTS  IN  24  HOURS. 

Amalgamators  and  feeders 3  00  to  3  50 

l!ock-bre;ikers  and  ordinary  workmen 2  50  to  3  00 

At  the  mills,  when  the  men  are  boarded,  the  foremen  get  8-55  to  860,  the  latter 
s.}.~>  to  $o(),  per  month. 

In  section  18,  page  384,  a  table  is  given  of  the  market-  prices  of  provisions 
and  various  other  necessary  articles  where  miners  board  and  lodge  themselves  t 

*  Some  of  these  observations  originally  appeared  in  newspapers  to  which  they  were  fur- 
nished by  the  undersigned. — J.  R.  B. 

t  The  prices  in  San  Francisco  are  from  25  to  30  per  cent.  less. 


608 


RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 


Many  of  the  better  class  build  small  cabins  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mines,  where 
they*  can  obtain  ground  free  of  cost,  and  live  comfortably  and  economically. 
This  is  especially  the  case  where  they  have  families  to  superintend  their  domestic 
affairs.  Some  of  them  have  thrifty  little  gardens,  and  raise  all  the  vegetables 
they  require. 

Contrast  this  with  the  wages  paid  at  Freiburg,  in  Saxony,  where  the  miners 
have  as  much  as  they  can  do  to  procure  the  necessary  means  of  subsistence,  leav- 
ing nothing  for  the  future.  Ordinary  miners  receive  per  shift  of  eight  hours  SJ 
silver  groschen,  (about  22  cents,)  equal  to  $1  32  per  week.  Many  boys  are 
employed  about  the  reduction  works ;  they  earn  1 J  to  5  silver  groschcn  for  eight 
hours'  labor,  equal  to  3£  to  11 J  cents  per  shift,  or  21  cents  to  69  cents  per  week. 
The  prices  of  labor  in  the  Harz  and  in  Hungary  and  Bohemia  are  nearly  the 
same.  It  would  be  difficult  to  make  a  comparison  of  the  cost  of  living  in  those 
countries  as  compared  with  expenses  in  the  States  and  Territories  of  the  Pacific 
slope.  If  similar  articles  of  subsistence  had  to  be  purchased  in  Europe,  the 
miners  there  could  not  earn  enough  to  pay  for  their  food  alone.  They  do  not 
live  in  the  same  expensive  way,  and  consequently  it  costs  them  a  much  smaller 
amount,-  but  the  miner  in  Nevada  who  receives  $4  per  day,  or  $24  per  week, 
and  pays  $10  per  week  board,  has  $14  left,  while  the  Saxon  or  Harz  miner,  if 
it  cost  him  nothing  at  all  to  live,  would  have  but  $1  32  as  the  gross  result  of 
his  labor.  The  difference  in  other  necessary  expenses,  such  as  clothing,  &c., 
bears  about  the  same  relation  to  wages  in  Nevada,  contrasted  with  wages  in 
Europe,  as  expenses  of  living. 

I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  R.  W.  Raymond,  editor  of  the  American  Journal  of 
of  Mining,  for  the  following  particulars  in  reference  to  wages  paid  to  miners  in 
Great  Britain.  At  the  date  of  his  letter  Mr.  Raymond  was  in  Boston,  and  not 
within  reach  of  all  the  sources  of  information  familiar  to  him.  It  is  proper, 
therefore,  that  the  data  herewith  submitted  should  be  accompanied  by  his  expla- 
nation. He  writes  under  date  of  October  30,  1867  : 

Cut  off  from  my  private  library,  and  prevented  by  circumstances  from  making  thorough 
research  in  any  of  the  public  libraries  of  Boston,  I  cannot  give  you  as  full  data  as  I  would* 
like  concerning  the  wages  paid  in  England  at  the  present  time  to  miners  and  mining  engi- 
neers ;  but  I  jot  down  a  few  statistics,  hastily  arranged,  on  which  you  may  depend  as  both 
modern  and  accurate.  If  you  would  pursue  your  inquiries  further,  consult  "  Mineral  Statis- 
tics of  the  United  Kingdom,"  Robert  Hunt,  F.  R.  S.,  18(55  ;  reports  of  the  committee  of  the 
House  of  Commons  on  mines  and  of  the  commissioners  on  mines  (parliamentary  blue-books, 
both  1866;)  London  Mining  Journal  and  Colliery  Guardian,  1855,1866,1867.  The  Berg- 
und-huttenmauische  Zeitung  for  1865,  1866,  and  1867  contains  a  series  of  admirable  accounts 
of  coal-mining  in  England,  with  some  particulars  as  to  wages.  This  I  have  used,  but  the 
others  are  at  present  not  at  hand ;  and  I  have  only  a  few  notes  from  Levi's  "  Wages  of  the 
Working  Classes,*' London,  1867  ;  his  authorities  are  Hunt  and  the  parliamentary  reports. 
Miners  are  not  uncommonly  paid  (as,  for  instance,  the  tributors  of  Cornwall)  according  to 
the  amount  and  quality  of  ore  extracted  and  its  market  price  at  the  time ;  so  that  they  some- 
times make  large  profits  and  sometimes  none  at  all.  In  the  following  table  I  have  arranged 
the  Avages  per  week  as  well  as  I  could : 


Locality. 

Mines. 

Class. 

Shifts. 

Wages  per 
•week. 

Cornwall  

Metal  

Tribntors  .           

Hours. 
8 

£        s.    d. 
0        20    0 

Do. 

do 

8 

0        J8    0 

Do 

do 

12 

0        14    0 

Do.  .. 

12 

0          60 

Do 

do 

Children 

12 

0          26 

North  of  England  

Iron 

g 

0        22    0 

Do 

12 

0        18    0 

Do  

24 

0        20    0 

Do 

do 

24 

0        17    6 

Do  

Metal 

8 

0        ](5    6 

Wales  

do  

8 

0        15    0 

Newcastle  

Coal 

8-10        00    0 

Do... 

...do... 

or  twelve  mines. 
First  manager  of  each  mine. 

3        00    0 

WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 

Table  of  wages,  &fc. — Continued. 


609 


Locality. 

Mines. 

Class. 

Shifts. 

Wages  per 
week. 

Coal  . 

Second  manager  each  mine. 
Overmen  each  mine  

£              8.     d. 

2          80 
0        35    0 
0        28    0 
0        40    0 
0        35    0 
0        26    0 
0        16    0 
0          80 
0        24    0 
0        24    0 
0        16    0 
0        28    0 
0        25    0 
0        22    0 
0          70 
0        22    0 
0          60 
0        25    0 
0        10    0 
0          80 
0          50 
0  20-40    0 
0 
0        12    0 
0        10    0 
0          60 

1  1,,                                 

do  

Do  

Do 

....do  

do 

Deputy  over-men  each  mine. 

..„. 

8 
12 

8 
12 
8 
8 

Do 

...do  

TunnellerH      

Do 

.    do 

Do                                  

do  

Horse-keepera  

Do 

.   .  do 

South  Yorkshire  

do  

Miners  

Scotland                            

do 

do 

Do 

do 

Do                       

do  

Superintendent               

Do 

do 

do 

Do                      

do 

Do 

Metal 

Do   

Coal  . 

Boys  under  20  years     ... 

Average  England  and  Wales  
Do          

Metallurgical  works 
...  do      

Men 

Boys    .           . 

Do 

do 

Do    

do                   

Girls              

Iron   furnaces,  roll- 
ing mills,  &.c. 
...  do 

Men 

8-9 

Do            

Boys 

Do 

do 

Do         

...do 

Girls                                 

N.  B. — The  averages  given,  especially  in  the  case  of  metallurgical  works,  are  made  up  of 
widely  differing  wages,  according  to  rank  and  skill  of  workmen.  The  foregoing  table,  how- 
ever, gives  a  good  notion  of  the  condition  of  the  miners  and  smelters  us  a  class.  It  will  be 
seen  that  coal-miners  (under  contract)  often  earn  more  than  the  salaries  of  over-men,  deputy 
managers,  &c.  This  is  paralleled  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  following  valuable  information  in  reference  to  the  cost  of  living  in  the 
principal  iron  districts  of  England  is  furnished  tu  the  Chicago  Tribune  by  its 
London  correspondent,  under  date  of  May  157  1867.  After  u  detailed  statement 
of  the  rates  of  wagt-s,  the  writer  says: 

.  Referring  to  the  social  condition  of  the  workmen  earning  the  wages  indicated  in  the  fore- 
going quotations,  I  proceed  to  give  the  prices  of  the  common  articles  of  consumption, 
because  man's  position  must  be  estimated  by  a  comparison  between  his  earnings  and  the 
amount  which  he  must  of  necessity  expend  in  order  to  support  himself  and  family.  The 
cost  of  living  is  not  quite  uniform  throughout  the  country,  but  in  no  district  is  it  higher  than 
in  the  one  selected  for  illustration. 

RKTAIL  PRICES.— Flour,  2s.  Sd.  per  14  pounds,  or  £1  12s.  4d.  per  barrel;  butter,  Is.  to 
Is.  xW.  per  pound;  cheese,  8d.  to  Wd.  per  pound;  bacon,  Id,  to  9d.  per  pound;  beef,  Id. 
to  IW.  per  pound;  mutton,  Q\d.  to  8|rf.  per  pound;  pork,  6d.  to  Id.  per  pound;  sugar,  4rf. 
to  5rf.  per  pound  ;  tea,  2s.  Gd.  to  3s.  per  pound ;  coffee,  Is.  2d.  to  Is.  4d.  per  pound ;  milk, 
*v/.  to  Is.  per  gallon  ;  ale,  Is.  to  2s.  per  gallon  ;  whiskey,  I5s.  per  gallon ;  brandy,  13s.  to  20s. 
per  gallon;  gin,  10s.  to  12s.  per  gallon:  gray  cotton  cloth,  3d.  to  6£rf.  per  yard;  white  cot- 
ton cloth,  4W.  to  S$d.  per  yard ;  loom  Dowlas,  1\A.  to  W$d.  per  yard ;  white  flannel,  Is.  to 
Is.  Gd.  per  yard  ;  blue  flannel,  Is.  to  6s.  per  yard;  colored  flannel,  Is.  to  2s.  per  yard  ;  prints, 
5|rf.  to  8^/.  per  yard;  French  merino,  Is.  Gd.  to  3s.  per  yard;  Coburgs,  G$d.  to  Is.  2</.  per 
yard  ;  \Vindscy,  G$d.  to  Is.  9rf.  per  yard;  Linsey,  G\d.  to  10|rf.  per  yard;  pilot  cloth,  4s. 
Gd.  to  8s.  Gd.  per  yard ;  doeskins,  2s.  Gd.  to  5s.  per  yard  ;  moleskin,  Is.  Gd.  to  3s.  per  yard ; 
corduroys,  Is.  Gd.  to  3s.  per  yard  ;  regattas,  Gd.  to  8rf.  per  yard ;  men's  worsted  hose,  3Arf. 
to  Is.  4rf.  per  pair;  women's  cotton  hose,  l^rf.  to  Is.  per  pair;  bed-ticking,  8$d.  to  Is.  Wd. 
per  yard  ;  blankets,  8s.  to  25s.  per  pair ;  cotton  sheets,  2s.  Gd.  to  6s.  per  yard ;  counterpanes, 
'Js.  to  6s.  each. 

READY-MADE  CLOTHING.— Men's  black  cloth  coats,  17s.  Gd.  to  30s. ;  men's  black  cloth 
vests,  4s.  Gd.  to  9s.  Gd. ;  men's  doeskin  trowsers,  10s.  to  18s.  Gd.  ;  men's  coats,  mixed  goods, 
15s.  to  25s. ;  men's  trowsers,  mixed  goods,  7s.  Gd.  to  16s.  Gd. ;  men's  cord  and  moleskin  trow- 
sers, 6s.  Gd.  to  8s.  Gd.  ;  men's  white  duck  trowsers,  2s.  Gd.  to  4s.  Gd. ;  men's  corduroy  and 
moleskin  vests,  4s.  to  4s.  Gd. ;  men's  corduroy  and  moleskin  jackets,  8s.  Gd. ;  men's  blue 
pilot-cloth  jackets,  9s.  to  14s. ;  men's  heavy  flannel  jackets,  5s.  to  8s.  Gd. ;  men's  white  duck 
jackets,  2s.  4rf.  to  3s.  ;  boots,  12s.  to  14s.  per  pair;  tobacco,  4s.  per  pound. 

39 


610  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

House  rent  varies  from  2s.  6d.  to  4s.  Gd.  per  week.  Coals  of  ordinary  quality  range  from 
10s.  to  12s.  per  ton.  Rates  and  taxes  will  be  from  10s.  to  15s.  per  year.  In  maiiy  cases  the 
houses  have  small  gardens  attached,  and  the  occupiers  keep  a  pig.  School  fees  are  generally 
not  more  than  2d.  or  3d.  per  head  per  week.  A  few  pence  per  week  secures  the  benefit  of 
relief  in  sickness  and  medical  attendance. 

The  iron  trade  is  particularly  an  industry  which  is  conducted  on  the  piece-work  arid  con- 
tract system.  The  masters  let  the  different  classes  of  work  to  contractors,  who  employ  the 
requisite  number  of  hands  under  them,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  get  the  labor  done  as 
cheaply  as  possible,  in  order  that  the  margin  of  profit  may  be  the  greater  for  themselves. 
Hence,  although  the  prices  paid  by  any  two  masters  may  be  nearly  identical  throughout  the 
mills  and  forges,  it  by  no  means  follows  that  the  net  earnings  of  the  contractors  under  each 
firm  will  be  identical.  Boys  are  employed  in  the  lighter  kinds  of  work,  such  as  door  draw- 
ing and  dragging  out  iron  from  rolls,  but  there  are  very  few  employed  under  12  years  of  age. 

The  same  writer  adds  : 

It  has  been  said  that  the  English  manufacturers  live  by  pauper  laborers,  which  implies 
that  the  operatives  are  paid  starvation  prices— barely  enough,  under  the  most  favorable  con- 
ditions, to  enable  them  to  live,  and  that  when  a  depression  in  trade  occurs  the  workmen  are 
thrown  upon  the  union.  This  is  a  gross  misrepresentation.  Any  one  who  would  take  the 
trouble  to  make  a  close  acquaintance  with  the  social  condition  and  habits  of  the  workmen  in 
any  of  the  principal  seats  of  English  manufacture — iron,  cotton,  woollen,  or  earthenware — 
would  find  that,  as  a  rule,  work  is  only  carried  on  five  days  a  week  ;  that  the  operatives 
have  a  keen  appreciation  of  and  an  ability  to  purchase  the  good  things  of  this  life  ;  that  they 
are  enthusiastic  pleasure  seekers,  and  are  lavish  in  their  expenses  in  holiday  times  ;  that  the 
more  provident  are  able  to  invest  large  sums  in  building  societies,  post  office  savings  banks, 
and  the  like ;  that  many  of  the  men  live  in  their  own  houses,  and  a  greater  number  have  very 
respectable  and  well-furnished  hottses.  Unfortunately,  high  wages  too  frequently  begets 
extreme  indulgence  and  improvidence,  and  there  are  many  dark  spots  in  the  social  life  of  any 
district;  but  this  is  the  fault  of  the  individuals  themselves,  and  were  they  willing  they  might 
speedily  improve  their  circumstances. 

WAGES  GENERALLY  A:NT>  DEMAND  FOR  LABOR. — The  following  is  a  copy 
of  an  address  from  the  Mechanics'  State  Council  of  California  to  the  mechanics 
of  the  United  States  and  Europe  : 

A  copy  of  a  circular  is  in  our  possession,  which  we  are  informed  is  being  distributed 
throughout  the  Atlantic  States  and  Europe  by  the  authority  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship 
Company,  which  bears  upon  one  side  of  a  half  sheet  the  advertisement  of  that  company's 
California  line,  and  on  the  other  what  purports  to  be  a  correct  list  of  the  wages  paid  for  the 
various  classevs  of  labor  in  this  city  and  State.  This  list  is  accredited  to  the  Alta  California!!, 
the  organ  of  the  capitalists  and  monopolists  of  this  coast,  and  which  has  ever  been  the  enemy 
of  labor  and  labor  interests.  It  was  published  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  an  undue  immi- 
gration to  this  State,  especially  of  mechanics,  expecting  by  that  means  to  break  down  the 
trade  associations  in  existence  here,  particularly  those  which  have  adopted  the  eight-hour 
system.  This,  too,  is  one  of  the  objects  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company  in  repub- 
lishing  it  in  the  manner  they  have.  They  have  threatened  to  bring  large  numbers  of 
mechanics  here,  let  it  cost  what  it  may. 

They  have  already  brought  from  4(j  to  60  here  under  contracts  to  work  out  their  passage 
after  their  arrival.  The  conditions  of  these  contracts  are  all  in  favor  of  the  company,  they 
not  having  bound  themselves  to  give  the  men  work  except  at  pleasure.  Some  of  those  who 
came  here  under  these  contracts  are  now  out  of  employment,  and  have  demanded  that  they 
be  employed  or  that  a  return  ticket  be  furnished  them,  both  of  which  demands  were  refused. 
A  breach  of  the  peace  was  the  consequence,  in  which  the  agents  of  the  company  were  the 
victors.  It  is  a  fact  well  known  to  the  agents  of  the  various  steamship  lines  having  vessels 
running  to  and  from  this  port,  that  there  is  already  an  excess  of  workmen  in  all  the  ship-work- 
ing trades  here,  and  has  been  for  years.  They  know,  too,  that  in  consequence  of  this  excess 
the  workmen  are  idle  nearly,  if  not  quite,  one-half  of  their  time.  They  know,  too,  that  the 
sum  of  $9  per  day,  quoted  as  the  wages  paid  to  caulkers,  is  not,  nor  has  it  ever  been,  the 
current  wages  here  for  ten  years  past;  and  that  $15  per  day  for  Sunday's  work  was  never 
paid  but  in  a  single  instance.  Both  these  prices  were  paid  by  a  steamship  company  to  obtain 
men  to  prepare  a  ship  for  gea,  on  one  occasion,  two  years  ago — the  men  working  extra  hours 
to  get  her  ready  to  sail  as  advertised.  The  shipwrights,  ship-joiners,  caulkers,  bricklayers, 
stonecutters,  and  some  one  or  two  other  trade  associations,  regulate  wages  and  have  uniform 
rates.  In  other  branches  each  journeyman  contracts  for  himself.  "The  Mechanics'  State 
Council,"  a  central  organization,  composed  of  delegates  from  the  various  trade  associations, 
have  appointed  a  committee  to  ascertain  and  report  to  them,  among  other  things,  the  rate 
•of  wages  paid  to  journeymen  in  all  branches,  with  the  average  amount  of  time  employed 


WEST    OF 


ROCKY   MOUNTAINS- 


611 


during  the  vear. 
nished  us  the 


ar.     This  committee  have  not  yet  completed  their  reports,  but  they  have  fur- 
following  statistics  concerning  some  of  the  principal  trades  : 


Trades. 

Highest  wages 
per  day. 

Average. 

Trade*. 

Highest  wages 
per  day. 

Average. 

$4  00 

$2  81 

Plumbers 

$3  00  to  4  00 

*o  75 

4  50  to  6  00 

2  75 

(Uis-titt<Ts  

3  OC  to  -1  in 

')  75 

3  00 

2  50 

M:u'hi:iists  .  .  . 

2  50  to  4  00 

o  75 

2  50  to  4  00 

2  25 

Wood-tnntcn 

3  00  to  4  00 

3  00 

Painters 

3  00  to  4  00 

2  25 

Scroll-sawvcM  

3  50  to  4  00 

2  50 

5  00 

2  75 

dorea 

5  00 

o  50 

4  00  to  5  00 

2  50 

Riggers  t  

4  00 

2  50 

4  00  to  5  00 

3  00 

I,uth<'iM  . 

3  00 

2  00 

3  00  to  4  00 

3  25 

3  50  to  4  00 

2  50 

3  50  to  4  00 

2  50 

Moulders     .  .   . 

4  00 

2  50 

These  figures  were  obtained  by  consulting  the  members  of  the  various  trades,  and  can  be 
relied  upon  as  correct.  We  are  led  to  believe  that  an  organization  consisting  of  30  or  40  of 
our  citizens,  and  known  as  the  "  Immigrant  Aid  Association,"  is  aiding  in  the  dissemination 
of  statements  which  are  calculated  to  deceive  the  unwary.  Therefore  we  say  to  all,  receive 
any  statements  relating  to  the  rate  of  wages,  the  chance  and  prospects  for  obtaining  good 
arable  lands  near  the  market,  or  to  there  being  a  demand  for  skilled  labor  here,  with  many 
grains  of  allowance.  They  are  but  an  ignis  fatuus,  intended  to  allure  you  here  to  accom- 
plish some  private  purpose  of  individuals  or  monopolies.  Times  are  dull  here  in  many 
trades,  and  they  cannot  be  expected  to  improve  while  the  rainy  season  lasts.  Iiisome  trades 
the  approach  of  wet  weather  tends  to  improve  business?  among  these  are  the  metal  roofers, 
asphahum  workers,  and  shoemakers.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  this  city,  relief 
committees  to  provide  for  the  necessities  of  the  members  of  several  of  the  trades  have 
been  formed,  and  hundreds  of  dollars  have  been  collected  and  disbursed  for  this  purpose. 
Let  no  one  come  here  without  the  means  of  support  in  case  they  fail  in  getting  employment. 
To  mechanics,  of  all  trades,  we  say,  if  you  corne  here  with  good  feeling  toward  your  fel- 
lows, with  the  intention  of  working  hand  in  hand  with  us  in  support  of  the  interests  of  the 
working  classes,  we  will  extend  you  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  and  welcome  you  as 
brothers.  But  do  not  come  here,  as  some  have  already  done,  in  the  interest  of  capital,  to 
assist  in  crushing  the  labor  interest  of  this  coast.  Any  information  regarding  any  trade  can 
be  obtained  by  addressing  the  "Mechanics'  State  Council,"  box  No.  1493,  San  Francisco,  or 
to  either  of  the  undersigned  at  the  same  post-office. 

By  order  of  the  Mechanics'  State  Council  of  California,  Sun  Francisco. 

H.  J.  LOASSE, 
A.  M.  GREY, 
CHAS.  C.  TERRILL, 

Corresponding  Committee. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  November  25,  1867. 

Commenting  upon  the  address  above  quoted,  the  Alta  California  says : 

The  document  is  a  very  singular  one,  and  seems  to  have  excited  a  good  deal  of  surprise  at 
the  east,  where  it  did  more  to  open  the  eyes  of  workingmen  to  the  gross  folly  and  injustice 
of  Trades  Unions  seeking  to  monopolize  employments  in  a  few  hands  at  high  wages  than 
almost  any  argument  could  have  done.  There  are  thousands  of  industrious  workingmen  at 
the  east  and  in  Europe,  who  at  this  time  are  unable  to  obtain  work  at  all.  Those  who  can 
get  employment  receive  $1  50  to  $'3  in  greenbacks — say  $il  to  fil  50  (and  average  for  the 
year  $1  for  ten  hours'  work)  in  gold.  Flour  is  $10  gold  per  barrel,  and  other  provisions  and 
expenses  of  Irving  in  proportion.  Those  people  struggling  for  life  have  put  into  their  hands 
the  address  to  which  we  called  attention. 

That  address  informs  them,  on  the  authority  of  the  State  council,  that  wages  in  20  mechan- 
ical branches,  which  it  enumerates,  average  $ 1  55  in  gold  throughout  the  year  for  eight  hours1 
work.  They  know  that  flour  and  provisions  here  are  cheaper  than  there,  since  they  arc- 
sent  hence  at  a  profit.  They  know  while  the  price  of  fuel  there  has  risen,  as  the  thermometer 
falls  to  zero,  to  rates  which  absorb  their  whole  earnings,  that  this  climate  nearly  dispenses 
with  that  expense.  They  know  that  the  amount  of  labor  to  be  done  here  in  developing  the 
natural  wealth  of  the  coast  is  limitless,  and  that  the  more  there  is  done  the  more  capital 
will  increase  to  employ  still  more.  They  know  also  that  passages  are  so  low  now  that  the 
transit  may  be  made  for  the  wages  of  two  weeks'  labor  here.  Three  weeks  will  transport 
them  from  cold  and  idleness  and  hunger  to  warmth,  abundance,  and  high  wages.  Having 
a  lively  sense  of  these  truths  impressed  upon  them  by  the  circumstances  of  distress  which 
surrounds  them,  they  reflect  upon  the  true  import  of  passages  like  the  following  in  "tin-- 
address:" 

"  It  (rates  of  wages)  was  published  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  an  undue  immigration  to 
this  State,  especially  of  mechanics,  expecting  by  that  means  to  break  down  the  trade  asso- 
ciations in  existence  here,  particularly  those  which  have  adopted  the  eight-hour  system." 


612  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

"  The  shipwrights,  ship-joiners,  caulkers,  bricklayers,  stone-cutters,  and  some  one  or  two 
other  trade  associations,  regulate  wages,  and  have  uniform  rates.  In  other  branches  each 
journeymen  contracts  for  himself.1' 

"Let  no  one  come  here  without  the  means  of  support,  in  case  they  fail  in  getting  employ- 
ment. To  mechanics  of  all  trades,  we  say,  if  you  come  kere  with  good  feeling  toward  your 
fellows,  with  the  intention  of  working  hand  in  hand  with  us  in  support  of  the  interests  of 
the  working  classes,  we  will  extend  you  the  right  hand  of  fellowship,  and  welcome  you 
as  brothers.  But  do  not  come  here,  as  some  have  already  done,  in  the  interest  of  capital,  to 
assist  in  crushing  the  labor  interest  of  this  coast." 

These  contain  the  whole  programme.  The  rates  of  wages  are  so  high  here  that  very 
little  work  can  be  done  locally,  none  that  can  be  possibly  avoided.  This  is  seen  in  the  fact 
that  imports  of  goods  made  elsewhere  increase  enormously.  The  evidence  of  this  is  in  the 
returns  of  duties,  which  for  the  first  two  months  of  this  year  were  $1,419,089,  against 
$1,181,427  last  year,  an  increase  of  25  per  cent.  This  increase  of  importations  has  taken 
place  since  the  eight-hour  law  was  insisted  upon,  and  as  a  consequence  the  address  states : 

"  Times  are  dull  here  in  many  trades.  *  *  *  *  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of 
this  city,  relief  committees  to  provide  for  the  necessities  of  the  members  of  several  of  the  trades 
have  been  formed,  and  hundreds  of  dollars  have  been  collected  and  disbursed  for  this  pur- 
pose." 

The  stranger  may  ask,  if,  as  the  address  asserts,  wages  are  $2  50,  gold,  per  day,  how  is  it  that 
so  many  persons  are  to  be  relieved  ?  Why  will  they  not  take  less  rather  than  turn  paupers  ?  The 
paragraphs  cited  give  the  reply.  The  trades  unions  "  regulate  wages,"  and  suffer  no  work  to 
be  done  but  at  their  prices.  If  those  are  so  high  that  employers  are  compelled  to  import  the  goods 
instead  of  making  them,  and  discharge  the  hands,  those  still  in  employ  are  assessed  to  give 
charity  to  those  discharged.  So  arrogant  are  these  unions,  that  not  long  since  many  scores  of 
men  in  one  shop  struck  work  because  a  boy  had  used  a  hammer  for  a  short  time  upon  some  work. 
What  is  called  "undue  immigration,"  is  the  arrival  of  any  person  not  a  member  of  the  union, 
who  seeks  work  for  any  employer  who  will  pay  him.  The  right  of  a  man  in  possession  of 
capital  to  employ  a  man  to  do  some  work  for  him,  without  asking  permission  of  the  union,  is 
utterly  denied.  Also,  the  right  of  a  man  to  work  for  wages  without  the  sanction  of  "the 
council"  is  sought  to  be  abolished.  Hence  the  address  says,  if  they  come  here  to  obey  the 
council,  "come,"  and  get  work  if  you  can,  but  not  otherwise.  The  covert  threat  contained 
in  the  advice  not  to  come  "in  the  interests  of  capital"  may  be  taken  for  what  it  is  worth. 
This  sort  of  "dictatorship"  in  a  country  where  slavery  was  supposed  to  be  abolished  is  a 
marvel.  The  extent  to  which  this  system  may  be  pushed  is  made  painfully  manifest  in  the 
horrors  brought  to  light  in  England  through  investigation  into  operations  of  trades  unions. 
Happily,  here  we  may  rely  on  the  good  sense  of  the  people  at  large,  who  understand  that 
the  true  interests  of  this  coast  can  be  served  only  by  carrying  out  the  principles  of  our  insti- 
tutions, which  guarantee  freedom  to  every  man  in  the  "  pursuit  of  happiness." 

When  the  eastern  mechanics  see  that  a  close  monopoly  of  unions  here  enjoying  $2  50, 
gold,  per  man,  for  10  hours'  work,  not  being  satisfied  with  that,  reduced  the  hours  to  eight, 
thus  increasing  the  actual  wages  paid  by  employers  to  $3  10,  gold,  and  then  coolly  notify 
"  the  mechanics  of  the  United  States  and  Europe  "  not  to  come  here  and  disturb  their  "  good 
thing,"  it  is  possible  they  may  consider  their  equal  rights  under  the  law  as  good  as  those  of 
"  the  council,"  and  conclude  that  if  capital  enable  them  to  earn  even  $2  per  day,  gold,  here 
instead  of  $1  at  home,  then  the  "interests  of  capital"  are  worth  considering. 

An  analysis  of  the  data  contained  in  the  preceding  pages  of  this  report  will 
show  the  following  results  : 

1.  That  the  area  of  territory  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  abounding  in  the 
precious  metals,  and  in  the  useful  minerals,  is  limited  only  by  the  geographical 
boundaries  of  our  possessions. 

2.  That  of  the  vast  number  of  valuable  mineral-bearing  lodes  known  to  exist 
in  our  Pacific  States  and  Territories,  but  an  infintesimal  proportion  is  in  actual 
process  of  development. 

3.  That  the  area  of  lands  suitable  for  cultivation  is  sufficient  to  support  a 
population  greater  than  the  total  present  population  of  the  United  States. 

4.  That  with  a  climate  so  salubrious,  and  resources  so  varied,  this  region 
offers  inducements  to  immigration  unsurpassed  by  any  other  part  of  the  world. 

The  following  table  shows  the  area  and  population  of  each  State  and  Terri- 
tory, the  number  of  miners  actually  at  work  in  the  mines,  and  the  product  of 
bullion  for  1867.  In  estimating  the  population  engaged  in  mining,  it  is  difficult 
to  iix  upon,  an  exact  limit.  Mechanics  who  make  the  machinery,  or  put  it  up  in 
the  mines  ;  teamsters  who  haul  the  ores  or  the  supplies ;  assayers,  metallurgists, 
and  other  incidental  experts  and  employes,  are  to  a  certain  extent  engaged  in 
the  business  of  mining.  Many  thousands  who  never  see  a  mine  derive  their 


"WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


613 


support  from  this  interest.  If  we  iro  beyond  the  superintendents,  experts  and 
operatives  directly  engaged  in  working  the  mines,  the  field  is  unlimited,  for  it 
may  IK-  said  the  whole  population  on  the  Pacific  coast  is  interested  directly  or 
indirectly  in  this  pursuit  : 

Area,  population,  and  product. 


,ui(l  territories  west  of  the 
Rocky  mountains. 

Area  —  square 
miles.* 

Acres. 

Estimated  pop- 
ulation in  "67. 

No.  of  men  ac- 
tually   work- 
ing in  mines. 

Product  of  gold 
and  silver  for 
the  veur  end- 
ing Dec.  31,  '67 

California 

188,981 
112,090 
113,916 
88,056 
143,  770 
90,932 
69,994 
95,  274 

120,  947,  840 
71.737,741 
7:.',  906,  304 
56,  355,  635 
92,  016,  640 
58,  196,  480 
44,  796,  160 
60,  975,  360 

488,000 
36,000 
3,000 
110,000 
32,000 
20.000 
13,000 
78,000 

25,000 
10,000 
500 
200 
8,000 
6,000 
1,300 
1,000 

$25,000,000 
20,000,000 
500,000 

l"t;ih                     

12,  000,  000 
6,500,000 
J,  000,  000 
2,000,000 

Idaho 

Washington  Territory  

Total                                .... 

903,  019 
ted  States  : 

577,  932,  160 

780,000 

52,000 

$500,000 
2,500,000 
5,000,000 

67,  000,  000 

8,  000,  000 
75,  000,  000 

Add  for  total  product  of  the  Uni 
New  Mexico 

All  other  sourc 
Total 

*  According  to  report  of  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  office. 

The  above  table  shows  that  with  an  area  of  903,019  square  miles  we  have  a 
population  of  only  780,000,  less  than  one  to  the  square  mile.  According  to  the 
eighth  cen,SU8  (1860)  the  New  England  States  have  49.  ">.">;  the  middle  States 
69.83;  the  southern  coast  States  j;V>5;  the  western  rentrul  States  20.93:  the 
northwestern  States  22.14;  Texas  :l.  ">.'>.  Mr.  1  )e  Bow,  in  his  compendium  of 
The  seven!  h  census,  gives  the  density  of  population  in  Europe  and  other  foreign 
countries  as  follows:  Russia  in  Europe  28.4  1  ;  Austria  141.88;  France  172.74; 
England  332.00;  Great  Britain  ami  Ireland  225.19;  Prussia  151.32;  Spain 
78.03  ;  Turkey  in  Europe  73.60  ;  Sweden  and  Norway  15.83  ;  Belgium  388.60  ; 
Portugal  96.14}  Holland  259.31;  Denmark  101.92;  Switzerland  160.05; 
Greece  55.70;  Mexico  7.37;  Central  America  10.07,  &c. 

It  will  be  seen  that  while  the  population  in  the  Pacific  States  and  Ter- 
ritories is  less  than  one  to  the  square  mile,  some  of  the  countries  of  Europe 
exceed  300,  as,  for  example,  England  332.00  ;  Belgium  388.60.  This  simple 
statement  shows  conclusively  the  great  desideratum  of  the  Pacific  coast.  We 
have  climate  and  natural  resources  equal  to  those  of  the  Atlantic  States  and 
superior  to  any  in  Europe  ;  we  have  land  enough  for  the  support  of  millions  of 
laborers  where  we  now  have  only  thousands.  We  want  population.  Cheap 
labor  will  develop  the  dormant  wealth  of  the  country.  To  insure  this  we  need 
the  speedy  completion  of  the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  and  the  prompt  construc- 
tion of  the  two  additional  lines  projected  across  our  continent,  one  north  and  the 
other  south.  It  is  absurd  to  say,  with  such  a  variety  of  undeveloped  resources 
as  we  possess,  that  employment  is  difficult  to  obtain,  and  no  demand  exists 
for  labor.  If  we  require  no  labor,  there  can  be  no  demand  for  population  ;  and 
if  we  need  no  increase  of  population,  then  all  progress,  must  be  considered  pre- 
judicial to  the  interests  of  the  country.  The  Commercial  Herald  and  Market 
Review,  of  San  Francisco,  judiciously  remarks  : 

The  recent  numerous  arrivals  of  immigrants  from  the  east  and  from  Australia  foreshadow 
tlio  great  rush  which  will  undoubtedly  be  made  in  this  direction  during-  the  current  year,  and 
it  is  eminently  proper  that  these  strangers  should  be  instructed  by  competent  parties  how  to 


614  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

employ  themselves  with  profit.  An  army  of  consumers,  who  are  non-producers,  cannot  long- 
exist  in  that  condition  without  means,  and  in  this  case  our  visitors  are  not  overburdened 
with  cash.  They  cannot  all  find  occupation  in  farming  ;  nor  are  our  manufactories  suffi- 
ciently extensive  to  accommodate  any  large  number  of  them  ;  but  our  placer  mines  are  far 
from  being  exhausted,  and  still  offer  a  lucrative  field  for  the  operations  of  industrious  and 
sober  men.  The  cost  of  living  has  been  reduced  three  or  four  hundred  per  cent,  since  1852, 
and,  although  the  placer  mines  do  not  yield  so  richly  as  at  that  period  and  before,  they  are 
still  capable  of  returning  better  wages  to  the  industrious  miner  than  he  can  obtain  in  any 
other  State  of  the  Union.  Formerly  five  dollars,  or  even  seven  dollars,  a  day  would  not  pay 
a  man  for  his  time  and  labor,  because  the  rates  of  living  were  too  high  ;  and  many  field's 
were  abandoned  which  are  still  capable  of  yielding  those  daily  returns.  Now,  a  sober, 
economical,  and  industrious  miner  can  support  himself  handsomely  and  save  money  on  $2 
per  day. 

The  heavy  floods  of  last  winter  have  probably  unearthed  much  wealth  in  our  gulches  and 
other  placer  diggings.  The  copious  rains  of  186l-'62  certainly  had  that  effect,  and  new  dis- 
coveries of  a  rich  character  were  made  at  that  period.  Opportunities  for  reaching  the  mines 
are  now  plentiful  where  none  formerly  existed.  Mining  tools  are  abundant  and  cheap  in 
comparison  with  the  prices  ruling  10  or  12  years  ago.  It  is  then  our  earnest  advice  to 
those  newly  arrived  immigrants  to  furnish  themselves  with  picks,  hoes,  and  shovels,  without 
delay  ;  take  the  earliest  opportunity  to  leave  the  city  and  seek  the  placer  diggings  ;  go  to 
work  with  will  and  determination  ;  stick  to  it  with  resolution,  and  but  few  years  will  elapse 
before  they  will  thank  us  for  the  advice,  and  congratulate  themselves  for  having  acted  upon 
it.  The  longer  they  remain  "  waiting  for  something  to  turn  up,"  the  deeper  will  they  sink 
into  the  slough  of  despondency,  and  the  less  heart  will  they  have  for  resolute  and  determined 
action.  Our  placer  mines  still  offer  a  remunerative  field  for  industry.  They  are  not  ' '  worked 
out,"  nor  impoverished  to  an  extent  that  will  not  pay  wages  to  the  miner.  Many  of  them 
will  yield  from  $2  to  $4  a  day  to  the  hand.  Of  this  there  is  no  doubt,  and  if  newly  arrived 
immigrants  with  limited  means  will  only  accept  the  offers  held  out  by  these  mines,  they  will 
do  wisely. 

On  the  same  subject  the  San  Francisco  Evening  Bulletin  makes  the  following 
timely  and  sensible  remarks : 

IMMIGRATION  IN -1849  AND  1868.— The  pioneer  immigrants  of  20  years  ago  endured  hard- 
ships of  which  the  immigrants  of  this  year  will  know  very  little.  The  six  months'  voyage 
around  Cape  Horn  in  crowded  ^hips,  badly  provisioned,  or  the  bungalow  passage  up  the 
Chagres  river,  and  the  mule  ride  into  Panama,  with  the  long  waiting  on  the  Isthmus,  or  the 
still  longer  overland  journey— these  are  experiences  of  which  the  modern  immigrant  will 
know  little  or  nothing.  The  men  of  '49  found  nothing  which  could  be  called  homes.  A 
sand  spit,  with  a  few  board  and  cloth  houses,  gave  little  promise  of  the  future  city.  Every 
article  of  food  or  clothing  was  enormously  high.  It  cost  nearly  as  much  to  reach  the  mines 
from  this  place  as  the  immigrant  is  now  charged  for  a  passage  from  Southampton  to  this 
port.  The  Senator,  a  year  later,  transported  passengers  from  this  city  to  Sacramento  at  rates 
varying  from  $30  to  $35  each,  and  on  reaching  the  latter  place  the  rough  and  costly  journey 
was  but  just  begun.  If  the  miner  was  successful,  his  gains  would  secure  very  few  com- 
forts, for  they  were  not  in  the  country.  If  he  fell  sick,  the  misfortune  was  aggravated  by 
exposure  and  the  absence  of  all  the  comforts  and  appliances  which  increased  the  chances  of 
recovery.  There  were  both  suffering  and  heroism,  and  as  brave  struggles  with  an  adverse  fate 
us  was  ever  known  in  the  history  of  any  country. 

The  immigrants  of  1868  will  assume  no  such  risks  as  did  these  pioneers.  They  will  come 
to  a  country  already  dotted  over  with  homes,  even  more  attractive  than  those  of  earlier  days. 
There  are  cities,  towns,  schools,  churches,  highways,  vineyards,  orchards,  and  farms,  while 
the  cost  of  living  has  been  reduced  below  the  prevailing  rates  in  many  of  the  Atlantic  States. 
And  with  all  these  advantages  the  chances  of  success  in  any  industrial  calling  have  hardly 
been  reduced  at  all.  Wages  are  not  so  high,  but  the  cost  of  living  has  been  cheapened 
more  than  the  cost  of  labor.  The  advantages  of  permanent  prosperity,  upon  the  whole, 
appear  to  be  upon  the  side  of  the  immigrant  of  ]868. .  It  is  a  more  auspicious  time  to  begin 
the  struggle  for  a  foothold  and  for  a  competence  than  it  was  20  years  ago.  The  lew  great 
opportunities  for  sudden  fortunes  may  not  be  so  apparent,  neither  are  the  risks  of  failure  so 
great. 

No  doubt,  immigrants  who  land  here  during  the  present  year  without  money  will  suffer 
many  hardships  and  privations.  Some  will  belong  to  the  great  army  of  incapables,  others 
will  suffer  from  diseases  incident  to  changes  of  country  and  climate.  Many  will  come  with 
more  hope  than  resources,  either  of  capital  or  muscle.  But  the  immigrants  of  the  present 
year  are  not  likely  to  incur  greater  risks  of  privation  than  will  those  who  land  at  New  York. 
Of  the  50,000,  more  or  less,  who  may  come  to  the  State  during  the  present  year,  probably 
one-half  will  come  from  the  States  east  of  the  mountains.  A  large  number  of  them  have 
iriends  here,  by  whose  advice  or  through  whose  information 4hey  exchange  an  old  home  for 
a  new  one.  This  element  of  incoming  population  will  need  very  little  help.  Very  few  of 
them  will  want  charity  soups  or  free  lodgings.  With  a  little  margin  of  ready  cash  they  will 
strike  out  for  themselves  and  help  to  make  their  own  opportunities,  The  immigration  from 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  615 

European  countries  will  be  more  likely  to  need  aid.  The  country  will  be  new  and  strange 
to  them,  and  there  will  not  always  be  that  ready  adaptation  to  the  exigencies  of  new  posi- 
tions. Taking  the  most  favorable  view  of  this  incoming  population,  it  will  still  be  true  that 
a  good  work  can  be  done  in  alleviating  incidental  cases  of  distress  and  in  preventing  others, 
by  furnishing  to  the  immigrant  without  cost  such  information  as  will  insure  his  employment 
with  the  least  possible  delay. 

The  Sacramento  Union,  in  an  article  advocating  the  organization  of  a  proposed 
k'  labor  exchange/7  makes  the  following  judicious  suggestions  : 

How  TO  AID  IMMIGRANTS.— A  preliminary  meeting  was  held  at  the  Merchants'  Exchange 
in  San  Francisco,  on  Tuesday  evening,  to  organize  a  "labor  exchange,"  or  a  society  to 
devise  means  for  securing  employment  and  present  subsistence  for  needy  immigrants  arriv- 
ing in  that  city.  The  idea  is  an  excellent  one  and  well  timed.  The  society  should  be  organ- 
ized without  delay,  and  we  hope  to  see  it  embrace  a  large  number  of  the  best  men  and  most 
practical  minds  in  the  State.  *  ***** 

Many  will  arrive  penniless.  Nearly  all  will  be  landed  at  San  Francisco.  Without  some 
means  they  cannot  leave  there  for  any  part  of  the  State  where  the  market  for  labor  calls 
them.  It  will  be  necessary  that  the  city  shall  take  present  care  of  the  needy.  Alms-houses 
are  not  to  be  thought  of  in  this  connection.  The  desideratum  can  only  be  reached  through 
a  society  having  the  hearty  patronage  of  every  business  department  and  the  use  of  large 
sums  of  money  to  feed  the  immigrants  and  forward  them  to  employment  in  the  interior. 
Such  a  society  ought  to  embrace  members  of  the  large  corporations  of  the  State — railway 
companies,  steam  navigation  company,  the  chamber  of  commerce,  the  supervisors,  and  the 
mayor  of  San  Francisco.  It  could,  with  such  a  make-up,  very  soon  enlist  the  good  offices 
of  the  press,  and  the  accord  of  the  people  of  the  interior.  These  immigrants  are  coming 
here  because  we  have  repeatedly  given  out  that  they  are  greatly  needed,  and  that  we  have 
an  abundance  of  work  for  them.  These  inducements  were  held  out  in  good  faith.  We  do 
need  them,  we  have  work  for  them.  But  it  is  sure  to  happen  here,  as  everywhere  else,  that 
any  extraordinary  influx  of  population  will  occasion  some  distress.  How  to  get  along  with 
the  least  distress  is  the  problem  to  be  solved.  We  would  suggest  that  the  San  Francisco 
"  labor  exchange"  organize  at  once,  and  enlist  in  its  ranks  as  many  of  the  practical  busi- 
ness men  of  that  city  as  possible.  Let  them  then  put  the  society  in  communication  with  the 
leading  business  men  of  the  interior,  who  are  posted  as  to  the  probable  demand  for  fresh 
laborers  in  their  respective  districts.  The  several  railway  superintendents  could  tell  them 
within  a  score  or  two  how  many  they  can  employ  each  month,  and  how  many  to  forward. 
The  immigrants  might  be  forwarded  at  the  expense  of  the  society,  who  could  arrange  in  a 
business  way  to  be  repaid  by  the  interior  employers  from  the  first  month's  wages  earned.  The 
great  grain  shippers  of  San  Francisco  have  their  purchasing  and  forwarding  agents  in  every 
grain  region  of  the  State.  These  arc.  no  doubt,  well  posted  as  to  the  Increased  number  of 
hands  the  present  crop  will  require  in  harvesting.  Let  the  society  put  itself  in  direct  com- 
munication with  these  agents,  and  hero,  will  be  an  opening  for  hardly  less  than  10,000  men  at 
from  $50  to  $GO  per  month  for  not  less  than  two  or  three  months.  By  the  same  general 
system  other  thousands  might  be  employed  in  the  timber  and  lumber  regions,  and  in  the 
considerable  improvements  that  will  be  made  this  season  in  all  the  towns  and  cities  of  the 
agricultural  districts.  It  is  not  probable  that  more  than  a  third  of  the  new-comers  will 
require  any  other  aid  than  such  valuable  information  as  a  society  so  organized  might  be  able 
to  give  as  to  the  best  means  of  reaching  this,  that,  or  another  point  in  the  interior,  the  qual- 
ity of  its  soil,  climate,  price  of  land,  advantages  of  cultivating  and  means  of  marketing  pro- 
duce. Doubtless  many  who  come  will  have  the  ready  means  to  go  to  work  for  themselves 
and  become  employers  of  others  who  are  destitute.  Of  the  50,000  who  may  be  expected, 
10,000  to  15,000  are  likely  to  need  more  substantial  aid  to  start  them  ofT  ill  a  way  to  earn  a 
subsistence.  There  is  room  for  all  and  more  than  these  on  the  railways  in  course  of  con- 
struction and  in  gathering  a  harvest  nearly  twice  as  great  in  area  as  any  ever  before  planted 
in  the  State. 


SECTION     II'. 

GENERAL  CONSIDERATIONS  ON  THE  PRECIOUS  METALS. 

WHY  GOLD  AND  SILVER  ARE  USED  FOR  MONEY. — Gold  and  silver  were 
adopted  as  standards  of  value  long  before  the  beginning  of  the  historical  era; 
and  their  fitness  for  money  was  evident  even  to  barbarians.  They  are  hard  and 
not  subject  to  oxidation,  "and  therefore  they  can  be  kept  and  handled  with  com- 
paratively little  loss.  They  have  a  brilliant  lustre  suitable  for  articles  of  orna- 
ment ;  and  the  peculiarity  of  the  lustre,  color,  and  high  specific  gravity  renders 


616  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

them  easily  distinguishable  from  other  substances,  and  makes  imitations  diffi- 
cult. They  are  fusible  and  malleable,  so  that  they  can  be  made  into  any  form 
or  stamped*  with  any  impression,  and  the  hardness  will  protect  the  form  or  impres- 
sion from  wearing  out.  Both  metals  are  found  pure,  so  that  savages  would 
become  accustomed  to  their  use  before  learning  to  smelt  the  ores  of  iron,  copper, 
and  lead.  Both  metals  are  rare,  and  thus  a  small  quantity  has  served  to  repre- 
sent a  large  value  of  other  articles ;  and  wealth  in  the  form  of  gold  and  silver 
could  readily  be  concealed,  or  transported  from  one  country  to  another.  There 
are  other  hard,  rare,  and  lustrous  metals,  but  they  cannot  readily  be  refined,  or 
their  lustre  is  not  peculiar,  or  the  supply  is  not  regular,  or  they  have  no  recog- 
nized value  in  the  arts ;  and  thus  gold  and  silver  are  to-day,  as  they  were  5,000 
years  ago,  the  best  of  all  metals  for  the  purposes  of  money. 

THE  QUANTITY  OF  THE  PRECIOUS  METALS  IN  GREECE  AND  ROME. — The 
quantity  of  precious  metals  was  small  when  Athens  began  to  throw  the  bril- 
liancy of  her  intelligence  and  genius  over  the  ancient  world.  About  the  year 
600,  B.  C.,  nine  bushels  of  wheat  could  be  bought  for  an  ounce  of  silver  in 
Greece;  or,  in  other  words,  a  bushel  of  wheat  cost  15  cents  of  our  money. 
The  advance  of  civilization  was  accompanied  by  an  increased  production  of  gold 
and  silver.  There  were  mines  of  both  metals  in  Egypt,  Thrace,  Armenia,  Spain, 
and  the  dominions  of  Attica.  Spain  had  the  richest  mines,  and  the  placers  in 
the  Asturias  produced  $4,000,000  annually  for  a  time,  and  a  silver  mine  at  Guadal- 
canal yielded  300  pounds  of  metal  daily.  The  spoils  of  Persia  added  greatly 
to  the  stock  of  the  precious  metals  in  Greece,  and  after  the  death  of  Alexander 
an  ounce  of  silver  would  buy  only  three  bushels  of  wheat,  or  only  one-third  as 
much  as  three  centuries  earlier. 

In  Italy,  previous  to  the  first  Punic  war,  gold  and  silver  were  still  very  scarce 
and  high  in  price,  but  when  "the  senate  and  people  of  Rome"  became  masters 
of  the  world,  wealth  poured  in  upon  them  from  all  the  borders  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean, and  the  bushel  of  wheat  which  cost  the  twentieth  of  an  ounce  of  silver 
350  B.  C.  cost  an  ounce  and  a  third  in  the  middle  of  the  first  century. 

The  annual  revenue  of- the  empire  in  the  time  of  Augustus  was  $200,000,000, 
and  that  emperor  received  $150,000,000  in  legacies  from  his  friends. 

Cicero  received  $800,000  in  fees,  a  sum  which  has  probably  never  been  paid 
to  any  modern  lawyer. 

C.  C.  Isidorus,  besides  large  estates  and  4,000  slaves,  had  $15,000,000  coin 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  calculating  the  value  of  the  money  according  to  weight, 
Jacobs  estimates  the  total  stock  of  coin  in  the  Roman  empire  in  40  A.  D.  at 
$1,^50,000,000. 

THE  PRINCIPAL  EPOCHS  IN  THE  MODERN  PRODUCTION  OF  THE  PRECIOUS 
METALS. — As  civilization  declined,  the  quantity  of  the  precious  metals  decreased, 
and  Alaric  consented  to  spare  Rome  for  $1,500,000,  and  40  years  later  the  Eter- 
nal City  had  some  difficulty  in  raising  $1,200,000  to  buy  off  Attila.  The  annual 
average  wear  of  coin  is  estimated  at  about  one  part  in  360 ;  and  when  this  con- 
tinues for  centuries  with  no  new  supply  it  makes  a  great  reduction.  According 
to  the  estimate  of  Jacobs  there  were  in  1492  only  $170,000,000  of  the  precious 
metals  in  Christendom.  Previous  to  the  conquest  of  Mexico  the  new  world 
yielded  only  about  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  annually  to  Spain,  the  govern- 
ment of  which  lost  considerably  by  the  discovery,  until  Cortes  succeeded  in 
overthrowing  the  empire  of  the  Montezumas. 

The  Aztecs  washed  gold  from  the  placers  and  smelted  silver  from  the  ores, 
and  had  a  considerable  stock  of  precious  metals  on  hand  when  Cortes  came.  He 
of  course  took  all  he  could  get,  and  he  and  his  associates  soon  commenced  the 
working  of  the  lodes  known  to  his  subjects.  Among  these  were  Tasco,  Zulte- 
pec,  Tlalpujahua,  and  Pachuca,  all  in  the  vicinity  of" the  capital.  The  annual 
shipment  to  Spain  from  1519  to  1545  was  $3,150,000.  In  the  latter  year  the 
mines  of  Potosi  were  discovered,  and  their  yield  was  so  great  for  that  age  that 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  617 

a  wonderful  impulse  was  given  to  mining  industry  throughout  the  new  world. 
In  l-~>ls  Zacatecas  began  to  produce  iis  treasures;  Sombrerete  in  1555,  and 
(iuanajuato  in  1558.  In  1557  a  miner  named  Barlolome  de  Medina,  working 
I'achuca,  made  a  discovery  that  was  more  important  to  silver  mining  than  even 
the  opening  of  Potosi.  He  found  that  silver  could  be  extracted  from  the  com- 
mon ores  by  mixing  the  pulverized  mineral  with  water,  salt,  and  copper  pvrites, 
and  it  was  a  process  that  required  very  little  water,  no  fuel,  little  machinery,  no 
mechanical  skill,  and  few  buildings.  It  was  a  method  of  reduction  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  treeless  and  waterless  mountains,  and  to  the  ignorant  mining  popu- 
lation of  Mexico  and  Peru.  Previously  all  the  silver  had  been  obtained  by 
smelting,  in  a  very  expensive  and  wasteful  manner,  the  furnaces  1  icing  small  and 
very  numerous ;  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  prevent  great  loss,  both  by  incom- 
petency  and  by  dishonesty. 

Some  years  elapsed  before  the  amalgamation  process  was  extensively  adopted, 
but  within  10  years  it  had  been  introduced  into  all  the  mining  districts  of  Span- 
ish America;  and  the  workmen  became  expert,  and  as  the  mine-owners  found 
the  separation  of  the  metal  on  a  large  scale  could  be  supervised  by  one  or  two 
men,  and  that  thus  waste  and  thieving  could  be  prevented  to  a  much  greater 
extent  than  before,  they  made  renewed  exertions  to  extend  their  works.  The 
production  of  Potosi  was  six  times  as  great  in  1585  as  it  had  been  12  years 
before,  owing  partly  to  the  general  use  of  amalgamation,  which  was  first  intro- 
duced there  in  1570,  and  was  not  generally  accepted  until  some  years  later.  The 
copper-pan  or  cazo  amalgamation  was  discovered  in  1590,  at  Potosi.  by  Alonzo 
Barba,  but  its  use  was  confined  to  a  few  districts.  It  was  during  the  last  decen- 
niiim  of  the  1.6th  century  that  Potosi  was  in  iis  most  prosperous  condition,  pro- 
ducing $7,500,000  per  annum. 

In  1630  the  mines  of  Cerro  Pasco  were  discovered. 

In  the  years  1726  and  1727  the  Vizcaina  and  Jacal  mines  of  Zacatecas  yielded 
$4,500,000. 

The  great  bonanza  of  Heal  del  Monte  was  opened  in  1762,  yielding  $15,000,000 
in  :>-:>  years. 

The  great  wealth  of  the  Veta  Madre  was  demonstrated  in  1768,  and  (iuana- 
juato  rose  almost  to  the  leading  position  among  the  argentiferous  districts. 

The  production  of  silver  in  Mexico  increased  very  rapidly  from  1770  until  the 
beginning  of  the  revolution;  and  the  increase  was  owing  to  various  <-.• 
including  the  reduction  of  the  royal  tax  from  20  to  10  per  cent,  on  the  gross 
yield,  t  ho  reduction  in  the  price  of  quicksilver,  the  opening  of  commerce  to  Spain, 
merchant  vessels  from  numerous  ports  instead  of  confining  the  trade  to  vessels 
from  only  two  ports,  the  reduction  of  the  price  of  blasting  powder  from  75  to  50 
cents  per  pound,  the  abolition  of  the  alcabala,  an  article  needed  at  the  mines,  (an 
odious  and  oppressive  tax  on  internal  trade,)  and  the  purchase  of  bars  by  the 
provincial  treasury.  The  fact  that  the  country  could  produce  $10,000,000  annu- 
ally from  1760  to  1770,  as  it  did,  in  spite  of  all  these  restrictions,  furnishes  con- 
clusive proof  of  the  wonderful  wealth  of  the  mines,  and  also  of  the  industry  of 
the  people.  A  tax  of  20  per  cent,  on  the  gross  yield  would  paralyze  every 
branch  of  British  and  American  mining,  and  would  entirely  stop  the  production 
of  the  precious  metals  in  many  districts  of  California  and  Australia.  Quicksil- 
ver, of  which  more  than  a  pound  was  lost  for  every  pound  of  silver  extracted, 
cost  80  cents  per  pound  in  1750,  and  was  reduced  in  1767  to  62  cents,  and  in 
]  777  to  41  cents.  The  purchase  of  bars  by  the  provincial  treasuries  was  of  great 
benefit  to  the  miners,  who  previously  had  to  sell  their  bullion  at  a  lose  of  20,  307 
or  in  remote  districts  even  40  per  cent.  There  were  few  merchants,  and  those 
few  expected  to  make  great  profits  from  their  transactions. 

The  mines  of  Hualgayo  in  Peru  were  found  in  1771,  and  three  years  later* 
the  placers  of  the  Ural,  which  were  known  in  the  time  of  Herodotus,  were  redis- 
covered. 


618  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

It  was  estimated  in  1777  that  two-fifths  of  the  silver  of  Mexico  was  obtained 
by  smelting,  but  this  was  probably  an  exaggeration,  and  when  Humboldt  was 
in  the  country  only  one-seventh  was  taken  out  by  means  of  fire. 

The  mines' of  Catorce  were  opened  in  1778,  and  proved  to^be  very  rich,  the 
mine  of  Padre  Flores  yielding  $1,600,000  the  first  year. 

The  mines  of  Guarisamey,  near  Durango,  became  productive  in  1783. 
For  two  centuries  the  pulp  in  the  yard  amalgamation  process,  made  with  pul- 
verized ore,  quicksilver,  salt,  pyrites,  and  water,  was  mixed  by  the  treading  of 
men,   who,   notwithstanding  the  cold,  moisture,  and  mercury,  were  generally 
healthy. 

Singular  as  it  may  seem,  it  was  not  till  1783  that  mules  and  horses  were  intro- 
duced to  this  work  ;  and,  although  the  change  saved  75  per  cent,  of  the  expense 
on  that  branch  of  the  working,  still  it  would  probably  not  have  been  adopted  when 
it  was,  but  for  the  greatly  increased  production  of  silver  in  Mexico,  and  the 
difficulty  of  getting  Indian  rcpasadores  in  some  districts. 

The  great  "bonanza  of  Ramos,  that  yielded  $18,000,000  in  nine  years,  was 
opened  in  1798. 

The  mines  of  Mexico  continued  to  increase  in  productiveness  until  the  re  volu- 
tion, which  was  a  war  of  races,  the  Mexicans  against  the  Spaniards,  the  latter 
being  in  a  small  minority,  but  possessing  most  of  the  wealth,  mining  and  com- 
mercial knowledge  and  enterprise  in  the  country.  They  were  driven  out,  and 
with  them  went  three-fourths  of  the  men  who  had  the  money  and  brains  to  con- 
duct large  mining  operations.  The  production  fell  from  $22,000,000  to  less  than 
one-third  that  amount,  but  it  soon  began  to  increase  again,  and  from  1850  to 
1860  it  was  as  large  as  from  1795  to  1805. 

When  the  independence  of  Mexico  was  recognized  and  peace  was  restored,  it 
was  expected  that  the  production  would  soon  rise  far  beyond  its  former  figure. 
The  most  brilliant  hopes  were  excited  in  England,  and  they  were  based  on 
many  plausible  considerations,  but  they  were  destined  to  bitter  disappointment. 
Many  of  the  best  mines  were  offered  for  sale  for  about  the  amount  which  they 
produced  annually.  They  had  been  well  opened  ;  their  value  had  been  proved  5 
they  had  been  abandoned  while  in  full  production,  with  large  bodies  of  rich  ore 
in  sight  j  some  of  them  had  not  suffered  much  by  standing  idle  ;  their  produc- 
tion had  been  increased  at  the  average  rate  of  three  per  cent,  annually  for  40 
years  before  the  revolution,  and  the  workmen  familiar  with  all  the  processes 
of  mining  and  reduction  were  still  numerous.  And  if  such  production  and 
increase  occurred  under  the  oppressive  policy  of  the  Spanish  government,  and 
under  the  ignorant  management  of  the  Spanish  mine  owners,  what  might  not 
be  expected  under  a  liberal  republic  and  English  engineering?  The  mines 
would  no  longer  be  burdened  with  the  payment  of  one-tenth  of  the  gross  yield, 
over  and  above  all  the  costs  of  refining  and  coining.  The  ore  would  no  longer 
be  carried  up  to  the  surface  from  depths  of  1,500  or  2,000  feet  on  the  backs  of 
Indians,  nor  would  it  be  packed  6,  107  or  20  miles  on  mules  to  the  reduction 
works,  nor  would  the  water  be  hoisted  up  in  raw-hide  buckets  by  horse  whims, 
nor  would  mules  and  horses  drive  the  arrastras  and  stamps.  Steam  would  pump 
the  water,  hoist  the  ore,  and  drive  the  pulverizing  machinery.  Wagons  would 
do  the  transportation.  Skilful  engineers  would  direct  the  cutting  of  adits,  shafts, 
and  working  levels,  and  educated  metallurgists  would  have  charge  of  the  amal- 
gamation. The  production  should  rise  to  $50,000,000  or  $100,000,000  a  year, 
and  those  companies  which  could  get  possession  of  the  best  mines  should  make 
princely  fortunes  for  all  their  shareholders.  Great  care  should  be  exercised  in 
the  purchase  of  the  property  5  only  those  mines  should  be  bought  which  had  been 
visited  by  Humboldt  in  1803,  and  were  mentioned  in  his  book,  and  were  known 
to  have  continued  productive  up  to  the  revolution.  On  these  principles,  it  was 
supposed  that  failure  would  be  impossible.  But  failure  was  possible,  and  it  came. 
England  during  the  silver  fever  spent  $50,000,000,  for  which  she  got  little  return 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  619 

save  dear  experience.  Independence  did  not  ]>n>ve  a  great  "blessing  to  Mexico. 
iVaee  never  came,  and  without  peaee  there  could  )>c  no  success,  for  silver  mining 
above  all  other  pursuits  demands  peace.  Forced  loans  \\ere  levied  by  the  gov- 
ernment  on  the  productive  mines,  and  tlie  silver  bars  while  oji  the  \vav  to  the 
coast  were  taken  l>y  highway  robbers.  The  steam  machinery  could  not  be  taken 
to  the  mines  till  roads  had  been  made  and  wagons  imported;  the  roads  cost 
immense  sums;  when  the  engines  were  in  place  native  engineers  could  not  be 
found,  and  foreign  engineers  were  murdered  ;  English  superintendents  and  Mexi- 
wn  miners  could  not  get  along  together;  the  mines  were  found  in  a  much  worse 
condition  than  that  in  which  they  were  at  the  time  of  saie  represented  to  be  ;  and 
in  a  fe\v  years  the  mines  of  Mexico  were,  with  a  fc\v  exceptions,  abandoned  to 
the  Mexicans. 

The  most  notable  mining  districts  opened  in  the  19th  century  have  been  the 
placer  district  of  San  Francisco  in  Sonora,  in  1803;  the  Melkowka  placers  in 
Siberia,  in  1816  ;  the  silver  district  of  Fresuillo.  in  18;>4;  the  silver  district  of 
Clianarcillo,  Chili,  in  1832;  the  silver  district  of  (liiadalupe  y  Caloo,  in  1834; 
the  silver  district  of  Guadalcanal,  in  Spain,-about  1830  ;  the  placers  of  the  Altai 
mountains,  in  Siberia,  in  1830;  the  placers  of  the  Sacramento  basin,  in  1S4£  j 
the  placers  of  Australia,  in  1851;  the  placers  of  Xew  Zealand,  in  1857;  the 
placers  of  British  Columbia,  in  1858;  the  placers  of  Colorado,  in  1859;  the  sil- 
ver district  of  Washoe,  in  1859;  the  Nevada  iron  pan  amalgamation,  in  1860; 
the  silver  and  gold  of  Idaho,  in  1861 ;  the  placers  of  Montana,  in  1862. 

STOCK  OF  PRECIOUS  METALS. — The  stock  of  coin  in  Christendom  in  1492, 
and  at  various  epochs  since,  may  be  thus  estimated : 

Stock  of  gold  and  silver  coin  in  Europe  in  1492 $170, 000  000 

Production  of  108  years,  less  loss  by  wear $61)0,  000,  000 

Usedinarts 1140,000,000 

Sent  to  Asia 70, 000, 000 

Deductions 210,000,000 

Nel  £ain  from  1492  to  1600 480,000,000 

Stork  at  end  of  1600 050,000,000 

Production  of  the  XVIIth  century 1, 687, 000, 000 

Sent  to  Asia l(i:>,  ( it  in,  i  KM  i 

i  the  arts 300,  (Kid,  ooo 

Abrasion  and  loss 385, 000, 000 

Deductions  for  the  XVIIth  century 850, 000, 000 

Net  guiu  of  the  XVIIth  century 837, 000, 000 

Stock  at  end  of  1700 1,487,000,000 

Production  of  the  XVIIIth  century 4, 000, 000, 000 

Sent  to  Asia 400,  OCO,  000 

Used  in  the  arts 800,000,000 

Wear  and  loss 600,  000,  000 

Total  deductions  for  XVIIIth  century 1 , 800, 000, 000 

Net  gain  of  XVIIIth  century 2, 200,  000, 000 

Stock  at  end  of  1800 3,687,000,000 

Production  of  1st  quarter  XlXth  century 750, 000, 000 

Wearandloss 175,000,000 

1'si-d  in  the  arts 200,000,000 

Sent  to  Asia 125, 000,  000 

Deductions  for  1st  quarter  XlXth  century . . . 500, 000, 000 

Net  gain  of  1  st  quarter  XlXth  century 250. 000, 000 

Stock  at  end  of  1 825 3, 937, 000, 000 

Production  2d  quarter  XlXth  century 1 , 200,  000, 000 

Wearandloss 200,000,000 

Used  in  the  arts 350,  000,000 

Sent  to  Asia 175,  000, 000 

J  )t.-dm-tions  2d  quarter  XlXtk  century 725,  000, 000 

Net  gain  2d  quarter  XlXth  century 475, 000, 000 


620  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Stock  at  end  of  1850 $4,412,000,000 

Production  from  1851  to  1866,  inclusive $>2, 500, 000, 000 

Wear  and  loss $250,000,000 

Used  in  .the  arts 500,000,000 

Sent  to  Asia 800,000,000 

Total  deductions  for  16  years 1 ,  750,  000,  000 

Net  gain  from  1851  to  1866 

Stock  at  end  of  1866 5, 162,  OOP,  OOP 

The  following  is  Jacobs's  estimate,  as  given  in  Vol.  II,  pp.  70,  131,  214, 
and  322: 

Stock  on  hand  in  1492 £34,000,000 

Production  1493-1599  over  loss  and  wear £138, 000, 000 

Used  in  the  arts £28,000,000 

Sent  to  Asia 14,000,000 

Total  deductions  1493-1599 42, 000, 000 

Net  gain  1493-1599 96,000,000 

Stock  on  hand  at  the  end  of  1599 130,000,000 

Productions  of  XVIIth  century 337, 500,  000 

Sentto  Asia 32,250,000 

Used  in  the  arts 60,250,000 

Wear  and  loss 77,000,000 

Total  deduction  for  XVIIth  century — 170, 500,  000 

Net  gain  of  XVIIth  century 167,000,000 

Stock  on  hand  at  the  end  of  1699 297,000,000 

Production  of  1700  to  1809 880,000,000 

SenttoAsia 352,000,000 

Used  in  the  arts 352,000,000 

Wear  and  loss 93,000,000 

Total  deductions  1700  to  1809 797,000,000 

Net  gain  from  1700  to  1809 83,000,000 

Stock  on  hand  at  end  of  1809 380,000,000 

Production  from  1810  to  1829 103,736,000 

SenttoAsia 40,000,000 

Used  in  the  arts 112,252,220 

Wear  and  loss 18,095,220 

Total  deductions  from  1810  to  1829 170,343,440 

Decrease  from  1810  to  1829 66, 61 1, 440 


Stock  on  hand  at  end  of  1829 313,388,560 

It  has  "been  customary  to  make  estimates  of  the  amount  of  precious  metals  in 
Christendom  at  various  times  by  deducting  the  quantity  shipped  to  China  and 
Hindostan,  and  the  quantity  used  for  plate  j  but  there  is  a  constant  change  from 
coin  to  plate  and  from  plate  to  coin,  and  the  wide  line  which  once  separated  China 
and  Hindostan  from  European  trade  has  now  disappeared,  and  those  Asiatic 
countries  are  within  the  pa.le  of  civilized  commerce,  and  are  almost  as  near  to 
London  and  New  York  as  California  and  Victoria. 

Whitney,  in  his  Metallic  Wealth  of  the  United  States,  says  that  in  1853  the  Rus- 
sian empire  produced  64,000  pounds  Troy  of  gold;  Austria,  5,700;  the  remainder 
of  Europe,  100;  Southern  Asia,  25,000;  Africa,  4,000;  South  America,  34,000; 
and  the  United  States,  (exclusive  of  California,)  2,200. 


The  yield  of  silver  in  1850  is  thus  stated  : 

Russian  Empire,  60,000  pounds  Troy  ;  Scandinavia,  20,400 ;  Great  Britain, 
48,500  ;  Harz  Silver  District,  31,500  ;  Prussia,  21,200  ;  Saxony,  63,600  ;  other 
German  states,  2,500  j  Austria,  87,000 ;  Spain,  125,000 ;  France,  5,000 ;  Aus- 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


621 


tralia,  10,000;  Chili,  238,500}  Bolivia,  130,000;  Peru,  303,150 ;  New  Grenada, 
13,000;  Brazil,  675;  Mexico,  1,650,000  ;  California,  17,400;  total,  2,817,425 
pounds  Troy. 

THE  DRAIN  OF  SILVER  TO  ASIA. — It  is  admitted  by  all  eminent  authors 
who  have  written  about  the  present  supply  of  the  precious  metal  that  it  far 
•eds  the  demands  of  Christendom,  and  that  the  inevitable  fall  in  value  is 
retarded  only  by  exceptional  and  temporary  circumstances,  the  chief  of  which  is 
the  remarkable  stream  of  silver  pouring  into  Asia.  The  Hindoos  and  Chinese 
and  Japanese  are  industrious  and  very  populous  nations,  which  have  to  import 
nearly  all  their  gold  and  silver  from  abroad,  and  their  capacity  to  absorb  those 
metals  increases  as  value  declines,  and  as  their  stock  becomes  greater  their  wages 
rise,  and  they  obtain  the  means  to  purchase  more  foreign  goods,  and  after  a  time 
they  will  have  as  much  coin  proportionately  to  their  productive  powers  as  the 
Christian  nations;  and  then  their  imports  of  merchandise  will  nearly  equal  their 
exports,  and  the  importation  of  the  precious  metals  will  not  be  one-tenth  of  the 
present  figure. 

Asia  was  called  "the  sink  of  silver"  by  Pliny,  and  it  has  deserved  that  name 
ever  since,  and  will  continue  to  deserve  it  for  an  uncertain  period  in  the  future. 

So  long  as  we  continue  to  consume  so  much  tea,  silk,  sugar,  rice,  and  other 
Asiatic  products,  and  so  long  as  they  consume  so  few  of  our  products,  so  long  we 
must  settle  the  difference  by  payment  of  the  precious  metals,  and  the  precious 
metals  will  probably  not  decline  much  in  value.  But  let  the  vessel  of  Asiatic 
trade,  now  half  empty  of  silver,  be  once  filled,  as  it  will  be  in  5,  10,  or  15  years, 
and  then  we  shall  begin  to  feel  the  influence  of  the  over-supply  of  the  precious 
metals,  and  their  market  value  will  fall  rapidly. 

Christendom  and  Asia  may  be  compared  to  two  tubs  standing  side  by  side, 
and  connected  by  a  large  open  tube  half  way  from  the  ground,  and  the  supply 
of  the  precious  metals  to  a  stream  of  water  falling  into  the  tub  representing 
Christendom.  Before  the  water  reached  the  tube,  or  before  the  tube  was  well 
opened,  the  level  rose  very  rapidly  in  the  first  tub;  but  now  the  stream  pours  so 
swiftly  into  the  second  that  the  level  can  scarcely  rise  at  all  in  the  first.  When 
the  liquid  ii'ets  up  to  the  same  level  in  both  tubs,  then  it  will  rise  with  equal 
pace  iii  both. 

The  quantity  of  silver  annually  exported  from  England  and  the  Mediterranean 
to  A>ia  has  been  as  follows: 


England. 

Mediterranean. 

Total. 

1851 

$8  36°  500 

$8  362  500 

1852               

12,  116  210 

12  116  210 

1853 

23  550  000 

$4  240  000 

27  790  000 

1854            

15  555  000 

7  255  000 

22  8°  1  COO 

1855 

32  075  000 

7  6°0  000 

39  695  000 

1856                

60  590  000 

9  950  000 

70  540  000 

1857 

86  477  170 

10  180  291 

96  657  461 

25  444  250 

16  150  000 

31,594  250' 



1859 

33  208  120 

7  340  280 

40  638  400 

I860  

40'  620*  162 

8  120  204 

48,  740,  386 

1861 

36  399  175 

7  'J80  000 

44  379  175 

1862  

53  551  045 

9  150,000 

61.701,145 

1863 

38  236  191 

29  381  000 

67,  517,  191 

1864 

37  07Q  196 

41  255  942 

78  335  139 

503  365  035 

147  522  718 

650  885  753 

The  figures  from  1851  to  1862,  inclusive,  in  the  above  table  are  copied  from  Hunt's  Mer- 
chants' Magazine  for  August,  1863,  and  those  for  1803  and  1864  from  newspaper  reports. 

Michel  Chevalier  says  that  in  1857  c£20,145,921  were  sent  to  Asia,  or  about 
$100,000,000.* 

*  Michel  Chevalier  on  Gold,  p.  65. 


622  RESOURCES    OF    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

The  Westminster  Review  for  January,  1864,  says : 

In  spite  of  our  trouble  in  India,  and  a  state  of  chronic  warfare  in  China,  the  increase  of 
our  trade  with  the  east  during  the  last  10  years  has  been  enormous.  This,  too,  may  be  looked 
upon  as  only  the  beginning  of  a  commerce  that  must  grow  to  proportions  which  cannot  be 
estimated.  The  most  important  feature,  too,  of  eastern  trade  is  the  manner  in  which  it 
absorbs  the  precious  metals.  This  is  a  peculiarity  so  intimately  bound  up  with  the  social 
condition  of  the  east  that  it  is  likely  to  last  as  long  as  their  ignorance  and  mutual  mistrust. 
Until  a  system  of  credit  can  grow  up  among  them  like  that  which  in  Europe  dispenses  with 
the  use  of  gold  and  silver  for  almost  all  things  but  retail  transactions  and  the  payment  of 
labor,  the  east  must  ever  remain  a  perfect  sink  for  the  precious  metals.  What  amount  of 
money  would  be  sufficient  to  saturate  the  hoarding  propensities  of  these  hundreds  of  millions 
of  men  who  believe  in  nothing  but  the  little  store  they  know  of  under  some  hearthstone  or 
other  favorite  hiding  place  ?  There  is  no  practical  limit  to  the  demand  of  the  east  for  the 
precious  metals  except  the  industry  they  can  develop  in  its  acquisition,  and  that  industry  is 
susceptible  of  indefinite  development. 

This  passage  is  written  in  the  supposition  that  a  nation  possessing  an  immense 
quantity  of  the  precious  metals  in  proportion  to  population  could  be  a  nation  of 
hoarders.  This  idea,  however,  is  entirely  erroneous.  There  never  was,  nor  is 
it  probable  that  there  ever  will  be  a  wealthy  nation  of  hoarders.  With  the 
exception  of  a  few  miserly  individuals,  hoarding  is  caused  only  by  the  lack  of 
opportunities  to  invest  profitably ;  the  insecurity  of  titles  to  real  estate,  and  the 
dangers  of  famine  and  war.  Hoarding  is  far  more  frequent  relatively  in  semi- 
barbarous  than  in  civilized  communities ;  more  frequent  in  the  country  than  in 
cities.  As  wealth  increases,  as  education  extends,  as  wars  become  rare,  and  as 
the  titles  to  property  become  secure,  the  motives  for  hoarding  cease.  Hoarding 
is  no  doubt  common  now  in  Hindostan  and  China;  but  the  main  demand  there 
for  the  precious  metals  is  not  for  hoarding,  it  is  for  currency.  We  ship  treasure 
to  Asia  because,  on  account  of  the  greater  scarcity  of  the  precious  metals,  labor 
is  cheaper,  and  because  for  that  reason  tea,  cotton,  rice,  silk,  and  many  other 
articles  can  be  produced  cheaper  there  than  here,  and  we  find  it  more  profitable 
to  import  than  to  produce  at  home.  But  the  Hindoos  and  Chinese  having  far 
less  trade  and  manufactures  relatively  than  Europeans,  do  not  need  so  much 
coin  relatively,  and  the  increase  of  the  precious  metals  is  ten-fold  faster  among 
them  than  the  increase  of  business ;  so  wages  must  rise,  and  their  products  must 
become  dearer,  and  our  gold  and  silver  will  have  less  relative  value  to  them, 
and  other  of  our  productions  mil  have  more  relative  value.  Then  our  interna- 
tional trade  will  be  more  of  exchange  than  now,  and  less  of  sale.  Asia  will 
always  be  a  sink  of  the  precious  metals  in  so  far  as  immense  quantities  must  be 
lost,  worn  away  and  used  in  the  arts  amidst  such  vast  multitudes  of  people,  and 
as  the  consumption  is  great  and  the  yield  nothing,  there  must  be  a  steady 
stream  pouring  in;  but  this  stream  after  the  level  of  industry  has  once  been 
reached  will  be  much  smaller  relatively  than  now. 

The  countries  where  labor  is  dearest  must  export  treasure  to  those  where  it  is 
cheaper,  and  the  quantity  of  treasure  that  a  nation  will  swallow  up  is  propor- 
tioned to  its  industry  and  poverty. 

Another  late  writer  says : 

Regarding  the  amount  of  gold  and  silver  afloat  as  currency  in  the  various  countries  of  the 
civilized  world  there  are  very  conflicting  opinions,  but  estimating  the  amount  of  gold  and 
silver  circulating  as  coin  in  Great  Britain,  the  country  in  which  perhaps  the  greatest  economy 
of  the  precious  metals  consistent  with  the  maintenance  of  the  proper  safeguards  is  observed, 
at  £80,000,000,  and  the  population  at  30,000,000,  and  estimating  the  currency  of  India  in 
1857  at  an  equal  amount,  an  estimate  I  venture  to  think  high,  and  the  population  at 
180,000,000,  it  requires  but  very  little  calculation  to  show  that  India  is  capable  of  yet  absorb- 
ing silver  to  the  amount  of  $400,000,000  in  addition  to  this  amount  for  the  purposes  of  cur- 
rency alone.  Nor  must  it  be  forgotten  that  India  is  able  to  support  a  population  many 
millions  more  numerous  than  she  at  present  possesses ;  nor  on  the  other  hand  that  England  has 
many  means  of  economizing  the  use  of  coin,  which  in  consequence  of  her  immense  extent  of 
area  will  be  denied  to  India,  if  not  forever,  for  many  years  to  come.  If,  then,  it  be  admitted 
that  there  is  even  a  shadow  of  truth  in  these  estimates,  it  may  not  be  unreasonable  to  conclude 
that  there-is  a  possibility,  distant  it  may  be,  yet  still  a  possibility,  of  the  requirements  of 
India  for  currency  purposes  approaching  the  enormous  sum  of  $500,000,000  in  silver  coin.* 

*  The  Drain  of  Silver  to  the  East  and  the  Currency  of  India,  by  W.  Nassau  Lees  :  London,  1864. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  623 

It  is  useless  to  attempt  to  say  lio\v  much  currency  a  nation  may  use.  The 
amount  depends  greatly  upon  its  relative  value.  In  an  age  when  a  day's  work 
is  worth  10  cents,  only  one-tenth  as  many  dollars  will  be  needed  for  currency., 
other  things  being  equal,  as  in  an  age  when  a  day's  work  is  worth  a  dollar. 
AVages  in  India  will  not  remain  at  their  present  low  rate,  and  their  rise  will,  in 
itself,  make  a  demand  for  money.  We  may  presume  that  an  addition  of 
•V-J,()00,000,000  to  the  currency  of  Hindostan  would  raise  wages  there  to  the 
level  in  Europe,  and  after  that  importation  of  silver  would  be  only  sufficient  to 
compensate  for  the  wear  and  tear.  However,  long  before  that  amount  could 
be  added  to  the  currency  of  India,  the  Hindoos  would  demand  more  European 
goods  than  now,  and  these  would  pay  to  a  certain  extent  for  the  goods  exported 
from  India,  and  the  transfer  of  the  precious  metals  would  gradually  decline.  The 
larger  the  stock  of  money  relatively,  the  higher  the  wages,  and  we  may  expect 
that  when  the  sum  of  $4,000,000,000  is  added  to  the  currency  of  Asia,  the  wages 
then  will  be  as  high  there  as  they  now  are  in  Europe;  but  before  that  time  the 
wages  may  have  doubled  in  Europe. 

A  GEE  AT  INCKEASE  OF  PEODUCTION  PROBABLE. — A  great  increase  in  the 
production  of  both  gold  and  silver  is  probable.  '  In  California,  Australia,  and 
Siberia,  gold  mining  is  now  conducted  under  many  disadvantages.  In  the  two 
former  wages  and  interest  are  exceptionally  high,  and  in  all  there  is  a  lack  of 
that  thorough  knowledge,  and.  of  those  economical  modes  of  working,  which  can 
only  be  adopted  b}^  a  generation  educated  to  the  business,  and  devoted  to  it  as 
a  life-long  occupation.*  In  Spain  and  Brazil,  which  were  once  very  rich  in 
gold,  and  would  probably  pay  for  hydraulic  washing,  there  must  be  numerous 
quartz  veins  that  are  now  untouched. 

These  will  be  made  productive.  The  Andes  and  the  Altai  will  be  explored 
with  care,  and  hundreds  of  veins,  as  rich  and  large  as  those  of  Potosi  and  Guana- 
juato, will  be  found.  Machinery  will  be  improved,  so  that  tunnels  or  adits  large 
enough  for  wagons  can  be  bored  20,  30,  or  40  miles  long  through  high  moun- 
tains, so  as  to  pay  for  purposes  of  travel,  and  at  the  same  time  any  lodes  that 
may  exist  in  the  chain  will  be  opened  to  a  depth  Jar  below  anything  now  known 
in  mining.  The  oreat  lodes  of  the  future  will  not  be  discovered  by  such  acci- 
dents as  those  which  revealed  Potosi,  Cerro  Pasco,  Sombrerete,  Chanarcillo  and 
the  best  mines  of  Catorce.  If  veins  like  those  could  be  found  by  chance,  what 
will  not  the  well-directed  explorations  of  the  future  find?  It  is  scarcely  to  be 
doubted  that  a  large  tunnel  commenced  1,500  feet  above  the  sea  level  on  the 
western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas  at  any  point  between  latitude  30°  and  40° 
would,  in  the  course  of  10  miles,  run  through  a  multitude  of  rich  lodes.  "NVo 
have  reason  to  believe  that  when  the  great  mountains  were  formed,  numerous 
large  fissures  running  in  some  places  for  hundreds  of  miles  were  filled  with 
auriferous  and  argentiferous  quartz,  and  we  fail  to  find  them,  not  because  they 
are  not  there,  but  because  they  are  covered  with  earth,  and  because  the  clamber- 
ing hunter,  the  benighted  wanderer,  or  the  charcoal  burner  does  not  pull  up  the  bush 
or  does  not  light  the  fire  at  the  right  spot.  A  tunnel  running  through  the  Andes 
commencing  near  Lima  or  Santiago  would  reveal  wonders,  and  the  progress 
of  mechanical  industry  is  so  marvellous  that  we  arc  justified  in  hoping,  if  not  in 
expecting,  to  see  immense  tunnels  20  or  30  miles  long  cut  through  high  mountain 
ranges. 

U  EL  ATI  VE  VALUE  OF  GOLD  AND  SILVER. — It  is  impossible  to  ascertain  now 
when  or  how  the  difference  arose  between  the  market  values  of  the  two  metals.t 

*  The  bill  introduced  by  Mr.  Stewart,  of  Nevada,  providing  for  the  establishment  of  a 
national  school  of  mines,  is  designed  to  remedy  the  present  wasteful  .system  of  mining. 

t  Mr.  Albert  Gallatin,  in  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  (Ex.  Doc.,  1st  sess.  28th 
Cong.,  p.  1071)  on  the  relative  value  of  gold  and  silver,  says,  under  date  of  December  31, 

"  The  relative  value  of  gold  and  silver  bullion  differs  from  that  of  gold  and  silver  coins, 


624 


RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


It  may  be  said  that  they  are  almost  equally  suitable  for  the  purposes  of  money. 
Gold  has  a  higher  specific  gravity  and  is  susceptible  of  a  higher  polish,  but  the 
difference  in  these  respects  is  not  great  enough  to  cause  a  difference  of  50  per 
cent,  in  value  between  them.  There  is  reason  to  doubt  whether  the  relative 
values  were  ever  proportional  to  the  relative  supplies.  We  have  no  precise 
information  about  supplies  before  the  beginning  of  the  16th  century.  At  that 
time  an  ounce  of  gold  was  worth  11.4  ounces  of  silver.  In  the  course  of  three 
centuries  previous  to  1800  the  stock  of  the  precious  metals  in  Christendom  had 
increased  $5,800,000,000,  of  which  two-thirds  in  value  and  96  per  cent,  in  weight 
was  silver;  so  that  if  the  value  of  the  two  metals  had  been  proportionate  to  the' 
supply,  one  ounce  of  gold  ought  to  have  been  worth  30  of  silver  in  1800.  Not- 
withstanding the  immense  production  of  silver  in  the  18th  century,  the  relative 
value  of  the  two  metals  was  precisely  the  same  in  1816  as  in  1717 ;  and  not- 
withstanding the  vastly  greater  relative  production  of  gold  since  1849,  the  rela- 
tive values  have  scarcely  changed.  We  observe,  too,  that  although  gold  is  very 
scarce  in  India  and  Asia,  it  does  not  bear  so  high  a  price  as  in  Europe.  The 
mere  fact  that  gold  is  worth  15  times  as  much  per  pound  as  silver  makes  a  demand 
for  it,  because  it  is  so  much  more  convenient  for  use. 

Although  the  values  have  not  been  regulated  strictly  by  the  supplies,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  they  have  been  affected  by  them.  In  consequence  of  a  great  increase 
in  the  supply  of  gold  daring  the  life  of  Julius  Csesaj:,  an  ounce  from  being  worth 
17  ounces  of  silver  fell  to  be  worth  only  nine  ;*  and  in  the  last  300  years  gold 
has  risen,  relatively,  more  than  30  per  cent,  in  value.t 

Mr.  E.  B.  Elliott,  of  Washington  city,  has  kindly  furnished  the  following  data 
on  this  interesting  subject.  The  annexed  tabular  statement  has  been  prepared 
by  him  with  great  care,  and  differs  in  some  respects  from  that  of  the  Merchants' 
Magazine : 

Ratios  of  the  market  values  of  gold  to  silver,  in  London,  for  the  70  years  from  1760  to  1829, 
inclusive,  and  the  26  years  from  1841  to  1866,  inclusive — in  all,  96  years. 

17CO  to  1789  (30  years)  ....14.50  to  n 
1790  to  1809  (20  years)  ....14.90  to  J 

1810  to  1819  (10  years) 15. 50  to  1  I  Prior  to  the  opening  of  the  gold  mines  of  California 

1820  to  1829  (10  years)  ....15. 80  to  1  f  and  Australia. 

3830  to  1840  (11  years) | 

1841  to  1848  (8  years) 15. 83  to  1  J 

and  is  liable  to  greater  fluctuations.  Independent  of  these,  there  are  two  reasons  which 
make  gold  bullion  more  valuable  in  relation  to  silver  bullion  than  gold  in  relation  to  silver 
coins.  It  is  more  expensive  to  coin  ten  silver  dollars  than  one  gold  eagle,  which,  if  the 
charge  for  coming  is  the  same  for  both,  makes,  in  proportion,  the  silver  coin  more  valuable, 
and  the  unavoidable  difference  between  the  legal  and  the  actual  standard  of  the  most  faithful 
coins,  as  well  as  the  similar  original  difference  of  weight  and  the  diminution  arising  from 
wear,  are  more  sensible  and  greater  in  value  in  gold  than  in  silver  coins,  so  that  the  loss  in 
melting  the  current  gold  coins  of  any  country  may  be  fairly  estimated  at  one-half  per  cent." 

*  Chevalier,  page  118. 

t  Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine  for  August,  1863,  contains  the  following  table,  showing  the 
relative  value  of  silver  to  gold  at  various  periods  from  1344  to  1863,  as  shown  by  the  prices 
paid  by  the  mint  in  London : 


1344 1  to  12. 475 

1349 1  to  11. 141 

1356 1  to  11. 286 

1401 1  to  11.350 

1421 1  to  10.527 

1464 

1465 

1470 

1482 

1509 

1527 

1543... 


to  10.  331 
to  11. 983 
to  11.446 
to  11.429 
to  J  1.400 
to  11.455 
to  12. 000 

1545 1  to  10.  714 

1546 1  to  10.  000 


1547 1  to  11.400 

1549 . 1  to  11.250 

1552 1  to  11. 186 

1553 1  to  11. 198 

1560 1  to  11.315 

1600 1  to  11. 100 

1604 1  to  12.  109 

1626 1  to  13.433 

1666 1  to  14.485 

1717 1  to  15.209 

1816 1  to  15.209 

1849 1  to  15.632 

1852 1  to  15.371 

1863...  ..1  to  15. 069 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


G25 


Discovery  of  gold  fields  in  California,  1848. 

JH49  to  1H52  (4  years) 15.  GO  to  I— Transition  period. 

1853  to  1858  (6  years) 15.  34  to  n 

I -."»'.»  to  1862  (4  years) 15.  34  to  1  I  Since  the  opening  of  California  and  Australian  gold 

1863  to  18ti4  (2  years) 15.  37  to  1  f  fields,  average  15.38  to  1. 

1865  to  18(56  (2  years) 15.46  to  I J 

Simplest,  and  probably  most  convenient,  mint  ratio  of  gold  to  silver,  15  to  1 :  present 
United  States  mint  ratio  of  gold  to  fractional  silver,  14.88  to  1  ;  United  States  mint  ratio 
of  gold  to  silver  dollar,  (circulation  limited  because  overvalued.)  16  to  1 :  British  mint  ratio 
of  gold  to  silver,  14.28  to  1 :  French  mint  ratio,  gold  to  silver  5-franc  piece,  (circulation  lim- 
ited because  undervalued,)  15.5  to  1 ;  French  mint  ratio,  gold  to  debased  smaller  silver  coin- 
age, 14.38  to  1. 

The  ratios  since  1859  were  deduced  from  the  semi-monthly  quotations  of  the 
price  per  ounce  of  silver  bars  in  London,  published  from  time  to  time  in  the 
journal  of  the  Statistical  Society  of  London.  From  1841  to  1848  the  values 
adopted  were  computed  from  data  furnished  by  Mr.  Wm.  New-march  in  a  valuable 
paper  read  by  him  before  the  London  Statistical  Society  and  published  in  the 
journal  of  that  society.  From  1760  to  1829,  inclusive,  the  values  were  taken 
from  the  Funding  System  of  Mr.  Jonathan  Elliott,  which  forms  part  of  the  Exec- 
utive Documents  of  the  second  session  of  the  28th  Congress.  For  the  11  years, 
1830  to  1840,  inclusive,  there  is  a  lapse  in  the  information  furnished;  but  it  is 
deemed  safe  to  assume  the  ratio  for  this  period  as  15.8,  the  ratio  of  the  periods 
just  prior  and  subsequent  to  the  interval. 

It  will  be  observed  that  with  the  discovery  and  working  of  the  California  and 
Australian  gold  fields  the  relative  value  of  gold  to  silver  fell  from  an  average 
of  15 -J  for  the  eight  years  1841-'S,  just  prior  to  this  event,  to  an  average  of  15jf . 
for  the  14  years  1853-'66,  which  followed  the  transition  period  of  four  years 
1849-'52. 

The  ratios  adopted  for  the  purposes  of  coinage  by  the  mints  of  the  United 
States,  Great  Britain,  and  France,  respectively,  are  herewith  given.  Comparison 
of  the  data  indicates  that  the  simplest  ratio  which  could  safely  be  adopted  for 
the  purposes  of  coinage  at  the  mint  is  15  to  1,  a  rate  sensibly  lower  than  the 
market  ratio  for  at  least  GO  years,  and  destined,  it  would  seem  from  the  present 
upward  tendency  of  the  value  of  gold  as  compared  with  the  market  value  of 
silver,  to  remain  so  for  years  to  come.  The  silver  coins  are  thus,  by  the  adop- 
tion of  this  simple  ratio,  overvalued,  which  is  now  the  settled  policy  of  the  civ- 
ilized world,  and  if  made  legal  tender  only  in  payment  of  small  sums,  as  is  at 
present  the  rase  in  the  United  States,  in  England,  in  France,  or  in  many  other 
countries,  would  circulate  freely  with  our  present  standard  gold  coin — the  latter, 
of  course,  being  made  legal  tender  in  all  amounts. 

The  importation  of  silver  from  the  silver-producing  countries  into  Great  Brit- 
ain, and  the  price  per  ounce  for  bar  silver  in  London  at  various  times  since  1848, 
are  shown  in  the  following  table : 


Year. 

Ounces. 

Shillings 
per  Ib. 
troy.* 

Tear. 

Ounces. 

Shillings 
per  Ib. 
troy.  * 

184&. 

17  337  226 

59i 

1857 

16  798  163 

«ia 

1849 

20  486  6UO 

594 

1858 

9  017  4^8 

61* 

1850 

14  7]5  247 

60 

1859 

1  1  909  246 

Ul£ 

()-).  '  . 

1851  

16,304  403 

61 

1860 

16  624  696 

eM 

1852  

18,848  521 

60f 

1861 

19  954  001 

60}* 

1853  

17  421  714 

6H 

1862 

20  828  53s 

61-Ar 

1854  

16,  797,  442 

6H 

1863              

"AT6 

6H 

1855  

14,  868,  935 

6U 

1866             .... 

62 

1856 

17  041  761 

61* 

V±£- 

40 


Or,  which  ia  the  same  thing  pence  per  ounce  troy. 


626  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

It  was  expected  about  1853,  when  the  permanence  of  the  Californian  and 
Australian  gold  mines  was  no  longer  a  matter  of  doubt,  that  the  relative  value 
of  gold  would  soon  fall  as  much  as  it  had  risen  in  the  sixteenth  century,  but  this 
expectation  has  not  been  realized.  It  is  impossible  now  to  foresee  or  to  form 
any  confident  opinion  whether  gold  will  fall  in  value,  as  compared  with  silver,  if 
the  present  relative  production  is  maintained.  Chevalier  contended,  in  1857, 
that  if  it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  France,  since  1850,  had  been  changing  her 
'currency  from  silver  to  gold,  the  latter  metal  would  have  fallen  greatly  in  value ; 
and  he  called  France  the  parachute  of  gold.*  From  1850  to  1857  the  French 
mint  coined  $540,000,000  in  gold,  or  an  annual  average  of  nearly  880,000,000, 
while  for  45  years  previous  to  1848  the  annual  coinage  of  gold  had  been  only 
$4,450,000.  His  argument  would  seem  to  be  that  so  soon  as  a  gold  currency 
had  been  substituted  in  France,  goM  would  fall,  but  since  1857  enough  of  that 
metal  has  been  poured  into  Europe  to  supply  nearly  all  the  nations  with  gold, 
and  still  there  is  no  noteworthy  change  in  relative  value. 

There  is  such  an  immense  demand  for  ornaments  and  table-ware  made  of  the 
precious  metals,  that  a  long  time  must  elapse  before  it  can  be  supplied.  We 
must  expect,  too,  that  at  no  distant  time  Asia  will  use  gold  extensively  for  cur- 
rency, and  in  fact  it  has  already  commenced  to  do  so.  We  consider  it  entirely 
useless  to  endeavor  to  predict  the  relative  value  of  gold  and  silver  in  the  future. 
The  financial  and  commercial  history  of  the  world  during  the  last  ten  years 
does  not  establish  Chevalier's  idea  that  gold  as  related  to  silver  will  soon  com- 
mence to  fall  in  proportion  to  the  excess  of  its  production.  According  to  his 
theory  the  fall  should  have  commenced  already.  Ii\  10  years  that  have  elapsed 
since  he  wrote  $1,200,000,000  have  been  added  to  the  possessions  of  Christen- 
dom, more  than  enough,  if  his  estimates  were  correct,  to  overstock  the  market. 
But  the  market  is  not  overstocked,  as  we  know  from  the  fact  that  the  price  is  not 
materially  changed.  It  is  undeniable,  however,  that  the  market  would  soon  be 
overstocked  in  Christendom  if  there  were  no  outlet.  Gold,  except  for  purposes  of 
small  change,  in  sums  less  than  two  dollars  and  a  half,  is  far  more  convenient 
than  silver,  and  is  preferred  for  most  of  the  purposes  of  coin  ;  and  that  preference 
will  extend  to  Hindostan  and  China  sf>  soon  as  we  have  no  more;  silver  to  spare. 
WTe  have  now  an  excess  of  silver  or  we  would  not  ship  so  much  away,  and  so 
soon  as  we  have  no  longer  an  excess,  the  European  and  American  merchants  in 
Asia  will  tell  their  customers  that  they  must  take  gold  in  payment.  The  more 
intelligent  Chinese  see  the  great  advantages  of  a  currency  of  gold  c.oin  over  a 
bartering  for  silver  bars,  so  the  more  precious  metal  has  already  come  into  con- 
siderable use,  and  those  Asiatics  who  have  done  business  in  California  and  Aus- 
tralia will  help  to  make  the  change.  If  it  could  be  proved  that  all  the  gold 
must  be  confined  to  Europe  and  America  while  Asia  should  continue  her  demand 
for  silver,  then  a  great  fall  in  the  relative  price  of  gold  within  a  brief  period 
would  have  to  be  admitted  ;  but  that  proof  cannot  be  furnished.  Some  fluctua- 
tions have  taken  place  in  the  relative  value  of  the  two  precious  metals  within 
the  last  ten  years,  but  they  are  too  slight  to  furnish  a  basis  for  conclusions  of 
any  importance. 

The  coinage  of  all  the  nations  fixes  the  comparative  prices  in  such  a  manner 
that  no  change  can  occur  without  overcoming  obstacles  which  did  not  exist  200 
years  ago.  Throughout  Christendom  the  governments  and  the  merchants  say 
that  one  ounce  of  gold  shall  be  worth  15  of  silver  j  and  to  prevent  any  question 
about  the  precise  relation,  coins  of  both  metals  are  in  universal  use  with  a  con- 
ventional value.  The  value  is  conventional  to  a  great  degree ;  we  know  that 
it  does  not  bear  any  precise  proportion  to  the  supply.  If  the  value  is  now  con- 
ventional why  should  not  the  conventionality  stand  ?  A  change  in  such  a  mat- 
ter necessarily  implies  loss  and  inconvenience.  The  present  relative  prices  of 

*  Chevalier,  pp.  59,  73. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS  627 

the  two  metals  are  very  well  suited  to  the  wants  of  commerce.  We  can  pay 
laige  earns  in  gold  without  overloading  a  man ;  we  can  pay  small  sums  in  Bu- 
yer with  coin  not  too  small  to  be  handled  or  carried  in  the  pocket.  It  would  be 
very  inconvenient  to  have  all  our  coin  of  equal  value  per  pound,  for  then  large 
sums  would  be  burdens,  or  small  coin  would  be  too  small  for  our  fingers,  in 
fact  two  metals  are  hardly  enough  and  so  copper  and  brass  have  been  used  for 
coinage  by  most  civilized  nations,  in  addition  to  the  precious  metals.  Chevalier* 
says,  ''Nobody  can  say  that  some  day  silver  may  not  also  undergo  a  great  fall, 
brought  about  by  a  production  which  should  be  distinguished  by  the  two  fol- 
lowing characteristics:  Of  being  much  greater  in 'comparison  with  the  employ- 
ments to  which  it  had  hitherto  been  applied,  and  of  being  produced  under  more 
favorable  circumstances,  that  is  at  less  cost  per  kilogramme  for  the  metal 
obtained.  There  are  strong  reasons  for  thinking  that  if  the  United  Slates 
annexed  Mexico  and  penetrated  further  into  the  regions  of  Central  America, 
this  event  would  not  be  of  tardy  accomplishment  under  the  auspices  of  a  race 
so  industrious  and  so  enterprising  as  the  Anglo-Saxons." 

How  INDIVIDUALS  ARE  ENRICHED  BY  MINING. — The  first  effect  of  the  pro- 
duction of  the  precious  metals  in  rich  mines  is  that  it  enriches  the  individual 
engaged  in  mining,  or  at  least  gives  him  an  opportunity  to  enrich  himself.  A 
large  proportion  of  mankind  are  so  stupid,  so  imprudent,  so  wasteful,  or  so 
indifferent  to  the  value  of  money,  that  they  cannot  make  money  when  they 
have  the  best  of  chances,  or  keep  it  after  they  get  it.  The  wages  of  miners  are 
higher  than  those  of  other  laborers,  and  when  the  mines  are  very  rich  the  pro- 
prietors become  possessed  of  immense  sums.  In  the  mining  districts  nearly 
every  man  when  he  goes  out  walking  over  the  hills  keeps  a  lookout  for  "indica- 
tions," in  hope  of  finding  some  vein  that  may  make  him  a  millionaire. 

The  poorest  white  laborer  in  California  working  by  the  month  gets  a  dollar  a 
day  besides  board,  and  as  the  French  or  German  laborer  in  Europe  receives  less 
than  50  cents  a  day,  the  Californian  can,  with  his  earnings,  hire  two  Europeans 
to  work  for  him,  or  he  can  purchase  as  much  as  two  can  produce,  or  he  can 
afford  to  consume  as  much  as  two  European  laborers  do.  lie  wants  their  mer- 
chandise and  they  want  his  gold  ;  so  he  exchanges  one  of  his  days'  work  for 
two  of  theirs.  In  this  way  he  may  live  rich,  even  if  on  account  of  his  extrav- 
agant habits  he  does  not  die  rich.  But  the  disproportion  between  wages  in  Cal- 
ifornia and  Europe  is  still  greater  in  other  occupations.  The  average  pay  of 
laborers  and  the  average  profits  of  business  men  in  California  are  from  three  to 
five  as  great  as  in  continental  Europe  for  labor  or  business  of  the  same  kind, 
and  the  difference  represents  a  ten-fold  profit.  If  it  costs  75  cents  per  day  to 
live,  the  man  who  gets  one  dollar  per  dav  can  lay  by  capital  twice  as  fast  as 
the  man  who  makes  only  87  J  cents.  If  the  laborer  of  California  had  lived 
during  the  last  17  years  with  as  little  unnecessary  expenditure  as  the  laborer  of 
Germany,  there  would  scarcely  be  a  man  among  the  old  residents  without  his 
thousands. 

How  NATIONS  ARE  ENRICHED  BY  MINING. — The  second  effect  of  the  pro- 
duction of  the  precious  metals  is  to  enrich  the  nation  which  possesses  the  mines, 
or  to  give  it  an  opportunity  to  enrich  itself.  Nearly  all  mining  districts  are 
poor,  although  they  consume  luxuries  which  can  elsewhere  be  afforded  only  by 
the  wealthiest.  The  finest  silks  and  the  most  costly  wines  went  to  Virginia 
Citv  during  the  great  bonanza  in  1862,  and  similar  extravagance  had  been  wit- 
nessed before  at  Potosi,  Cerro  Pasco,  Guanajuato,  and  Zacatecas.  The  owner 
of  a  rich  mine  cannot  dig  out  the  pure,  precious  metal  with  a  shovel  unassisted  ; 
he  must  employ  a  great  number  of  laborers,  and  his  money  runs  all  through  the 
community  and  stimulates  every  branch  of  industry.  The  whole  nation  feels 
rich,  and  it  purchases  for  one  day's  work  the  productions  on  which  other  nations 

*  Page  142.  Sec  also  Chevalier's  Political  Economy,  section  III,  chapter  I  and  II. 


628  RESOUECES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

have  spent  two  day's.  The  gold  and  silver  are  sent  abroad  to  purchase  those 
things  which  can  be  made  cheaper  abroad  where  labor  has  not  felt  the  stimulus. 

How  THE  PRECIOUS  METALS  FALL  IN  VALUE. — The  third  effect  of  the 
production  of  the  precious  metals  in  large  quantities  is  that  the  prices  of  other 
articles  generally  are  effected.  We  want  gold  and  silver  for  coin  and  for  use  in 
the  arts,  and  the  smaller  the  supply  relatively  to  the  demand  the  higher  the 
value.  The  experience  of  ancient  as  well  as  of  modern  times  has  proved  this 
principle.  After  Alexander  conquered  Persia,  and  enriched  Greece  with  the 
spoils  of  Asia,  three  times  as  much  silver  was  required  to  pay  for  a  day's  work  as 
before ;  and  now  it  requires  in  average  years  six  ounces  of  silver  to  purchase 
as  much  wheat  in  Europe  as  could  be  bought  in  1490  for  one  ounce.*  The  cause 
of  the  change  is  the  great  relative  increase  in  the  supply  of  silver  while  there  is 
no  relative  increase  in  the  supply  of  wheat.  The  result  of  the  great  yield  of  the 
silver  mines  of  Peru  and  Mexico"  in  the  16th  century  was  that  between  1550  and 
1600  wheat  trebled  in  price.  The  production  of  the  16th  century  was  about 
$690,000,000,  whereas,  the  production  of  $4,000,000,000  in  the  18th  century 
added  only  50  per  cent,  to  the  price  which  wheat  bore  in  1600,  but  more  than 
200  per  cent,  of  the  price  ivlikli  it  lore  in  1500. 

When  we  compare  ancient  with  modern  times  we  see  that  the  rise  in  prices 
was  very  much  greater  relatively  in  Rome  after  she  became  mistress  of  the  world 
than  it  has  been  in  modern  Europe  since  the  mines  of  America,  Australia  and 
Russia  have  yielded  their  treasures.  The  difference  is  owing  partly  to  the  fact 
that  a  large  portion  of  the  laborers  in  the  Roman  IJmpire  were  •  slaves,  and  the 
number  of  those  who  used  money  and  could  possess  plate  was  comparatively 
small,  and  civilization  was  confined  within  narrow  limits. 

The  decrease  of  prices  was  less  in  proportion  to  the  production  of  the  precious 
metals  in  the  17th  than  in  the  16th,  and  less  in  the  18th  than  in  the  17th  cen- 
tury, because  business  has  increased  with  much  greater  rapidity  in  late  times 
than  before.  Commerce,  manufactures,  and  intelligent  agriculture  have  grown 
wonderfully.  Many  branches  of  trade  conducted  mainly  by  barter  several  cen- 
turies ago  are  now  managed  exclusively  with  money.  The  laborers  are  all  free, 
,  and  each  needs  a  stock  of  coin  with  which  to  make  purchases  in  case  of  necessity. 
The  use  of  silver  table  ware  and  of  gold  ornaments  is  very  extensive,  and  large 
quantities  of  both  gold  and  silver  are  used  in  various  kinds  of  manufacture.  The 
introduction  of  steam  in  mills,  boats  and  cars  has  doubled  the  productive  capacity 
of  mankind,  and  far  more  than  doubled  the  demand  for  money.  The  speed  and 
cheap  communication  between  all  countries  has  added  vastly  to  the  general 
wealth,  and  has  increased  the  demand  for  the  representatives  of  wealth..  The 
remotest  parts  of  the  world  are  now  brought  to  our  doors,  and  China  and  Hin- 
dostan  open  their  laps  to  receive  our  gold  and  silver  and  prevent  it  from  falling 
in  value  by  becoming  too  abundant  in  our  hands.  One  of  the  best  indications 
of  the  increase  of  trade  and  the  spread  of  civilization  is  the  relative  value  of  the 
precious  metals,  and  we  see  that  a  net  increase  of  $500,000,000,  or  an  addition 
of  250  per  cent,  to  the  stock  in  the  16th  century,  trebled  prices  in  half  a  cen- 
tury, while  a  net  increase  of  $5,300,000,000,  or  900  per  cent.,  since  the  year 
1600-,  has  not  trebled  prices  in  the  last  250  years.' 

INFLUENCE  OF  INCREASED  PRODUCTIONS  ON  NATIONAL  DEBTS. — But  what- 
ever may  be  the  relative  position  of  the  two  metals,  it  is  very  certain  that  the 
time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  price  of  the  two  as  compared  with  other  products 
of  human  labor  must  fall.  They  are  now  increasing  far  more  rapidly  than  is 
the  demand  for  them,  and  at  the  present  rate  of  increase  they  would  soon  have 
to  begin  to  fall  perceptibly.  But  the  production  will  become  much  greater  than 
it  is.  The  vast  improvements  that  have  been  made  both  in  gold  and  silver 
mining  within  the  last  20  years  are  applied  to  only  a  few  mines  5  and  the  reward 

*CLevalier,  p.  18.    Jacobs,  Vol.  II.,  pp.  71,  113,  216. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  629 

for  those  who  introduce  them  into  other  parts  of  the  world  are  so  large  and  so 
certain  that  the  introduction  cannot  be  delayed  to  any  remote  period.  If  all  the 
argentiferous  lodes  of  Mexico,  Peru  and  Bolivia,  known  to  be  rich,  were  worked 
with  the  machinery  used  at  Washoc,  their  yield  would  really  flood  the  world. 
The  placers  of  Brazil,  exhausted  for  the  slow  processes  known  a  century  ago,  will 
yield  treasure  greater  than  they  ever  produced  before.  The  hydraulic  process 
is  needed  in  Siberia,  and  in  Africa,  and  in  many  placers  as  worked  out. 

It  may  do  very  well  in  European  monarchies,  where  it  is  considered  a  wise 
policy,  to  preserve  wealth  in  those  families  which  have  it  now;  but  in  the  United 
States  our  customs  and  our  laws  favor  the  individual  rather  than  the  family.  We 
have  no  nobility,  no  princely  salaries  for  officials,  no  hereditary  titles,  no  social 
reverence  for  blood,  no  primogeniture,  no  law  of  entail,  no  hampering  of  the 
sale  of  real  estate,  no  restrictions  of  education  to  the  wealthy,  no  exclusive  gov- 
ernmental favor  for  the  rich.  We  are  accustomed  to  see  the  rich  become  poor, 
and  the  poor  become  rich  j  and  we  are  proud  of  our  country  because  here  the 
career  is  open  to  talent,  while  in  Europe  it  is,  comparatively  speaking,  open  only 
to  hereditary  wealth.  Most  of  the  rich  men  of  Europe  are  the  sons  and  grand- 
sons of  rich  men ;  in  the  United  States  the  rich  men  are  mostly  the  sons  and 
almost  invariably  the  grand-sons  of  poor  men.  We  are  then  not  frightened  to 
think  that  those  families  which  hold  large  sums  in  government  and  other  bonds 
should  be  poorer  in  half  a  century  than  they  now  are  or  were  thousands  of  years 
ago.  New  deposits  of  silver  will  be  found,  and  the  innumerable  rich  lo<! 
the  Pacific  slope  of  the  United  States,  not  yet  opened,  will  be  worked  with  profit. 
The  mining  processes  are  now  being  studied  by  numerous  learned  and  able  men, 
and  improvement  after  improvement  will  be  made  in  the  modes  of  reduction. 

The  inevitable  fall  in  the  value  of  the  precious  metals  will  be  a  benefit  to 
mankind  generally.  It  will  reduce  the  wealth  of  the  rich,  and  the  debts  of 
nations.  The  dollar  of  debt  which  represents  the  day's  work  of  a  common 
laborer,  will,  before  the  end  of  the  century,  represent  only  four-fifths,  perhaps 
only  two-thirds  of  a  day's  work.  Thus,  national  debts  now  existing  will  be 
reduced  20  or  33  per  cent. — the  interest  as  well  as  the  principal.  The  decivax', 
however,  will  be  so  slow  that  it  will  scarcely  be  felt  by  any  one  person;  so  the 
general  public  will  be  benefitted  while  individuals  will  lose  little. 

Chevalier  thinks  that  government  should  do  all  in  its  power  to  keep  the 
relative  value  of  a  dollar  at  the  present  standard  j  but  it  would  be  hard  to  find 
any  good  reason  for  such  a  policy. 

The  amount  of  bonds  outstanding  to  be  paid  by  the  United  States  for  national, 
State,  county,  city,  and  railroad  debts  is  not  less  than  $5,000,000,000,  and  a 
reduction  of  50  per  cent,  in  that  debt  by  a  fall  of  50  per  cent,  in  the  value  of 
gold  and  silver,  will  be  a  vast  benefit  to  the  nation.  Chevalier  assumes  that 
gold  will  fall,  and  he  urges  France  to  make  silver  the  only  legal  tender,  so  that 
loss  to  the  bondholders  arid  the  gain  to  the  government  may  be  as  little  as 
possible.  He  says,  "if  both  metals  remain  legal  tender,  as  they  then  wen-  in 
France,  debtors  will  pay  in  whichever  proves  to  be  the  least  in  value."  While 
a  change  from  the  present  policy  in  this  country  and  in  England,  France  and 
man}7  other  countries  would  seem  to  be  of  very  doubtful  expediency,  it  might 
be  worthy  of  consideration,  under  certain  contingencies,  whether  our  government, 
looking  at  the  matter  from  a  different  stand  point,  should  not  make  both  metals 
legal  tender,  so  that  the  government  should  have  the  benefit  of  any  change  in 
relative  value. 


630  RESOURCES   OF   STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 


FOREIGN  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES, 

LOWER   CALIFORNIA.* 

GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  PHYSICAL  FEATURES. — The  peninsula  of  Lower  California  extends 
from  the  23d  to  near  the  32d  degree  of  north  latitude,  about  775  miles  in  a  direct  line,  and 
varies  in  width  from  about  35  miles  in  its  narrowest  part  to  more  than  twice  that  where  it  is 
widest.  Bounded  on  one  side  by  the  Gulf  of  California  and  the  Colorado  river,  and  on  the 
other  by  the  Pacific  ocean,  it  has  a  coast  line  greater  in  proportion  than  almost  any  tract  of 
similar  area  in  the  world.  Nor  is  this  all ;  owing  to  its  extremely  irregular  outline,  this 
coast  is  almost  a  succession  of  bays,  harbors,  and  roadsteads,  furnishing  convenient  depots 
for  the  numerous  whalers  who  resort  here. 

The  general  impression  seems  to  have  been  that  the  whole  peninsula  was  amass  of  rugged 
mountains,  dry.  barren,  and  desolate.  This  is  by  no  means  the  case  :  there  are  mountains, 
and  a  large  part  of  the  country  is  dry  and  desolate  enough ;  but  it  has  many  redeeming 
features,  and  wherever  water  exists  its  fertility  is  astonishing.  That  portion  lying  south  of 
La  Paz  is  by  far  the  roughest,  has  the  highest  and  most  rugged  mountains,  the  deepest  val- 
leys, and  is  in  all  respects  the  most  picturesque.  The  San  Lazaro  chain  starts  as  low  hills 
near  Cape  San  Lucas,  and  running  north  and  northeast,  culminating  in  the  peak  of  San 
Lazaro,  perhaps  5,000  feet  high,  falls  near  Triunfo  to  not  much  more  than  1,000  feet,  and 
continuing  northeast  again,  rises  in  the  high  and  frowning  masses  of  the  Cacachilas,  making 
a  most  imposing  background  to  the  beautiful  town  of  La  Paz,  as  seen  from  the  bay.  Small 
spurs  run  out  from  the  San  Lazaro  chain  down  to  the  west  coast,  while  eastward  spurs  and 
nearly  parallel  chains  fill  in  the  whole  area  to  the  eastern  coast.  Beautiful  valleys  nestle 
among  these  mountains.  The  valley  of  San  Jose'  del  Cabo  runs  northward,  east  of  the  high 
mountains,  about  20  miles  in  length,  much  of  it  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  with 
much  more  that  could  be  easily  rendered  arable  at  trifling  expense.  Other  valleys,  smaller 
in  size  but  similar  in  most  respects,  occur,  scattered  here  and  there,  and  even  on  the  summit 
of  the  high  spur  known  as  the  Sierra  de  la  Victoria  is  said  to  be  a  long  chain  of  little  val- 
leys with  the  richest  soil,  finest  of  grass,  a  superabundance  of  clear,  sweet  mountain  water, 
and  bordered  by  groves  and  forests  of  oaks  and  pines.  North  of  this  granite  mass,  and 
extending  with  some  trifling  breaks  to  Sta.  Gertrudi's  or  San  Borja,  lies  a  belt  of  table  moun- 
tains of  sandstones.  These  almost  everywhere  commence  on  the  west  coast  as  broad  plains, 
rising  towards  the  northeast  so  gradually  that,  were  it  not  for  their  being  cut  by  innumerable 
canons  which  show  their  steadily  increasing  height,  one  might  still  believe  himself  to  be  but 
a  few  feet  above  the  ocean. 

The  regular  elevation  of  the  tables  continues  to  within  a  few  miles  of  the  gulf,  where  a 
sudden  descent  cuts  them  off  with  a  face  so  precipitous  that,  except  in  a  very  few  places,  it 
is  impossible  to  find  a  pass  by  which  to  reach  the  coast.  Seen  from  the  west  side,  the  moun- 
tains look  like  a  sea  of  flat  tables,  barren  and  covered  with  loose  stones ;  while  from  the 
eastern  face  they  are  steep,  rugged,  and  so  serrated  as  to  lose  entirely  their  tabular  form.  On 

*  EXPLORATION  OF  LOWER  CALIFORNIA.— An  important  and  interesting  scientific  reconnoissance  of  the 
peninsula  of  Lower  California  was  made  last  year,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  J.  Eoss  Browne,  who  organ- 
ized a  party  in  San  Francisco,  consisting  of  Mr.  Win.  M-  Gabb,  of  the  State  Geological  Survey ;  Dr.  F. 
Von  Lohr,  of  the  School  of  Mines  of  Freiberg,  and  a  corps  of  assistants.  The  results  of  the  expedition 
have  not  yet  been  published.  Mr.  Browne  anil  his  party  lauded  at  Cape  St.  Lucas,  from  which  point  they 
proceeded  by  the  coast  trail  to  San  Jose"  del  Cabo ;  thence  through  the  valley  of  the  same  name  to  the 
mining  district  of  Triunfo,  near  the  town  of  San  Antonio.  Here  they  spent  several  days  examining  the 
mines ;  after  which  they  visited  La  Paz  and  Pichilnigao,  on  the  Gulf  of  California.  At  La  Paz  they  had  an 
interview  with  Governor  Pedriu  on  the  subject  of  the  proposed  colonization  of  ttie  Territory  by  Americans. 
The  general  feeling  of  the  people  on  that  subject  seemed  to  be  favorable;  but  no  encouragement  was  given 
to  the  project  by  the  officers  of  the  Mexican  government  then  in  power.  Judge  Galvan,  who  has  since 
become  governor  of  Lower  California,  is  not  considered  inimical  to  American  occupation ;  and  the  proba- 
bility is,  lie  will  use  his  influence  to  promote  the  settlement  and  development  of  the  Territory,  should  he  be 
permitted  to  remain  in  power,  which  is  questionable.  On  returning  to  Triunfo,  Mr.  Browne  and  his  party 
procured  an  outfit  of  pack-mules  and  saddle-animals,  and  crossed  the  .peninsula  to  the  bay  of  Todos  Santos. 
From  that  point  they  made  a  dreary  journey  up  the  coast  to  the  bay  of  Magdalena.  Wate*  is  scarce  along 
the  trail,  and  the  country  presents  but  few  attractions,  having  an  almost  uninterrupted  desert  of  sand  and 
rocky  masses,  sparsely  covered  with  cactus  and  thorny  shrubs.  At  Salado,  an  isolated  water-hole,  seven 
miles  from  Magdalena,  the  party  encamped  to  recruit  their  animals.  Several  days  were  spent  in  visiting 
the  neighboring;  shores  of  Magdalena,  but  no  water  was  found  nearer  than  Salado,  and  the  whole  country 
seemed  to  be  without  resources.  Two  whale-ships  lay  at  anchor,  from  which  Mr.  Browne  procured  a  boat 
and  crew  to  make  an  exploration  of  the  bay.  Dividing  his  party,  he  started  the  main  branch  of  the  expe- 
dition across  to  Loretp,  and  thence,  as  experience  and  the  object  of  the  reconnoissance  might  suggest,  north- 
ward through  the  peninsula  to  San  Diego.  Having  made  a  careful  examination  of  the  bay  of  Magdalena 
and  its  shores,  and  gathered  material  for  an  interesting  report,  Mr.  Browne  crossed  the  peninsula  again,  via 
San  Hilario,  to  La  Paz,  where  he  remained  a  sh»rt  time,  revisiting  Pichiluigue  and  the  Triunfo.  Returning 
thence  to  Cape  St.  Lucas,  he  crossed  the  gulf  to  Mazatlan,  and  from  that  point  obtained  passage  in  the  gov- 
ernment steamer  Suawnee  to  San  Francisco.  His  forthcoming  official  report  on  the  mineral  resources  ot  the 
States  and  Territories  West  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  contains  a  very  interesting  and  valuable  contribution 
on  the  geology  of  the  country,  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Gabb,  who,  with  his  party,  crossed  the  peninsula  ten 
times,  making  the  entire  trip  from  Cape  St.  Lucas  to  San  Diego  on  mule-back.  As  this  is  the  first  and  only 
scientific  reconnoissance  ever  made  of  the  peninsula  of  Lower  California,  the  account  from  Mr.  Gabb  will  be 
iound  of  great  interest  and  value.  (American  Journal  of  Mining.) 


WEST    OF   TIIE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  631 

this  side,  and  adjoining  the  coast,  are  some  good  little  valleys ;  south  of  Loreto,  for  per 
haps  20  miles,  is  a  tract  of  level  land  bordering  the  coast,  and  often  a  couple  of  miles  wide, 
must  of  it  covered  with  a  fertile  soil.  Further  north,  at  San  Bruno,  at  San  Juan,  and  again 
south  of  Moleje,  are  broad  valleys  forming  bays  in  the  hills,  from  three  to  ten  square  leagues 
in  urea,  and  all  excellent  land,  only  requiring  water  to  be  brought  to  the  surface  to  reader 
them  valuable.  On  the  west  side,  adjoining  the  Pacific,  is  a  plain  from  near  TotV>s  Santos  to 
the  mouth  of  the  arroyo  of  Purissima,  about  150  to  '200  miles  in  length,  and  with  an  average 
width  of  perhaps  10  miles,  more  than  half  of  which  is  covered  with  good  fertile  soil,  but 
without  water.  In  the  various  canons  which  cut  the  mesa  lands,  embouching  on  this  plain, 
are  little  valleys  of  from  a  few  acres  to  several  square  miles  in  extent,  usually  well  watered, 
and  some  of  them  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Further  iior'fh,  between  the  bays  of  Balle- 
n;is  and  San  Sebastian,  the  plains  exist  again,  merging  into  mesas  on  the  east,  but  separated 
from  the  sea  by  a  range  of  granite  mountains  parallel  with  the  coast,  known  as  the  Sta. 
Clara  range.  Still  further  north,  these  plains  continue  with  occasional  interruptions  to  Rosa- 
rita,  where  they  are  cut  off  by  the  rolling  mountain  masses  reaching  the  west  coast.  These 
northern  plains  are,  however,  for  the  most  part  deserts,  though  a  portion  could  perhaps  be 
reclaimed. 

Near  MoJeje  the  eastern  side  of  the  range  undergoes  a  change.  The  abrupt  eastern  face 
falls  to  some  extent  and  retreats  from  the  coast,  the  intervening  space  being  filled  with  roll- 
ing hills  or  barren  transverse  ridges  almost  to  Sta.  Gertrudi's.  In  this  space  is  the  high  vol- 
canic mass  of  Las  Virgines,  nearly  4,000  feet  high,  and  running  westward  from  it  to  near 
San  Iguacio  is  a  succession  of  irregular  peaks  and  ridges  of  volcanic  origin. 

By  the  time  the  traveller  has  gone  a  day's  journey  north  of  Sta.  Gertrudi's  ho  will  observe 
a  change  coming  in  the  form  of  the  mountains.  The  heavy  sandstone  beds  that  formed  the 
mesas  begin  to  thin"  out,  only  cropping  some  of  the  higher  hills,  the  others  being  peaks, 
ridges,  and  spurs  of  granite  with  the  irregularity  of  outline  which  usually  characterizes  that 
rock.  This  transitiouary  state  continues  tor  the  next  hundred  miles,  to  San  Borja,  beyond 
which  the  range  on  the  east  side  splits,  sending  off  a  branch  of  low  hills  to  the  northwest, 
the  main  chain  continuing  along  the  east  const.  This  latter  chain  continues,  high,  rough, 
and  forbidding,  to  Santa  Maria,  beyond  which  it  extends  as  a  low  range  of  lava-capped 
granite  hills  of  constantly  diminishing  altitude,  until  it  is  lost  in  the  desert  of  the  north- 
east. In  the  mean  time,  the  spur  which  started  from  San  Borjaas  a  chain  of  partially  isolated 
hills  becomes  more  marked  near  the  coast,  and  after  passing  San  Andres  it  assumes  very 
respectable  proportions,  growing  larger  and  higher,  entirely  occupying  half  the  width  of  the 
peninsula  and  connecting  with  the  coast  ranges  of  Upper  California.  East  of  this,  and  north 
of  Santa  Maria,  the  country  is  represented  to  be  mostly  a  sandy  desert,  with  a  few  fertile 
spots.  Scattered  through  the  western  foot-hills,  and  along  the  flanks  of  the  range  bordering 
the  Pacific,  are  many  beautiful  and  fertile  valleys,  which  will  be  mentioned  more  in  detail 
further  on. 

The  water-courses  of  the  country  are  hardly  worthy  of  a  separate  mention.  Of  rivers, 
properly  speaking,  there  are  none.  The  largest  streams  are  but  a  few  feet  in  width,  except 
some  few  in  the,  extreme  northern  portion,  adjoining  Upper  California.  In  the  valley  of  San 
Jose  del  Cabo  is  a  little  rivulet,  fed  by  the  springs  in  the  granite  ranges,  and  furnishing  an 
abundant  and  steady  supply  of  water  for  irrigating  purposes.  A  smaller  but  equall}*  steady 
stream  is  found  at  Todos  Santos,  and  is  the  means  of  keeping  up  the  prosperity  of  the 
place.  Similar  permanent  streams  exist  at  Comondo,  Purissima,  San  Ignacio,  and  else- 
where, and  by  supplying  moisture  to  the  soil,  enable  these  places  to  support  a  comparatively 
dense  population.  These  streams  invariably  sink  on  reaching  the  plains,  and  are  lost  to  the 
surface,  though  the  water  could  be  regained  by  shallow  wells  or  carried  on  the  surface  by 
ditches,  thereby  much  increasing  their  usefulness.  This  latter  plan  was  successfully  fol- 
lowed by  the  missionaries  in  several  instances,  the  most  valuable  of  which  is  at  the  deserted 
mission  of  Guadalupe,  where  the  water  of  San  Jose"  creek  was  secured  above  the  sink  and 
carried  several  miles  in  a  ditch  or  canal,  the  dilapidated  ruins  of  which  still  exist.  At  Kosariu , 
San  Ramon,  Guadalupe,  and  Fia  Juana  are  streams,  one  or  two  of  which  would  be  called 
rivers  in  Upper  California ;  that  at  San  Ramon  and  the  Rio  Fia  Juana  carrying  as  much  water 
as  Los  Angeles  river,  if  not  more.  Besides  the  above  there  are  many  smaller  streams,  flow- 
ing perennially  in  the  canons,  along  a  part  or  the  whole  of  the  courses,  which  I  have  not 
deemed  worthy  of  special  mention. 

Adjoining  or  lying  a  little  distance  from  the  coast  are  numerous  islands,  several  of  which 
are  from  20  to  50  miles  in  length.  In  the  gulf  the  largest  is  that  of  the  Angel  do  la  Guarda, 
or'the  Guardian  Angel,  said  to  be  rich  in  minerals,  but  very  roclry  and  desolate.  Further 
south,  below  Loreto,  is  the  long,  narrow  island,  noted  for  its  salt,  called  Carrnin  island. 
Still  further  south,  near  La  Paz,  are  the  three  islands  known  as  San  Josef,  Espiritu  Santo, 
iunl  Cerralbo.  On  the  west  coast  we  have,  among  many  others,  the  large  island  of  Margarita, 
forming  one  side  of  Magdaleua  bay ;  and  lying  off  the  coast,  opposite  the  bay  of  iSan  Sebas- 
tian, is  the  large  island  of  Cerros,  or  Cedros,  claimed  to  be  rich  in  copper,  and  famed  for  its 
wild  goats.  Most  of  these  islands  are  very  rough  and  inhospitable,  and  entirely  uusuited 
for  either  farming  or  grazing  purposes. 

As  before  mentioned,  the  whole  coast  line  might  be  said  to  be  nearly  a  succession  of  har- 
bors. Most  of  these  are,  of  course,  small,  shallow,  partially  exposed,  or  have  some  other 


632  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

^drawbacks,  but  several  will  compare  well  with  any  other  ports  on  the  west  coast.  Perhaps 
the  finest  is  the  bay  of  Magdalena.  This  bay,  in  the  neighborhood  of  100  miles  from  Cape 
San  Lucas  on  the  Pacific  side,  is  about  50  miles  in  length  and,  in  places,  several  miles  wide. 
'It  communicates  with  the  ocean  by  two  entrances,  one  at  each  end  of  Margarita  island,  and 
is  well  protected  to  the  seaward  by  the  same  island.  Its  importance  as  a  naval  station  for 
our  vessels  cannot  be  overrated,  and  if  our  government  does  not  secure  it  for  this  purpose, 
some  European  nation  will  be  very  apt  to  make  an  effort  to  obtain  it  so  soon  as  its  value 
shall  become  known.  Should  any  colony  of  foreigners  ever  settle  in  Lower  California,  it 
will  probably  be  placed  on  the  plains  bordering  the  long  northern  arm  of  the  bay,  where  the 
soil  is  extremely  fertile,  and  an  abundance  of  water  can  be  obtained  from  shallow  wells. 
Nearly  opposite  to  Magdalena  bay  is  the  harbor  of  La  Paz,  a  fine  bay,  well  protected  from 
all  winds,  except  the  fearful  hurricanes  or  "  temporales  "  which  blow  in  the  months  of  Sep- 
tember and  October,  and  come  from  such  a  quarter  as  to  blow  directly  up  the  bay.  Eight  or 
nine  miles  down  the  bay  from  the  town  is  a  sheltered  nook,  called  Pichiliugue,  used  by  the 
United  States  war  vessel  on  this  station  as  a  coaling  station.  Here  vessels  are  safely  protected 
on  all  sides.  Half  way  up  the  west  coast  are  two  large  bays— Ballenas,  opening  towards  the 
southwest,  and  San  Sebastian  Viscaino,  opening  towards  the  northwest.  Into  the  lormer  emp- 
ties the  San  Ignacio  lagoon,  and  into  the  latter  Scarnmon's  lagoon.  These  lagoons  are  two 
land-locked  bays,  with  comparatively  narrow  entrances,  and  much  frequented  by  whalers. 
'They  are  said  to  have  many  shoals,  though  the  channels  are  sufficiently  deep  for  large  ves- 
sels. It  would  be  useless,  in  the  present  connection,  to  mention  in  detail  the  numberless 
other  ports  on  the  two  coasts.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  there  are  many  used  by  the  regular 
coasting  trade,  such  as  the  Puerto  Escondido,  the  harbors  of  Loreto,  Moeje,  Sta.  Maria,  Sta. 
Domingo,  nndmany  others. 

There  is  still  another  item  perhaps  worthy  of  notice  under  this  head.  Several  railroad 
routes  across  northern  Mexico  have  been  canvassed.  Most  of  these  have  been  spoken  of  as 
having  their  western  terminus  from  Mazatlan  northward.  Should  such  an  enterprise  ever  be 
carried  to  a  successful  termination,  a  short  cut  across  the  peninsula  would  be  of  value  to 
shorten  the  distance  around  the  cape.  Several  possible  routes  exist,  all  of  which,  with  one 
exception,  would  be  required  to  pass  through  Purissiuia  or  San  Ignacio.  From  the  port  of 
San  Bruno,  or  the  neighboring  one  of  San  Juan,  it  is  claimed  that  there  is  a  low  pass  to  the 
head  of  the  Purissima  arroyo.  I  did  not  visit  this  ;  but  if  a  road  could  be  led  into  the  head 
of  the  Purissima  arroyo  it  could  then  reach  the  west  coast  at,  say  the  port  of  San  Juanico, 
without  further  engineering  difficulties.  From  the  port  of  Santa  Inez  or  San  Marcos,  above 
Moleje,  an  easy  route  exists  up  the  arroyo  of  Sta.  Aguida  to  the  base  of  the  main  chain. 
Here  a  mountain,  about  600  feet  above  the  valley,  has  to  be  surmounted  or  tunnelled  to  reaeh 
thte  arroyo  of  San  Ignacio.  Another  way  to  reach  San  Ignacio  is  perhaps  easier,  howaver. 

From  the  port  of  Sta.  Maria,  north  of  the  volcano  of  the  Virgins,  there  is  no  obstruction, 
following  the  arroyo  of  Sta.  Maria  until  we  reach  the  pass  of  the  Inferno.  Here  a  tunnel  of 
about  a  mile  in  length  would  carry  the  road  to  the  mesa  above  San  Ignacio,  having  a  gentle 
grade  to  the  San  Ignacio  lagoon.  The  easiest  route,  however,  is  from  the  port  of  San  Luis 
by  way  of  the  arroyo  of  Calaumjuit,  past  the  old  mission  of  that  name,  to  the  mesa  of  Sta. 
Ana,  along  this  mesa  to  the  valley  of  San  Andres,  and  down  this  valley  and  the  arroyo  of 
San  Andres  to  the  coast.  Along  the  whole  line  there  will  be  no  tunnelling  required  ;  nature 
has  already  made  the  deep  cuts,  and  there  is  not  a  stream  to  cross.  An  almost  continuous 
plain  extends  from  coast  to  coast,  without  a  greater  rise  anywhere  than  30  feet. 

GROLOGY. — The  three  geographical  divisions  into  which  I  have  separated  the  peninsula 
are  dependent  for  their  peculiar  features  on  their  geological  structure.  The  rough  mountains 
of  the  south  are  almost  wholly  granitic,  the  table  lands  of  the  middle  are  made  up  of  nearly 
horizontal  sandstones  and  volcanic  rocks,  while  the  more  northern  portions  combine  the 
ragged  and  irregularly-disposed  ridges  of  the  south  with  occasional  flat-topped  mountains, 
capped  by  rocks  of  sedimentary  or  eruptive  origin. 

All  of  the  higher  ridges  of  the  southern  extremity  of  the  Territory  are  made  up  of  granites 
and  sienites,  and  formed,  during  the  deposition  of  the  heavy  bedded  mesa  sandstones,  an 
island  of  considerable  height  and  very  irregular  outline.  The  structure  of  these  mountains 
is  so  simple  that  a  further  description  is  unnecessary.  It  is  not  until  within  half  a  mile 
south  of  the  mining  town  of  San  Antonio  that  any  change  in  the  geology  occurs.  Here 
mica  slate  is  encountered  for  the  first  time,  and  forms  a  belt  several  miles  wide,  and  running 
from  Todos  Santos,  on  the  southwest,  past  San  Antonio  and  Triunfo,  northeast.  It  prob- 
ably extends  into  the  Cacachilas  range,  and  forms  there,  as  at  the  other  mining  districts, 
the  country  rock  of  the  metalliferous  veins.  Beyond  the  mica  slate  again,  on  the  road 
between  Triunfo  and  La  Paz,  granite  is  encountered,  making  the  face  of  the  range  and 
extending  to  near  the  latter  town. 

In  all  of  the  valleys  scattered  through  these  mountains,  and  in  some  of  the  lone  hills  on 
the  east  side  of  the  peninsula,  are  sedimentary  formations  of  a  comparatively  late  geological 
age.  At  Santiago  I  was  informed  that  three  miles  northeast  of  that  place  is  a  locality  where 


is  a  high  hill  of  sandstones,  without  fossils,  dipping  to  the  westward  at  an  angle  of  about 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  633 

15°.  From  its  general  appearance  it  is,  in  all  probability,  of  the  same  age  as  the  sandstones 
which  make  up  the  mesas  above  La  Paz.  In  none  of  these  sandstones  have  I  ever  succeeded 
in  finding  fossils  by  which  to  obtain  a  clue  to  their  geological  age.  They  probably,  however, 
belong  to  the  same  group  as  the  Miocene  sandstones  of  Upper  California.  They  have  in 
many  respects  the  same  lithological  characters,  and  bear  the  same  relations  to  the  granites 
that  those  rocks  hold  where  we  have  had  an  opportunity  of  proving  their  age.  Besides  this 
very  doubtful  testimony,  there  is  still  another  item  of  evidence  which,  in  the  absence  of  any 
better,  should  have  some  weight.  Mr.  John  Xantus,  an  able  collector,  sent  from  Cape  San 
Lucas  to  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  of  Philadelphia,  a  few  fossil  oysters,  which,  if 
my  memory  does  not  deceive  me,  belong  to  a  species  very  characteristic  of  the  Upper  Cali- 
fornian  Miocene — 0.  titan,  Conrad.  Should  I  be  correct,  this  i.s  important,  though  half  a 
dozen  years  is  a  long  interval,  particularly  if  one  had  never  devoted  any  especial  attention 
to  the  specimens  remembered. 

With  so  little  evidence  of  their  age,  therefore,  I  have  hesitated  about  pronouncing  a  decided 
opinion,  preferring  to  leave  it  an  open  question,  trusting  that  some  future  explorer  will  be 
more  lucky  than  myself,  and  discover  fossils  from  which  these  rocks  c^n  be  assigned  to  their 
proper  place  in  the  geological  scale.  In  consequence  of  the  difficulty  I  have  adopted  the 
provisional  name  of  mesa  sandstone  in  speaking  of  the  formation. 

In  addition  to  this  sandstone,  which  will  probably  be  found  to  have  a  considerable  devel- 
opment along  the  gulf  side  below  La  Paz,  there  is  an  extensive  deposit  of  horizontal  gravels 
filling  or  bordering  all  of  the  valleys,  sometimes  making,  in  part  or  in  whole,  the  division 
between  them,  and  lying  unconformably  on  the  upturned  sandstones,  as  at  the  Martyres. 
This  gravel  formation  is  evidently  the  most  modern  deposit  in  the  country,  perhaps  newer 
than  the  recognized  post  pliocene  beds1,  which  will  be  described  further  on  It  is  usually 
made  up  of  debris  of  the  underlying  granite,  but  in  some  places  contains  boulders  of  a  por- 
phyry closely  resembling  some  which  we  encountered  several  hundred  miles  further  north, 
overlying  post  pliocene  strata.  This  porphyry  is  most  abundant  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Mar- 
tyres,  and  from  there  northward.  In  a  few  places  the  gravel  is  replaced  by  a  fine  grairia 
sandstone,  and  is  occasionally,  though  rarely,  disturbed,  as  at  the  Cuevas,  where  it  tilted 
three  or  four  degrees.  Almost  everywhere  this  formation  takes  on  the  form  of  level  terraces, 
though  often  very  much  cut  up  by  dry  gulleys.  At  Sta.  Anita  and  at  Santiago,  where  they 
are  best  developed,  these  terraces  are  about  60  feet  high  and  well  defined.  They  also  exist 
at  Todos  Santos,  and  northward  along  the  coast  for  many  miles.  At  Todos  Santos  the  main 
terrace  is  about  60  feet  in  height,  but  there  is  also  another  in  the  arroyo  of  about  half  the 
height.  The  latter  is  limited  in  extent  and  seems  to  be  very  local.  Going  northward  the 
elevation  diminishes  until  at  last  the  tabular  character  is  entirely  lost.  On  the  northern  bor- 
der of  the  mountains,  approaching  La  Paz  from  the  south,  are  encountered  for  the  first  time 
volcanic  rocks  in  place.  These  form  hills  of  from  500  to  700  feet  high,  of  volcanic  ash  over- 
laid by  beds  of  compact  porphyries  and  trachytes.  The  rocks  are  pretty  regularly  stratified 
and  mostly  dip  to  the  west  and  northwest,  though  northeast  of  La  Paz  the  disturbance  is 
general,  and  the  dip  in  every  direction.  The  ash  is  to  some  extent  quarried  for  building 
purposes,  and  the  new  church  or  cathedral  now  in  process  of  construction  is  being  built  of 
this  material. 

After  leaving  the  granitic  ranges  south  of  La  Paz  the  whole  appearance  of  the  country 
changes,  and  with  It  the  geological  structure.  The  granite  itself  has  disappeared,  only  to 
show  itself  as  one  or  two  insignificant  outliers,  and  in  its  place  come  enormous  deposits  of 
sandstones  forming  flat-topped  mountains,  ragged  and  precipitous  along  the  east  coast,  but 
sloping  off  so  gradually  towards  the  Pacific  as  to  merge  insensibly  into  the  broad  low  plains 
of  the  west.  Pretty  regularly  bordering  the  west  coast  and  occurring  occasionally  along 
the  gulf  are  deposits  of  post  pliocene  age,  in  places  filled  with  and  almost  made  up  of  the 
casts  or  shells  of  mollusca,  still  living  in  the  adjoining  waters.  Penetrating  both  these  form- 
ations, and  often  capping  one  or  the  other  or  both  indiscriminately,  are  deposits  of  volcanic 
origin.  These  volcanic  rocks  usually  occur  as  dikes  or  broad  superficial  sheets  which  have 
been  spread  over  the  top  of  the  mesa  subsequent  to  the  deposition  of  tin-  post  pliocene,  and 
are  by  no  means  uniform  either  in  thickness  or  in  the  manner  of  their  distribution.  Very 
few  volcanic  cones  exist.  Almost  the  only  ones  are  the  volcano  of  the  Virgines,  north  of 
Moleje,  and  a  series  of  cones  and  ridges  extending  westward  to  near  San  Igrmcio.  Else- 
where the  eruptions  appear  to  have  taken  place  in  the  form  of  long  fissures,  forming  dikes, 
which,  having  spread  their  surplus  over  the  surrounding  plains,  have  closed,  never  again  to 
reopen.  In  this  manner  immense  areas  have  been  covered  with  caps  of  eruptive  rocks  often 
100  feet  thick,  the  source  of  which  is  now  entirely  hidden,  an  occasional  hint  only  existing 
iu  the  denuded  section  of  some  bluff  where  the  dike  has  been  cut  through  by  the  agency  of 
running  water. 

The  post  pliocene  rocks  usually  lie  on  the  lower  margins  of  the  mesa  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  show  that  they  were  deposited  during  the  period  of  elevation  of  this  portion  of  the  penin- 
sula. The  older  mesa  sandstones  are  usually  so',  little  disturbed  that  the  two  formations  seem 
conformable,  though  sufficient  evidence  exists  to  prove  that  the  elevating  force  had  been 
acting  for  a  long  time  before  the  oldest  beds  of  the  newer  formation  were  deposited.  This 
later  series  consists  of  fine  grained  argillaceous  sandstones  and  shales,  some  coarser  light 
gray  sandstone,  and  lastly  a  thin  bed,  highly  fossiliferous,  as  are  also  some  of  the  earliej 


634  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

strata,  but  the  latter  highly  calcareous.  Where  the  series  remains  unbroken,  this  last  stratum 
is  always  the  highest,  and  it  is  nearly  made  up  of  the  casts  of  living  species  of  shells,  Ottrea, 
Cummingii  being  almost  the  only  one  retaining  its  structure.  At  Purissima,  on  the  west 
slope,  the  mesa  sandstones  have  been  folded  in  a  series  of  long  and  graceful  undulations, 
the  tops  denuded  to  a  nearly  straight  line,  and  the  post  pliocene  lies  unconformably  capping 
the  surface.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  mountains  bordering  the  gulf  there  are  still  more 
marked  instances  of  unconformability,  which  will  be  described  in  their  proper  place. 

The  mesa  sandstones  are  easily  distinguished  from  the  overlying  rocks  by  their  coarser 
grain,  greater  compactness,  and  above  all  by  their  being  highly  metamorphosed  along  the 
greater  part  of  their  eastern  margins.  Another  marked  feature  is  the  presence  of  large  quan- 
tities of  boulders  and  pebbles  of  volcanic  rocks  imbedded  in  them,  sometimes  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  form  even  a  preponderance  of  the  bulk  of  some  strata.  These  boulders  are 
uniformly  small  and  very  much  rounded  near  the  west  coast  wherever  the  rock  is  encoun- 
tered, and  increase  in  size  towards  the  vicinity  of  Loreto,  or  rather  towards  that  part  of  the 
coast  a  little  below  Loreto,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  point  unmistakably  to  this  region  for  their 
origin.  Not  only  does  the  size  increase,  but  in  the  same  ratio  is  the  increase  in  number  and 
the  decrease  in  the  amount  of  attrition  to  which  they  have  been  subjected.  The  lithological 
characters  vary  markedly  from  those  of  any  eruptive  rocks  encountered  in  place  on  the  penin- 
sula ;  no  similar  rocks  have  been  discovered  between  the  mesa  sandstones  and  the  under- 
Iving  granite,  and  the  only  reasonable  conclusion  which  can  be  arrived  at  is  that  they  must 
have  been  derived  from  a  body  of  land  which  formerly  lay  in  that  region  now  occupied  by 
the  gulf,  and  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of,  or  a  little  south  of,  Carmin  island. 

Another  striking  feature  of  this  region  is  the  peculiar  manner  of  the  elevation  of  the  mesa. 
It  has  not  been  lifted  by  an  evenly  distributed  force ;  not,  like  most  mountain  chains,  by  a 
folding  along  a  given  axis.  The  eastern  side  seems  to  have  felt  this  force  almost  alone,  the 
elevation  of  that  portion  lying  to  the  west  seeming  to  be  due  almost  as  much  to  the  rigidity 
of  the  rocks  as  to  the  extension  westward  of  the  uptilting  power.  More  properly  speaking, 
the  great  force  was  exerted  very  nearly  parallel  with  what  is  now  the  coast  line  of  the  gulf, 
and  from  there  towards  the  Pacific  this  agency  diminished  so  gradually  as  to  produce  no 
breaks  or  even  foldings  worthy  of  mention.  We  thus  have  the  whole  width  of  this  portion 
of  the  peninsula  tilted  up  by  its  edge  from  coast  to  coast,  so  that  travelling  eastward  one 
can  hardly  realize  the  rise  until,  within  15  or  20  miles  of  the  east  coast,  he  finds  himself  on 
the  verge  of  a  precipitous  descent  of  from  2,000  to  3,000  feet  in  height.  This  eastern  escarp- 
ment extends  from  near  La  Paz  to  near  Moleje,  with  but  few  interruptions,  and  exhibits 
nearly  everywhere  the  projecting  edges  of  nearly  horizontal  beds  oi  sandstone,  sometimes 
unaltered,  but  usually  metamorphosed.  During  the  imperfect  examinations  which  our  lim- 
ited time  permitted  us  to  make  1  was  unable  to  determine  whether  this  sudden  cutting  off  of 
the  otherwise  undisturbed  beds  was  due  to  a  gigantic  fault,  or  whether  the  eastern  slope  of 
an  anticlinal  axis  had  been  carried  away  by  denuding  agencies.  ^  From  what  little  we  saw, 
strong  arguments  could  be  deduced  in  support  of  either  hypothesis,  but  I  prefer  leaving  the 
question  an  open  one,  content  with  having  called  the  attention  of  future  students  to  its  solu- 
tion. It  is  certain,  however,  that  a  well-marked  axis,  if  not  several,  exists  further  north; 
and  even  at  the  Sauce,  near  Loreto,  the  presence  of  a  mass  of  granite  at  the  base  of  the 
Sierra  Gigantea,  evidently  exposed  by  denudation,  seems  to  point  to  this  agency  as  the  means 
of  solving  the  difficulty. 

On  the  west  side  the  post  pliocene  strata  form  a  strip  extending  from  below  Magdalena 
bay  to  near  San  Telmo,  with  but  very  few  interruptions.  The  eastern  margin  of  this  belt  is 
pretty  clearly  defined  by  the  elevation  of  the  mesa,  rarely  reaching  but  a  few  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  extends  to  the  coast  except  along  that  portion  lying  between 
the  bays  of  Ballenas  and  San  Sebastian,  where  the  granite  range  of  Sta.  Clara  cuts  it  off. 
On  the  east  side,  near  Loreto,  it  occurs  as  hills  several  hundred  feet  in  height,  uptilted  at 
an  angle,  as  high  in  parts  as  55°,  and  dipping  to  the  northeast.  This  disturbance  appears 
to  be  due  in  a  very  great  measure  to  the  intrusion  of  a  large  mass  of  volcanic  rocks,  which 
separate  the  more  modern  formation  from  the  mesa  sandstones.  The  belt  continues  with 
slight  interruptions  to  near  the  Sauce,  where  the  post  pliocene  sandstones,  very  full  of  fossils, 
lie  horizontally,  abutting  against  the  face  of  uptilted  mesa  sandstones,  which  are  here  highly 
metamorphic. 

Proceeding  westward  a  mile  or  two,  the  older  sandstones  become  horizontal,  assuming  this 
position  by^a  gentle  curve,  their  edges  abutting  against  a  mass  of  granite.  Still  further  west, 
this  granite  mass  is  seen  to  underlie  the  undisturbed  horizontal  beds  of  the  same  sandstones, 
which  make  the  great  mass  of  the  mountain.  Dykes  of  trachytes  and  porphyries  cut  alike 
the  granite  and  sandstone,  and  in  a  beautifully  exposed  section  on  the  face  of  the  Gigantea, 
can  be  seen  running  entirely  to  the  surface  of  the  mountain,  over  whose  fiat  top  they  have 
spread  a  rocky  mantle,  which  extends  almost  to  the  plains  of  the  Pacific. 

Space  forbids  me  to  describe  in  detail  all  of  the  minuter  features  of  the  geology  of  the 
country.  Suffice  it  here  to  say  that  except  the  retreating  of  the  summit  from  the  coast  above 
Moleje,  and  the  presence  of  the  belt  of  volcanic  cones  from  San  Ignaeio  to  the  volcano  of 
Las  Virgines,  there  are  no  matters  of  special  interest,  until  we  reach  Sta.  Gertrudis,  over 
70  miles  above  San  Ignaeio,  and  just  west  of  the  summit  of  the  range.  Here  a  mass  of 
granite  appears  in  the  bottom  of  an  arroyo,  very  similar  in  character  to  that  at  tho  Sauce. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  635 

The  overlying  sandstones  are  not  disturbed  by  it,  but  lie  horizontally  over  it,  or  abut  against 
the  irregularities  of  its  surface.  Northward  from  Sta.  Gertrudis  the  mesa  sandstones  almost 
disappear,  except  in  the  higher  mountains  to  the  east.  In  this  region  they  seem  to  retain 
their  former  thickness,  but  little  abated  to  near  the  bay  of  San  Luis,  where  very  much 
metamorphosed,  disturbed  and  uptilted,  they  gradually  run  out  in  a  series  of  low  ridges. 
Very  soon  after  leaving  Sta.  Gertrudis,  on  the  road  to  San  Borja,  these  rocks  thin  out,  cap- 
ping only  a  portion  of  the  higher  mountains,  the  great  mass  of  the  country  being  granite. 
The  other  stratified  rocks,  both  post  pliocene  and  volcanic,  at  times  occupy  similar  posi- 
tions, and  sometimes  the  whole  three  are  found  in  their  regular  sequence  on  the  summit  of 
the  same  hill.  The  volcanic,  however,  has  been  all  of  this  time  gaining  ground,  while  the 
others  are  losing,  and  eventually  at  the  Paraiso,  and  over  the  adjoining  mesa,  it  is  the  only 
rock  found  capping  the  granite.  At  Trinidad  and  near  Rosarito,  below  San  Borja,  a  few 
outliers  of  post  pliocene  form  hills  200  and  300  feet  high,  resting  on  granite,  and  usually 
capped  by  volcanic  rocks.  Again,  at  San  Andres  forming  low,  flat  hills,  underlying  the 
valley  of  Saa  Andres,  and  forming  the  broad  plains  of  Sta.  Ana,  we  have  the  post  pliocene 
extremely  developed  and  extending  to  and  abutting  against  the  highly  uptilted  mesa  sand- 
stones at  Calaumjuit.  Bordering  the  northern  edge  of  the  mesa  of  Sta.  Ana,  and  north 
of  the  bay  of  San  Luis,  extending  almost  from  coast  to  coast  is  a  mass  of  granite,  which 
rises  at  Sta.  Maria  to  a  height  of  about  3,000  feet,  and  is  here  capped  by  thin  beds  of  the 
same  sandstones,  which  form  the  plain  of  Sta.  Ana.  In,  most  cases  this  sandstone  on  the 
summit  of  the  mountains  is  capped  with  a  thin  deposit  of  volcanic  rocks.  The  same  structure 
appears  to  continue  northward,  as  well  as  we  could  determine  at  a  distance,  as  far  as  the 
range  could  be  seen.  Going  westward  towards  San  Fernando  the  valleys  were  at  first  all 
scooped  out  in  granite,  the  higher  hills  being  formed  at  Sta.  Maria;  but  by  their  steadily 
diminishing  height,  the  post  pliocene  first,  and  eventually  the  volcanic  rocks  reached  the 
plains,  and  the  granite  disappeared.  Crossing  the  plains  of  Buena  Vista,  the  road  enters 
the  mountains  of  the  west  side,  near  San  Fernando,  and  we  found  the  structure  somewhat 
different  from  anything  we  had  encountered  further  south.  The  structure  is  essentially  that 
of  a  broad  granite  core,  flanked  by  stratified  volcanic  rocks,  with  many  beds  of  ash,  and  not 
unfrequently  uptilted  at  high  angles.  This  is  the  case  on  both  sides  of  the  chain,  and  con- 
tinues to  beyond  San  Diego.  Westward,  beyond  the  volcanic  rocks,  and  adjoining  the  coast, 
is  a  broad  belt  of  horizontal  post  pliocene  beds,  which,  with  occasional  interruptions,  extends 
to  and  even  beyond  San  Diego,  being  cut  off  several  times  where  the  crystalline  rocks  reach 
the  coast.  We  had  no  opportunity  of  examining  the  geology  of  the  eastern  side  of  the  range, 
north  of  San  Fernando,  but  I  have  no  reason  to  suppose  that  any  changes  of  importance 
take  place  in  that  region.  From  Rosario,  where  the  road  reaches  the  west  coast,  after  passing 
through  San  Fernando,  our  route  lay  along  the  western  flank  of  the  mountain,  sometimes 
on  the  beach,  sometimes  across  the  late  tertiary  tables,  and  occasionally  through  the  rocky 
foot-hills  of  the  range.  There  was  no  important  variation  from  the  structure  described 
above  along  the  route,  except  at  the  salt  ponds  of  San  Quentin,  where  there  is  an  isolated 
group  of  low  hills,  composed  of  a  dark  gray,  cellular  trachyte,  much  of  it  filled  with  rests 
of  olivene,  and  some  parts  having  an  obscure  basaltiform  tendency.  These  hills  have 
no  obvious  connection  with  the  main  range,  and  the  rocks  of  which  they  are  composed  are 
entirely  different  from  any  rocks  of  i  similar  origin  encountered  elsewhere. 

VARIOUS  RESOURCES  OF  THE  TERRITORY — MINING. — "Prospecting"  has  been  carried 
on  over  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  the  country,  but,  on  the  whole,  without  very  marked 
success.  In  the  mica  slate  range  of  the  south,  valuable  silver  mines  have  been  found,  and 
in  the  frontiers  a  single  mine  of  copper  has  been  opened,  which  promises  well. 

Of  gold  mines  there  have  been  many,  but  at  the  present  time  not  one  is  being  worked.  In 
the  granite  hills  near  Cape  San  Lucas  gold  has  been  undoubtedly  found,  but  it  seems  that 
the  quantity  was  very  small,  and  the  locality  is  now  forgotten.  Further  north,  about  San 
Antonio  there  has  been  some  placer  mining  on  a  small  scale.  Women  have  washed  the 
gravel  of  the  arroyo  in  bateas  or  wooden  bowls,  obtaining  a  pittance  per  day,  and  the  custom 
has  been  kept  up  during  the  rainy  seasons  from  time  immemorial.  Some  foreigners  who 
desired  to  build  a  dam  and  wash  out  the  arroyo  at  once,  were  refused  permission  by  the 
authorities,  on  the  ground  that  it  would  deprive  the  women  of  their  time-honored  privileges. 
In  the  granite  mountains  from  Sta.  Gertrudis  to  San  Borja,  and  even  in  the  metamorphic 
sandstones,  almost  as  far  south  as  San  Ignacio,  there  are  innumerable  tunnels,  shafts,  and 
"coyote  holes,"  where  attempts  have  been  made  to  find  paying  quartz  mines.  They  are 
now,  without  exception,  abandoned.  In  most  cases  the  veins  were  found  to  be  unreliable, 
mere  pockets  or  strings,  and  even  in  these  the  quantity  of  gold  was  not  sufficient  to  pay  for 
working. 

Similar  attempts  have  been  made  to  discover  or  develop  silver  mines.  These  are  reported 
as  existing  about  San  Borja,  on  the  island  of  the  Guardian  Angel,  on  the  main  land  opposite 
this  island,  on  the  island  of  Margarita,  and  in  numberless  other  places,  none  of  which  have 
ever  yielded  anything  nor  probably  ever  will. 

About  45  miles  below  La  Paz  is  the  mining  district  of  Triunfo  and  San  Antonio.  Here 
there  are  several  veins  known,  only  one  or  two  of  which  have  been  sufficiently  developed  to 
form  a  positive  opinion  as  to  their  value.  Mining  has  been  carried  on  on  all  of  the  veins 
since  the  time  of  the  missionaries,  but  only  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  decomposed 


636  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

surface  ores,  which  could  be  amalgamated  without  roasting.  The  result  of  this  kind  of  work 
has  been  to  expose  the  veins  along  the  greater  part  of  their  course  by  series  of  shallow  pits 
honey-combing  the  surface  and  rendering  travelling  across  the  hills  rather  perilous  to  a 
stranger.  These  ores  (called  ' '  azoqu6,"  or  quicksilver  metal, )  were  worked  in  armstras  and 
amalgamated  without  difficulty,  the  silver  existing  in  its  metallic  state,  freed  by  decomposi- 
tion of  the  sulphurets.  As  soon  as  the  excavations  reached  the  unaltered  ores  of  the  deeper 
part  of  the  vein,  known  as  "  fire-metal,"  they  were  abandoned  and  new  openings  made. 
About  9  or  10  years  ago,  however,  systematic  work  was  undertaken,  by  a  company  from 
Mazatlan,  on  a  couple  of  mines  called  the  San  Pedros  and  San  Nicholas.  They  have  a  body 
of  good  ore  varying  from  Ib  inches  to  three  feet,  mostly  of  excellent  quality,  and  have  been, 
tot  a  number  of  years  past,  in  the  habit  of  shipping  their  first-class  ore  to  Germany.  The 
material  shipped  averages  over  $100  per  ton  of  silver,  and  the  expenses  of  mining,  freight, 
and  everything,  up  to  the  time  of  delivery  in  Freiberg,  amounts  to  about  $70.  This  is  too 
much;  the  ore  could  be  worked  on  the  spot  at  a  greatly  diminished  expense,  and  if  the  com- 
pany had  their  own  mill  they  could  work  inferior  ores,  too  poor  for  shipment,  and  which  are 
now  thrown  away.  The  manner  in  which  the  mines  are  worked  is  execrable,  the  person  in 
charge  having  hardly  an  idea  of  the  first  principles  of  mining  engineering. 

On  the  same  vein,  three  or  four  miles  south,  are  the  mines  of  the  Triunfo  Company.  They 
possess  four  mines  on  this  vein  and  three  on  another  adjoining  to  and  parallel  with  the  first. 
Of  these  two  have  been  well  opened  and  are  yielding  the  ore  now  being  worked  at  the  mill. 
The  two  are  the  Mendocefia  and  Molinena.  The  former  is  on  the  summit  of  a  ridge,  and 
was  first  opened  by  an  inclined  shaft  or  slope  on  the  vein.  The  slope,  rarely  higher  than 
20°,  was,  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  about  550  feet  deep,  with  five  levels  running  each  way 
from  50  to  300  feet.  The  vein  is  from  8  to  J5  feet  wide,  and  throughout  carries  a  body  of 
ore  averaging  about,  if  not  over,  four  feet.  The  lower  50  feet  of  the  vein  had  a  body  nearer 
five  than  four  feet.  The  ore  does  not  lie  in  chimneys,  but  in  a  continuous  sheet,  extremely 
uniform  both  in  thickness  and  quality.  It  is  a  compound  of  various  sulphurets,  in  which 
antimony  and  lead  predominate.  From  a  series  of  carefully  made  assays,  Mr  Lohr  reports 
that  the  average  ores,  such  as  are  being  worked  at  the  mill,  contain  from  $90  to  $124  per 
ton,  while  picked  specimens  assayed  as  high  as  $225.  In  the  Mendocefia  mine  alone  we 
computed  that  there  was  ore  enough  exposed  on  the  various  levels  to  keep  the  present  24- 
stamp  mill  running  for  over  five  years,  working  20  tons  per  day.  Over  900  tons  of  ore  were 
stacked  at  the  mill  waiting  for  reduction,  and  on  entering  the  mine  we  could  hardly  tell 
whence  it  had  been  taken.  Most  of  it  had  really  been  obtained  while  doing  what  is  usually 
counted  "  dead  work"  in  the  mine — sinking  the  slope  and  running  the  galleries.  The  Moli- 
nena is  on  the  same  vein  and  adjoining  the  Mendocena,  taking  in  the  side  of  the  hill.  A 
tunnel  was  being  run  on  the  vein  here,  intended  to  strike  the  base  of  the  slope  of  the  Men- 
docena and  form  its  seventh  level.  By  this  means  a  large  amount  of  hoisting  will  bo  avoided 
and  all  necessity  for  pumping  obviated.  The  other  mines  of  the  company  are  being  opened 
slowly.  One  on  the  adjoining  vein  has  already  yielded  Considerable  ore,  of  a  character  differ- 
ent from  the  other  vein.  In  it  zinc  predominates,  and  the  ore  is  said  to  be  much  less  refrac- 
tory than  that  from  the  Mendocena.  This  company  started  with  a  10-stamp  mill,  and  haviag 
ascertained  the  proper  method  of  working  their  ores,  replaced  it  by  one  of  24  stamps,  which 
was  receiving  the  finishing  touches  as  we  started  on  our  way  northward.  Since  then  the 
news  has  been  perfectly  satisfactory.  The  last  two  steamers  have  brought  to  San  Francisco 
bullion  to  the  value  of  upwards  of  $30,000,  as  the  result  of  about  six  weeks'  actual  working 
of  the  ores.  The  company,  in  justice  to  itself,  should  at  least  double  its  mill  capacity  imme- 
diately. 

Besides  these  mines,  which  I  have  described  somewhat  in  detail,  because  they  are  the  only 
ones  on  which  work  was  being  actively  prosecuted,  there  are  many  more  on  the  same  veins 
which  have  been  partially  developed,  and  show  every  evidence  of  value.  Among  these 
might  be  mentioned  more  particularly  the  Sta.  Maria,  the  Soledad,  and  the  Fortuna.  In 
each  of  these  are  good  bodies  of  ore,  identical  in  character  with  the  Mendocefia  or  the  Mexi- 
can mines.  I  cannot  here  give  a  catalogue  of  all  the  mines  which  are  known  or  supposed  to 
be  valuable ;  suffice  it  to  say  that  many  others  have  been  opened,  and  the  time  will  doubtless 
come  when  they  will  be  all  thoroughly  proven.  Labor,  wood,  salt,  and,  in  fact,  all  the  acces- 
sories for  the  mining  and  reduction  of  silver  ores,  are  cheaper  heae  than  in  upper  California 
or  Nevada,  and  as  soon  as  Lower  California  shall  have  fulfilled  her  manifest  destiny  a  new 
era  of  life  and  activity  must  spring  up  here,  and  make  this  one  of  the  most  productive  silver 
districts  on  the  coast. 

Copper,  like  gold,  is  reported  from  nearly  every  part  of  the  Territory;  numberless  mines 
have  been  opened  and  invariably  abandoned.  The  Delphina  mine  is  the  only  one  that  seems 
at  all  promising.  This  mine  is  in  the  northwestern  part,  between  San  Telmo  and  Sta. 
Tomas.  The  principal  work  is  a  shaft  about  150  feet  deep,  which  we  did  not  examine,  fear- 
ing the  presence  of  gas  at  its  bottom.  There  being  nobody  present  who  knew  the  mine,  we 
did  not  feel  inclined  to  run  any  risks.  On  the  surface,  however,  there  has  also  been  consid- 
erable work,  and  the  vein  appears  in  a  cut,  over  50  feet  deep,  to  be  very  well  defined,  with 
distinct  walls  and  from  five  to  seven  feet  wide.  The  ores,  (of  course  surface  ores,)  oxides, 
.and  carbonates  are  usually  rich  and  abundant.  Between  300  and  400  sacks  are  stacked  at 
jthe  mine  ready  for  shipment,  and  I  have  been  informed  that  several  hundred  sacks  more  of 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  637 


e  same  character  are  at  San  Isidro,  the  shipping  point,  awaiting  a  rise  in  the  market  pri'ce 
copper,  so  that  the  proprietors  can  sell  without  .sacrifice.     Of  course  it  is  impossible  to 


the 

of 

prophVsy  the  future  of  *a  copper  mine  on  the  character  of  its  surface  ores,  but  it*is  claimed 

that,  so  far  as  the  work  has  gone,  the  vein  has  not  changed  materially  in  character. 

Baser  metals  exist,  also,  in  the  Territory,  but  there  Las  never  been  any  active  search  made 
for  them,  and  many  a  year  must  elapse  before  they  can  become  valuable.  Coal  has  been 
reported  in  a  few  places  where  it  does  not  exist.  It  is  said  to  be  found  near  the  Ojo  de  Lie- 
bre ;  it  may  be  that  some  "  brea  "  or  asphaltum  is  found  there  arid  the  two  minerals  confounded, 
a  mistake  that  has  often  occurred  in  Upper  California. 

Salt  occurs  in  almost  innumerable  localities,  but  there  are  three  spots  which  are  noted  both 
for  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  mineral  there  obtained.  These  are  San  Quentin,  Ojo  de 
Liebre,  and  Carmiii  island,  in  the  Gulf.  We  did  not  visit  either  of  the  latter  places,  but, 
contented  ourselves  with  examining  the  ponds  of  San  Queatin.  These  ponds  or  little  lakes, 
half  a  dozen  in  number,  vary  in  area  from  one  to  five  acres.  They  are  situated  near  the 
coast  among  a  number  of  sand  hills,  and  separated  from  the  beach  only  by  low  ridges  of 
sand.  They  are  quite  shallow,  and  the  salt  crystallizes  on  the  mud  flats  on  their  margins  in 
flakes  of  half  an  inch  or  more  in  thickness.  By  a  dexterous  motion  this  salt  is  lifted,  unsoiled 
from  its  soft  bed,  thrown  into  heaps,  whence  it  is  carried  to  the  vessel.  At  present  the  place 
is  abandoned.  The  royalty  required  by  the  Mexican  government,  the  cost  of  collecting, 
hauling,  and  shipping,  and  the  high  United  States  tariff  on  imported  salt,  in  the  aggregate 
amount  to  so  nearly  the  price  of  the  material  in  San  Francisco  as  to  completely  eat  up  all 
profits,  and  thus  effectually  close  the  only  market  to  which  this  salt  can  be  taken. 

Sulphur  is  found  in  moderate  quantities  near  Moleje,  and  is  said  to  be  very  abundant  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  volcano  of  the  Virgines. 

Gypsum,  generally  in  its  crystallized  form  of  selenite,  occurs  in  many  places  in  the  post- 
pliocene  rocks,  or  weathered  out  from  them  and  scattered  over  the  soil.  It  also  occurs  near 
Moleje,  but  not  in  the  enormous  quantities  which  have  been  reported  by  interested  parties. 

AGRICULTURE. — The  climate  of  Lower  California  is  so  mild  that  all  the  usually  cultivated 
plants  of  both  tropical  and  temperate  countries  grow  side  by  side  in  the  open  fields.  The 
lowest  temperature  we  encountered  in  four  of  the  coldest  months  of  the  year  was  57°  Fahren- 
heit, and  the  winter  averages  from  65°  to  70°,  so  far  as  our  own  experience  went.  Sev- 
ern! species  of  palms  are  native,  and  the  date  grows  wild,  thoroughly  acclimatized.  Plan- 
tains and  bananas,  figs,  oranges,  olives,  lemons,  limes,  pomegranates,  peaches,  and,  in  the 
northern  parts,  even  apples  grow  and  flourish,  requiring  but  little  care  when  first  set  out  and 
none  afterwards.  Vineyards  exist  everywhere,  and  the  native  wine  is  infinitely  superior  in 
Duality  to  that  of  Upper  California.  Fields  of  sugar-cane  are  too  common  to  excite  remark, 
and  the  manufacture  of  sugar  is  one  of  the  most  important  interests  of  the  southern  part  of 
the  peninsula.  Tobacco  and  cotton  are  cultivated  in  various  places,  especially  in  the  valleys 
south  of  La  Paz,  and  over  more  than  half  the  Territory  wild  cotton  is  as  common  a  weed  as 
is  the  Jamestown  weed  (stramonium)  at  home.  The  castor  bean  grows  wild,  a  perennial 
tree  with  a  woody  trunk,  and  melons  are  so  abundant  that  during  their  season  they  make 
the  greater  part  of  the  food  of  the  people  in  some  districts. 

The  principal  agricultural  regions  are  as  follows  :  The  vicinity  of  San  Jose"  del  Cabo  and 
along  nearly  the  whole  of  the  valley  arid  its  branches.  Here  wine,  sugar,  dried  fruits,  cot- 
ton, and  tobacco  are  the  principal  products.  The  cane  fields  extend  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach  from  Sun  Jose,  and  there  is  still  plenty  of  unoccupied  land,  only  requiring  the  digging 
of  ditches  to  render  it  available.  This  is  necessary,  as  everywhere  else  in  Lower  and  in 
many  parts  of  Upper  California.  On  account  of  the  rains  being  confined  to  the  wet  season, 
the  dry  season  being  literally  so,  vegetation  requires  artificial  assistance.  Santa  Anita,  12 
miles  up  the  valley  from  San  Jose",  is  a  lovely  spot,  connected  with  San  Jos6  by  an  almost 
continuous  line  of  gardens,  and  beyond  it  are  ranches  scattered  along  on  every  piece  of  bot- 
tom land,  to  the  head  of  the  valley.  Santiago  is  a  little  group  of  houses  surrounded  by 
similar  farms  and  gardens,  a  sugar-mill  or  two  being  engaged  at  the  time  of  our  visit  in  fin- 
ishing the  work  begun  by  the  farmer.  Miraflores,  Las  Palmas,  Los  Martyres,  San  B«rtolo, 
and  numberless  other  spots  prove  that  wherever  an  acre  or  two  of  level  laud,  or  even  hillside, 
can  be  irrigated,  the  yield  is  such  as  to  make  a  farmer  from  the  Atlantic  States  open  his  eyes 
in  amazement.  We  Californians  are  so  accustomed  to  large  crops  and  to  seeing  nature  on  an 
exaggerated  scale  that  we  could  bear  it  with  a  commendable  degree  of  equanimity.  About 
San  Antonio  are  many  pretty  little  patches  of  ground,  which  will  one  day  be  cultivated,  as 
well  as  many  spots  on  the  road  to  and  in  the  vicinity  of  La  Paz. 

Todos  Santo  has  a  valley  of  one  or  two  square  miles,  most  of  which  is  planted  in  canes, 
vineyards,  and  orchards,  and  every  year  yields  a  fine  revenue  to  the  owners. 

Many  little  valleys  and  nooks  exist  among  the  granite  mountains  of  the  south,  still  unoc- 
cupied, and  which  will  one  day  be  brought  into  cultivation. 

On  the  west  coast,  bordering  the  northern  part  of  the  Bay  of  Magdalena,  and  the  long 
arm  which  extends  northward,  are  extensive  plains,  nearly  level,  rising  insensibly  to  the 
east,  and,  in  great  part,  covered  with  a  rich  soil.  These  plains,  almost  throughout,  destitute 
of  the  scattered  stoues  on  the  surface  which  render  so  much  laud  on  the  peninsula  valueless, 
are  covered  with  a  dense  vegetation,  of  which  the  larger  species  of  the  cactus  make  a  great 
part.  There  is  no  water  on  the  surface,  and  this  fact  alone  has  prevented  their  settlement  by 


638  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

anative  population.  As  soon,  however,  as  land  shall  become  valuable  this  "monte"  or  "brush" 
will  be  cleared  off,  wells  dug,  and  nearly  the  whole  tract  will  be  cultivated.  Water  of  good 
quality  and  unlimited  in  quantity  can  be  obtained  by  shallow  wells  ;  the  sea  breezes  will 
supply  the  lifting  power,  and  a  population  greater  than  can  now  be  found  from  San  Diego 
to  the  cape  can  here  find  comfortable  homes  and  an  abundant  subsistence.  South  of  Loreto 
is  a  similar  but  much  smaller  tract,  which  also,  like  the  former,  has  an  excellent  harbor  of  its 
own.  Among  the  table  mountains  are  San  Luis,  Comondu,  Purissima,  San  Ignacio,  and  a 
dozen  smaller  spots,  some  of  which  are  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  while  others  are  capable 
of  it  were  there  life  enough  in  the  people  to  urge  them  to  it.  Purissima  alone  ships  a  thou- 
sand cargoes  of  dried  fruits  annually,  not  to  mention  large  quantities  of  wine  and  sugar. 

Comondu  has  several  sugar-mills  occupied  the  whole  season,  and  the  thousands  of  date 
and  fig  trees  of  San  Ignacio  fairly  force  their  treasures  into  the  hands  of  an  indolent  and 
worthless  set  of  proprietors.  The  unappreciative  and  ignorant  laziness  of  these  miserable 
people  is  enough  to  keep  a  live  man,  passing  through  their  country,  in  a  healthy  and  almost 
chronic  state  of  indignation.  But  one  result  can  follow  the  American  acquisition  of  Lower 
California — the  indolent  mongrel  race  forming  its  population  must  give  way  before  the 
enlightened  energy  and  restlessness  of  our  own  people,  as  it  has  done  in  Upper  California  and 
Texas ;  and  Anglo-American  enterprise  will,  within  a  decade,  render  this  Territory  more  val- 
uable than  would  Mexican  laziness  in  a  century. 

North  of  San  Ignacio  there  is  but  little  of  value  in  an  agricultural  point  of  view  until,  hav- 
ing passed  Santa  Gertrudis  and  San  Borja,  we  arrive  at  the  broad  and  uninhabited  valley 
of  San  Andres.  This  valley,  with  the  adjoining  plains  of  Santa  Ana,  should,  perhaps,  be 
rather  classed  with  the  gra/ing  than  the  agricultural  lands.  The  only  water  existing  nat- 
urally on  the  surface  is  at  the  mouth  of  the  valley,  where  there  is  a  lake  of  brackish  water 
more  than  half  a  mile  long  even  in  the  dryest  seasons.  Animals  drink  it  freely, and  the  grass 
in  the  valley  seemed  unlimited.  From  the  position  of  the  rocks  it  is  certain  that  water  could 
be  obtained  by  wells,  and  usually,  in  localities  like  this,  the  well  water  is  good  even  when 
that  of  the  ponds  is  undrinkable.  With  wells  and  windmills  several  square  miles  of  excellent 
land  could  be  here  brought  under  cultivation,  while  an  almost  unlimited  quantity  of  stock 
could  find  pasture  on  the  adjoining  plains,  or  in  the  unoccupied  portions  of  the  valley.  Fur- 
ther north  are  the  plains  of  Buena  Vista,  in  which  there  is  no  known  water,  but  the  remarks 
on  San  Andres  will,  with  slight  modification,  be  applicable  here  also.  In  the  mountains 
adjoining  these  plains  is  the  deserted  mission  of  San  Fernando.  The  traces  of  former  culti- 
vation still  exist,  and  a  few  hundred  dollars  would  be  sufficient  to  repair  the  irrigating  appa- 
ratus, so  as  to  bring  over  100  acres  of  good  land  into  condition  for  planting. 

From  San  Fernando  to  the  boundary  most  of  the  arable  land  is  in  the  possession  of  private, 
individuals,  though  some  tracts  still  exist  as  public  property,  subject  to  denouncement,  which 
are  by  no  means  to  be  despised. 

After  passing  St.  Tomas  we  saw  cereals  growing  without  irrigations  and  with  promise 
of  excellent  crops.  Wheat,  barley,  and  oats  were  noticed,  the  former  with  full,  large  heads 
and  short  stalks.  Potatoes  and  apples,  adjoining  a  grain  field,  on  the  Guadalupe  ranch, 
reminded  us  of  home,  but  looked  incongruous,  associated  with  olives  and  figs  and  overshad- 
owed by  one  or  two  tall  and  graceful  fan  palms. 

GRAZING. — Lower  California,  as  a  whole,  can  never  be  very  promising  as  a  stock  country. 
Except  in  the  extreme  northern  portions,  the  thorny  nature  of  the  undergrowth  must  pre- 
vent the  successful  raising  of  sheep  for  wool  purposes,  though  mutton  sheep  would  succeed 
admirably  were  there  a  market  for  them.  Horses,  cattle  and  mules  thrive.  The  common 
forage  plant  is  the  well-known  "  bunch  grass  "  so  common  over  the  whole  Pacific  slope.  It 
is  not  until  after  leaving  San  Borja  that  the  alfalfa  burr  and  other  clovers,  altilerillo  and  other 
Upper  Caliijornia  plants,  acquire  any  importance.  In  the  south,  where  severe  droughts  are 
not  uncommon,  and  where,  at  times,  the  grass  disappears  entirely,  stock  does  not  suffer. 
Here  tall  animals  fare  the  best.  Several  trees  of  the  acacia  family,  which  never  suffer  from 
drought,  which  grow  everywhere,  and  on  which  animals  feed  with  avidity,  these  take  the 
place  of  the  ordinary  pasture.  The  principal  of  these  are  the  mesquite  and  lipna.  We  camped 
repeatedly  where  there  was  hardly  a  blade  of  grass  in  sight,  and  yet  our  mules  had  all  the 
feed  they  wanted. 

The  high  mesa  lands  about  the  summit  of  the  Gigantea,  and  again  between  Sta.  Gertrudi's 
and  San  Boija,  are  said  to  be  never  affected  by  drought.  The  constant  fogs  keep  the  grass 
green  nearly  the  entire  year,  and  cattle  flourish  here  no  matter  how  dry  the  season  may  be 
elsewhere.  Still  further  north,  between  Rosario  and  San  Diego,  the  country  is  so  nearly 
like  Upper  California,  and  is  subject  to  so  nearly  the  same  climatic  laws,  that  it  properly 
belongs  with  the  Southern  Coast  Range  section  of  the  State.  It  is  a  series  of  valleys  scattered 
through  the  mountains,  pretty  well  watered,  and  sharing  the  fortunes  of  California,  good  and 
bad  seasons. 

FISHERIES. — Along  the  coasts,  especially  on  the  Pacific  sides,  the  whale  fishery  is  an 
important  interest.  Most  of  the  large  bays,  more  particularly  Magdalena,  and  Scammon's 
and  San  Ignacio  lagoons,  are  visited  by  vessels  year  after  year  in  search  of  whales,  which 
frequent  these  waters,  probably  for  breeding.  There  are,  perhaps,  as  many  as  from  12  to  20 
vessels  engaged  annually  in  this  branch  of  enterprise.  Seal  fishing  has  also  attracted  some 
little  attention,  though  not  as  much  as  it  merits.  Myriads  of  seals  and  sea-lions  line  the 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


639 


shores  and  fall  an  easy  prey  to  the  hunter.  On  the  gulf  side  the  pearl  fisheries  have  been 
among  the  most  famous  in  the  world  for  more  than  a  century.  Ever  since  its  commence- 
ment, the  annual  yield  has  averaged  about $25, 000  per  year,  and  it  is  still  earned  on,  but  with 
diminished  activity. 

CONCLUSION.— By  reading  the  foregoing  imperfect  sketch  it  will  be  seen  that  while  Lower 
California  is  by  no  means  the  faultless  country  it  might  be ;  while  by  tar  the  greater  portion 
ean  never  be  made  available  for  either  mining,  agricultural,  grazing  or  any  other  purposes ; 
while  its  mines  are  few,  its  agricultural  lands  limited,  and  its  supply  of  water  small,  still  its 
position,  its  harbors,  its  climate,  and  its  resources  are  sufficient  to  give  it  a  real  intrinsic 
value.  From  its  position  with  relation  to  Upper  California,  it  is  much  more  an  appendage 
to  this  State  than  to  Mexico,  out  of  sight  across  the  "Sea  of  Cortez."  It  commands  the 
mouth  of  the  Colorado,  and  thus  affects  the  trade  of  the  great  interior  basin  east  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada.  Its  harbors  are  neither  few  nor  small,  and  they  have  a  direct  value  with  reference 
to  our  trade  and  navy  in  the  Central  Pacific.  Its  agricultural  products  can  be  increased  in 
quantit}' ;  its  fisheries  are,  as  yet,  in  their  infancy,  and  its  mines  alone  would  be  sufficient 
reason  for  its  acquisition  by  the  United  States.  Further,  everywhere  outside  of  the  moral 
influence  of  La  Paz,  the  seat  of  government,  the  people  are  earnestly  in  favor  of  annexation, 
and  I  am  by  no  means  certain  that  a  popular  vote  on  the  question  would  not  result  in  a 
decided  majority  in  favor  of  such  a  measure. 

MEXICO. 

MINING  IN  MEXICO. — Mexico  is  peculiarly  a  mining  country,  and  indeed  it  has  no  industry 
•worthy  of  note  save  mining.  The  exportation  of  agricultural  products  and  manufacture'd 
articles  does  not  average  75  cents  annually  to  the  inhabitant,  while  in  highly  civilized  states 
the  average  is  from  $10  to  $50. 

All  the  past  and  present  importance  of  Mexico  in  the  commercial  world  is  due  to  its  silver, 
which  attracted  the  Spaniards  to  the  country  and  fixed  there  and  determined  the  location  of 
their  towns.  With  the  exception  of  the  capital,  to  which,  of  course,  the  wealthy  men 
resorted  to  spend  their  money,  Puebla  and  Guadalajara,  manufacturing  towns,  and  Vera 
Cruz  and  Mazatlan,  seaports,  all  the  largest  towns  were  built  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  mines,  or  .in  the  agricultural  districts  nearest  the  mines.  Guanajuato  was  a  place  of 
minor  note  till  its  great  mineral  wealth  was  discovered  in  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  and 
then  it  suddenly  rose  to  be  the  second  city  of  the  country,  and  the  adjacent  plains  of  Bajio 
at  the  same  time  grew  rich  by  agriculture;  and  in  the  same  way  the  mining  town  of  Zaca- 
tecas  and  the  agricultural  district  of  Aguas  Calientes  grew  up  side  by  side.  Durango, 
Chihuahua,  fetin  Luis  Potosi,  Alamos,  and  hundreds  of  others  of  less  note  are  strictly  mining 
towns. 

The  total  registered  yield  of  the  mines  of  Mexico  from  1521  to  1803  is  reported  by  Hum- 
boldt  at  $1,767,952, 000,  and  he  thinks  that  an  allowance  of  one-seventh  should  be  made  for 
the  unregistered  yield,  giving  u  total  of  $3,087,963,000«  Waal  estimates  the  quantity  pro- 
duced from  |--|i;  to  I- •_•:,  !(t  si:,i»,'jr,r),840.  According  to  Whitney  the  yield  of  Mexico,  pre- 
vious to  1845,  was  $2,700, 000,000;  and  if  we  allow  an  average  of  $20,000,000  for  each  of  the 
22  succeeding  years,  we  have  a  total  yield  of  $3,140,000,000  from  1521  to  the  end  of  1866. 

The  average'uumml  yield  of  the  mines  of  Mexico  was  as  follows,  at  various  periods  : 


AboutlSlO §119,000,000 

1815 7,000,000 

t!820 10,000,000 

J1641 18,000,000 


About  1700 $5,400,000 

1740 9,000,000 

1770 12,000,000 

1790 19,500,000 

1800 *22,000,000 

The  amount  coined  in  1825  was  $8,000,000  ;  in  1835,  $11,000,000  ;  in  1845,  $15,000,000; 
in  1856,  $$19,000,000;  and  from  1821  to  1856,  $2,636,745,951. 

The  opening  of  all  the  ports  of  the  country  to  commerce,  the  great  reduction  in  the  price 
of  quicksilver  caused  by  the  large  production  of  the  New  Almadcri  mines  in  California,  and 
the  gradual  increase  of  educated  engineers  and  of  mining  machinery,  have  brought  up  the 
production  of  the  country  to  a  higher  figure  than  that  reached  at  the  beginning  of  the  century — 
that  is,  in  years  of  comparative  peace  and  order,  such,  for  instance,  as  most  of  those  from 
1850  to  1860. 

If  Mexico  had  a  government  as  good  as  that  of  Chili,  and  had  railroad  communication 
from  Vera  Cruz  and  Mazatlan  to  all  the  principal  mining  districts,  and  were  protected  against 
the  Apaches,  the  production  would  at  least  deuble  within  ten  years. 

The  argentiferous  region  of  Mexico  is  a  long  triangle,  800  miles  long  from  southeast  to 
northwest,  350  miles  wide  at  the  base  on  the  northern  boundary,  having  the  city  of  Oujaca 
for  its  southern  point. 

Nearly  all  the  mining  districts  of  any  note  are  from  4,000  to  9,000  feet  above  the  sea.  The 
great  elevation  counteracts  the  torrid  influence  of  the  latitude,  and  many  of  the  mining  towns 
have  very  cool  climates. 

*Duport,  p.  193.  fib.,  194.  Jib.,  p.  190.  §  Lvmpriere,  p.  214. 


640  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

In  most  of  the  districts  porphyry  is  found  with  micaceous  schists,  and  the  conjunctions  of 
those  two  rocks  with  quartz  veins  is  considered  an  indication  of  silver. 

The  mode  of  mining  generally  is  very  rude.  No  mine  is  accessible  by  railroad,  and  few 
have  wagon  roads.  Usually  the  reduction  works  are  at  a  distance  from  the  mines,  and  the 
ore  is  packed  on  mules.  The  ore  is  brought  to  the  surface  on  the  backs  of  men,  up  steep 
inclines,  or  even  up  perpendicular  shafts,  the  carriers  climbing  up  on  notched  poles.  In 
some  mines  the  ore  is  carried  by  men  to  the  shaft  and  there  hoisted  by  whim.  There  is  no 
mention  in  Hmnboldt  or  Ward  of  tramways  and  cars  to  bring  the  ore  from  remote  parts  of 
the  drift  to  the  shaft.  Water  is  hoisted  in  the  same  manner  as  the  ore. 

Steam  was  not  used  previous  to  the  revolution,  but  it  has  been  coming  into  use  gradually, 
and  now  much  of  the  hoisting,  pumping,  and  pulverizing  is  done  by  it. 

The  general  practice  in  Mexico  as  to  pulverization  has  been  to  mash  the  ore  to  a  coarse 
sand  under  the  stamps,  and  then  grind  it  fine  in  arrastras.  The  degree  of  fineness  varies 
much  in  the  different  districts,  partly  because  of  differences  in  the  ores  and  modes  of  reduc- 
tion, and  partly  because  of  ignorance  and  prejudice.  At  Guanajuato  the  ore  is  ground  to  an 
impalpable  powder  ;  at  Zacatecas,  Catorce,  and  Fresnillo,  in  a  coarse  flour.  In  1842,  82  per 
cent,  of  the  silver  yield  of  Mexico  was  obtained  by  the  yard  amalgamation;  8  per  cent,  by 
the  Cazo  or  copper-pan  amalgamation,  and  10  per  cent,  by  smelting.*  In  1800  one-seventh 
was  smelted. t 

The  proportion  of  smelted  silver  has  been  decreasing  gradually,  and  will  no  doubt  con- 
tinue to  decrease.  A  hundred  years  ago  it  was  two-fifths  of  the  total  yield. 

Since  the  opening  of  the  Washoe  mines  and  the  successful  introduction  of  the  iron-pan 
amalgamation  there,  a  number  of  mines  have  been  purchased  in  Sonora,  Sinaloa,  Chihuahua, 
Durango,  and  Lower  California,  by  Americans,  who  have  introduced  machinery  and  Ameri- 
can modes  of  working,  and.  they  would  probably  have  obtained  some  splendid  results,  at 
least  in  a  few  instances,  before  this  time,  if  the  civil  war  had  not  thrown  everything  into 
confusion. 

The  average  loss  of  mercury  in  the  yard  amalgamation  is  a  pound  and  a  half  to  one  pound 
of  silver  extracted. 

The  best  writers  on  mining  in  Mexico  agree  that  the  country  has  great  wealth  as  yet  unde- 
veloped, and  ihat  a  time  must  come  when  the  production  of  the  precious  metals  will  far  sur- 
pass anything  of  the  past.  Humboldt  said  he  was  "tempted  to  believe  Europeans  have 
scarcely  begun  to  profit  by  the  inexhaustible  fund  of  wealth  contained  in  the  New  World. 
Europe  would  be  inundated  with  the  precious  metals  if  the  deposits  of  ore  at  Bolanos,  Bato- 
pilas,  Sonibrerete,  Rosario,  Pachuca,  Moran,  Zultepec,  Chihuahua,  and  so  many  other  places 
that  enjoyed  an  ancient  and  just  celebrity,  were  assailed  at  one  and  the  same  time  with  all 
the  means  offered  by  the  perfection  to  which  the  art  of  the  miner  has  attained." 

The  opinion  of  Ward  is  given  in  the  following  passages  :  "That  the  great  mineral  treas- 
ures of  Mexico  commence  exactly  at  the  point  where  Humboldt  rightly  states  the  labors  of 
the  Spaniards  to  have  terminated,  (above  latitude  24°,)  is  a  fact  now  universally  admitted 
by  the  native  miners,  although  heretofore  but  little  known  in  Europe.  The  states  of  Durango, 
Sonora,  Chihuahua,  and  Sinaloa  contain  an  infinity  of  mines  hitherto  but  little  known,  but 
holding  out,  wherever  they  hare  been  tried,  a  promise  of  riches  superior  to  anything  that 
Mexico  has  yet  produced.  In  common  I  believe 

with  all  those  who  have  had  an  opportunity  of  inquiring  into  the  resources  of  New  Spain,  I 
do  regard  it  so  well  ascertained  a  tact  that  her  mineral  riches  are  almost  unexplored,  that-  I 
am  willing  to  rest  upon  it  my  whole  calculation  with  regard  to  her  future  importance  as  a 
country."  (Ward,  vol.  1,  pp.  127-160.) 

Dupprt  expresses  himself  thus :  "After  having  visited  only  Tasco,  Real  del  Monte,  and 
Guanajuato,  Humboldt  said  40  years  ago  that  there  was  enough  silver  in  the  Mexican  mines 
to  flood  the  world  ;  what  would  he  not  havs  said  if  he  had  pushed  bis  researches  further 
north  ?  More  strongly  convinced  than  he  could  possibly  be  of  the  abundance  of  the  argen- 
tiferous veins,  I  am  not  so  confident  about  the  brevity  of  the  time  within  which  the  progress 
of  science  in  Europe,  and  the  free  intercourse  of  all  nations  with  Mexico,  can  exert  any  con- 
siderable influence  on  the  amount  of  the  production  of  the  precious  metals,  "t 

And  again  Le  says  :  "  The  want  of  capital,  of  political  quiet,  of  population,  and  of  edu- 
cation in  the  northwest  of  the  republic,  and  of  wide-spread  scientific  knowledge,  and  finally 
the  high  price  of  mercury,  are  the  obstacles  which  oppose  the  increase  of  the  production  of 
the  precious  metal  in  Mexico.  These  causes  will  exercise  their  fatal  influence  for  some 
years  yet,  and  will  prevent  the  yield  from  passing  the  figure  which  it  reached  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  century.  But  these  obstacles  are  not  permanent  in  their  character  ;  they  are 
only  temporary,  and  will  after  a  time  be  neutralized,  and  then  overcome,  by  the  abundance 
of  the  ore  and  the  progress  of  science,  which  gives  a  wider  dominion  every  year  to  the  power 
of  man.  The  time  will  come,  a  century  sooner  or  a  century  later,  when  the  production  of 
silver  will  have  no  limit  save  that  imposed  by  the  steady  decrease  of  its  value. "§ 

NORTHERN  STATES  OF  MEXICO.— The  late  Mr.  A.  R6mond,  whose  untimely  decease  is 
an  irreparable  loss  to  science,  made  a  tour  of  exploration  through  the  northwestern  States 
of  Mexico  during  the  years  1863,  1864,  and  1865,  in  the  course  of  which  he  carefully  exam- 

*  Duport,  p.  369.  t  Humboldt,  p.  141.  J  Duport,  p.  380.  §Duport,  p.  426. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  641 

ined  the  geology  of  the  country,  and  collected  some  valuable  statistics  on  the  subject  of  inir.es 
and  mining.  Professor  J.  D.  Whitney,  of  the  geological  survey  of  California;,  in  Marcli, 
l^lKi,  submitted  to  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  *  an  interesting  report  from  Mr.  Reinon-.!. 
The  following  extracts  convey  a  clear  idea  of  the  geological  formation  and  general  charac- 
teristics of  northern  Mexico.  The  tables  accompanying  the  report  show  the  extent,  charac- 
ter, and  condition  of  the  mines  : 

"The  name  of  the  '  Sierra  Madre'  is  usually  applied  to  the  main  range  of  mountains  of 
this  country,  or  the  western  border  of  the  plateau  which  stretches  north  through  the  territo- 
ries of  the  United  States,  forming  what  may  be  called  the  great  orographical  feature  of  the 
continent.  In  northwestern  Mexico  this  crumpled  border  of  the  great  plateau  comprises  an 
extensive  mountainous  region,  by  no  means  forming  a  continuous  single  chain,  but  rather 
several  central  ranges,  with  associated  groups  of  parallel  ridges,  all  having  the  same  general 
course,  which  is  approximately  north-northwest  and  south-southeast.  As  the  breadth  of  the 
chain  widens  as  we  go  towards  the  north,  so,  too,  that  of  the  valleys  increases  in  that  direc- 
tion, the  whole  system  of  mountains  and  valleys  spreadingout  in  something  like  a  fan  shape. 

"Going  north,  the  chain  appears  to  sink  gradually,  although  determinations  of  altitude  in 
northern  Mexico  are  extremely  few  in  number.  It  is  certain'  that  there  is,  in  about  latitude 
32°,  a  depression  of  the  mountain  ranges  which  extends  entirely  across  the  continent,  and 
which  would  enable  the  traveller  to  cross  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  without  necessa- 
rily surmounting  any  elevation  greater  than  4,000  feet.t  The  southeastern  range  is  the 
highest,  and  the  culminating  point  is  said  to  be  the  Cerro  de  Cuiteco,  60  leagues  northeast 
of  Jesus  Maria,  on  the  western  borders  of  Chihuahua.  The  approximate  altitude  of  the 
C  timbre  dr.  Basascachic  is  7,429  feet,  and  that  of  Guadalupe  y  Calvo  7,825  feet.  To  the 
north,  the  ranges  east  of  Sahuaripa  are  also  very  high  ;  but  they  have  never  been  measured. 
No  peaks  or  ridges,  however,  in  this  portion  of  Mexico  attain  anything  like  the  elevation  of 
the  higher  portion  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  few  if  any  points  exceeding  10,000  feet  in  altitude. 

"  The  direction  of  the  sierra  is  nearly  that  of  a  line  connecting  some  of  the  best  mining 
districts  in  Mexico,  which  are  situated  on  or  very  near  the  summit  of  the  mountains.  These 
districts  are  the  following,  enumerating  them  in  their  geographical  order  from  the  south 
towards  the  north  :  in  Durango,  San  Antonio  de  las  Ventanas,  Guaris'imey,  and  San  Dimas, 
remarkable  for  their  auriferous  silver  ores,  and  02  Mexican  leagues  northeast  of  Mazatlan  ; 
in  Chihuahua,  Guadalupe  y  Calvo  and  San  Pedro  de  Batopilas,  yielding  fine  specimens  of 
native  silver;  also,  Jesus  Maria,  iu  the  same  State,  and  the  Real  del  la  Cieueguitii,  Souora, 
with  silver  and  gold  mines. 

"GENERAL  GEOLOGY.  —  The  geological  structure  of  the  occidental  slope  of  the  Sierra 
Madre,  as  well  as  that  of  other  parts  of  this  great  chain,  is  exceedingly  interesting,  and,  as 
yet  but  very  little  known,  notwithstanding  the  valuable'  investigations  of  Humboldt  aud 
other  eminent  men  ;  for,  up  to  the  present  time,  the  age  of  the  different  formations  has  never 
been  fixed  with  any  degree  of  accuracy,  from  want  of  materials  and  of  sufficient  observa- 
tions. In  1SO:5,  18(54,  and  18(55,  however,  I  explored  quite  a  number  of  localities  in  north- 


western Mexico,  and  was  thus  enabled  to  obtain  a  pretty  good  general  idea  of  the  geology 
of  that  region;  and,  in  Sonora,  to  which  my  attention  was  especially  devoted,  I  succeeded 
in  finding  fossils  in  sufficient  quantity  to  allow  of  the  determination  of  the  age  of  the  prin- 
cipal formations  of  the  northern  Sierra  Madre.  By  tracing  the  connection  of  these  rocks 
with  those  of  Central  Mexico,  additional  light  will  be  thrown  on  those  districts  of  which,  at 
present,  but  little  is  definitely  known. 

"The  igneous  rocks,  which  occur  more  abundantly  on  the  Pacific  slope,  are  granites, 
either  fine  or  very  coarse-grained  ;  porphyries,  more  or  less  feldspathic  ;  and  greenstones,  ali 
of  which  are  cut  by  numerous  dikes  of  extremely  varied  character.  The  granites,  how- 
ever, are  very  poor  in  veins  of  the  precious  metals,  while  the  porphyries  are  highly  metallifer- 
ous. In  Sinaloa  (Candelero)  and  Durango  (San  Dimas)  we  see  that  the  granites  underlie 
the  metalliferous  porphyries,  and  that  the  greenstones,  in  Sonoia,  (near  He:mosillo  aud'in 
the  vicinity  of  La  Hacieudita,  )  penetrate  through  them. 

"The  oldest  .sedimentary  rocks  which  I  have  observed  belong  to  the  carboniferous  series  ; 
this  is  represented  in  the  eastern  part  of  Sonora  by  heavy  masses  of  limestone,  forming  very 
high  and  rugged  ridges,  running  a  little  west  of  north.  The  upturned  strata  are  seen  in 
many  places  to  rest  on  granite.  Argentiferous  veins  occur  throughout  this  formation. 

"The  next  group  of  sedimentary  rocks  in  order  is  the  triassic;  this  forms  isolated  moun- 
tain groups  in  Sonora,  and  offers  an  interesting  field  for  investigation.  Instead  of  lin/o- 
stones,  it  is  made  up  of  heavy  beds  of  quartzites  aud  conglomerates,  with  coal-bearing  clay 
shales  ;  all  of  these  are  disturbed  and  elevated,  and  rest  on  greenstones,  feldspathic  porphy- 
ries, or  granite.  Wherever  metamorphosed,  the  triassic  rocks  are  auriferous  and  contain 
veins  of  silver  ores.  The  metamorphic  slates  and  limestones  of  the  Altar  and  Magdalena 
districts,  which  include  the  richest  gold  placers  of  Sonora,  may  possibly  be  of  triassic  age; 
but  the  fossils  collected  are  too  imperfect  to  admit  of  this  being  determined.  There  are 
some  reasons  for  believing  those  rocks  to  be  rather  of  jurassi-c  than  of  triassic  age,  as  they 
differ  in  lithological  characters  from  both  the  triassic  and  carboniferous  ot  northern  Mexico, 

*  Proceedings  Cal.  Acad.  Nat.  Sciences,  vol.  Ill,  pp.  245-258. 
t  S«e  Emory,  in  Mexican  Boundary  Report,  vol.  1,  p.  41. 

41 


642  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

resembling  rather  the  Jurassic  gold-bearing  slates  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  in  California; 
besides,  they  lie  outside  and  to  the  west  of  the  Sierra  Madre.  It  may  also  be  noticed  that 
the  gold  which  they  furnish  does  not  resemble  that  obtained  from  the  triassic  strata. 

"  The  cretaceous  period  is  also  represented  at  the  foot  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  at  Arivechi,  in 
Sonora.  The  strata  belonging  to  this  series  are  chiefly  argillaceous  shales,  and  they  rest 
upon  porphyries  and  carboniferous  limestone.  They  have  been  disturbed  and  elevated  since 
their  deposition.  The  fossils,  which  they  contain  in  great  number  and  in  a  tine  state  of  pre- 
servation, will  be  noticed  further  on. 

"All  the  above-mentioned  formations  were  already  in  existence  before  the  first  eruption  of 
the  volcanic  rocks  took  place.  These  latter  are  found  scattered  along  the  whole  Pacific  coast, 
and  extend  from  the  Gulf  of  California  up  to  the  very  summit  of  the  Sierra.  It  is  very  inter- 
esting to  see  the  volcanic  formations  spread  over  so  extensive  a  region,  especially  as  there 
are  no  active  volcanoes  known  in  northern  Mexico,  and  not  even  any  indications  of  ancient 
craters  or  vents. 

"  MINES. — The  richest  and  widest  veins  are  those  northeast  of  Mazatlan,  near  San  Dimas, 
Guarisamey,  &c.,  in  Durango.  These  veins  cut  all  the  rocks  older  than  the  cretaceous, 
whether  igneous  or  sedimentary.  The  mines  of  Sinaloa  are  richer  than  those  of  Sonora. 
In  the  former  state  the  ore-bearing  portion  of  the  veins  is  from  a  few  feet  to  several  yards  in 
width  ;  in  the  latter,  generally  from  one  to  two  feet.  In  Durango  and  Sinaloa,  gold,  native 
silver,  and  sulphuret  of  silver  occur,  associated  with  galena,  yellow  blende,  and  iron  pyrites. 
In  Sonora  the  principal  ores  are  argentiferous  gray  copper,  with  galena,  black  blende,  cop- 
per pyrites,  arsenical  pyrites,  carbonate  of  lead,  ruby  silver,  arsenical  silver,  and  gold.  Each 
mining  district  is  characterized  by  a  peculiar  system  of  veins  ;  in  all  as  many  as  20  different 
systems  have  been  observed.  The  most  abundant  vein  stones  are  quartz,  either  chalcedonic, 
crystalline,  or  massive ;  brown  spar ;  heavy  spar ;  oxide  of  iron.  The  veins  occurring  in 
the  metamorphic  triassic  rocks  are  usually  parallel  with  the  stratification,  so  that  they  lie 
nearly  horizontal  where  the  formation  has  been  but  little  disturbed.  As  to  the  yield  of  the 
silver  ores,  it  varies  extremely,  and  it  would  be  necessary  to  enter  into  a  full  description  of 
all  the  different  districts  to  give  an  idea  of  it.  It  may  be  noticed,  however,  that  the  arsenical 
pyrites,  which  is  auriferous  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  becomes  argentiferous  in  the  Sierra  Madre. 
The  veins  vary  in  their  direction  from  a  little  east  to  a  little  west  of  north ;  the  richest  ores 
near  San  Dimas  run  northeast  and  southwest.  There  are  but  few  rich  mines  in  Sonora,  a 
state  of  which  the  mineral  wealth  has  been  much  exaggerated.  There  are,  however,  some 
deposits  of  variegated  copper,  and  veins  of  magnetic  and  specular  iron. 

"The  annexed  tabular  statement  will  give  the  principal  facts  obtained  with  regard  to  the 
mines  examined  in  northern  Mexico :. 


TVEST    OF    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


643 


2  £3 


p: 

.i  o 


m 

I  3§ 


o     :  :  =f 

§     :  :  S 


II 


E  '- 

i'-- 


n 

~    C 

II 


| 
I 


ON        O 

la  •§ 

t>  S        ~ 

3  *    « 


•-21 


- 


,-1      r-i      r:  -. 


3     H 

W     55 


I  i 


*.    •£ 


•^ic;^ 
gpij.1^ 


55  S5 


- 

O    O    O 


rl 


•       •>    •       •-    • 
pi    K^     >^^ 


fcfcfcfcfc     55     S5S5S5     552555 


a  B  H 


555555 


N  -B  '5 


g^-  >>• 
•-  ^: 


11! 

~  x  a  oa 


I      &S5 


I: 


ri 

&a  ® 


I  II II 


I  :^2 
1^ 


55     55 


^^ 

g  j. 

55  :P 


ill 


.9  J 


^    11 

O       f  U 


I  3 


644 


RESOURCES   OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

«  a 


=  3 


H     6 

3  3 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


645 


12      4 

n  5 


" 


o 


*  i 

CO       •%       f* 

&  I  & 


if 


.So 

S'3 


•c     2 

5  |  1 

9    or    J 


646  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Mr.  Cummings  Cherry,  geologist  and  mining  engineer,  Las  written  an  interesting  report 
on  the  mineral  resources  of  Sonora,  published  by  the  Cincinnati  and  Sonora  Mining  Associa- 
tion. It  contains  a  great  variety  of  valuable  information,  and  shows  conclusively  the  neces- 
sity of  railroad  communication  to  develop  the  rich  mineral  resources  of  that  country. 

"At  present,"  says  Mr.  Cherry,  "the  roads  are  principally  the  simple  pack-trails  of  the 
country.  From  Guaymas,  the  port  of  entry,  a  good  wagon  road  passes  by  way  of  Hermosillo 
to  Ures,  and  thence  up  the  Sonora  river  to  Arispe."  Another  wagon  road  from  Guaymas 
passes  through  San  Marcial  and  Matape.  Nearly  the  whole  country,  however,  is  traversed 
by  pack-trail!. 

Referring  to  the  miscellaneous  resources  of  Sonora,  as  connected  with  the  business  of 
mining,  Mr.  Cherry  gives  the  following  data : 

"TIMBER. — A  valuable  element  in  mining  enterprises,  and  one  which  the  western  and 
southern  districts  of  Sonora  are  very  deficient  in,  is  timber  of  such  quantity  and  quality  as 
may  be  desired  for  building  purposes  and  fuel.  The  timber  and  lumber  used  in  the  erection 
of  the  benefiei  ating  and  other  mining  works  of  most  of  the  American  enterprises  in  Sonora 
and  southern  Arizona  have  been  necessarily  brought  from  San  Francisco,  and  conveyed  to 
the  mines  at  heavy  expense." 

In  some  parts  of  the  country  the  smaller  kinds  of  timber  abound  in  considerable  quantities. 
At  one  place  visited  by  Mr.  Cherry : 

"On  the  river  margins,  cottonwood,  ash,  willow,  walnut,  and  sycamore  of  good  size  and 
quality  abound.  On  the  bottom  lands,  the  lands  formerly  cultivated,  is  a  dense  forest  of 
rnesquite,  so  thickly  matted  that  we  were  in  places  obliged  to  cut  paths  through  it.  I  was 
surprised  to  find  many  of  these  trees  three  feet  in  diameter,  as  in  other  localities  they  seldom 
attain  a  diameter  of  more  than  six  or  eight  inches,  and  with  one  exception  this  was  the 
most  extensive  forest  of  these  trees  I  had  seen.  In  the  tributary  canons  and  on  the  hill- 
sides they  also  occur  in  numbers,  but  smaller.  This  mesquite  timber  cannot  be  too  highly 
appreciated  as  a  fuel ;  it  burns  long  and  fiercely,  and  gives  an  intense  heat.  It  is  particu- 
larly valuable  for  charcoal,  which  I  pronounce  a  superior  article.  On  the  hills  are  several 
varieties  of  oak,  and  on  the  higher  mountain  peaks,  two  or  three  leagues  distant,  are  heavy 
forests  of  pine. 

"ARABLE  LANDS  AND  AGRICULTURAL  PRODUCTS.— Two  crops  are  raised  from  the  same 
land  in  the  year,  and  the  yield  is  so  abundant  as  to  occasion  astonishment  to  those  who  are 
unacquainted  with  the  productive  nature  of  these  soils.  The  rainy  season  sets  in  early  in 
June,  and  continues  to  October,  though  occasional  showers  fall  until  March.  Corn  and 
other  products  which  require  rains  to  bring  them  to  maturity  are  planted  in  June,  and  in  the 
latter  part  of  November,  or  in  December,  wheat  and  other  hard}7  products  follow,  though 
where,  as  on  these  lands,  irrigation  may  be  resorted  to,  the  crops,  however  planted,  are  ever 
sure.  The  wheat  of  Sonora  is  very  superior  in  quality  ;  its  yield  is  100  to  200  bushels  to  one 
bushel  sown,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  get  250  to  one.  Corn  yields  large  crops ;  the  native 
variety  is  a  white  flint,  and  may  be  advantageously  replaced  with  our  American  yellow,  and  other 
varieties.  Peas  ever  produce  three  abundant  crops  in  the  year.  Beans  are  the  favorite  food 
of  the  people,  and  as  they  grace  alike  the  table  of  rich  and  poor,  surprising  quantities  are 
consumed.  I  saw  neither  rice  nor  barley,  though  both  may  be  successfully  cultivated.  These 
lauds  are  eminently  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  sugar  cane,  cotton,  and  tobacco,  which  are 
raised  in  the  nearest  settlements  with  excellent  results.  From  the  sugar-cane  a  coarse  kind 
of  sugar  called  panoche  is  made  by  the  natives  ;  it  is  a  favorite  article  of  consumption,  and 
finds  ready  sale  at  $25  to  $40  the  cargo  of  300  pounds,  which  leaves  a  handsome  profit  to  the 
cultivator.  Cotton  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  products  of  the  soil,  and  is  becoming  exten- 
sively cultivated.  The  staple  is  shorter  than  our  cottons,  though  of  good  quality ;  it  is 
manufactured  by  the  native  women  into  articles  of  wearing  apparel.  Tobacco  also  yields 
well ;  it  is  a  profitable  crop,  and  is  becoming  extensively  cultivated.  Besides  these,  Chile 
pepper — a  capsicum  of  great  pungency,  and  one  of  the  necessaries  of  life  with  the  natives- 
onions,  garlic,  melons,  and  sweet  potatoes  are  produced,  and  our  common  potato  and  vege- 
tables may  be  successfully  introduced.  Fruits  of  excellent  quality  could  be  grown,  espe- 
cially sweet  and  sour  oranges,  figs,  quinces,  and  peaches  ;  and  the  grape  could  not  fail  to  be 
a  decided  success.  Besides  the  valley  lands  on  the  river  are  those  of  the  Henrigo  valley, 
comprised  in  the  timber  tract  already  spoken  of;  they  are  exceedingly  fertile,  and  may  be 
irrigated  from  the  creek  which  courses  through  them.  Back  from  the  river  are  several  pla- 
teaus of  rich  soils,  containing  in  all,  perhaps,  500  acres,  which,  while  they  are  too  elevated 
to  admit  of  irrigation,  would  produce  abundant  crops  of  corn  in  the  rainy  season. 

"The  only  farming  implements  of  the  country  are  a  pointed  stick,  serving  for  a  plough, 
a  hoe,  and  a  sickle,  and  where  such  grand  results  are  attained  with  these,  what  would  not  be 
the  results  of  the  introduction  of  our  improved  agricultural  implements,  and  the  application 
of  farming  knowledge  ? 

"PASTURE  LANDS. — The  higher  lands,  unfit  for  agricultural  uses,  but  covered  with  a 
growth  of  nutritious  grasses,  are  adapted  to  cattle  and  sheep  ranges.  There  are  three  varie- 
ties of  grasses  upon  the  lands,  the  mesquite  grass,  confined  to  the  ranges  of  the  mesquite  timber; 
the  sacatorn,  a  coarse  species  found  on  the  higher  ranges,  and  the  grdma  (crondosium,) 
occupying  the  plateaus  and  less  elevated  hills.  The  latter  variety  has  much  the  appearance 
ot  dry,  curled  whittlings  of  pine  wood,  is  very  nutritious,  and  was  greedily  eaten  by  our 


WEST  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  647 

animals.  Throughout  the  entire  year  the  cattle  graze  upon  the  hills,  there  being  no  need  to 
preserve  the  grasses.  Northern  Sonora  is,  without  dispute,  pre-eminent  as  a  stock-raising 
country. 

"RIVERS.— The  Yaqui  is  the  largest  stream  in  Souora,  and  perhaps  the  only  one  which 
may  bo  deservedly  termed  a  river.  It  takes  its  rise  in  the  mountains  near  the  Arizona 
boundary,  and  flows  in  a  southerly  course. 

"  1  L\it  unit  OF  GUAYMAS.— Our  short  stay  at  Guaymas  was  sufficiently  protracted  to  impress 
us  with  the  important  part  it  must  play  in  the  future  of  Sonora.  The  town  is  situated  on 
the  Gulf  of  California,  in  latitude  27°  42'  north.  Its  harbor  is  eminently  the  best  on  the  western 
coast  of  Mexico,  being  much  superior  to  either  San  Bias  or  Mazatlan,  and  because  of  the 
trade  winds,  particularly  desirable  as  a  port  for  the  trades  of  the  East  Indies  and  China. 
The  bay  consists  of  an  inner  and  outer  one,  in  all  four  to  five  miles  in  length,  almost  com- 
pletely sheltered  from  the  winds  by  the  bold  heights  of  Pajaros  on  the  east,  and  the  islands 
of  Terra  Firma,  San  Vicente,  and  Petayas  on  the  west,  leaving  the  channel  narrow  and 
deep  between  them.  Another  entrance,  Boca  Chica,  occurs  between  Pajaros  on  the  south 
and  Cochin  on  the  north.  The  tides  are  irregular,  being  governed  by  the  winds  of  the  Gulf, 
seldom  rising  and  falling  more  than  four  or  five  feet.  The  depth  of  water  is  two  fathoms  at 
the  mole,  which  i.s  a  very  superior  one,  to  eight  fathoms  in  the  channel.  The  town  is  sur- 
rounded by  the  irregular  hills  of  the  Coast  range,  through  which  there  is  but  one  entrance 
from  the  land  side.  These  hills,  devoid  of  vegetation,  give  the  town  a  dreary  aspect;  it  is 
.small,  and  of  modern  origin,  containing  one  spacious  street,  and  several  cross  thoroughfares. 
In  I  .>:>( »  to  I -"•_'."),  when  a  free  port,  a  considerable  business  was  transacted  with  foreign  ports, 
and  it  was  not  uncommon  to  find  20  or  more  vessels  loading  and  unloading  at  one  time. 
This  activity  was  prematurely  checked  by  the  internal  strifes  of  flie  following  five  years, 
during  which  it  lost  over  two-thirds  of  its  population.  During  the  years  I860  to  1804  it 
received  an  impetus  from  the  American  mining  and  other  enterprises  ;  considerable  capital 
was  invested  in  town  lots,  and  many  improvements  of  a  permanent  character  were  inaugu- 
rated, giving  to  the  town  a  population  of  over  5,000,  and  the  appearance  and  live-awake  air 
of  a  California  mining  town.  The  present  unfortunate  strife  and  the  despotic  incubus  of  a 
French  garrison  shackled  this  new-born  energy,  and  at  the  present  writing  Guaymas  is  in 
as  fossilized  a  condition  as  need  be.  Were  it  not  for  the  continual  clanging  of  large  and 
small  bells  with  hoarse  throats  and  shrieking  voices,  the  daily  occurrence  of  a  procession  of 
saints,  images,  and  wax  caudles,  the  snarling  of  curs,  the  rioting  of  marines  from  some 
foreign  war  vessel,  and  the  occasional  view  of  a  native  propping  up  a  house,  or  picking 
vermin,  we  would  have  no  out-door  indications  from  which  to  conclude  the  place  was  settled. 
With  the  native  inhabitants,  life  seems  to  be  a  dolcc  far  niente,  or  more  truly,  wretchedness, 
filth  and  inanity.  There  are  a  number  of  fine  structures  of  the  architecture  peculiar  to  this 
country,  and  a  few  of  American  pattern.  The  exports  are  the  common  products  of  the 
country — wheat,  corn,  flour,  cotton,  tobacco,  unrefined  sugar,  aguadiente,  beef,  hides,  gold, 
silver,  and  copper;  for  which  it  imports  the  products  of  the  more  southern  States,  and  East 
Indian  arid  European  manufacturers  Its  exports  of  products  and  bullion  for  1805  could 
not  have  fallen  short  of  $  1,000,000,  though  for  the  present  year  it  will  hardly  exceed  half  of 
this  sum.  The  climate  is  pleasant  from  November  to  April ;  the  heat  in  the  summer  months, 
June  to  September,  is  excessive,  the  mercury  reaching'  105°  to  110°,  and  very  seldom  falling 
below  97°  or  1)8°,  and  when  the  hot  winds  visit  the  town,  as  they  often  do  during  the  summer 
months,  it  frequently  reaches  1135°.  There  is  but  little  sickness,  and  what  occurs  is  of  a 
light  character;  the  water  which  supplies  the  town  is  procured  from  wells  sunk  at  the  limits 
of  the  town,  and  is  slightly  brackish,  though  wholesome.  With  a  harbor  capable  of  giving 
good  anchorage  to  200  vessels,  safe  navigation  in  the  Gulf,  and  a  section  of  country  requiring 
only  peace,  enterprise,  capital,  and  the  energy  of  American  settlers  to  till  the  lands,  and 
work  the  mines  which  Mexican  indolence  has  permitted  to  fall  into  ruin,  with  the  indomita- 
ble spirit  of  American  advancement  to  make  of  an  old  country  a  new  California,  Guaymas 
is  destined  at  no  distant  day  to  take  her  place  as  the  grand  commercial  depot  of  western 
Mexico,  and  I  would  venture  to  predict,  of  our  own  extreme  southwestern  Territoiyes." 

General  Rufus  Ingalls,  in  his  inspection  report,  (Ex.  Doc.  Ill,  39th  Cong.,  2d  sess.,  p.  9,) 
says : 

"  A  harbor  on  the  Gulf  is  wanted,  such,  for  example,  as  Guaymas,  which  is  nearer  to  the 
heart  of  Arizona  than  any  point  on  the  Colorado  river.  From  Port  Libertad  to  Tucson  is 
only  some  225  miles  ;  from  Fort  Yuma  it  is  300.  Had  we  possession  of  Port  Libertad,  or 
better,  Guajinas,  our  posts  in  Arizona  could  be  much  easier  and  more  cheaply  supplied,  and 
a  great  number  of  mines  could  then  be  worked  with  profit  that  lie  idle  now.  This  matter  I 
am  aware  has  received  the  attention  of  our  authorities,  who  will  probably  cause  a  change  in 
our  boundary  in  proper  time.  I  know  that  Generals  Halleck  and  McDowell  have  both 
appreciated  its  necessity,  and  General  Waller,  who  has  been  in  Arizona,  has  written  me  a 
letter  on  the  subject,  which  I  enclose." 

SIXALOA. 

Sinaloa  is  comparatively  poor  as  a  mining  State.  The  lodes  are  neither  large  nor  numerous. 
There  are,  however,  several  dozen  mines  that  have;  paid  well,  and  four  or  five  that  havo 
yielded  handsome  fortunes  to  their  proprietors.  The  Guadalupe  mine  at  Cosala,  if  Ward's 


648  RESOURCES    OF   STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

account  of  it  is  to  be  accepted,  was,  40  years  ago,  one  of  the  best  mines  in  Mexico.  It  was 
very  rich  in  gold,  and  the  owner  could  obtain  a  thousand  pounds  of  that  metal  from  it  every 
week,  but  he  was  a  crotchety,  miserly  bigot,  who  refused  to  work  his  mine,  refused  to  sell 
it,  refused  to  let  anybody  else  work  it,  and  bred  his  children  m  ignorance  and  dirt.* 

Such  an  account  about  a  mine  of  which  we  find  no  information  in  other  books  should  be 
looked  upon  with  some  suspicion,  especially  since  Ward  did  not  visit  Cosala ;  but  his  state- 
ment that  $1,000,000  had  been  offered  for  the  mine  by  an  association  of  foreigners  is  prob- 
ably correct,  for  he  was  in  a  position  to  be  familiar  with  all  the  sales  of  valuable  mines  in 
the  country. 

One  of  the  most  noted  mines  of  Sinaloa  is  the  Tajo  at  Rosario,  which  was  discovered  by 
accident  about  the  beginning  of  the  last  century.  A  pious  ranch ero  lost  his  rosary,  and  his 
search  for  it  kept  him  out  in  the  mountains  all  night.  He  made  a  fire  to  protect  himself 
against  the  cold,  and  in  the  morning  he  discovered  that  the  stones  on  which  he  had  rested 
his  wood  were  sparkling  with  silver.  He  claimed  a  mine,  and  called  the  place  by  the  Spanish 
name  of  Rosary.  It  yielded  large  quantities  of  silver,  and  tradition  says  that  the  Rosario 
church,  which  cost  $80,000,  was  built  by  a  tax  of  one-quarter  of  a  real  on  each  marc  (about 
one  per  cent.)  of  the  silver  extracted  from  the  mine.  This  would  imply  that  the  total  yield  had 
been  $8,000,000  previous  to  1805,  in  which  year  the  church  was  finished.  In  1820  100  men 
were  drowned  in  it,  and  most  of  the  time  since  then  it  has  been  lying  idle. 

CHIHUAHUA. 

Most  of  the  mines  of  Chihuahua  are  in  a  basin  which  has  no  outlet  to  the  sea.  The  eleva- 
tion is  high,  the  climate  dry,  the  earth  rocky  and  bare,  and  the  few  streams  are  lost  in  lakes 
or  swamps  which  have  no  outlets.  Some  of  the  mines,  however,  are  on  the  western  slope  of 
the  Sierra  Mad  re,  and  others  in  the  basin  of  the  Rio  Grande.  The  principal  mining  districts 
are  those  of  Parral,  Santa  Eulaha,  Morelos,  Jesus  Maria,  Guadalupe,  Calvo,and  Batapolis. 

Parral  is  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  State,  and  its  ores  are  abundant  but  poor.  The 
lodes  have  rocky  crests  which  project  considerably  above  the  low  hills  of  the  region.  Water 
KJ  scarce  at  the  surface,  and  the  mines  are  in  a  bad  condition,  having  been  long  abandoned 
and  allowed  to  fall  in. 

Batapolis  has  a  multitude  of  very  rich  lodes.  The  Carmen  yielded  a  lump  of  native  silver 
weighing  425  pounds.  There  was  so  much  native  silver  in  the  ores  of  the  Pastrana  mine 
that  the  drill-bars  of  the  miners  were  provided  with  sharp  chisels  at  one  end  for  the  purpose 
of  cutting  the  metal. 

Buen  Suceso  was  another  mine  in  which  pure  silver  was  found  in  large  quantities.  It  was 
discovered  by  an  Indian,  who  swam  across  the  river  (the  Fuerte)  and  found  the  clear  metal 
on  the  bank,  where  it  had  been  laid  bare  by  the  water.  He  denounced  the  mine,  and  took 
out  much  silver,  but  after  getting  down  three  yards  the  water  became  so  troublesome  that 
he  could  go  no  further,  and  the  mine  was  not  worked  while  Ward  was  in  Mexico,  nor  do  we 
find  any  mention  of  it  in  later  books. 

The  mines  of  Morelos  were  discovered  in  1826,  and  yielded  $270,000  in  two  months.  Jesus 
Maria,  on  the  western  boundary  of  the  State  and  nearly  east  of  Guaymas,  was  discovered  in 
1822,  and  yielded  extremely  rich  ore— so  rich  that  it  was  packed  to  Parral,  nearly  400  miles 
distant,  to  be  reduced.  Refugio  was  discovered  shortly  before  the  outbreak  of  the  revolution; 
yielded  about  half  a  million  annually  for  four  or  five  years. 

About  15  miles  southeast  of  the  city  of  Chihuahua  is  the  district  of  Santa  Eulalia,  which 
produced  about  $100,000,000  in  the  course  of  the  last  century.  From  1705  to  1737  the 
average  annual  yield  was  $1,748,742.  In  1791  there  were  in  the  district  0,000  inhabitants, 
73  amalgamating  establishments,  and  180  smelting  furnaces.  About  1795  the  district  was 
abandoned  in  consequence  of  the  incursions  of  the  Apaches  and  Comauches,  and  the  mines 
remained  in  their  abandoned  condition,  although  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  they  might 
be  worked  with  great  profit,  if  the  laborers  and  property  could  be  protected  against  the  sav- 
ages. Just  before  the  district  was  abandoned  a  rich  deposit  found  in  one  of  the  mines  had 
been  worked  out,  having  lasted  nine  years,  in  which  time  it  yielded  so  much  that  a  tax  of 
one  real  per  marc  (about  one  and  a  half  per  cent. )  sufficed  to  build  the  cathedral  of  Chi- 
huahua and  establish  for  it  a  reserve  fund  of  $10,000.  We  cannot  estimate  the  total  yield 
of  the  bonanza  at  less  than  $4,000,000. 

DURANGO. 

Durango  is  very  rich  in  silver,  but  its  wealth  was  not  known  until  just  before  the  revolu- 
tion, and  there  has  been  comparatively  little  exploration  since.  This  State,  like  Sonora  and 
Chihuahua,  has  suffered  severely  from  Apache  incursions. 

The  city  of  Durango,  195  miles  northwest  of  Zacatecas,  had  only  8,000  inhabitants  in  1783, 
but  in  that  year  Zambrano,  the  great  miner  of  that  region,  discovered  the  mines  of  Guarisa- 
mey,  and  Durango  soon  trebled  in  population.  In  24  years  he  extracted  $30,000,000  from 
his  claims,  and  a  multitude  of  other  mines  were  opened,  so  that  the  average  yield  of  the 
State  was  estimated  to  be  $5,000,000. 

Ward,  volume  II,  page  324. 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


649 


The  principal  mining  districts  are  Gavilanes,  Guarisamey,  San  Demas,  Tamusula,  Canelas, 
and  Sianori,  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  and  Cuencame,  Guanaseir,  an  1 
Mapimi  on  the  eastern.  These  eastern  districts  are  marked  by  the  abundance  of  lead  ;  the 
western  by  the  abundance  of  gold.  The  lode  at  Gavilanes  it  40  feet  thick  and  the  ore  quite 
rich,  but  it  is  stubborn  both  for  amalgamation  and  for  smelting.  The  richest  district  is  Guari- 
samey, and  the  most  productive  mines  are  there — Araiia,  Cinco,  Seriores,  Bolaiios,  Piramide, 
Candelania,  Dolores,  and  Tapia.  The  Araria  mine  was  remarkable  for  having  a  vault  (like 
that  in  Zavala  mine  at  Catorce)  filled  with  a  fine  dust,  a  large  part  of  which  was  native  gold 
and  silver. 

Ward  says  of  Durango :  "  The  State  is  rich  in  mineral  deposits,  none  of  which,  excepting 
Guarisamey  and  San  Demas,  have  been  at  all  extensively  worked.  There  is  hardly  a  single 
mine  exceeding  100  vanis  in  depth;  for,  in  general,  the  use  of  even  the  simplest  machinery 
was  unknown  in  the  north,  and  a  malicati,  primitive  as  the  invention  is,  would  have  excited 
almost  as  much  astonishment  as  a  steam  engine  itself.  The  mines  were  worked  as  long  as 
the  water  could  be  raised,  without  inconvenience,  by  two  or  three  tenatoris  (carriers)  with 
leather  buckets,  and  abandoned  when  the  discharge  of  this  duty  became  too  laborious.  Most 
of  the  principal  districts  may,  consequently,  be  regarded  as  virgin  ground,  and  there  are 
few  in  which  the  old  shafts  might  not  be  again  brought  into  activity  with  a  comparatively 
small  outlay."  (Ward,  II,  page  293.) 


SOUTH  AMERICA. 

PERU. 

The  silver  of  Peru  in  the  present  day  comes  chiefly  from  Cerro  Pasco,  Hualgayoc,  Guama- 
chuco,  Couchuco,  and  Huantaya — all  except  the  last  ill  districts  near  the  summit  of  the 
Andes.  In  the  beginning  of  the  century  Cerro  Pasco  yielded  $2,000,000  annually,  Hual- 
gayoc $560,000,  Guamachuco  and  Couchuco  each  $40,000,  and  Huantaya  $675,000.  Since 
then  the  production  of  all  these  districts  has  decreased.  The  fame  of  Peru  for  mineral 
wealth  was  due  mainly,  for  a  long  period,  to  the  Potosi  mines,  which  were  transferred  to 
Buenos  Ayres  in  1778,  and  have  belonged  to  Bolivia  since  Spanish  America  became  independ- 
ent. Huantaya  is  in  the  desert  of  Atacama,  and  is  remarkable  for  the  production  of  immense 
masses  of  native  silver,  one  of  which,  found  in  1758,  weighed  800  pounds. 

BOLIVIA. 

The  town  of  Potosi  is  situated  13,200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  100  miles  from  the 
Pacilic,  and  50  miles  east  of  the  main  divide  of  the  Andes.  The  summit  of  the  Potosi  moun- 
tains is  15,9*1  feet  hijrh,  and  is  five  miles  from  the  town.  The,  peak  is  conical,  with  sides 
that  rise  at  an  angle  of  45°  to  the  horizon,  reddish  brown  in  color,  and  bare  of  vegetation. 
It  was  <ni  the  side  of  this  mountain  that  a  poor  Indian,  named  Dii-^u  Hualca,  while  clam- 
bering after  a  wild  goat  in  the  autumn  of  1515,  caught  hold  of  a  shrub  to  assist  him  up,  and 
it  pulled  out,  exposing  pure  silver  to  view.  A  brief  examination  proved  the  existence  of  a 
rich  mine,  and  soon  1'otosi  obtained  almost  as  much  celebrity  throughout  the  civilized  world 
as  did  California  300  years  later.  That  barren  and  bleak  mountain  contained  the  largest 
deposit  of  rich  silver  ore  ever  found  in  the  world,  and  it  has  produced  more  silver  than  any 
other  district.  The  total  production  from  1545  to  1603  is  given  by  Humboldt*  at  $1, 150,000,000. 

The  following  table,  showing  the  yield  inf various  years,  indicates  the  gradual  changes  in 
production: 


1720 $1,300,000 

1745 1,850,000 

1785 3,600,000 

1830 : 1625,000 


1541) ; $1,549,000 

1551) 2,000,000 

1590 7,500, 0(  M.I 

1630 5,000,0(10 

1680 3,000,000 

During  the  first  five  years  large  masses  of  ore  were  found  yielding  $10,000  per  ton;  in 
1574  the  first-class  ore  was  worth  $1,400  per  ton;  in  1607  the  yield  was  about  $35  per  ton; 
and  in  1790  they  got  very  little  ore  that  produced  more  than  $16  to  the  ton.  The  last  quarter 
of  the  XVIth  century  was  the  most  prosperous  period  in  the  history  of  Potosi,  which  had 
then  a  population  of  130,000  souls.  The  men  were  nearly  all  Indians,  Avho  were  compelled 
t<>  work  a*  slaves  in  the  mines,  and  probably  three-fourths  of  the  8,285,000$  red  men  who 
died  in  the  mines  were  sacrificed  to  get  out  the  treasures  that  astonished  the  world  during 
two  centuries  after  the  discovery  made  by  Diego  Hualca.  This  imposing  city,  the  largest 
that  has  ever  existed  so  high  above  the  sea,  needed  great  supplies,  which  could  only  be 
obtained  at  vast  expense.  For  the  purpose  of  getting  water  39  artificial  lakes  were  made  by 
building  dams  across  ravines  and  valleys  in  the  mountain  side.  The  silver  was  carried  by 
ox-carts,  by  way  of  Tucuman,  to  Buenos  Ayres,  and  not  uu frequently  100  of  these  carts, 

*  Chapter  XI,  volume  III,  p.  24'J.  The  amounts  collected  for  the  king's  fifth,  year  by  year,  fr<-m  1550  to 
1789,  aro  given  there. 

t  Temple,  Yolumc  I,  p.  309.  J  Temple,  volume  I,  p.  320. 


650  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND    TERRITORIES 

heavily  laden,  were  seen  in  a  train.  It  was  probably  from  this  stream  of  silver  th.it  the  river 
having  its  outlet  at  the  same  place  was  called  the  Plata,  that  word  being  the  Spanish  name 
for  silver. 

For  30  years  after  the  discovery  of  Potosi  the  silver  was  obtained  exclusively  by  smelting 
in  portable  furnaces  made  of  clay,  in  the  form  of  hollow  cylinders,  with  a  number  of  holes 
for  the  admission  of  air.  Silver  ore,  galena,  and  charcoal  were  put  in  in  alternate  layers, 
and  the  fierce  winds  which  blow  on  the  mountain  side  furnished  a  sufficient  blast,  and  some- 
times even  too  strong,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  carry  the  furnaces  to  a  sheltered  place. 
The  mixed  lead  and  silver  were  afterwards  melted  again  with  a  blast  made  by  a  dozen  Indians 
blowing  with  their  mouths  through  copper  tubes  two  yards  long ;  and  thus  the  baser  metal 
was  burned  off.  At  one  time  6,000  of  these  furnaces  could  be  seen  burning  on  the  mountain 
side.  The  galena  was  found  in  the  Little  Potosi  mountain.  At  the  end  of  the  X  Vlth  century 
15,000  slaves  and  as  many  llamas,  and  as  many  more  mules,  were  employed  in  the  labors  of 
the  mines  and  reduction  works. 

CHILI. 

Chanarcello,  the  richest  mining  district  of  Chili,  and  at  present  the  most  prosperous  and 
promising  of  all  in  South  America,  is  situated  in  latitude  27°  30',  50  miles  southeastward 
from  Copiapo.  It  is  50  miles  from  the  ocean  and  3,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  to  the 
lowest  mines.  The  most  productive  deposit  of  silver  has  been  found  within  an  area  a  mile 
and  a  half  long  and  a  mile  wide,  in  a  cream-colored  hill,  all  the  adjacent  hills  being  dark. 
It  is  situated  on  the  edge  of  the  desert  of  Atacama,  and  there  is  very  little  vegetation,  and 
sometimes  no  rain  for  a  year.  The  nearest  water — at  least  the  most  convenient  of  access — 
is  10  miles  off,  and  it  is  sold  at  the  mines  at  1C  gallons  for  $1,  but  it  is  fit  only  for  brutes, 
and  the  water  for  the  men  is  brought  further,  and  paid  for  at  a  higher  price. 

The  first  mine  of  Chanarcello  was  discovered  on  the  18th  of  May,  1832,  by  a  muleteer 
named  Juan  Godoi,  who,  while  out  hunting,  got  tired  of  chasing  a  guanaco  and  sat  down 
on  a  stone  to  rest.  Happening  to  examine  the  rock,  he  saw  that  it  was  very  rich  silver  ore, 
and  he  managed  to  break  off  enough  to  load  his  two  donkeys,  with  which  he  went  to  Copi- 
apo, where  he  asked  the  assistance  and  counsel  of  Juan  Callejas,  his  friend  and  an  old  miner. 
They  obtained  a  title  to  the  mine,  and  Callejas,  in  recognition  of  many  favors,  transferred 
his  share  (one-third)  to  Don  Miguel  Gallo,  who  became  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  of  Chili. 
The  mine  proved  very  productive,  and  Godoi,  who  had  been  a  very  reputable  muleteer, 
became  a  low  debauchee.  He  spent  all  his  immense  wealth,  and  was  reduced  to  beggary. 
He  had  not  even  a  donkey.  Gallo  took  pity  on  him  and  gave  him  a  little  mine,  which  he 
sold  for  $14,000,  a,nd  on  that  sum  the  discoverer  of  Chanarcello  lived  in  moderation  and  quiet. 

A  mine  called  Bolados  was  richer  than  the  pioneer  claim,  to  which  it  was  very  near.  It 
yielded  $3,000,000  to  four  owners,  and,  though  all  were  married  and  had  children,  not  one 
of  them  left  a  cent  to  his  heirs.  All  had  wasted  their  money  in  riotous  living.  The  largest 
piece  of  native  silver  on  record  was  found  in  this  mine  ;  it  weighed  0,000  pounds,  and  was 
worth  $150,000.  One  lump  of  it  cut  out  with  chisels— for  it  could  not  be  drilled  for  blasting- 
weighed  a  ton  and  a  half. 

In  1850  there  were  1,750  miners  in  the  Chanarcello  district,  two-thirds  of  them  Chilenos, 
and  the  remainder  foreigners,  mostly  from  other  Spanish  American  States.  The  barreteros 
or  miners  who  break  down  the  ore,  received  $25  per  month  and  20  ounces  of  bread,  a  pound 
of  boiled  beans,  six  ounces  of  wheat,  and  24  figs  daily,  the  food  being  supposed  to  be 
enough  for  an  average  family.  The  apires,  or  men  who  carry  the  ore  upon  their  backs  to 
the  surface,  the  usual  load  being  from  250  to  375  pounds,  receive  $12  per  month  and  the 
same  rations. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  mine  the  ore  is  broken  with  hammers  into  pieces  of  half  a  cubic  inch 
and  assorted.  Everything  that  will  not  yield  at  the  rate  of  $50  per  ton  was  thrown  to  one 
side  as  not  rich  enough  to  pay  for  working,  and  of  this  rejected  material  there  were  piles  at 
Chanarcello,  in  1850,  estimated  to  contain  $20,000,000  of  silver. 

The  pulverization  is  effected  in  arrastras,  and  the  amalgamation  in  wooden  tubs  with  iron 
bottoms.  The  stirring  is  done  by  four  crooked  iron  arms  fastened  to  a"  vertical  shaft  which 
revolves  in  the  centre  of  the  tub.  There  is  no  muller  or  grinding  of  the  ore  in  the  tub. 
The  process  requires  six  or  eight  hours. 

In  1850  there  were  in  the  province  of  Atacama  75  productive  silver  mines,  108  unpro- 
ductive, and  2,914  persons  employed.  The  amount  of  ore  extracted  was  15,398,1)96  pounds, 
of  which  10,480,000  were  credited  to  Chunarceilo  and  3,000,000  to  Tres  Puntas. 

At  Chanarcello  there  were  18  productive  mines  and  97  that  had  been  opened  and  had  not 
paid  expenses.  The  total  yield  of  the  10,480,000  pounds  of  ore  obtained  at  Chanarcello  was 
$2,700,000,  of  which  $2,100,000  was  net  profit.* 

It  would  appear  from  this  statement  that  the  ores  extracted  yield  on  average  more  than 
$5,000  per  ton.  The  total  yield  of  the  Chafiarcello  district  from  18  !2  to  1860  is  estimated  at 
$30,000,000.  The  value  of  the  silver  exported  from  Chili  was  $59,931  in  1830  ;  $761,406  in 
1835  ;  $1,381,030  in  1845  ;  $3,555,045  in  1850. 

The  Tres  Puntas  mines  were  discovered  in  1849,  and  are  7,000  feet  above  the  sea.    Water 

*  U.  S.  Naval  Astronomical  Expedition,  vol.  1,  p.  262. 


WEST    OF   THE    EOCKY   MOUNTAINS.  651 

costs  there  six  cents  per  gallon,  and  the  country  is  still  more  desolate   than  about  Chaiiar- 
cello. 

The  hill  of  Chaiiarcello  is  composed  of  regular  strata,  nearly  horizontal,  of  rocks  partly 
calcareous,  and  partly  argillaceous.  In  the  deepest  workings  there  are  porphyries  and  sonic 
dolomites.  The  ores  are  chiefly  chlorides  and  bromides  either  separate  or  mixed. 

( Vrro  Blanco,  30  miles  east-southeast  of  Chaiiarcello,  has  a  number  of  lodes  which  were 
rich  in  silver  near  the  surface,  but  in  the  lower  depths  they  yield  little  save  copper,  of  which 
the  ore  has  a  large  percentage. 

Carnso,  in  latitude  28°  45',  has  some  rich  silver  lodes  and  one  of  gold.  Eight  miles  south- 
east of  Carriso  is  Agua  Amarga,  a  hill  resembling  Bolaco,  at  Chaiiarcello,  with  as  many 
argentiferous  lodes,  but  not  so  rich.  Most  of  them  are  now  abandoned.  A  mile  from  Agua 
Amarga  are  the  mines  of  Tunas,  which  yielded  $400,000  of  native  and  ruby  silver  near  the 
surface. 

BRAZIL. 

The  placers  of  Brazil,  the  richest  known  to  modern  times  previous  to  the  beginning  of 
this  century,  are  found  over  an  area  300  miles  wide,  from  north  to  south  between  parallels 
17  and  22  of  south  latitude,  in  the  mountains  which  separate  the  valleys  of  the  Amazon 
and  the  La  Plata,  and  800  miles  long,  extending  from  the  western  boundary  of  Brazil  nearly 
to  the  Atlantic.  The  rocks  are  granite  in  the  higher  peaks,  with  micaceous  schists  and  slates 
lower  down,  intersected  by  numerous  veins  of  quartz.  Itacolumite  is  found  extensively,  and 
diamonds,  which  are  seldom  found  near  it,  are  abundant  in  Brazil,  which  has  furnished  more 
of  those  precious  stones  than  all  the  other  diamond  mines  in  modern  times.  These  are, 
indeed,  the  only  diamond  mines  of  any  note  in  Christendom.  Very  little  is  done  in  them 
now.  The  gold  was  discovered  at  Minas  Geraes  in  1599,  and  soon  attracted  a  considerable 
population.  The  gold  deposits  of  Jacoabina  and  of  Rio  do  Carmo  were  opened  in  ]700,  and 
those  of  Mato  Grosso  in  J734.  From  1752  to  17C1  the  production  was  largest,  and  there 
were  then  80,000  miners  employed.  It  is  said  that  in  one  year  the  production  was 
£2i  »,000,000.  It  is  a  matter  of  record  that  the  20  per  cent,  tax  on  the  gross  product,  or  the 
king's  fifth  as  it  was  called,  for  the  district  of  Minas  Geraes  was  $2,000,000  for  1753.  In 
1725,  when  the  yield  was  considerably  less  than  it  became  a  quarter  of  a  century  later, 
there  were  100,000  slaves  at  work,  and  it  was  estimated  that  they  took  out  an  eighth  of  an 
ounce  each  per  day,  as  wo  learn  from  Southey ;  *  but  as  this  would  give  a  total  yield  of 
$60,000,000  annually,  we  must  infer  that  many  of  the  slaves  were  employed  in  other  pur- 
suits, and  that  many  of  the  slave  miners  did  not  make  their  eighth  of  an  ounce  per  day. 
The  largest  Brazilian  nugget  of  which  we  find  any  mention,  weighed  13  pounds  and  sold  for 
about  $52,600.  After  1??.~>  the  yield  declined  rapidly.  In  1812  the  production  was  about 
$1.000,000,  and  in  L-22  *700,000,  and  now  it  probably  does  not  exceed  $500,000.  The  total 
yield  of  the  Brazilian  gold  mines  from  the  time  of  their  discovery  till  1803  was  estimated  by 
Humboldt  at  S -55, 500, 000,  and  we  may  estimate  the  production  since  l-n:;  ;it  s70,000,000, 
making  the  total  contribution  of  gold  by  Brazil  .s925.5(io,<)OU  in  a  period  of  268  years  :  less 
than  California  has  furnished  in  20  years.  So  tar  Brazil  has  only  two  quartz  mines,  the  St. 
Julm  ami  the  (Jongo  Soeo.  The  latter  yielded  33,000  pounds  of  gold  from  1826  to  J849.t 

Of  the  St.  John,  Whitueyt  suys  :  "The  mine  ot  St.  John  del  Rey  is  the  most  remarkable 
gold  quartz  milie  in  the  world,  having  been  worked  for  a  longer  time  and  having  produced 
more  gold  than  any  other.  The  working  was  commenced  about  1725,  and  after  nearly  n 
hundred  years  of  success  was  abandoned,  and  in  1834  the  working  \vas  resumed,  and  from 
1838  to  1852  the  mine  paid  a  profit  of  $1,500,000.  The  amount  of  rock  reduced  was  34,000 
tons  in  1846,  and  82,000  in  1852,  the  increase  being  gradual.  The  profit  varied  from  §2  to  $3 
per  ton.  The  rock  contained  about  .004  per  cent,  of  metal.  The  crushing  was  done  with  ]  J  8 
stamps.  The  mine  is  owned  by  a  company  which  had  1,000  slaves  and  employed  80  Euro- 
pean overseers,  mechanics,  &c.  One  of  the  mines  was  1,200  feet  deep." 

BRITISH  POSSESSIONS. 

BRITISH  COLUMBIA. 

The  gold  mines  of  British  Columbia  are  in  the  basins  of  the  Fraser  and  Columbia  rivers. 

The  chief  mining  district  is  Cariboo,  on  the  north  side  of  the  north  fork  of  Quesnelle 
river,  100  miles  above  the  mouth  of  that  stream,  in  latitude  53°,  and  100  miles  from  the 
ocean,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  range  of  mountains  8,000  or  10,000  feet  high.  The 
winters  are  very  severe,  and  they  last  from  October  to  June,  during  which  period  the,  country 
i.s  covered  with  a  deep  snow.  In  July  and  August  the  streams  are  at  flood  height.  The 
gold  is  found  at  a  depth  varying  from  12  to  100  feet  from  the  surface  in  the  beds  and  banks 
of  creeks,  some  of  which  run  through  swamps.  The  auriferous  deposit  is  very  rich,  and  if  it 
were  in  a  genial  clime  and  favorably  situated,  the  yield  per  day  would  rival  if  not  surpass 
anything  ever  found  in  California,  but  the  great  cost  of  all  supplies,  the  necessity  of  lying 
idle  a  large  part  of  the  year,  and  the  difficulty  of  finding  good  claims,  prevent  it  from  being 

*  History  of  Brazil,  chapter  XXXVL  t  Culvert,  p.  231.  J  Metallic  Wealth,  p.  111. 


652 


RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


an  attractive  place  for  miners.  Claims  that  have  been  well  opened  nave,  in  many  instances, 
paid  for  a  few  weeks  or  month  $500  per  day  to  the  man.  One  claim  25  by  80  feet  yielded 
SI  05  000  The  gold  on  Antler  creek  is  830  fine ;  on  Lowhee  creek  920.  The  metal  is  found 
in  coarse  rough  lumps,  which  look  as  though  they  had  not  moved  far  from  their  rocky  source. 
Some  auriferous  quartz  lodes  have  been  discovered,  but  little  has  been  done  in  quartz  mining. 

The  gold  in  the  basin  of  the  Columbia  is  found  in  the  beds,  bars,  and  banks  of  creeks, 
between  parallels  49°  and  51'.  The  diggings  are  mostly  shallow,  and  not  rich,  although,  as 
they  cover  a  considerable  extent  of  country,  they  may  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  produce 
more  gold  than  Cariboo. 

The  following  table  shows  the  amount  of  gold  shipped  from  Victoria  to  San  Francisco : 


Year. 

Am't  shipped. 

Year. 

Am't  Bhipped. 

1858  
1859  

$337,  765 
1,211,304 

1863  
1864  

$2,  935,  172 
2,  784,  226 

1860  
1861  

1,  652,  621 
1,  942,  629 
2,  167,  183 

1865  
1866  
1867,  (9  months)  

2,  067,661 
1,  625,  311 
1,  100,  588 

AUSTRALIA. 


The  colony  of  Victoria  in  Australia  did  not  begin  to  produce  gold  until  1851,  but  the  next 
year  it  had  already  risen  nearly  to  a  level  with  California,  and  since  then  the  two  States 
have  kept  nearly  an  equal  pace.  The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  ounces  exported 
annually  from  Melbourne,  and  the  value  as  estimated  in  pounds  sterling : 


Year. 

Ounces. 

Value. 

Year. 

Ounces. 

Value. 

1851 

145  147 

.  £580  587 

1859  

2,  280,  676 

£9,  122,  702 

18  j° 

2  724  933 

10,  899.  733 

186t)  

2,156,661 

8,  626,  642 

1853 

3  150  021 

12  600  083 

1861  

,  967,  420 

7,  869,  758 

1854 

2  392  065 

9,  568,  262 

1862  

,  658,  285 

6,  685,  192 

1855 

2  793  065 

11  172  261 

1863  

,  627,  066 

6,507  488 

2  985  696 

11  942  783 

1864 

544  694 

6  178  776 

1857 

2  761  528 

11  046  113 

1865  

543  801 

6  175  204 

1858 

2  528  188 

10  112  752 

1866  

,  480,  597 

5,  928,  948 

We  have  no  plain  description  of  the  character  of  the  quartz  lodes  and  placers  of  Victoria, 
but  they,  especially  the  latter,  differ  from  those  of  California.  Water  is  far  less  abundant; 
ditches  are  fewer,  smaller,  and  less  costly;  hydraulic  claims,  tunnel  claims,  and  sluices  are 
rarer ;  shaft  claims  are  far  more  numerous  ;  the  character  of  the  leads  appear  to  be  less  dis- 
tinct ;  the  gold  is  generally  coarser  in  size  and  finer  in  quality,  and  the  gold-bearing  strata 
seem  to  be  richer.  There  are  few  placer  claims  in  California  that  would  pay  for  hoisting 
dirt  100  feet  through  shafts,  and  washing  in  puddling  boxes,  as  is  done  in  many  Australian 
claims.  We  see  no  mention  in  Victoria  books  or  newspapers  of  ancient  rivers,  which  occupy 
a  very  prominent  place  in  the  placer  mining  of  California. 

Some  of  the  peculiarities  of  placer  mining  in  Victoria  are  suggested  in  the  following  extract 
from  Westgarth : 

Alluvial  mining,  however,  differs  from  quartz  mining  in  not  being  mainly  dependent  on  steam  machinery. 
Much  of  it  is  still  conducted  by  mcse  manual  labor,  but  under  appliances  either  new  or  much  improved  during 
the  last  10  years.  Horse-power  has  also  been  largely  introduced,  and  it  is  the  great  motive  force  of  the  puddling 
machine,  that  grand  institution  of  the  alluvial  milling  world.  This  machine  rapidly  supplanted  the  original 
cradle  and  tub ;  in  fact,  it  represents  both  upon  a  giant  scale.  The  miner  could  readily  apprehend  that  if 
an  ordinary  Avashing  tub  of  three  or  four  feet  in  diameter  could  be  made  to  yield  an  ounce  of  gold  per  day, 
one  of  as  many  yards  must,  if  equally  well  worked,  yield  proportionately  more.  The  cradle  arrangement  was 
adapted  to  the  gravel ;  while  the  tub  was  suited  to  the  puddling  of  the  finer  debris,  such  as  pipe  clay  or  dirt 
beds,  which  were  much  more  frequent  to  the  miner  than  pure  gravel.  Puddling  by  wholesale  was  therefore 
a  subject  of  early  attention.  * 

STATIONS    OF  VICTORIA. 

At  the  end  of  1866,  there  were  70,804  men  engaged  in  mining,  a  decrease  of  nearly  10,000 
within  a  year,  of  27,000  since  1862,  and  of  54,000  since  1859;  the  average  weekly  earnings 
of  miners  were  £1  lls.,  or  about  $7  75  each,  aiad  in  1852  they  were  $22  40. 

The  machinery  employed  in  quartz  mining  consisted  of  522  steam  engines,  with  an  aggre- 
gate of  9,079  horse-power ;  62  water  and  horse-power  crushing  machines  ;  55  water  wheels ; 
210  whims  and  pulleys ;  6  derricks,  and  74  whips. 

Tli 
gate 
whips 
sluice  boxes,  and  3  boring  machines. 


WEST    OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS 


653 


The  total  estimated  value  of  the  machinery  employed  in  mining  was  $9,500,000,  and  the 
claims  themselves  $43,000,000. 

The  length  of  the  mining  laces,  or  as  we  call  them  "ditches,  "at  the  end  of  1864  was  1,747 
miles,  and  the  approximate  cost  $941,655,  or  $539  per  mile.  In  the  Stanley  sub-district,  the 
races  cost  more  than  $2,000  per  mile,  the  high  average  being  caused  partly  by  14,383  yards 
of  tunnelling. 

The  poorest  gold  was  742  fine,  and  sold  for  £3  3s.  per  ounce,  and  the  richest  was  9GG 
fine,  and  sold  for  £4  2s.  per  ounce.  The  mean  fineness  was  854. 

About  one-third  of  the  gold  comes  from  quartz,  and  one-third  from  alluvial  mines. 

The  total  number  of  distinct  quart/  lodes  proved  to  be  auriferous  is  J  ,700,  and  the  area  of 
auriferous  alluvial  and  quartz  ground  worked  upon  is  892  square  miles. 

In  1864,  843,515  tons  of  quartz  yielded  433,981  ounces,  or  $9  54  per  ton  of  2,240  pounds. 
This  is  the  only  quartz  of  which  returns  were  obtained,  though  it  is  known  that  more  was 
crushed ;  how  much  more  is  not  shown  in  the  reports. 

The  population  at  the  end  of  18G5  was  410,000,  the  number  of  sheep  11,000,000,  neat  cattle 
2,000,000;  the  deposits  in  savings  and  other  banks  £6,668,060. 

The  exports  of  wool  in  1865  were  30,000,000  pounds,  the  number  of  acres  cultivated  378,000  ; 
the  yield  of  wheat  nine  bushels  per  acre  on  the  average,  an  average  yield  of  33  bushels  of  maize 
per  acre;  the  production  of  coal  585,000  tons,  and  the  importation  of  wheat  and  flour  above 
exports  £5.*5,UUO  in  value.  The  number  of  miners'  licenses  issued  in  that  year  were  15,458, 
nnd  assuming  that  this  figure  represents  the  number  of  miners,  the  average  yield  of  the  mines 
per  man  for  the  year  was  £75.*  The  wages  of  bricklayers,  masons,  and  carpenters  vary 
from  §1  75  to  $2  50  per  day  in  Melbourne. 


NEW    SOUTH   WALES. 


The  following  table  shows  the  exportation  in  ounces  of  the  colony  of  New  South  Wales, 
year  by  year,  since  1857 : 


Year, 

Exporta- 
tion. 

Year. 

Exporta- 
tion. 

Year. 

Exportn-  ! 
tion. 

Year. 

Exporta- 
tion. 

18.ll 

Ounces. 
161  880 

1855 

Ounc/s. 

]D7  •>-,() 

1  1859 

Ounces.  \ 
01  VI  57-1 

1803 

Ounces. 
400  700 

L853 

19°  500 

1856 

n-i  'iro 

'  1860 

355  3°8 

1864 

314  351 

le.Vj  

]?;(  !>M) 

1857  

i-i,-  i-'i; 

1861.  .     ._. 

403*  139  : 

1865  

279,  IS»L 

185-1 

148  900 

1858 

"a.~>  7J~> 

1802 

.VI  "i1) 

1866 

235  893 

The  gold  yield  in  this  colony  decreased  for  tluve  years  after  1852,  and  then  increased 
rapidly  for  seven  years,  and  again  began  to  decline.  The  decrease  since  1862  is  attributed  by 
one  of  the  Sydney  newspapers  to  the  exclusion  of  Chinamen  from  the  mine*,  and  that  policy 
Las  no  doubt  had  a  very  injurious  effect  on  the  production. 

NEW   ZEALAND. 

The  mines  of  New  Zealand  were  opened  in  1858,  and  produced  but  little  for  three  years, 
and  then  rose  rapidly  in  importance.  The  manifested  exported  was  187,h95  ounces  in  1861, 
and  "39,722  ounces  in  1862.  The  amount  of  New  Zealand  shipped  to  England  by  way  of 
Melbourne  was  284,118  ounces  in  1863;  311,767  ounces  in  1C564  ;  216,046  ounces  in  1865, 
and  407,394  ounces  in  1866.  The  total  exportation  of  1865  was  reported  to  be  £2,226,474, 
equivalent  to  about  $1  J, 000,000. 

WusTGAimi's  ESTIMATES. — Westgarth  makes  the  following  estimates  of  the  total  pro- 
duction of  the  Australarian  gold  fields,  from  1851  to  the  end  of  1863 : 


Year. 

Victoria. 

New  South 
Wales. 

New  Zealand. 

1851  ..  ..     

$3  000  000 

$3  000  000 

1852 

54  500  000 

6  000  000 

1853   

613  000  000 

5  500  000 

1854 

48  00"  0(X) 

o  500  OGO 

1855  

57  000  000 

2  500  000 

185<> 

59  500  000 

3  000  000 

1857  

55  000  000 

3  500  000 

1858 

50  500  000 

5  500  000 

$500  000 

1859  

45  500  000 

6  000  000 

500  000 

!•-•<;() 

43  000  000 

7  000  000 

5iX)  000 

l.-.il  

39  500  000 

8  000  000 

4  000  000 

1^(12  

34  500  000 

12  000  000 

8  OuO  COO 

1863  

32  000,  000 

8  500  000 

14,  5i)0,  000 

Total 

584  000  000 

73  000  000 

28  000  COO 

The  total  annual  production  of  the  Australian  and  New  Zealand  gold  mines  may  be  esti- 
mated at  $50,000,000.     (Westgarth  p.  345.    Pounds  (£)  calculated  at  #5  each.) 

*  Melbourne  Age,  January  4,  1867. 


654  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

RUSSIAN  POSSESSIONS. 

SIBERIA. 

Siberia  ranks  third  among  gold-producing  countries,  and  far  a  quarter  of  a  century  before 
the  discovery  of  the  California  mines,  ranked  first.  The  gold  mining  of  the  Russian  empire 
began  in  placers  at  Jekatertnburg  in  1742;  in  1753  quartz  mines  were  opened  at  Berezov  ; 
in  1829  the  placers  on  the  western  part  of  the  Altai  were  opened,  and  in  1&  i  those  of  eastern 
Siberia  The  production  was  small  for  a  long  time,  averaging  only  about  $23,000  annually 
of  placer  gold  from  1814  to  1820;  but  after  the  latter  year  it  increased  with  great  rapidity, 
averaging  $1,668,900  in  the  next  decennium,  and  $3,860,000  in  the  10  years  from  1830  to 
1840,  and  $12,200,000  for  the  next  decennium.  This  is  exclusive  of  the  quartz  gold,  which 
from  1752  to  1850,  amounted  to  $28,000,000.  The  yield  in  1853  was  estimated  by  Whitney 
at  64,000  pounds  troy,  or  about  $14,500,000.  In  1862  the  production  was  reported  to  be 
about  $10,000,000. 

As  a  gold-producing  country,  Russia  ranks  next  to  the  United  States,  and  the  colony  of 
Victoria,  the  present  annual  yield  being  about  $15,000,000.  The  mines  are  all  in  Siberia, 
in  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Ural,  and  on  the  northern  slope  of  the  Altai  mountains.  The 
former  chain  runs  with  the  meridian  from  latitude  45°  to  67°,  and  is  auriferous  for  most  of 
its  length,  but  its  chief  wealth  is  on  the  Siberian  side. 

The  Altai  chain  runs  nearly  parallel  with  the  equator,  about  latitude  50°,  and  the  auri- 
ferous river  beds  and  hilis  extend  as  far  as  60°,  or  even  further.  The  Altai  reminds  us  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  ;  both  chains  separate  high  and  desert  table  lands  from  districts  with  rich 
soil  and  abundant  streams ;  and  the  side  which  has  the  streams  abounds  in  gold,  while  silver 
is  found  on  the  other  side.* 

The  climate  of  Siberia  is  very  severe,  and  in  most  of  the  placer  districts  the  ground  is  con- 
stantly frozen  at  a  depth  of  three  and  a  half  feet,  the  cold  of  winter  penetrating  much  deeper, 
and  the  thawing  influence  of  summer  only  reaching  to  that  depth.  Washing  is  only  possible 
between  May  and  September,  so  that  half  the  year  is  lost  for  mining  purposes.  The  mines 
are  owned  by  the  government  or  by  wealthy  proprietors,  and  the  laborers  are  ignorant  and 
poor  men,  who  bring  neither  intelligence  nor  zeal  to  their  aid.  Each  laborer  receives  from 
his  employer  a  certain  ration  of  meal,  and  his  money  wages  amount  to  about  half  an  ounce 
of  gold  for  a  year,  or  something  like  half  an  ounce  of  silver  per  month— 50  or  60  cents  a 
month.t 

The  methods  of  placer  working  are  not  described  fully  in  any  of  the  authors  whose 
books  are  accessible  in  this  country ;  but  it  seems  evident  that  the  amount  of  earth  washed 
is  considerably  less,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  laborers,  than  in  the  Anglo-Saxon 
mines.  It  is  said  that  Californian  modes  of  washing  have  been  introduced  to  a  limited 
extent  in  a  few  of  the  districts  ;  but  we  have  no  account  of  large  ditches,  of  deep  hydraulic 
claims,  of  ancient  river  beds,  or  of  various  other  interesting  facts  which  mark  mining  in 
California.  And  yet  the  number  of  miners  in  Siberia  is  reported  to  be  only  40,000,  and  if 
they  can  obtain  $15,000,000  in  six  months  they  make  a  very  fair  average  production,  much 
larger  than  would  be  presumed  from  the  cash  wrages  of  $10  or  $12  per  year.  According 
to  Atkinson^  the  pay  dirt  at  Tagilsk  contains  one  ounce  of  goldin  60,000  of  each,  or  $8 
in  a  ton.  Duport§  says  the  richness  in  1829  was  two  ounces  in  100.000.  In  California 
$1  to  the  ton  of  earth  in  a  hydraulic  claim  is  considered  rich,  and  many  mines  that  do  not 
contain  more  than  50  cents  to  the  ton  are  worked  with  large  profit.  It  is  difficult,  however, 
to  make  comparisons  between  California  and  Siberia  in  the  absence  of  precise  information 
in  regard  to  the  mines  of  the  latter  country.  There  are  many  places  in  California  in  which 
the  pay  dirt  has  yielded  more  than  $50  to  the  ton  of  pay  dirt,  and  in  some  claims  where  the 
auriferous  deposit  was  very  shallow,  or  where  it  could  only  be  reached  by  deep  shafts  or 
long  tunnels,  or  where  water  was  very  scarce,  it  could  not  be  worked  profitably  for  less  than 
$25.  One  very  serious  drawback  to  mining  in  Siberia  is  the  fact  that  the  government 
levies  a  tax  of  15  per  cent,  on  the  gross  yield  of  all  mines,  and  from  30  to  35  per  cent,  on  all 
which  yield  more  than  $400,000  annually.  || 

As  to  the  modes  of  quartz  mining,  Erman  says  : 

The  ore  collected  is  poured  into  long  troughs  where  water  is  added  and  it  is  beaten  with  cast-iron 
stampers.  The  current  of  water  which  continually  flows  on  it  through  pipes,  carries  off  the  fine  powder, 
over  the  washing  benches  which  are  laid  like  slightly  inclined  terraces  under  the  troughs,  while  many  of 
the  heavier  grains  of  gold  fall  into  the  interstices  of  the  double  iron  bottom  of  the  stamping  trough  and  are 
collected  from  time  to  time.  As  is  usual  with  poor  sand,  it  is  often  raked  upwards  on  the  benches  with  a 
wooden  rake.  Ores  which,  as  here  yield  ore  about  one  part  in  64,000  of  their  weight  of  metal,  give  not 
more  than  one  part  in  1,000,000  to  the  first  straining.  The  richest  part  of  the  product  which  rest  upon  the 
upper  benches  is  well  washed  again  in  larger  receptacles,  as  the  weight  prevents  its  being  carried  oil",  but 
the  poorer  and  finer  part  is  again  exposed  to  the  atmosphere  and  a  second  time  washed  on  little  tables  to 
which  the  water  is  led  through  pipes  that  can  be  directed  upon  any  point.  The  iron,  some  of  which  is 
from  the  wear  of  the  stampers,  is  removed  from  the  fine  deposit  by  a'inagnet.  Though  the  separation  of 
the  gold  has  been  attempted  by  amalgamation,  experience  has  proved  that  careful  washing  is  quite  as  effcc- 

*  The  Ural  mountains  are  notably  auriferous  on  the  eastern  or  Siberian  side  only,  and  as  far  as  surveys 
have  gone,  it  would  appear  that  one  flank  only  of  the  Australian  water  shetls  exhibit  rich  accumulations  of 
gold  debris,  but  in  this  case  it  is  the  western  or  interior  side  of  the  range.    (Calvcrt,  p.  136.) 
t  Atkinson,  p.  173.          }  Page  208.          §  Page  305.  ||  Chevalier,  p.  83. 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


655 


tual.    Special  arrangement*  ore  made  for  continuing  this  operation  through  the  winter;  the  \vindo-.vs  are 
i  r.refnlly  caulked,  stoves  heated  by  horizontal  ^ halts  rtUUting  below  them  are  prepared  for  thawing  i 
xt-n  imiil  and  sand,  and  the  materials  passed  in  to  tin-   apartment  through  a  narrow  trap  in  the  wall  .ti- 
the opening  of  a  door  would  sometimes  lower  the  temperature  to  the  freezing  point  iu  a  few  minutes.    (Yd 
1,  p.  •: 

The  gold  mines  of  Russia  were  opened  at  lekaterinburg,  on  the  Ural  chain,  in  1743, 
and  in  17f>2  quartz  workings  were  commenced  at  Berezov,but  the  Ural  placers  first  became, 
important  in  1814.  The  placers  of  western  Siberia  were  opened  in  1829,  and  those  of  east- 
ern Siberia  in  1838.  The  yield  is  reported*  as  follows : 

Plticer  gold  from  1814  to  1820 1,085  pounds  troy. 

Placer  gold  from  1820  to  1830 73,200      " 

Placer  gold  from  1830  to  1840 175,460       " 

Placer  gold  from  1840tol850 55:*,  955        "         " 

Quartz  gold  from  1752  to  1850 128,570       "         " 

Approximate  statement  of  the  value  of  the  total  annual  production  of  gold  and  silver  in  the 
principal  countries  of  the  world,  during  the  year  1867. 

[This  table  is  extracted  by  permission  from  the  unpublished  report  of  Prof.  Win.  P.  Blake, 
upcn  the  "Production  of  the  Precious  Metals,"  from  data  obtained  at  the  Paris  Universal 
Exposition.  It  is  the  result  of  extended  investigation  of  the  most  recent  statistics  from  all 
parts  of  the  world,  and  although  not  yet  complete,  presents  approximately,  in  round  num- 
bers, the  value  of  the  gold  and  silver  production  of  the  world.  ] 


Country. 

Value. 

Country. 

Value. 

1'iiited  States 

$72  000  000 

Russia 

$15  °00  000 

Briti:-l   i                    (estimated  for  1867). 

3,  000,  000 
10  000  000 

France,  Austria,  Saxony,  Spain.Italy, 

10  600  000 

Central  and  .South  America,  (estimated 
in  part  ) 

10  000  000 

Borneo  and  the  East  Indies,  China, 
Japan,  and  Ceut'l  Asia  (estimated!) 

10  000  000 

Australia  including  New  South  Wales, 

Africa,  (estimated)  ...  .  . 

i  ooo  oqp 

33  200  000 

New  Zealand  (estimated  for  1867*) 

6  000  000 

Total 

171  000  000 

>*Whitaey,  p.  89. 


t  Subject  to  revision. 


656  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

APPENDIX. 


INSTRUCTIONS  FROM  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  GENERAL  LAND  OFFICE 
TO  THE  REGISTERS  AND  RECEIVERS. 

DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  INTERIOR, 

General  Land  Office,  January  14,  1867. 

GENTLEMEN  :  Herewith  will  be  found  the  act  of  Congress,  approved  26th  July,  1866,  "  granting  the  right 
of  way  to  ditch  and  canal  owners  over  the  public  lands,  and  for  other  purposes. 

By  the  first  section  of  this  act  all  the  mineral  lands  of  the  United  States,  surveyed  and  unsurveyed,  are 
laid  open  to  "  all  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  to  those  who  have  declared  their  intention  to  become 
such  subject  to  statutory  regulations,"  and  also  "to  the  local  customs  or  rules  of  miners  in  the  several 
mining  districts  not  in  conflict  with  the  laws  of  the  United  States." 

It  therefore  becomes  your  duty,  in  limine,  to  acquaint  yourselves  with  the  local  mining  customs  and 
usac-es  in  the  district  in  which  you  may  be  called  upon  to  do  those  official  acts  which  are  required  by  law, 
whether  the  same  are  reduced  to  authentic  written  form,  or  arc  to  be  ascertained  by  the  testimony  of  intel- 
li«-ent  miners  which  you  are  to  obtain  as  occasion  may  require  and  justify,  in  acting  upon  individual  claims, 
aeperfect  record  whereof  is  to  be  carefully  taken  and  preserved  by  the  register  and  receiver,  and  to  be 
accompanied  by  a  diagram  or  plat  fixing  the  out  boundaries  of  the  district  in  which  such  customs  and 

U8The  second  section  of  the  act  declares  that  "whenever  any  person  or  association  of  persons  claim  a  vein 
or  lode  of  quartz  or  other  rock  in  place,  bearing  gold,  silver,  cinnabar,  or  copper,  having  previously  occu- 
pied and  improved  the  same  according  to  the  local  customs  or  rules  of  miners  in  the  district  where  the 
same  is  situated,  and  having  expended  in  actual  labor  and  improvements  thereon  an  amount  of  not  less 
than  one  thousand  dollars,  and  in  regard  to  whose  possession  there  is  no  controversy  or  opposing  claim,  it 
shall  and  may  be  lawful  for  said  claimant,  or  association  of  claimants,  to  file  in  the  local  land  office  a  dia- 
gram of  the  same,  so  extended  laterally  or  otherwise,  as  to  conform  to  the  local  laws,  customs,  and  rules  of 
miners,  and  to  enter  such  tract  and  receive  a  patent  therefor,  granting  such  mine,  together  with  the  right 
to  follow  such  vein  or  lode  with  its  dips,  angles,  and  variations,  to  any  depth,  although  it  may  enter  the 
land  adjoining,  which  laud  adjoining  shall  be  sold  subject  to  this  condition." 

Mining  claims  may  be  entered  at  any  district  land  office  in  the  United  States  under  this  law  by  any  per- 
son, or  association  of  persons,  corporate  or  incorporate.  In  making  the  entry,  however,  such  a  description 
of  the  tract  must  be  filed  as  will  indicate  the  vein  or  lode,  or  part  or  portion  thereof  claimed,  together  with 
a  diagram  representing,  by  reference  to  some  natural  or  artificial  monument,  the  position  and  location  of 
the  claim  and  the  boundaries  thereof,  so  far  as  such  boundaries  can  be  ascertained. 

First.  In  all  cases  the  number  of  feet  in  length  claimed  on  the  vein  or  lode  shall  be  stated  in  the  applica- 
tion filed  as  aforesaid,  and  the  lines  limiting  the  length  of  the  claim  shall,  also,  in  all  cases  be  exhibited  on 
the  diagram,  and  the  course  or  direction  of  such  cud  lines,  when  not  fixed  by  agreement  with  the  adjoining 
claimants,  nor  by  the  local  customs  or  rules  of  the  miners  of  the  district,  shall  be  drawn  at  right  angles  to 
the  ascertained  or  apparent  general  course  of  the  vein  or  lode. 

" •-  -     round  is  per- 

i  of  such  vein 
be  sufficient,  after 

giving  the  description  and  diagram  aforesaid,  to  state  the  fact  that  the  extent  of  such  vein  or  lode  cannot 
be  ascertained  by  actual  measurement,  but  that  the  said  vein  or  lode  is  bounded  on  each  side  by  the  walls  of 
the  same,  and  to  estimate  the  amount  of  ground  contained  between  the  given  end  lines  and  the  unascer- 
tained walls  of  the  vein  or  lode ;  and  in  such  case  the  patent  will  issue  for  all  the  land  contained  between 
such  end  lines  and  side  walls,  with  the  right  to  follow  such  vein  or  lode,  with  all  its  dips,  angles,  and  varia- 
tions, to  any  depth,  although  it  may  enter  the  laud  adjoining :  Provided,  The  estimated  quantity  shall  bo 
equal  to  a  horizontal  plane,  bounded  by  the  given  cud  lines,  and  the  walls  on  the  sides  of  such  vein  or  lode. 

Third.  "Where,  by  the  local  laws,  customs  or  rules  of  miners  of  the  district,  no  surface  ground  is  per- 
mitted to  be  occupied  for  mining  purposes,  except  the  surface  of  the  vein  or  lode,  and  the  walls  of  such  vein 
or  lode  are  ascertained  and  well  known,  such  wall  shall  be  named  in  the  description,  and  marked  on  the 
diagram,  in  connection  with  the  end  lines  of  such  claims. 

Fourth.  Where,  by  the  laws,  customs,  or  rules  of  miners  of  the  district,  a  given  quantity  of  surface 
ground  is  fixed  for  the  purpose  of  mining  or  milling  the  ore,  the  aforesaid  diagram  and  description  in  the 
entry  shall  correspond  with  and  include  so  much  of  the  surface  as  shall  be  allowed  by  such  laws,  customs, 
or  rules  for  the  purpose  aforesaid. 

Fifth.  In  the  absence  of  uniform  rules  in  any  mining  district  limiting  the  amount  of  surface  to  be  used 
for  mining  purposes,  actual  and  peaceable  use  and  occupation  for  mining  and  milling  purposes,  shall  be 
regarded  as  evidence  of  a  custom  of  miners  authorizing  the  same,  and  the  ground  so  occupied  and  used  in 
connection  with  the  vein  or  lode,  and  being  adjacent  thereto,  may  be  included  within  the  entry  aforesaid, 
and  the  diagram  shall  embrace  the  same  as  appurtenant  to  the  mine. 

Where  the  claimant  or  claimants  desire  to  include  within  their  entry  and  diagram  any  surface  ground 
beyond  the  surface  of  the  vein,  it  shall  be  necessary,  upon  filing  the  application,  to  furnish  the  register  of 
the  land  office  with  proof  of  the  usage,  law,  or  cus'tom  under  which  he  or  they  claim  such  surface  ground, 
and  such  evidence  may  consist  either  of  the  written  rules  of  the  miners  of  the  district,  or  the  testimony  of 
two  credible  witnesses  to  the  uniform  custom  or  the  actual  use  and  occupation  as  aforesaid,  which  testimony 
shall  be  reduced  to  writing  by  the  register  and  receiver,  and  filed  in  the  register's  office,  with  the  appli- 
cation, a  record  thereof  to  be  made  as  contemplated  under  the  first  head  in  the  foregoing. 

By  the  third  section  of  the  act,  it  is  required  that  upon  the  filing  of  the  diagram,  as  provided  in  the  second 
section,  and  posting  the  same  in  a  conspicuous  place  on  the  claim,  with  notice  of  intention  to  apply  for  a 
patent,  the  register  shall  publish  a  notice  of  the  same  in  a  newspaper  nearest  the  location  of  said  claim 
which  notice  shall  state  name  of  the  claimant,  name  of  mine,  names  of  adjoining  claimants  on  each  end  of 
the  claim,  the  district  and  country  in  which  the  mine  is  situated,  informing  the  public  that  application  has 
been  made  for  a  patent  for  same;  the  register  also  to  post  such  notice  in  his  office  for  ninety  days. 

Thereafter,  should  no  adverse  claim  have  been  filed,  and  satisfactory  proof  should  be  produced  that  the 
diagram  and  notice  have  been  posted  in  the  manner  and  for  the  period  stipulated  in  the  statute,  it  will 
become  the  duty  of  the  surveyor  general,  upon  application  of  the  party,  to  survey  the  premises,  and  make 
plat  thereof,  indorsed  with  his  approval,  designating  the  number  and  description  of  the  location,  -the 
value  of  the  labor  and  improvements,  and  the  character  of  the  vein  exposed.  As  preliminary  to  the  survey, 
however,  the  surveyor  general  must  estimate  the  expense  of  surveying,  plattintr,  and  ascertain  from  the 
register  the  cost  of  the  publication  of  notice,  the  amount  of  all  of  which  must  be  deposited  by  the  applicant  for 


WEST    OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  657 

survey  with  any  assistant  Fnited  States  treasurer,  or  designated  depositary  in  favor  of  the  United  States 
treasurer,  to  be  patted  to  the  credit  of  the  fund  ereated  by  "individual  depositors  for  the  surveys  of  the 
lauds."    Duplicate  certificates  of  such  deposits  must  be  tiled  with  the  surveyor  general  tor  trans- 


mission to  this  olliee,  as  in  the  case  of  deposits  for  surveys  of  public  lands  under  the  10th  section  of  the 

pproved  May  .50,  IH;-..',  and  joint  resolution  of  July  1,  l^ti-l. 
After  the  survey  thus  paid  for  shall  have  been  duly  executed,  and  the  plat  thereof  approved  by  the  styr- 


Uct  of  Congress  appn>ved  Ma\ 


vc'vor  general,  designating  the  number  and  the  description  of  the  location,  accompanied  by  his  official 
certificate  of  the  value  of  the- labor  and  Improvements,  and  character  of  the  vein  exposed,  with  the  testi- 
mony of  two  or  more  reliable  persons,  cognizant  of  the  facts  on  which  his  certificate  may  bo  founded,  as  to 
the  value  of  the  labor  and  improvements,  the  party  claiming  shall  file  the  same  with  the  register  and  receiver, 
and  thereupon  pay  to  the  said  receiver  .?."»  per  acre  for  t he  premises  embraced  in  the  survey,  and  shall  file 
with  those  officers  a  triplicate  certificate  of  deposit,  .showing:  the  payment  of  the  cost  of  survey,  plat,  and 
notice,  with  satisfactory  evidence,  which  shall  be  the.  testimony  of  at  least  two  credible  witnesses,  that  the 
diagram  and  notice  were  posted  on  the  claim  for  a  period  of  ninety  days,  as  required  by  law,  and  as  con- 
templated in  the  foregoing.  Thereupon  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  register  to  transmit  to  the  General  Land 
Office  said  plat,  survey  aiid  description,  with  the  proof  indorsed  as  satisfactory  by  the  register  and  receiver, 
so  thai  a  patent  may  issue  if  the  proceedings  are  found  regular,  but  neither  the  plat,  survey  description,  nor 
patent  shall  issue  for  more  than  one  vein  or  lode. 

The  unity  of  the  surveying  system  is  to  be  maintained  by  extending  over  the  mining  districts  the  rectan- 
gular method,  at  least  solar  as  township  lines  are  concerned. 

The  contemplated  surveys  of  the  mineral  lands  will  be  made  bv  the  district  deputies,  under  contracts, 
according  to  the  mode  adopted  in  the  survey  of  the  public  lands  ana  private  land  claims,  embracing  in  them 
all  such  veins  or  lodes  as  will  !*•  called  for  by  claimants  entitled  to  have  them  surveyed. 

In  consideration  of  the  very  limited  scope  of  surveying  involved  in  each  mining  claim,  the  per  mileage 
allowed  by  law  may  not  be  adequate  to  secure  the  services  of  scientific  surveyors,  and  hence  the  necessity 
Of  resorting  to  a  per  diem  principle,  it  being  the  most  equitable  under  the  circumstances. 

The  surveyor  general  is  therefore  hereby  authorized  to  Commission  resident  mineral  surveyors  for  differ- 
ent districts,  where,  isolated  from  each  other,  and  absolutely  inconvenient  for  one  surveyor  promptly  to 
attend  to  the,  several  calls  for  surveying  in  such  localities,  the  compensation  not  to  exceed  810  per  diem, 
including  all  expenses  incident  thereto.  Such  surveyors  shall  enter  into  bonds  of  §10,000  for  the  faithful 
performance,  of  their  duties  in  the  survey  of  such  claims  as  the  surveyor  general  may  be  required  to  execute 
in  pursuance  of  tins  aforesaid  law  and  these  instructions. 

Tli'-  fourth  section  contemplates  the  location  and  entry  of  a  mine  upon  unsurveyed  lands,  stipulating  for 
the  surveys  of  public  lands  to  be  adjusted  to  the  lines  of  the  claims,  according  to  the  location  ana  possession 
and  plat  thereof.  In  surveying  such  claims,  the  simTvor  general  is  authorized  to  vary  from  the  rectangular 
form  to  suit  the  circumstances  of  the  country,  local  rules,  laws,  customs  of  miners.  Tho  extent  of  the 
locations  made  from  and  after  the  passage  of  the  act  shall,  however,  not  exceed  200  feet  in  length  along  the 
vein  for  each  locator,  with  an  additional  claim  for  discovery  to  the  discoverer  of  the  lode,  with  the  right  to 
follow  such  vein  to  any  depth,  with  all  its  dips,  variations  and  angles,  together  wirti  a  reasonable  quantity 
of  surface  for  the  convenient  working  of  the  same  n.s  fixed  by  local  rules:  Frnniled,  no  person  may  make 
nime  than  one  location  on  the  same  lode,  and  no  more  than  3,000  feet  shall  bo  taken  in  anyone  claim  by  any 
association  of  persons 

The  deputy  surveyors  should  be  scientific  men,  capable  of  examining  and  reporting  fully  on  every  lode 
thev  will  survey,  and  to  bring  in  duplicate  specimens  of  the  ore,  one  of  which  you  will  send  to  this  office, 
and  the  other  the  surveyor  general  will  keep,  to  be  ultimately  turned  over  with  the  surveying  archives  to 
the  Stale  authorities. 

The  surveyors  of  mineral  claims,  whether  on  siirwj/rd  or  itntiirrri/rd  lands,  must  designate  those  claims 
by  a  progressive;  series  of  numbers,  beginning  with  No.  :!7,  so  as  to  avoid  interference  in  that  respect  with 
the,  regular  .s>'«-t  to/ml  series  of  numbers  in  each  township;  and  sliall  designate  the  four  corners  of  each  claim, 
where  the  side  lines  of  the  same  are  known,  so  that  such  corners  can  be  given  by  either  trees,  if  any  are- 
found  standing  in  place,  or  any  corner  rocks  exist  in  place,  or  posts  may  be  set  diagonally  and  deeply 
imbedded,  wiih  four  sides  facing  adjoining  claims,  sufficiently  fiattened  to  admit  of  inscriptions  thereon; 
but  when;  the  corners  are  unknown,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  place  a  well-built  solid  mound  at  each  end  of  the 
claim.  The  beginning  corner  of  the  claim  nearest  to  any  cornel's  of  the  public  -surveys  is  to  be  connected 
by  course  and  distance,  so  as  to  ascertain  the  relative  position  of  each  claim  in  reference  to  township  and 
range  when  tin;  same  have;  been  surveyed  ;  but  in  those  parts  of  the  surveying  district  where  no  such  lines 
have  as  yet  been  extended,  it  will  be  the,  duty  of  surveyors  general  to  have  the  same  surveyed  and  marked, 
at  least  so  far  as  standard  and  township  lines  are  concerned,  at  the  per  mileage  allowed,  so  as  to  embrace 
the  mineral  region,  and  to  connect  the  nearest  corners  of  the  mineral  claims  with  the  corners  of^the  public 
surveys. 

Should  it,  however,  he  found  impracticable  to  establish  independent  base  and  meridian  lines,  or  to  extend 
township  lines  over  the  region  containing  mineral  claims  required  to  be  surveyed  under  the  law.  then,  and 
in  that  ease,  you  will  cause  to  be  surveyed  in  the  first  instance;  such  a  claim,  the  initial  point  of  which  will 
star!  either  from  a  confluence  of  waters,  or  such  natural  and  permanent  objects  as  will  unmistakably  identify 
the  peiint  of  the  beginning  of  the  survey  of  the  claim  upon  which  other  surveys  will  depend. 

S''etie»n  ~>  provides  that  in  cases  where  the  laws  of  Congress  ore  silent  upon  the  subject  of  ruloa  for  working 
mines,  respecting  easements,  drainage-,  ami  other  necessary  means  to  the  complete  development  of  the  same, 
the  local  Legislature  of  any  State,  or  Territory  may  provide  them,  and  in  order  to  embody  such  enactments 
inte>  patents  yem  are  directed  to  communicate  any  such  laws  to  this  office. 

iemfi.  "  Should  adverse  claimants  to  any  niino  appear  before  the  approval  of  the  survey,  all  further 
dings  shall  be  stayed  until  a  final  settlement  and  adjudication  are  had  in  the  courts  of  the  right  of 
ion  to  such  claim,  except  where;  the;  parties  agree  to  settlement,  or  a  portion  of  the  premises  is  not  in 
dispute,  when  a,  patent  may  issue  as  in  other  cases. 

Seciiem  7  provieles  for  such  additional  land  districts  as  may  be  necessary. 

Section  K  for  the  right,  of  way. 

Se-ction  !>,  for  protection  of  rights  to  the  use  of  water  for  mining,  agricultural,  manufacturing,  or  other 
purposes;  for  the>  right  of  way  for  the  construction  of  ditches  and  canals;  and  makes  parties  constructing 
such  work  (after  the  passage  of  this  act,)  to  the  injury  of  settlers,  liable  in  damages. 

Seciion  1().  Homesteads  may,  prior  to  the  passage  of  this  act.  by  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  persons 
who  have-  declared  their  intention  te»  become  citizens,  but  on  which  lands  no  valuable  mines  of  gold,  silver, 
cinnabar.  e>r  copper  have;  been  discovered,  are  protected,  .so  that  settlers  or  owners  of  such  homesteads  shall 
have  a  right  of  pre-emption  thereto,  in  quantity  not  te>  e-xceed  160  acres,  at  $1  25  per  acre,  or  to  avail  them- 
selvcs  of  the  home'steael  act  and  acts  amendatory  thereof. 

Seetiem  1 1  stipulates  that  upon  the-  survey  of  the  lands  in  question  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  may  set 
apart  such  portions  as  are  clearly  agricultural,  and  thereafter  subjects  such  agricultural  tracts  to  pre-emption 
anel  sale,  as  either  public  lands. 

In  order  to  enable  the  department  properly  to  give  effect  to  this  section  of  the  law,  you  will  cause  your 
deputy  surveyors  to  describe  iu  their  field  notes  of  surveys,  in  addition  to  the  data  required  to  be  noted  in 

42 


658  RESOURCES    OF   STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 


the  printed  Manual  of  Surveying  Instructions,  on  pages  17  and  18,  the  agricultural  lands,  and  represent  tho 
same  on  township  plats  by  the  designation  of  "agricultural  lands." 

It  is  to  be  understood  that  there  is  nothing  obligatory  on  claimants  to  proceed  under  this  statute,  and  that 
where  they  fail  to  do  so,  there  being  no  adverse  interest,  they  hold  the  same  relations  to  the  premises  they 
may  be  working  which  they  did  before  the  passage  of  this  act,  with  the  additional  guarantee  that  they 
possess  the  right  of  occupancy  under  the  statute. 

The  foregoing  presents  such  views  as  have  occurred  to  this  office  in  considering  the  prominent  points  of 
the  8tatute;and  will  be  followed  by  further  instructions  as  the  rulings  in  actual  cases  and  experience  in  the 


administration  of  the  statute  may  from  time  to  time  suggest. 
Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

TJ.  S.  REGISTERS  AND  RECEIVERS  AND  SURVEYORS  GENERAL. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  INSTRUCTIONS. 

DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  INTERIOR,  GENERAL  LAJTD  OFFICE,  June  25, 1867. 

GENTLEMEN  :  In  the  preparation  of  forms  adapted  to  the  purchase  of  mineral  interests  under  tho  act  of  July 
2G,  ISfiG,  it  is  found  necessary,  in  connection  with  circular  of  January  14, 18G7,  to  direct  your  attention  to  tho 

1st.  Where  the  rules  of  miners  do  not  permit  ground  to  be  occupied,  except  the  surface  of  the  vein  or 
lode,  the  claims  presented  may  contain  less  than  an  acre  of  ground.  In  such  cases,  as  we  do  not,  in  regard 
to  rates,  deal  with  a  fraction,  the  price  of  $5  is  to  be  paid  for  the  same;  if  the  area  exceeds  that  quantity, 
$10;  if  more  than  two  acres,  $15,  and  so  on. 

2d.  In.  applications  for  mineral  claims  it  will  be  necessarf ,  where  a  claim  contains  less  than  one  acre,  thr  i 
the  agreement  expressed  should  be  to  pay  $5  for  the  claim. 

3d.  Should  a  party  appear  as  an  "adverse  claimant,"  as  contemplated  by  the  Gth  section  of  the  act,  you 
will  require  such  person  to  show  by  proof  the  claim  or  interest  he  may  have  in  the  mine ;  and  should  the  same 
be  satisfactory  to  you,  all  further  proceedings  will  be  stayed  until  a  final  settlement  and  adjudication  shall  bo 
had  ia  the  courts.  But  in  case  the  adverse  claimant,  after  proceedings  have  been  stayed,  shall  fail  to  insti- 
tute action  in  the  courts,  either  pending  or  at  their  next  ensuing  session,  with  a  view  to  the  final  adjustment 
of  the  claims,  you  will  proceed  with  the  case  as  if  no  objections  had  been  filed. 

4th.  You  wifi  enter  all  claims  under  the  act  in  separate  tract-books  from  those  used  for  agricultural  lands, 
dividing  the  books  into  townships  and  ranges,  allowing  about  eight  pages  to  each  township. 

For  the  present  you  will  use  the  blank  form  of  Abstracts  of  Land  Sold  and  Register  of  Receipts  in  report- 
ing returns,  making  such  slight  alterations  in  the  headings  as  the  coses  may  demand.  Should  it  be  found 
advisable  in  the  future  to  have  special  abstracts,  forms  will  DC  prepared  and  printed  and  a  supply  duly  trans- 
mitted to  you. 

You  will  commence  a  new  series  of  numbers  with  the  certificates — beginning  with  ~No.  1 — and  continue 
the  same  in  regular  order.  As  no  special  fee  is  provided  for  in  the  statute,  you  will  be  allowed  one  per  cent, 
each  on  amount  of  purchase-money,  as  in  cash  sales.  The  moneys  received  tor  these  claims  will  be  accounted 
for  in  the  receiver's  returns  as  cash  received  for  sale  of  mineral  claims. 

Forms  of  applications,  certificates,  and  receipts  are  being  printed,  and  a  supply  will  be  sent  as  soon  as 
possible. 

I  also  append  an  abstract  of  duties  prescribed  in  instructions  of  14th  January,  1867. 
Very  respectfully, 

JOS.  S.  WILSON,  Commissioner. 

REGISTER  AND  RECEIVER. 


ABSTRACT  OF  DUTIES. — The  following  is  an  abstract  of  the  duties  prescribed  in  mineral 
instructions  of  January  14,  18b7 : 

CLAIMANT.— To  post  a  notice  on  the  claim  giving  information  of  his  intention  to  apply  for  a  patent ;  to  filo 
a  diagram  with  the  register,  together  with  the  evidence  of  the  rules  of  miners  in  support  of  the  claim  and 
its  extent.  After  the  diagram  and  notice  have  been  posted  DO  days,  and  no- adverse  claim  filed,  the  claimant 
to  apply  to  surveyor  general  for  survey  of  the  claim,  deposit  the  amount  estimated  by  the  surveyor  general 
to  cover  the  expenses  of  the  survey,  platting,  and  notice  with  any  assistant  United  States  treasurer  or 
designated  deposi  tory  in  favor  of  the  United  States  Treasurer,  to  be  passed  to  the  credit  of  the  fund  created 
by  "Individual  Depositors  for  the  Surveys  of  the  Public  Lands,"  taking  duplicate  certificate  of  deposit — 
filing  one  with  surveyor  general,  to  be  sent  to  the  General  Land  Office,  and  retaining  the  other ;  and  when 
the  survey  is  approved  and  diagram  thereof,  together  with  the  surveyor  general's  certificate  as  to  improve- 


ments and  character  of  the  vein  exposed,  the  claimant  to  pay  to  the  receiver  the  price  of  the  claim. 
REGISTER  AND  RECEIVER.— To  examine  testimony  filed  by  claimant  showing  the  applicability  of 
rules  in  reference  to  the  extent  of  the  claim,  which  testimony  is  to  be  reduced  to  writing  and  filed  with  the 


claimant's  application  in  the  register's  office;  also  to  examine  the  returns  of  survey  approved  by  the 
surveyor  general  and  filed  by  the  claimant. 

RECEIVER.— To  receive  from  the  claimant  the  price  of  the  claim  on  his  filing  with  the  register  and  receiver 
the  approved  plat  and  certificate  of  the  surveyor  general  as  to  the  value  of  the  improvements  and  character 
of  vein  exposed,  based  on  testimony  by  two  reliable  witnesses. 

REGISTER'S  diagram  of  the  claim  being  filed  by  the  claimant,  the  register  shall  publish  a  notice  in  a  news- 
paper nearest  to  the  claim,  naming  the  mine,  claimant,  adjoining  claimants,  district,  and  county,  informing 
the  public  that  application  has  been  made  for  a  patent.  The  register  will  post  the  notice  in  his' office  for  90 
days,  and  on  the  publisher's  presenting  his  account  to  the  register  immediately  on  the  expiration  of  the  90 
days,  ho  will  transmit  it  to  the  surveyor  general ;  and  on  the  receipt  from  the  claimants  of  the  surveyor 
general's  certificate  of  the  improvements  on  the  claim,  together  with  plat  and  other  evidences  of  the  survey 
approved,  also  the  receiver's  receipt  for  the  payment  for  the  claim,  the  register  will  transmit  same,  with 
proof,  indorsed  by  register  and  receiver  as  satisfactory,  to  the  Commissioner  of  the  General  Laud  Oifice 
for  patent. 

SURVEYOR  GENERAL'S  duty  when  no  adverse  claim  is  filed,  proof  furnished  that  the  diagram  and  notice 
had  been  posted  for  90  days,  and  on  receiving,  also,  from  the  register  the  account  of  the  publisher  of  tho 
notice :  The  surveyor  general,  when  applied  to  by  the  claimant  for  the  survey  of  his  claim,  shall  estimate 
the_  expense  of  the  survey,  platting,  and  notice,  and  when  a  certificate  of  deposit  is  filed  with  him  by  the 
claimant,  he  shall  order  the  survey  to  be  made,  and  transmit  the  certificate  of  deposit  to  the  General  Land 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.  659 

Office.  "When  the  returns  of  survey  arc  made  to  the  surveyor  general's  office  ho  will  approve  the  same, 
hand  tlu-  necessary  evidence  thereof  to  the  claimant,  to  be  tiled  by  him  in  the  renter  and  receiver's  oilice 
for  examination  and  final  preparation  of  patent-certificate  by  the  register  for  transmission  to  the  Commis- 
sioner of  the  (Jeneral  Land  Ofiicc.  Tin-  surveyor  general  will  also  transmit  returns  of  the  survey  to  the 
Commissioner,  with  the  account  of  the  surveyor  and  that  of  the  publishers  of  the  notice,  for  direct  payment 
from  United  States  treasury  to  parties  entitled,  as  in  the  case  of  payments  made  out  of  the,  funds  deposited 
under  the  l()th  section,  of  the  act  of  Congress  approved  May  .'{'.»,  iMiJ.  and  joint  resolution,  of  June  1,  16b'4. 

LEGISLATION  IN  RRGARD  TO  THE  MINERAL  INTERESTS. — The  Commissioner  of  the  Gen- 
eral Land  Office,  in. his  annual  report  for  186G,  gives  the  following  condensed  summary  of 
the  legislation  by  Congress  in  regard  to  the  mineral  interests  : 

The  mineral  interests  in  the  public  lands  have  been  the  subject  of  legislation  during  a  period  of  81  years. 
The  ordinance  of  20th  of  Mav,  17,-."..  reserved  one-third  part  of  all  gold,  silver,  lead,  and  copper  mines ;  the 
act  of  lid  of  March,  18ii7,  dealt  with  lead  mines  ;  the  enactment  of  !).!  of  March,  18'J!),  authorized,  their  sale 
in  Missouri;  the  pre-emption  act  of  4th  of  September,  1841,  excluded  from  its  nrovisions  known  salines  or 
mines;  the  act  of  .July  1.  iMil.  requires  coal  lands  which,  as  mines,  arc  excluded  from  the  pre-emption  of 
.1841,  to  be  offered  at  120  minimum,  making  them  pre-emptible  at  that  rate. 

In  the  case  of  the  United  States  r.v.  dear,  :{  Howard,  184.'>,  it  was  held  that  it  was  not  intended  to  subject 
lead  mines  to  ordinary  sale  or  pre-emption  in  certain  districts  created  by  act  of  2(5th  of  June,  1834. 

In  Attorney  General's  opinion,  dated  April  IS.  184(>,  respecting  mineral  lands  on  Isle  Koynl.  in  Lake  Supe- 
yior,  it  was  Mated  that  "  salines,  gold,  silver,  lead,  and  copper  mines  "  were  reserved  for  "future  disposal  of 
Congress." 

The  act  of  July  11.  IHld.  required  the  lead  mines  in  Illinois.  Arkansas,  Missouri,  and  Iowa  to  be  offered, 
interdicting  pre-emption  until  after  offering,  and  then  at  a  minimum  of  $2  50  per  acre,  but  if  not  taken  at 
private  entry  within  a  year  of  the  public  sale,  to  bo  subject  to  sale  as  other  lands. 

The  act  of  l>t  of  March,  1847,  in  creating  the  Liike  Superior  district  and  directing  geological  survey, 
authori/es  the  sale  of  lands  containing  "copper,  lead,  or  other  valuable  ores."  with  *~i  per  acre  minimum. 

The  act  of  3d  of  March,  1847,  for  organi/ing  the  Chippewa  district,  "Wisconsin,  and  also  authori/ing 

geological  survey,  awards  the  privilege  of  purchase,  at  £">  per  acre,  to  occupants  at  the  date  of  the  law,  the 

;-ion  of  mines,  by  act  of  :M  of  March,  !.-•!'.».  having  been  transferred  to  the  S'-cretury  of  the  Interior. 

In  opinion  of  v>th  of  August.  IKV),  the  Attorney  General  held  that  lands  containing  ''iron  ore  merely" 
are  not  the  "  mineral  lands"  referred  to  in  the  -Jd  section  of  said  act  of  1st  of  March,  1847. 

I>y  i  lie  law  of  iJCth  of  September,  J8.V),  mineral  tracts  in  Lake  Superior  ami  Chippewa  districts  were  to  bo 
disposed  of  as  other  public  lands. 

The  act  of  September  27,  ].<•(».  creating  the  office  of  surveyor  general  of  Oregon  and  making  donations, 
excludes  "  mineral  lands"  or  reserved  salines.  My  the  treaty  of  li-.">l  with  IVru.  Peruvians  are  allowed  to 
Work  for  gold  In  California;  the  third  section  of  act  March:!,  l>~>:t.  for  the  surveys  in  that  State  allowing 
only  "township"  lines  to  be  extended  over  lands  mineral  or  unlit  for  cultivation;  the  sixth  section  except  iug 
mineral  tracts  from  pre-emption. 

The  act  of  July  i.':.',  18.">4,  establishing  the  offices  of  surveyors  general  of  Xew  Mexico,  Kansas,  and 
Nebraska,  exclude.-;  from  the  privileges  it  concedes  to  individuals  "mineral  or  school  lauds,  salines,  military 
or  other  reservations." 

Tin'  Attorney  General's  opinion  of  February  14,  1  H<!0,  states  that  Congress  had  not  then  made  any  pro- 
vision concerning  mineral  lands  in  California,  'except  rcseniug  from  pre-emption  and  donation. 

The  act  of  July  1,  !H<i4,  for  the  disposal  of  coal  land  and  town  property,  allows  coal  lauds  not  liable  under 
past  legislation  to  ordinary  private  entry  to  be  taken  or  pre-empted  at  *J!>  minimum  per  acre. 

The  act  of  July  4,  18i><>. 'giving  authority  for  varying  surveys  in  Nevada  from  "rectangular  form  to  suit 
the  circumstances  of  the  country.'  ivM-rves  from  sale,  "in  all  cases,  lands  valuable  for  mines  of  gold,  silver, 
quicksilver,  or  copper." 

The  last  and  most  important  expression  of  the  public  will  in  these  ropects  is  found  in  the  act  of  Congress 
approved  -Inlv  -Jii,  1  HI  It  I,  chapter  CCLXII.  which  declares  that  "  the  mineral  lands  of  the  public  domain,  both 
surveyed  and  unsnrveyed."  are  "  to  lie  free  and  open  to  exploration  and  occupation  by  all  citi/ens  of  the 
United  States,  mid  those  declaring  their  intention  to  become  citi/ens.  subject  to  such  regulations  as  may  be 
in-escribed  by  law,"  and  •'subject,  also,  to  the  local  customs  or  rules  of  miners  ill  the  several  mining  districts, 
to  far  as  the  same  may  uot  be' in  conflict  with  the  laws  of  the  United  States." 


IMPORTANCE  OF  A  NATIONAL  SCHOOL  OF  MINES. 

At  no  period  in  our  history  lias  there  existed  a  greater  necessity  for  an  increase  in  the  pro- 
duction of  bullion  than  at  present.  The  ablest  intellects  of  the  country  have  been  for  some 
time  past  directed  to  the  subject  of  our  financial  condition.  Already  numerous  schemes  have 
been  presented  to  Congress  for  the  maintenance  of  our  credit  at  home  and  abroad,  and  vari- 
ous projects  having  in  view  a  reduction  of  the  burden  of  taxation  will  doubtless  be  discussed 
during  the  present  session.  Considering  the  great  importance  of  the  mining  interest  in  this 
connection,  it  seems  singular  that  the  annual  decrease  in  our  product  of  bullion  for  the  last 
few  years  has  attracted  so  little  attention.  According  to  a  statement  in  the  President's  mes- 
sage, "  the  production  of  precious  metals  in  the  United  States  from  1849  to  1857,  inclusive, 
amount  to  $579, 000,000;  from  1858  to  1860,  inclusive,  to  $137,500,000;  and  from  1861 
to  1867,  inclusive,  to  $457,500,000 — making  the  grand  aggregate  of  products  since  1849, 
$1,174,000,000."  This  estimate  certainly  does  not  exceed  the  amount  actually  produced.* 
]>ut  the  returns  of  the  principal  mining  States  and  Territories  will  show  that  for  several  years 
past  there  has  been  a  gradual  decline. 

Thus  California  produced  in  1853  as  high  as  $57,330,030,  as  shown  by  the  manifest  of 
bullion  export  from  San  Francisco.  The  actual  production  for  that  year  probably  exceeded 
$60,000  000.  In  1865  the  yield  was  $30,986,530;  in  1866,  $26,500,000  ;  and  in  1867,  as  esti- 
mated, $25,000,000.  Nevada,  a  silver-producing  State,  has  increased  somewhat  during  the 
pust  three  years,  but  all  the  other  mining  States  and  Territories  have  fallen  off.  The  best 

*  The  special  commissioner,  in  his  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  (p.  6,)  estimates  the  total  product 
at  11,253,000,000. 


660  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 


186(5  less  than  $3,000,000 ;  and  the  probable  yield  for  1867  will  not  exceed  $2,500,000.  Ihe 
product  of  Idaho  for  1866  is  estimated  by  good  authorities  at  $8,000,000.  This  year  (18G7) 
it  scarcely  exceeds  $6,000,000.  Arizona  now  produces  comparatively  nothing.  Notwith- 
standing these  discouraging  facts,  so  far  from  any  diminution  in  the  source  of  supply,  recent 
explorations  have  developed  the  fact  that  our  great  mineral  belts  extend,  over  a  much  larger 
area  than  was  ever  before  supposed.  The  supply,  in  short,  is  inexhaustible.  As  yet  it  has 
scarcely  been  tapped.  Why,  then,  should  our  annual  product  be  on  the  decline  ?  Because, 
in  the  first  place  the  surface  diggings  very  soon  yield  their  maximum,  and  can  never  be 
relied  upon  as  a  permanent  source  of  supply ;  and  in  the  next,  vein  or  quartz  mining  is  of  slow 
development,  and  requires  capital  and  skill. 

Assuming  our  total  yield  for  3867  to  be,  in  round  numbers,  $/ 5, 000, 000,  and  the  average 
loss  arising  from  imperfect  systems  of  reduction  to  be  25  per  cent.,  we  have  a  total  loss  on 
gold  and  silver  combined  of  $£5,000,000.  By  the  judicious  application  of  science  to  the  busi- 
ness of  mining,  and  especially  to  the  treatment  of  the  ores,  at  least  $15,000,000  of  this  amount 
might  be  saved.  But  this  statement  of  loss  is  confined  to  ores  actually  taken  out  of  the 
ground  and  worked.  No  account  is  taken  of  the  vast  quantity  of  ore  cast  aside  as  too  poor 
to  justify  the  expense  of  working  under  the  present  costly  methods,  or  of  the  innumerable 
mineral  lodes  now  practically  valueless,  which,  in  any  country  possessing  first-class  mining 
schools,  would  be  inexhaustible  sources  of  wealth.  Nor  does  the  estimate  embrace  the 
immense  losses  to  which  miners  are  subject  from  the  erection  of  unsuitable  machinery  and 
from  ignorance  of  the  chemical  composition  of  the  ores  and  the  process  of  reduction  applica- 
ble to  each  class.  The  same  ores  are  worked  by  different  systems  in  mills  located  within  a 
stone's  throw  of  each  other,  and  yet  no  record  is  kept  of  the  depth  from  which  they  are  taken, 
what  the  yield  is  by  one  system  as  compared  with  another,  or  under  what  combination  of 
circumstances  the  best  results  are  obtained.  On  the  Comstock  lode  500  tons  of  ore,  it  is  said, 
are  worked  daily  with  the  aid  of  blue  vitriol  and  salt,  at  an  expense  for  these  two  articles 
alone  of  $118,800  per  annum.  Some  mills  use  double  as  much  on  the  same  kind  and  quantity 
of  ores  as  others.  Who  can  tell  the  result?  Both  cannot  be  right,  and  yet  the  mine  and 
mill  owners  have  a  direct  pecuniary  interest  in  knowing  why  and  to  what  end  these  things 
are  done. 

With  all  the  experience  gained  in  the  treatment  of  silver  ores  since  the  discovery  of  the 
Comstock  lode,  there  are  still  many  important  questions  to  be  solved.  This  can  only  be  done 
by  experiments  systematically  conducted,  and  by  repeated  and  careful  comparisons  of  prac- 
tical results.  Among  the  subjects  for  investigation,  and  the  questions  which  either  cannot 
be  or  have  not  been  determined  by  private  enterprise,  are  the  following,  submitted  by  the 
distinguished  metallurgist,  Mr.  Guido  Kiistel : 

1.  Whether  the  use  of  blue  vitriol  in  iron  pans,  for  the  purpose  of  decomposing  silver  ores,  is  necessary; 
and,  if  so,  in  what  proportion,  and  with  reference  to  what  sifver  combinations  ?    Gould  &  Curry  mill  alone 
spent  $17,588  for  blue  vitriol,  in  1866,  on  36,000  tons  of  ore.    The  same  mine  expended  $35,000  for  quicksilver. 
A  great  part  of  the  loss  in  quicksilver  is  due  to  the  use  of  blue  vitriol.    The  question  is,  whether  this  loss 
was  justified  by  the  gain  in  silver,  and  to  what  extent  that  gain  resulted  from  the  chemical  action  of  tho 
vitriol  on  sulphurets  ?    There  are  no  figures  to  solve  this  problem.    Taking  the  low  estimate  of  500  tons  of 
Comstock  ore  worked  daily  with  the  use  of  blue  vitriol  and  salt,  and  comparing  the  consumption  of  these 
chemicals  in  the  Gould  &  Ci 

iO  days,  it  would  be  equs 

s.    Now,  it  is  more  than  t 

TO-thirds  of  this  expense. 

ore,  taken  from  the  same  depths  and  sometimes  from  the  same  mines.  Both  cannot  be  right.  The  product 
alone  does  not  determine  the  question.  Expense  must  be  considered ;  but  at  present  there  is  no  comparison 
of  results,  nor  is  there  any  way  of  arriving  at  the  facts  from  the  books  of  the  mills. 

2.  Whether  the  addition  of  salt  for  the  same  purpose  is  required  ?  Gould  &  Curry  expended  for  this  article 
alone,  in  1866,  $10,943.    Contradictory  views  are  entertained  on  this  subject,  but  there  is  no  exact  data  upon 
which  to  determine  the  question  satisfactorily. 

3.  Whether  the  iron  pan  decomposes  silver  ores  for  itself,  without  quicksilver ;  and,  if  it  does,  what  kind 
of  silver  ores  ? 

4.  Which  process  of  amalgamation  for  silver  ore  is,  for  the  length  of  time  and  expense,  most  economical — 
barrel  or  pan  amalgamation  ?  and  what  is  the  loss  of  quicksilver  in  both  cases,  and  the  comparative  loss  in 
each  ? 

5.  To  determine  which  of  the  various  methods  of  extracting  gold  from  its  ores  now  or  heretofore  prac- 
ticed in  the  United  States  is  the  best,  and  whether  better  methods  exist  in  Europe,  South  America,  Mexico, 
or  elsewhere. 

6.  What  method  of  concentration  is  most  proper  and  economical  with  reference  to  different  ores ;  what 
machines  are  best ;  what  is  the  comparative  efficiency  of  different  machines  and  inventions  ?    What  is  the 
motive  power  required,  and  the  wood  and  water  consumption  of  each  1    In  Austria,  under  authority  and 
at  the  expense  of  the  government,  special  attention  is  given  to  the  solution  of  all  such  questions  as  these  ; 
also,  to  some  extent,  in  Saxony.    The  best  and  only  work  on  concentration  was  published  in  Vienna ;  another 
is  in  course  of  preparation  at  Freiberg.    "No  independent  work  of  this  kind,  devoted  specially  to  this  sub- 
ject, exists  in  the  English  language.*  , 

The  Hale  &  Norcross  mine,  one  of  the  best  managed  on  the  Comstock  lode,  had  a  lot  of 
15.639  tons  of  ore  worked  at  14  different  mills  during  a  portion  of  the  past  and  present  year, 
the  assay  value  of  which,  according  to  their  books,  was  $465,190  in  gold;  $822,942,  silver; 

*Mr.  Kustel  has  since  published  at  San  Francisco  a  very  able  and  elaborate  work  on  Concentration. 


WEST    OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  6G1 


total,  $1,288,132;  amount  produced,  $$7,157,  gold;  $419,819,  silver;  total,  omitting  frac- 
tions, $81(5,1)75:  loss,  $471,155.  [See  section  XVII,  table;  No.  2,  p.  376.]  This  is  a  favor- 
able example  of  the  work  done  on  the  Comstock  lode.  Not  more  than  Co  per  cent,  is  saved 
on  an  average  of  all  the  ores  worked.  The  returns  indicate  a  yield  this  year  of  at  least 
$17,000,000.  A  loss  of  35  per  cent,  would  be  $9,353,840.  This  is  remarkable  on  a  single 
lode.  No  nation  on  earth  can  furnish  such  an  example  of  extravagance.  The  percentage 
of  loss  on  gold  throughout  the  Pacific  States  and  Territories  is  not  so  great  as  on  silver,  but 
it  is  quite  sufficient  to  merit  the  most  serious  consideration. 

The  experts  engaged  in  our  mines  are  nearly  all  foreigners  ;  we  send  our  young  men  to  the 
schools  ot  Freiberg,  Berlin,  Paris,  Scbemnitz,  and  elsewhere  in  Europe,  to  learn  that  which 
they  could  much  better  learn  at  home,  if  we  had  institutions  equally  thorough  and  compre 
hensive.  And  why  should  we  not  have  such  institutions  ?  Our  mineral  resources  are  of  far 
greater  magnitude  and  value  than  those  of  any  other  country.  Are  we,  a  progressive  people 
in  all  other  respects,  to  lack  in  this  ?  Whilst  we  are  losing  35  percent,  of  the  product  of  our 
richest  mineral  lode  by  inefficient  systems  of  working,  the  entire  loss  in  amalgamation,  accord- 
ing to  Inspector  Winkler,  in  the  treatment  of  the  Freiberg  ores  —  which  are  far  poorer  and 
more  rebellious  than  those  of  the  Comstock  —  ranges  from  five  to  nine  per  cent.  Allowing 
for  the  difference  in  the  cost  of  labor  and  material,  and  for  the  higher  rates  of  interest  on 
capital  in  our  country,  this  shows  a  remarkable  contrast  between  the  results  of  misdirected 
energy  and  the  judicious  application  of  science  to  the  practical  details  of  mining  and  metal- 
lurgy. 

Mr.  Rossiter  W.  Raymond,*  editor  of  the  American  Journal  of  Mining,  says: 

Statesmen  recognize  the  fact  that  many  things  must  be  done  by  the  government  which  would  otherwise  not 
be  done  at  all  :  that  the.  interests  of  education,  industry,  and  commerce  in  every  part  of  a  nation  are  of  vital 
importance  to  the  whole  people,  and  that  a  wise  discivt  ion  in  such  matters  is  better  than  blind  adherence  to  any 
political  rule.  Of  course,  it  is  difficult  to  draw  the  line  between  judicious  and  injudicious  legislation  in  these 
directions.  It  is  always  easier  to  be  consistent  than  to  be  wise.  There  is  no  general  standard  which  can  be 
applied  ;  every  case  must  be  judged  upon  its  own  merits,  and  full  and  thorough  discussion  must  give  the  answer 
to  two  all-important  questions  :  first,  is  the  proposed  end  one  which  concerns  the  whole  nation,  or  onlv  a  part 
of  it  ?  and  second,  can  the  benefit  desired  be  obtained  as  well,  or  at  nil,  by  local  legislation  or  individual  enter- 
prise » 

Mining  and  agriculture  are  the  two  productive  industries  upon  which  the  wealth  of  the  world  is  based. 
Strictly  speaking  agriculture  is  the  most  important,  since  without  it  men  could  not  exist  ;  yet  mining  is  almost 
as  essential,  since  without  it  there  could  be  no  civilization,  and  men  would  only  exist  as*  savages.  There  is 
this  difference  between  the  two,  that  the  products  of  mining  are,  in  general,  far  more  imperishable,  and.  in 
proportion  to  their  first  cost,  of  greater,  because  of  more  prolonged,  use  to  mankind.  After  centuries  of  till- 
ing the  soil,  men  have  no  more  to  eat  than  at  first,  and  bad  crops  bring  famine  and  distress.  The  benefits 
of  mining,  on  the  other  hand,  arc  cumulative  and  perpetual.  AVho  can  estimate  the  blessings  diffused  by  a 
ton  of  iron,  mined,  smelted,  cast  or  wrought  into  forms  of  beauty  and  usefulness,  serving  for  generations 
the  needs  of  men,  and  repeatedly  reformed,  and  reappearing,  as  by  a  material  metempsychosis  to  enter  upon 
new  periods  of  beneficence?  More  difficult  still  is  it  to  measure  the  importance  of  gold  and  silver,  the  pro- 
duction of  which,  aside  (Vom  their  intrinsic  value  and  their  application  in  the  arts,  is  so  snblly  connected 
with  the  prolbundest  problems  of  commerce  and  political  economy.  Philosophers  tell  us  that  if'wc  produce 
and  manufacture  largely,  it,  is  no  matter  whether  we  have  plenty  of  money  or  not  :  money  is  nothing  but  a 
medium  of  exchange,  and,  when  it  is  scarce,  prices  will  be  nominally  "low,  while  an  'increase  of  money 
nominally  raises  them,  without  altering  the  real  relations  of  labor  and  wealth.  But  history  and  daily  expe- 
rience tell  a  different  story.  They  show  us  that  the  world's  accepted  medium  of  exchange  must  bear  a  cer- 
tain relation  to  the  world's  amount  of  business;  and  that,  in  spite  of  all  contrivances  of  credit,  barter,  aud 
paper  money,  the  supply  of  the  precious  metals  is  of  vital  importance  to  all  commercial  nations.  This  con- 
viction is  the  source  of  the  universal  principle  of  law  that  the  mineral  resources  of  a  country,  especially  its 
mines  of  gold  and  silver,  are  the  property  of  the  whole  country—  represented  in  some  states  by  the  crown, 
and  in  others  by  the  general  government.  Wo  have  no  fault  to  find  with  the  American  doctrine  on  that  sub- 
ject, which  throws  open  to  individual  enterprise  these  sources  of  national  wealth,  but  it  is  a  question  whether 
individuals  should  be  allowed  to  ruin,  by  ignorant  and  wasteful  management,  the  endowment  which  nature 
has  established  for  succeeding  ages  as  well  as  the  present,  and  of  which,  in  a  certain  sense,  we  are  the  trustees 
for  posterity.  It  is  by  no  means  Indifferent  to  us  all,  whether  the  mines  of  the  West  are  skilfully  and  eco- 
nomically worked  or  not,  whether  $.<MKX),000  of  silver  a  year  arc  lost,  never  to  be  recovered,  by  the  methods 
of  treating  the  ores  of  the  Comstock  lode,  whether  fivo  dollars  arc  wasted  for  every  dollar  extracted  from 
the  sulphurets  of  Colorado.  These  losses  are  so  much  robbery  of  our  children  ;  and  it  is  eminently  within 
the  province  of  the  government  to  preserve  the  mineral  resources  of  the  country,  just  as  it  will  be  impera- 

' 


tively  called  upon,  before  many  years  have  passed,  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  'its  timber.  Statistics  show 
that,  for  several  years,  our  production  of  gold  and  silver  has  been  declining.  There  is  no  great  cause  for 
alarm  in  this  fact  alone.  The  years  of  greatest  production  were  those  in  which  superficial  deposits  were 
worked  by  rude  methods,  and  siuco  that  time  the  business  of  mining  has  grown  more  difficult  and  expen- 
sive, while  the  number  of  miners  has  grown  smaller.  It  is  not  the  diminished  production,  but  the  increased 
waste,  which  is  alarming.  All  the  indications  are  that  individual  mine  owners  will  not,  or  cannot,  reform 
this  evil.  They  lack  the  necessary  knowledge,  aud  the  means  of  obtaining  it.  In  vain  our  young  men  crowd 
the  excellent  schools  of  Paris,  Freiberg,  and  Berlin.  They  need  years  of  instruction  here  to  make  their 
European  education  available  ;  for  those  branches  of  metallurgy  which  are  most  widely  practiced  in  this 
country  are  the  ones  most  scantily  known  and  taught  in  Europe^ 

Information  is  the  least  debt  which  the  government  owes  to  its  citizens  engaged  in  this  work.  And  there 
is  a  special  reason  why  this  information  should  bo  nationally  given.  The  difficulties  and  interests  of  mines 
are  universal.  The  man  Avho  is  crushing  quartz  in  Vermont  and  the  man  who  is  crushing  quart/  in  Cali- 
1  forma  would  gladly  have  a  common  centre  for  the  exchange  of  their  experiences  and  the  instruction  of  their 
ignorance.  The  farmers  of  the  land  need  such  an  institution  much  less,  yet  they  have  it  in  the  Agricultural 
Bureau.  To  a  Bureau  of  Mining,  under  competent  direction,  there  is  no  reasonable  objection,  except  one. 
An  efficient  Bureau  of  Mining  is  an  impossibility.  In  the  first  place,  its  location  at  Washington  would 
defeat  its  object;  and  its  location  away  from  Washington  would  deprive  it  of  the  distinctive  character  and 
dependence  of  a  bureau,  and  leave  it  without  any  individuality  or  vigor  at  all.  In  the  second  place,  a 

*  Recently  appointed  special  commissioner  for  the  collection  of  mining  statistics,  vice  J.  Ross  Browne, 
appointed  minister  to  China, 


662  RESOURCES    OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES. 

bureau  is  not  a  progressive  institution.  The  best  savant  in  the  world,  put  into  a  bureau,  is  liable  to  crys- 
filli/c  just  whore  he  is,  and  never  grow  any  more.  The  only  way  to  secure  vitality  and  progress  in  sucli  tin 
establishment  is  to  make  it  a  school.  Only  a  school  can  be  in  constant  communication  with  practical  men. 
People  will  not  spontaneously  write  to  a  mere  bureau,  but  the  graduates  of  a  school  keep  up  relations  with 
their  former  comrades  and  teachers  as  long  as  they  live. 

If  then  the  government  is  to  spread  among  the  people  that  necessary  information  on  the  subject  of 
minin"  and  metallurgy,  the  slow  acquisition  of  which  is  costing  us  so  many  millions  every  year,  and 
wasting  our  resources  for  the  years  to  come,  there  is  no  better  way  than  to  establish  such  a  school  as  Sen- 
ator  Stewart  proposes,  and  make  it,  as  it  ought  to  be,  the  foremost  in  the  world. 

The  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  deems  the  establishment  of  a  national  mining  school  a 
matter  of  sufficient  importance  to  give  it  favorable  notice  in  his  recent  report.  After  detailed 
reference  to  the  labors  of  the  special  commissioner  he  says : 

Under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  such  a  drain  upon  our  resources  as  that  to  which  attention  i.s 
now  called  would  appear  to  demand  the  serious  consideration  of  government.  The  special  commissioner 
recommends,  as  the  only  possible  remedy,  the  establishment  at  some  central  point  west  of  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains of  a  national  mining  school,  organized  upon  comprehensive  principles,  analogous  in  its  general  design 
and  scope  to  the  great  mining  schools  of  Europe.  By  the  concentration  of  scientific  experience  upon 
the  processes  of  mining  and  metallurgy,  and  the  analytical  and  working  tests  that  could  be  applied  to 
the  different .  oms,  where  individual  enterprise  has  so  long  and  so  signally  failed,  it  is  believed  the  results 
would  be  beneficial.  Without  assuming  to  suggest  by  what  means  this  object  could  be  best  accomplished, 
the  Secretary  deems  it  due  to  the  enterprising  pioneers  of  the  west,  who  have  opened  up  a  vast  empire  to 
settlement  and  civilization,  that  their  wishes,  as  represented  by  the  commissioner,  should  meet  with  the 
most  favorable  consideration.  Whatever  can  be  done  to  promote  their  welfare  will  be  u  national  benefit, 
and  none  will  question  that  the  tendency  of  scientific  institutions  is  to  strengthen  the  bonds  of  interest  and. 
sympathy  between  a  people  separated  by  a  diversity  of  pursuits  and  the  circumstances  of  their  geographical 
position. 

Differences  of  opinion  may  exist  as  to  the  means  proposed,  but  it  cannot  be  denied  that 
the  Secretary's  views  on  the  subject  are  just  and  liberal,  and  merit  the  favorable  considera- 
tion of  Congress. 

A  policy  is  presented,  in  the  bill  recently  introduced  by  Mr.  Stewart  of  Nevada,  which 
it  is  estimated  will  increase  the  annual  bullion  product  to  more  than  $200,000,000 
within  a  few  years.  Now  is  the  time  for  intelligent  action  on  the  subject.  The  Pacific 
railroad  is  opening  up  direct  and  easy  communication  with  the  great  interior  of  the  conti- 
nent. Our  mineral  resources  are  practically  without  limit.  More  than  nine-tenths  of  the 
mines  discovered  and  proved  to  be  valuable  are  now  lying  dormant.  The  question  is,  wili 

fovernment  lend  its  aid  to  their  development,  or  be  content  to  ignore  this  great  interest  ? 
o  far,  individual  energy  has  failed  to  accomplish  the  objects  contemplated  in  Mr.  Stewart's 
bill.  Possibly  the  miners  may  be  more  successful  hereafter  than  they  have  been  for  the  past 
two  or  three  years  ;  but  the  history  of  mining  in  other  countries  does  not  sustain  that  hope 
with  reference  to  a  more  profitable  treatment  of  the  ores,  or  to  the  development  of  mineral 
lodes  now  unproductive,  or,  indeed,  to  any  of  the  objects  designed  to  bo  accomplished  by 
the  establishment  of  a  national  school  of  mines.  It  is  clear,  then,  that  unless  some  action  is 
taken  on  the  subject  by  our  government,  past  experience  does  not  warrant  us  in  expecting 
an  increase  of  the  bullion  product  in  the  future. 

Mr.  Louis  A.  Garnett,  formerly  melter  and  refiner  in  the  United  States  branch  mint,  and 
at  present  manager  of  the  San  Francisco  Assaying  and  Refining  Works,  says,  in  a  printed 
letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  that  it  costs  in  labor  alone  $1  80  for  every  dollar  pro- 

upon  a  product 
the  mines  at  $4 

day  for  250  days,  woufd  probably  be  nearer  the  facts.  This  would  give  a  result  of 
$50,000,000  as  the  cost  for  labor  alone.  Add  for  current  expenses  of  management,  wear  and 
tear  of  machinery,  material,  &c.,  $25,000,000,  and  you  have  a  total  cost,  without  calculating 
interest  on  capital,  of  $75,000,000  to  produce  $75,000,000,  the  maximum  estimate  for  this 
year  ;  in  other  words,  it  costs  a  dollar  to  produce  a  dollar.  "  Upon  what  principle  of  politi- 


good  policy  to  apply  the  tax  in  such  a  way  as  to  increase  the  product  of  bullion ;  still  better, 
to  take  the  tax  off  altogether,  and  make  a  direct  and  liberal  appropriation  to  carry  out  the 
object  of  Mr.  Stewart's  bill. 

While  many  attach  great  value  to  a  national  school  of  mines,  there  are  some  who  cannot 
see  why  government  might  not  as  well  establish  a  school  of  agriculture,  or  a  school  of  com- 
•merce,  or  a  school  of  commercial  navigation.  In  answer  to  this  it  may  be  said  that  there  is 
a  bureau  in  the  Treasury  Department  specially  designed  to  promote  the  interests  of  com- 
merce and  navigation.  The  Coast  Survey,  the  Light-house  Board,  the  Consular  System, 
the  Board  of  Steam  Boiler  Inspectors,  are  all  carried  on  at  government  expense  for  the  ben- 
efit of  commerce  and  navigation.  The  Bureau  of  Statistics  is  an  important  aid  to  commerce 
aud  navigation.  Surely  these  great  interests  have  no  cause  to  complain.  What  has  gov- 
ernment done,  on  any  scale  commensurate  with  these  expensive  branches  of  the  public 
service,  to  promote  the  interest  of  mining  ?  Congress  has  already  established  a  Department 
ot  Agriculture,  and  provided  by  donations  of  land  for  "schools  of  agriculture  and  the 
mechanic  arts."  But  no  mining  school  has  been  established  by  any  of  the  States  or  Terri- 
tories under  the  act  of  1862.  California  is  about  to  establish  a  State  university,  in  which 


WEST   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  663 

there  will  probably  be  a  department  for  instruction  in  mining,  as  in  some  of  the  colleges  of 
the  east,  with  which  this  donation  has  been  consolidated.  Something,  of  course,  will  be 
gained  by  such  elementary  instruction,  but  these  miscellaneous  institutions  can  never  prove 
a  substitute  for  a  great  central  mining  school,  devoted  exclusively  to  mining.  As  for  com- 
merce, it  will  take  care  of  itself,  with  all  other  schools  for  the  promotion  of  industry  and  the 
products  of  the  earth  to  sustain  it. 

Senator  Stewart,  in  his  able  and  elaborate  speech  of  January  16,  1868,  says : 

Our  mines  are  the  heritage  of  the  whole  nation,  bought  ami  retained  at  the  expense  of  common  blood  and 
trcasun-.  Tin'  nation  is  interested  in  making  them  available  for  great  and  beneficial  purposes.  A  debt  of 
prat i tnde  is  due  to  the  pioneer  who  has  discovered  the  hidden  wealth  of  that  recently  unknown  region  of 
the  Kocky  and  Sierra  Nevada  mountains.  It  is  but  just  that  the  mines  should  bo  free' to  him.  He  must  be 
rewarded  for  his  risks  and  sacrifices  or  others  will  cease  to  explore,  and  discoveries  of  the  precious  metals 
will  terminate,  lint  it  is  vandalism  to  require  men  to  learn  the  ail  of  mining,  not  only  at  the  sacrifice  of 
their  o\vn  labor  and  time,  but  at  the  expense  of  millions  of  dollars  in  waste  of  the  richest  ores,  while  the 
experience  of  mankind  is  of  record  and  could  be  made  available  to  all  by  means  of  a  common  centre  of 
mining  intelligence  and  instruction.  * 

Then;  is  another  important  argument  in  favor  of  the  development  of  our  mines.  The  region  of  country 
in  which  they  are  situated  is  far  removed  from  market,  and  the  agricultural  resources  of  themselves  are 
insuflicient  to  induce  .settlements  and  the  development  of  the  fertile  valleys  and  arable  lands  which  we  liiul 
interspersed  among  the  mountains  and  deserts.  The  mines  furnish  a  readv  market,  enhance  the  value  of 
the  lands,  build  up  agricultural  communities,  induce  the  construction  of  railroads  and  other  internal 
improvements,  cause  the  erection  of  manufactories,  school-houses,  and  churches,  and  attract  all  the  advan- 
tages of  civili/ed  society.  It  is  highly  important  that  these  mountain  valleys  should  be  inhabited.  They 
we  more  healthful  and  invigorating  for  the  habitations  of  men  than  anv  other  portions  of  the  United  States. 
There  civilization  and  free  institutions  will  prosper.  We  want  the  Pacific  and  the  Atlantic  united  by  a 
continuous  line  of  population  as  well  as  by  railroads  and  other  artificial  channels  of  communication. 

It  is  unsafe  for  the  Pacific  slope,  with  its  genial  climate,  unbounded  resources,  and  vast  commercial 
advantages,  soon  to  be  inhabited  by  many  millions  of  men,  to  be  separated  from  the  Atlantic  by  hundreds 
of  miles  of  uninhabited  country.  The  prosperity  of  the  mining  interests  is  the  only  means  that  will  induce 
settlement  of  the  intervening  space  and  secure  its  development. 

The  following  extracts  from  various  eminent  authorities  are  cited  in  support  of  the  pro- 
posed national  school  of  mines  : 

It  is  with  indescribable  regret  that  I  have  seen  the  youth  of  the  United  States  migrating  to  foreign  coun- 
tries, in  order  to  acquire  the  higher  branches  of  erudition,  and  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  the  sciences. 
Although  it  would  be  injustice  to  pronounce  the  certainty  of  their  military  maxims  not  congenial  with 
republicanism,  it  must  nevertheless  be  admitted  that  a  serious  danger  is  encountered  bv  sending  about 
among  other  political  systems  those  who  have  not  well  learned  the  value  of  their  own.  (President  Wash- 
ington to  Hubert  I'.rook'e,  esq.) 

This  species  of  establishment  contributes  doubly  to  the  increase  of  improvement  by  stimulating  to  enter- 
prise and  experiment,  and  bv  drawing  to  a  common  centre  the  results  everywhere  of  individual  skill  and 
observation,  and  spreading  tliem  thence  over  the  whole  nation.  Experience  accordingly  has  shown  that 
they  are  very  cheap  instruments  of  immense  national  benefit.  (President  Washington's  speech  to  both 
booses  of  Congress,  December  7,  !?:>»;.) 

It  is  a  consolation  to  observe  that  under  every  /one  the  cultivation  of  science  and  art  establishes  a  certain 
equality  among  men,  and  obliterates,  fur  a  time  at  least,  all  those  petty  passions  of  which  the  effects  are  so 
prejudicial  to  social  happiness.  ( Karon  llnmboldt.) 

Settled  by  the  hard  labor  «>f  human  hands,  they  [the  regions  of  the  West]  are  now  to  be  settled  by  the 
labor-saving  arts,  bv  machinerv,  bv  the  steam  engine,  and  bv  internal  improvements.  Hitherto  the  work  to 
lie  done  was  that  which  nothing  "but  the  tough  sinews  of  the  arm  of  man  could  accomplish.  (Edward 
Everett's  Orations  and  Speeches,  vol.  1.) 

Industrial  enterprise  is  everywhere  stimulated ;  the  paths  of  adventure  arc  opened;  the  boundless  west 
prevents  tin- older  settlements  from  being  overstocked,  and  gives  scope  for  an  unlimited  development  of 
energy.  Education  is  wanted  to  enlighten  and  direct  these  active,  moving  powers.  Without  it,  much  wild 
vigor  "will  be  exerted  in  vain.  Energy  alone  is  not  enough;  it  must  be  turned  to  feasible  objects,  and  work 
by  sound  principles.  (Edward  Everett's  Orations,  vol.  U.) 

"The  history  of  the  progress  of  the  human  mind  shows  us  that,  for  want  of  a  diffusion  of  scientific  know- 
ledge among" practical  men,  great  evils  haveresnlted.  both  to  science  and  practice.  (Edward  Everett,  vol.  1.) 

If  to  the  ingenuity  of  the  Xew  World,  the  thoroughness,  the  patience,  and  the  science  of  the  Old  could 
be  added,  far  greater  results  might  be  expected  than  those  we  now  attain.  (Xorth  American  lleview.) 

Private  establishments  are  defective  in  their  constitution,  limited  in  their  operation,  and  incapable,  from 
their  very  nature,  of  developing  and  directing  and  rewarding  the  indigenous  talent  of  the  country.  They 
are  under  no  obligation  to  do  tne  scientific  work  of  the  State,  or  to  promote  any  of  those  national  objects 
which  are  intrusted  to  the  organised  institutions  of  other  lauds.  (Sir  David  Brewster,  address  before  the 
Uritish  Association,  July  31,  1850.) 

It  is  onlv  experience,  aided  bv  science,  that  is  rapid  in  development  and  certain  in  action.  (Lyon  Play- 
fair,  C,  B.,  F.  11.  S.) 

Mining  schools  have  long  existed  in  France,  Russia,  Prussia.  Saxony.  Austria,  Spain,  Sweden,  and  other 
Countries  even  less  connected  with  mining;  and  their  practical  value  is  recognized  by  the  fact  that  the 
respective  governments  of  these  states  have  found  it  necessary  to  develop  still  further  the  educational 
resources  of  such  institutions.  The  want  of  similar  establishments  in  this  country  has  long  been  felt  in 
mining  districts,  and  lias  been  expressed  both  in  Parliament  and  in  memorials  addressed  to  the  government. 
In  the  report  of  the  committee  of  the  House  of  Lords,  (1849,)  the  committee  observed  that  "among  those 
best  qualified  to  speak  upon  this  point,  a  want  appears  to  be  felt  of  facilities  for  acquiring: mining  education, 
such  as  provided  by  the  mining  schools  and  colleges  established  in  the  principal  mining  districts  of  the  con- 
tinent, apparently  "with  the-  most  beneficial  effect."  (Prospectus  government  school  of  mines,  London, 
1852-3.) 

Looking  at  the  class  of  men  who,  in  this  kingdom,  are  intrusted  with  the  direction  of  collieries  and  mines, 
we  find  them,  in  general,  characterised  by  a  remarkable  degree  of  energy  and  intelligence;  and  yet  it  can- 
not be  denied  that  independently  of  the  losses  entailed  by  the  uncertainty  of  mineral  veins,  large  sums  arc 
yearly  squandered  on  ill-judged,  and  sometimes  even  absurd  speculations,  which  a  greater  amount  of  expe- 
rience on  the.  part  of  the  proposer  woidd  have  taught  him  to  modify  or  abandon.  (Wrightmau,  Geological 
Survey,  (Jreat  Britain.) 

It  is  conceded  to  agriculture  that  tho  fruits  of  the  earth,  reproduced  annually,  can  bo  stimulated  by  an 
application  of  acquired  knowledge,  connected  with  practical  training,  upon  a  farm  conducted  upon  the 
principles  taught,  "whore  theory  and  practice  are  combined.  But  it  is  denied  to  mining,  a  pursuit  in  which 


664  RESOURCES   OF    STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

eives  but  one  crop,  with  the  production  of  which  man  has  not  assisted,  and  where  all  the  knowledge 


demanded  is  to  secure  the  production  at  hand  by  the  most  expeditious,  economical,  and  safe  means  which 
experience  and  science  furnish.  (Gregory  Tale;  Titles  to  Mining  Claims.) 

the  arts  of  mining  and  geology  mutually  support  and  illustrate  each  other.  As  the  geologist  is  indebted 
to  the  labors  and  observations  of  the  miner  for  many  important  tacts  relative  to  the  formation  of  the  crust 
of  the  earth,  so  the  miner  must  possess  some  degree  of  geological  knowledge  if  he  desires  to  ascertain  the 
presence  of  useful  minerals  in  his  district,  such  as  ores,  precious  stones,  rock  salt,  &c.  He  who  abandons 
the  simple  and  correct  way  pointed  out  by  geological  experience,  runs  the  risk  pt  groping  in  conjecture  and 
doubt,  and  this  is  of  particular  importance  in  mining,  for  it  is  an  enterprise  brilliant  and  full  of  promise, 
and  at  the  same  time  expensive,  and  often  illusory.  (Professor  K.  C.  You  Leonhard,  University  of  Heidel- 
berg.) 

Of  the  importance  of  an  increased  product  of  the  precious  metals  there  can  be  no  question. 
The  ablest  political  economists  of  Europe  and  America  are  unanimous  upon  that  point. 

Mr.  Seward,  in  the  course  of  a  debate  in  the  Senate  shortly  after  the  admission  of  Cali- 
fornia into  the  Union,  said  : 

The  objects  of  the  United  States  in  regard  to  the  gold  mines  in  California  should  be,  in  the  first  place,  to 
brin"-  to  the  general  public  use  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  the  largest  possible  acquisition  of  national 
wealth  from  their  newly-discovered  fountains  ;  and  secondly,  to  render  the  mining  operations  conducive  to 
the  best  and  speediest  possible  settlement  of  our  vast  countries  on  the  Pacific  coast,  which  are  so  soon  to 
exercise  boundless  commercial,  social,  and  political  influences  over  the  eastern  world. 

Mr.  Benton  was  "  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  the  United  States  ought  not  to  undertake 
to  make  a  revenue  out  of  the  mines ;  that  the  United  States  ought  to  content  herself  with 
getting  the  wealth  out  of  the  bowels  of  the  earth  itself." 

Sir  Archibald  Allison,  referring  to  the  wonderful  effects  of  the  gold  discoveries  in  Califor- 
nia and  Australia,  makes  use  of  this  emphatic  language  : 

That  which  for  five  and  twenty  years  had  been  wanting— a  currency  commensurate  to  the  increased  num- 
bers and  transactions  of  the  civilized  world— was  now  supplied  by  the  beneficent  hand  of  nature.  The  era 
of  a  contracted  currency,  and  consequent  low  prices  and  general  misery,  Interrupted  by  passing  gleams  of 
prosperity,  was  at  an  end.  Prices  rapidly  rose ;  wages  advanced  in  a  similar  proportion ;  exports  and 
imports  enormously  increased,  while  crime  and  misery  as  rapidly  diminished. 

Mr.  Conness,  always  earnest  in  his  advocacy  of  great  measures  for  the  development  of  the 
material  resources  of  the  Pacific  slope,  said,  in  the  course  of  the  debate  on  the  mineral  land 
bill: 

I  will  not  undertake  to  extend  this  debate  or  the  consideration  of  this  question  by  entering  into  an  esti- 
mate of  what  the  production  of  gold  costs.  It  would  be  mere  guessing  at  best ;  but  I  undertake  to  say  that 
there  is  no  commodity  which  the  enterprise  and  commerce  of  our  country  and  of  the  world  require  so  much 
as  the  addition  to  our  circulation  of  the  precious  metals.  I  need  not  waste  a  word  in  stating  how  it  incites 
the  trade  and  commerce  of  the  country,  and  of  the  whole  world. 

Mr.  Nye  said,  in  the  course  of  the  same  debate : 

I  beg  the  Senate  to  bear  in  mind  the  fact  that  eveiy  additional  dollar  of  gold  and  silver  that  we  produce 
lays  tlie  foundation  of  our  financial  structure  on  a  ujore  stable  foundation.  Let  it  be  known  that  we  can 
produce  gold  and  silver  to  make  our  credit  alwavs  secure  and  sure,  that  the  interest  will  be  paid  in  the  pre- 
cious metals,  and  our  credit  will  stand  as  high  if  not  higher  than  that  of  any  other  nation  of  the  earth. 

The  importance  of  such  an  increase  to  the  United  States  has  been  forcibly  presented  by 
the  Committee  on  Public  Lands  of  the  House.  Mr.  Julian,  the  intelligent  chairman  of  that 
committee,  who  very  ably  supported  the  policy  of  granting  absolute  titles  in  fee  to  the 
miners,  though  opposed  to  the  form  of  the  bill  reported  by  the  Senate  committee,  says,  in  a 
report  on  the  mineral  lands,  dated  June  5,  1866 : 

In  the  judgment  of  the  committee  there  is  very  great  need  of  an  increase  in  the  quantity  of  precious 
metals.  The  disproportion  of  gold  and  silver  to  other  values,  and  to  our  commercial  wants,  is  very  remark- 
able. If  practicable,  it  should  be  reduced.  The  property  of  the  United  States,  within  the  last  ten  years, 
has  increased  about  $900.000,000  per  year ;  and  this  increase  is  estimated  to  be  more  than  two  hundred  times 
greater  than  the  increase  of  coin  during  the  same  period.  It  is  believed  that  some  policy  which  will  secure 
to  the  government  a  fresh  and  liberal  supply  of  the  precious  metals  will  be  found  absolutely  necessary. 

Mr.  Robert  J.  Walker,  the  distinguished  statesman  and  financier,  says,  in  a  recent  able 
letter : 

All  the  benefits  of  skill  and  experience  derived  from  years  of  devotion  to  business  pursuits,  are  lost 
through  fluctuations  in  the  currency,  which  no  sagacity  or  skill  can  anticipate.  When  we  reflect  that  each 
nation  is  but  a  part  of  the  great  community  of  states,  united  by  ties  of  commerce,  business,  and  inter- 
changes, and  find  the  rest  of  the  world  sustained  by  a  specie  currency,  which  is  of  uniform,  universal  inter- 
national value,  how  can  we  who  arc  dealing  with  "depreciated  paper  expect  to  compete  successfully  with 
those  countries  whose  money  is  gold,  or  its  actual  equivalent  ?  No  nation  has  ever  tried  this  experiment 
without  vast  sacrifices  and  great  failures.  So  long  as  the  currency  of  the  world  is  gold,  any  nation  departing 
from  this  standard  impairs  its  own  power  of  successful  competition,  and  gradually  drives  its  products  from 
the  markets  of  the  world.  It  is  true  that  it  may,  to  a  certain  extent,  so  far  as  smuggling  does  not  open  the 
safety  -valve,  keep  out  foreign  imports  for  a  time,  thereby  annihilating  its  exports ;  but  prices  soon  rise  at 
home  in  a  ratio  corresponding  with  the  augmented  duties,  and,  the  check  becoming  ineffectual,  is  sought  to 
be  remedied  by  augmented  tariffs.  It  is  totally  impossible  for  a  nation  like  the  United  States  to  withdraw 
from  the  business  operations  of  the  world,  and  it  is  equally  impracticable  to  carry  on  successful  international 
exchanges  when  the  money  of  the  country  is  depreciated  paper. 

December  2,  1867,  Mr.  Stewart,  United  States  senator  from  Nevada,  asked,  and  by  unani- 
mous consent  obtained,  leave  to  bring  in  the  following  bill,  which  was  read  twice  and 
ordered  to  be  printed;  December  3,  1867,  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Mines  and  Mining; 
February  20,  1868,  reported  by  Mr.  Stewart,  with  amendments. 


WEST   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  665 

A  BILL  to  establish  a  national  school  of  mines. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  ITousc  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress 
axwHiUed,  That  the  tax  levied  and  collected  upon  gold  and  silver  bullion  ir  the  States  and  Territories 
situated  in  whole  or  in  part  west  of  the  eastern  base  of  the  Ilocky  mountains  be  set  apart,  so  long:  as  tho 
same  shall  be  collected  by  the  government,  as  a  special  fund  for  the  endowment  and  support  of  a  school  of 
to  1"'  located  on  the  line  of  the  Pacific  railroad,  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  as  near  as  practicable 
to  the  centre  of  the  mining  States  and  Territories. 

[Six-.  :.'.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  each  State  and  Territory  located  in  whole  or  in  part  west  of  the 
eastern  base  of  the  Ilocky  mountains  may  appoint  one  member  of  i\  board  of  directors,  a  majority  of  whom 
shall  constitute  a  quorum;  and  in  case  of  failure  on  the  part  of  any  State  or  Territory  so  to  appoint,  the 
President  shall  appoint  such  member  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate  ;  but  no  port  of  the 
fund  herein  provided  for  shall  be  expended  in  salaries,  travelling  or  other  personal  expenses  of  the  said 
board  of  directors.] 

Si:<  .  '„».  ,1  nd  be  it  further  enacted,  That  tho  management  of  the  institution  shall  be  under  the  control  of 
eight  directors,  a  majority  of  whom  shall  constitute  a  quorum.  The  directors  shall  be  selected  from  the 
mining  Slates  and  Territories,  and  appointed  by  the  President,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the 
Senate,  and  shall  hold  their  oflicc  for  (bur  years,  and  until  their  successors  arc  appointed  and  qualified  :  Pro- 
vided, That  the  following  named  persons  shall  constitute  the  board  of  directors  from  the  lirst  day  of  July, 
nnuo  Domini  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-eight,  until  the  lirst  of  July,  eighteen  hundred  and  seventy, 
namely  :  Sherman  Day  and  William  Ashburner,  of  California  ;  F.  A.  Trhle  and  D.  W.  Welty,  of  Nevada  : 
A.  C.  Gibbs,  of  Oregon  ;  --  ,  of  Idaho  ;  A.  J.  Simmons,  of  Montana  ;  and  John  Pierce,  of  Colorado. 
In  ease  of  failure  of  any  of  the  above-named  persons  to  serve,  or  should  a  vacancy  occur  from  any  other 
ciiuse,  the  same  shall  IM>  filled  as  hereinbefore  provided.  The  directors  shall  receive  no  compensation  for 
their  services,  but  their  actual  travelling  and  other  expenses  incurred  while  attending  to  the  business  of  the 
institution  shall  be  paid. 

SEC.  :J.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  tho  said  board  of  directors  shall  have  power  to  make  rales  and 
regulations  for  the  organization  and  government  of  the  school;  shall  appoint  its  professors,  teachers,  and 
officers,  and  exercise  supervision  and  control  over  tho  fund  herein  appropriated. 

Si:c.  4.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  no  professor  or  teacher  [or  other  otiiccr]  of  this  institution  shall 
be  removed  except  upon  charges  and  specifications  duly  investigated  by  the  board  of  directors,  and  the 
derision  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  to  whom  the  facts  and  the  evidence  shall  be  reported,  shall  be 
conclusive. 

Six:.  5.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  tuition  in  this  institution  shall  bo  free  to  auy  citizen  of  the  United 
States  who  may  present  proper  evidences  of  qualification,  to  be  determined  by  the  faculty;  and  it  shall  also 
be  free  to  students  from  other  countries,  duly  recommended  by  the  authorities  of  the  schools  in  which  they 
shall  have  become  qualified  ;  but  all  expenses'  for  books  and  stationery,  and  all  personal  expenses  for  lodging, 
subsistence,  and  travelling,  shall  be  borne  bv  the  students  themselves. 

Six-,  fi.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  primary  object  of  the  school  being  an  increase  of  the  bullion 
product  of  the  country,  by  the  practical  application  of  science  to  mining,  and  the  diffusion  of  correct 
knowledge  among  miners  as  to  the  best  methods  of  treating  the  ores,  no  charge  shall  be  made  for  assays, 
tests,  metallurgical  or  other  experiments,  except  to  cover  the  actual  cost  of  material  used. 


eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-eight,  shall  set  apart  the  fund  hereby  appropriated  for  the  purpose  named  in  this 
act;  and  he  shall,  after  receiving  a  report  from  the  board  of  directors,  locate  the  school  and  furnish  plans 
and  specifications  for  all  necessary  buildings  and  improvements,  which  shall  be  plain  and  substantial,  and 


sts,  metalurgical  or  other  experiments,  except  to  cover  the  actua  cost  o    matera  use. 

Si:c.  7.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  on  and  after  the  first  day  of  July, 
ighteen  hundred  and  sixty-eight, 
act;  and  he  shall,  after  receiving 
and  specifications  for  all  necessar 
upon  the  most  economical  plan  consistent  with  the  purposes  of  the  institution. 

Six1.  8.  And  be  it  further  enacted.  That  in  order  that  the  board  of  directors  may  be  placed  in  possession 
of  the  most  approved  systems  of  education,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  shall  COUM  an  examination  to  be 
made  of  the  principal  mining  schools  of  Europe,  and  a  report  to  be  prepared  upon  the  same,  the  expense  of 
such  service  to  be  paid  out  of  the  |  unexpended  balance  of  the  appropriation  heretofore  made  for  the  collec- 
tion of  mining  statistics]  funds  of  the  institution. 

SEC.  9.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  duties  now  performed  by  the  special  commissioner  appointed 
by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  collect  mining  statistics  in  the  States  and  Territories  west  of  tho  Rocky 
mountains,  shall,  upon  the  organization  and  completion  of  the  school  of  mines  created  by  this  act,  be  per- 
formed under  a  permanent  system  by  the  faculty  of  said  institution,  and  their  report  shalfbe  transmitted  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  to  be  bv  him  laid  before  Congress. 

SEC.  10.  And  be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  professors  and  teachers,  under  the  direction  of  the  president 
of  the  institution,  shall  make  [annual]  visits  to  the  principal  mining  districts,  accompanied  by  their  respective 
classes,  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  mines,  mills,  and  modes  of  working,  and  instructing  the  pupils  in 
the  practical  operations  of  mining  and  metallurgy  ;  and  the  said  professors  and  teachers  shall  also,  as  far  as 
their  time  will  permit,  give  free  lectures  to  the  miners  on  geology,  mineralogy,  metallurgy,  and  mining 
engineering,  and  kindred  subjects.  And  the  faculty  may  require,  as  a  part  of  the  regular  course  of  instrac- 
tion,  the  pupils  to  engage  for  a  prescribed  period  in  practical  mining  and  milling. 

SEC.  11.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  shall  require  from  tho  directors 
nnd  from  the  disbursing  officer  or  officers  appointed  by  the  board  of  directors  such  bonds  and  vouchers  as 
lie  may  deem  necessary  for  the  security  and  proper  disbursement  of  the  fund. 

SEC.  12.  And  be  it  further  enacted.  That  from  and  after  the  expiration  of  the  fiscal  year  commencing  July 
first,  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-eight,  not  exceeding  one-half  of  the  fund  arising  from  the  tax  levied  upon 
gold  and  silver  bullion  shall  be  expended  by  or  on  behalf  of  the  institution,  the  [remaining  half  to]  remain- 
der shall  be  set  apai-t  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  and  invested  in  government  securities,  which  shall 
remain,  both  principal  and  interest,  a  permanent  fund  for  the  support  and  maintenance  of  the  institution  ; 
and  no  part  of  the  moneys  so  reserved,  [half]  either  principal  or  interest,  shall  be  drawn  so  long  as  the  gov- 
ernment shall  continue  to  impose  a  tax  upon  gold  and  silver  bullion,  but  after  such  tax  shall  have  ceased  tho 
interest  on  the  reserved  fund  shall  be  used  for  tho  purposes  hereinbefore  mentioned. 


INDEX  TO  J.  ROSS  BROWNE'S  REPORT. 


----- 


.- 


..    35 


Q«VT>  »«K^ 


' 


668 


INDEX. 


Calavcras  connty— Continued.  Page. 

Skull  Flat  mill 66 

Carleton  mine 66 

Vance's  mill ' 

Morris's  mill 66 

Mosquito  mine 6 

Railroad  Flat  mill 66 

Woodhouse  mine 66 

Holmes  mine 67 

Boston  mine 67 

Quail  Hill  mine 67 

Collier  mine 68 

Brushville  mine 69 

Plymouth  mine 69 

Lamphear  mine 70 

Cadwallander  mill 70 

French  mill 70 

McGlynnmill 70 

Cherokee  mine 70 

San  Domingo  mine 70 

Murphy's  mine 70 

Crispin  mine 70 

Isabel  mine 71 

Calaveritas  mill 71 

Albion  mine 71 

Thorpe's  mine 71 

Radcliffe  mine 71 

Carpenter  mine 71 

Purnellmine 71 

SECTION  VI. 

Amador  county 71 

Volcano 72 

Quartz  regulations  of  Amador 73 

Quartz  veins  about  volcano 73 

Marlette  mine 74 

Coney  mine 74 

Blue  Jacket  mine 74 

Trowbridge  mine 74 

Oueida  mine 74 

Hay  ward  mine 75 

Railroad  mine 76 

Loring  Hill  mine 76 

Wildman  mine 76 

Lincoln  mine 76 

Comet  mine 76 

Herbertville  mine 76 

Keystone  mine 76 

Spring  Hill  mine 77 

Amador  mine 77 

Bunker  Hill  mine 77 

Hazard  mine 77 

Loyal  mine 77 

Italian  mine 77 

Seaton  mine 77 

Potosi  mine ............  77 

Webster  mine 77 

Plymouth  mine 77 

Enterprise  mine 78 

Richmond  mine 78 

Header's  sulphuret  works 78 

Rose  mill  and  mine 78 

"Wolverine  mine 78 

jKearsing  mill 78 

jHinckley  mine 78 

iAtchinson's  mill 78 

TTubb's  mill 78 

Paugh'smine 78 

Union  mine 78 

Tellurium  mine 79 

Anaconda  mine 79 

Thoss  mill 79 

Craft's  mine 80 

Golden  Eagle  mine 80 

Belden  mine 80 

Pioneer  mine 80 

Mitchell  mine 80 

Golden  Gate  mine 80 

Sirocco  mine 80 

Kelley  mine 80 

SECTION  VII. 

El  Dorado  cownty 81 

Town 81 

Shingle  Springs  railroad 81 

Placerville  wagon  road 81 


El  Dorado  connty— Continued.  Page. 

Miscellaneous  resources 82 

Blue  channel 82 

Gray  channel 83 

Claims  on  Weber  divide 83 

Claims  on  Reservoir  hill 84 

Claims  on  Spanish  hill 85 

Indian  diggings 85 

PlacervSlle  mining  regulations 85 

Mud  Springs  mining  regulations 86 

Georgetown  mining  regulations 86 

Reed  mine 87 

Pacific  mine 87 

Harmon  mine 87 

Shepard  mine 87 

Cleopatra  mine 87 

White  and  Burdict  mine 88 

Persevere  mine 88 

White  mine 88 

Manning  mine 88 

Elle  Ellen  mine 88 

Eppley  mine 88 

Davidson  mine 88 

Montezuma  mine 88 

New  York  and  El  Dorado  mill 88 

Hermitage  mine 88 

Union  mine 88 

Wilder  mine 89 

Pocahontas  mine 89 

Union  Church  mine 89 

Gray  mine 80 

Bryant  mine 89 

Beard  mine 89 

Independence  mine 89 

Stillwagon  mine 89 

Silger  mine 89 

Greenwood  mine 89 

Taylor  mine 90 

Rosecrans  mine 90 

BlueLeadmine 90 

Collins  mine 90 

Alpine  mine 90 

Woodside  mine 90 

James's  mill 91 

Eureka  mine 91 

Georgia  Slide  mine 91 

Mosquito  mice 91 

Plymouth  mine 91 

Gopher  mine 91 

Last  Chance  mine 91 

Reward  mine 91 

SECTION  VKL 

Placer  connty 92 

Miscellaneous  resources 92 

Forest  Hill  divide 92 

Forest  hill 92 

Blue  lead  at  Forest  hill 92 

Careless  working 93 

Future  of  Forest  hill 93 

Principal  claims 93 

Claims  at  Todd's  valley 93 

Dardanell's  mine 94 

Oro  mine 94 

Green  Spring  mine 94 

Uncle  Sam  mine 94 

Hope  and  llockland  mine 94 

Faat  and  Nortwood  mine 94 

Snyder  mine 94 

Independence  mine 94 

New  Jersey  mine 94 

Jenny  Lind  mine 95 

Gore  mine 95 

Maine  mine 96 

Rough  and  Ready  mine 96 

Deidesheimer  and  other  mines 96 

Michigan  Bluff  mine 96 

Tail  sluices 96 

North  American  claim 96 

Nitro-glycerine  claim 97 

Bath  District  claim 97 

Paragon  claim 97 

Other  Bath  claim 98 

Damascus  claim 99 

Mountain  Gate  claim 99 

Iowa  Hill  claim 10-3 

Wisconsin  Hill  claim 100 


INDEX. 


669 


Placer  connty— Continued. 

Roach  Hill  claim 

Morning  Star  claim 

Bird  Flat  and  Lebanon  claim. 

Gold  Run  claim 

Gravel  at  Gold  run 


Page. 
..  100 
..  101 
..  101 
..  101 
..  101 


Outlet 101 

Facilities  for  piping 102 

Ciiiiou  creek 102 

Water 102 

Squire's  Canon  claims 102 

Canon  Creek  claims 102 

Gootiling  Ravine  claims 103 

Lower  Canon  Creek  claims 103 

Gold  Run  cafloii 103 

Potato  ravine 104 

Indiana  cement  mill 104 

Indiana  Canon  claims 104 

Moody's  tail  sluice .' 104 

Kinder's  tail  sluice 104 

Hofikiu's  tail  sluice 105 

Dutch  flat 105 

Pho3Dix  mine 105 

American  mine 106 

Buckeye  mine 106 

Dutch  Flat  and  Queen  City  mine 106 

Bear  River  and  Teaff  mine 106 

Boston,  Gray  Eagle,  and  Yankee  claims 106 

Drift  claims 106 

Mill  claims 107 

Other  claim* 107 

TeafFs  tail  sluice 107 

Drainage  of  Bear  river 107 

South  Placer  quartz  regulations 108 

Canada  Hill  and  Lone  Star  regulations 108 

Green  Emigrant  mine 108 

New  York  and  Empire  mine 109 

Sehnable  mine 109 

Walter  and  St.  Lawrence  mine 109 

Golden  Rule  mine 169 

Stewart's  Flat  mine 110 

Damascus  mine 110 

Red  Stone  mine 110 

Canada  Hill  mine 110 

ILirpeuding  mine 110 

SECTION  IX. 

Xevacla  county Ill 

Seulement 1J3 

Placer  mining 116 

Hydraulic  mining 119 

BIrchville 121 

French  Coral  mine 121 

Moore's  Flat  mine 121 

Cement  mining 122 

Extent  of  the  Placer  mines 123 

Chalk  Mountain  range 126 

guartz  mining 128 
ra^s  Valley  district 129 

Eureka  m'ne 130 

<; olden  Hill  mine 130 

Massachusetts  Hill  mine 131 

Ophir  Hill  mine 131 

North  Star  mine 131 

Allison  Ranch  lode 131 

Nevada  quartz  district 132 

Gold  Tunnel  mine 132 

Illinois  and  California  claims 133 

Banner  mine 133 

Pittshurg  mine 133 

Rogg's  mine 134 

Sneath  and  Clayrnino 134 

Lecompton  mine 134 

Eureka  quartz  district 135 

Teetnnseh  mills 136 

Grizzly  lode 136 

Meadow  Lake  district 136 

U.  S.  Grant  mine 137 

SECTION  X. 

Sierra  connty 137 

Brandy  City 138 

St.  Louis  and  neighboring  towns 138 

Morrintowu  mine 139 

Minnesota  mine 139 

Live  Yankee  claim 140 


Sierra  county— Continued.  Page. 

Highland  and  Masonic  mine 140 

Montecristo  mine 140 

Deadwood  mine 140 

Fur  Cap,  Sebastopol,  and  Grizzly  mines 141 

Gold  Canon  mine 141 

Fashion  claim 141 

Sierra  claim 141 

Howland  Flat  mine 143 

Snow  at  Howlandflat 142 

Union  claim 143 

Other  claims 143 

Quartz  in  Sierra  county 144 

Sierra  Butte  mine 1 45 

Independence  mine 146 

Keystone  mine 146 

Primrose  mine 147 

Mines  near  Sierra  Butte 147 

Mines  near  Allegheny  and  Minnesota 147 

Mines  near  Downieville 148 

SECTION  XI. 

Ynba  connty 148 

Campton's,  Brown's  and  Hansonvillo 148 

Yuba  river 143 

Sucker  Flat  channel 148 

Timbuctoo  mine 149 

Sucker  Flat  claims 149 

Smartsville  Blue  Gravel  mine 150 

Sicard  flat 151 

Brown's  valley 152 

Jefferson  mine 152 

Pennsylvania  mines 153 

Other  quartz  mines 154 

Brown's  Valley  quartz  regulations 155 

Empire  quartz  regulations 156 

SECTION  XII. 

Bnttc  county 157 

Butto  Table  mountain 157 

Cherokee  mine 157 

Oregon  Gulch  mine 158 

Cherokee  B!uo  Gravel  claim 159 

Eureka  claim 159 

Cherokee  claim 160 

Diamonds 160 

Morris,  Nimshew,  and  Kimshew 160 

Baugor 160 

Cement  barrel 1G1 

Wyandotto 161 

Forbestown 101 

Mooreville  and  Evansvillo 1G2 

Bangor  quartz  regulations 162 

Forbestown  mining  regulations ]  62 

Nisbet  quartz  mine 163 

Spring  Valley  mine 1 63 

Other  quartz  mines 163 

SECTION  xin. 

Plnmas  connty J64 

Beckwourth'a  Pass 164 

Conly  and  Gowell's  claim 164 

Secret  diggings 166 

Port  Wine 166 

Little  Grass  valley 166 

Saw  Pitflat 167 

Eureka  mine 167 

Mammou.h  mine 163 

Seventy-six  mine 168 

Crescent  mine 168 

Whitney  mine 169 

Golden  Gate  mine 169 

Dixey  mills 169 

Bullfrog  mine 170 

Light  and  Callahan  mine 1 70 

Premium  and  Sparks  mine 170 

Indian  Valley  mine 170 

Greenville  mine 170 

SECTION  XIV. 

Alpine  connty 170 

Altitude,  climate 170 

Lakes,  metalliferous  veins I  ..>.....  171 


670 


INDEX. 


Alpine  county— Continued.  Page. 

Tunnelling,  mining 1™ 

Mountains,  reduction  of  ores i«J 

Wood  and  watej 172 

SECTION  XV. 

Lasscii  comity 1J3 

Streams,  stock-raising,  hot  springs 173 

Auriferous  quartz 174 

SECTION  XVI. 

Stanislaus  connty 174 

Fresno  county 174 

Tulare  county i<* 

Mercecle  county 17 

JSan  Joaquin 175 

SECTION  xvn. 

Inyo  county 175 

I ) wen's  valley 175 

Population,  towns 176 

Mills,  roads 176 

Mining  districts 177 

SECTION  XVIIL 

9Iono  county 177 

Climate 177 

Water-power,  forests 178 

Claims 179 

SECTION  XIX. 

Mining  ditches 179 

Expensive  construction 180 

Bad  engineering 180 

High  flumes 180 

Unprofitable  investments 180 

Decline  in  value 181 

Supply  of  water 181 

Small  ditches 181 

Flumes 181 

Iron  pipe 182 

Ditch  law 182 

Conflict  between  ditchers  and  miners 183 

Proposed  grant  of  land 183 

Measurement  of  water 184 

Eureka  Lake  and  Yuba  Canal  Companies. ..  184 

French  Coral  ditches 193 

Tuolumuc  ditches 193 

Phoenix  ditches 194 

Murphy's  ditches 195 

Mokelumne  ditches 195 

Amador  ditches 195 

Eureka  ditches 195 

Indian  Diggings  ditches 196 

Natorna  ditches 196 

South  Fork  ditches 196 

Pilot  Creek  ditches 197 

Michigan  Flat  ditches 1 97 

Colorna  ditches J97 

Bear  River  ditches 198 

Michigan  Bluff  ditches 198 

Dutch  Flat  ditches 198 

South  Yuba  ditches 198 

Truckee  ditches 199 

Sears  ditches 199 

Nevada  Reservoir  ditches 1 99 

Excelsior  ditch 199 

Forbestown  ditch 200 

Oro ville  ditch 200 

Table  of  canals  and  water  ditches 200 

SECTION  XX. 

Miscellaneous  minerals  of  Pacific 

coast 207 

Copper 207 

New  discoveries 209 

Recent  development  of  the  copper  mines 211 

Copperopolis  mines 211 

Keystone  mines 212 

Other  Copperopolis  mines 212 

Napoleon  mines 212 

Cainpo  Seco  mines 212 


Miscellaneous  minerals— Continued.    Pagp>. 

Lancha  Plana  mines 213 

Copper  mines  in  Amador  county 213 

Copper  mines  in  Mariposa  county 213 

Buchanan  mine 213 

Copper  mines  in  San  Luis  Obispo  county 214 

Copper  mines  in  Los  Angeles  county 214 

Copper  mines  in  Plumas  county 214 

Copper  mines  in  Del  Norte  county 214 

Copper  mines  in  Contra  Costa  county 214 

Copper  mines  in  Nevada  county 214 

Other  California  copper  mines 215 

Oregon  copper  mines 215 

Lower  California  copper  mines 215 

Nevada  copper  mines _ 215 

Peavine  copper  mines 216 

Arizona  copper  mines 216 

Great  Central  copper  mines 216 

Planet  copper  mines 216 

Mineral  Hill  copper  mines 217 

Copper  smelting  works 218 

Importation  of  metallic  eopper 218 

Manufacture  of  sulphate  of  copper 219 

Iron 219 

First  iron  smelting  works  on  the  Pacific 219 

Iron  in  California 222 

Specular  iron  ore 222 

Magnetic  iron  ore 223 

Hematite  ores  of  iron 224 

Chromic  iron  ores 224 

Titanic  iron  ores 225 

Mixed  iron  ores 225 

Nevada  iron  ores 225 

Utah  iron  ores 225 

Arizona  iron  ores 225 

Concluding  remarks  on  ores 226 

Consumption  of  iron  in  California 226 

Iron  foundrieB  in  San  Francisco 226 

Imports  of  iron  into  San  Francisco  in  18<>6-'(>7 .  228 
ExportsofironfromSanFranciscoinl866-'67.  228 

Coal 228 

New  discoveries  in  California 231 

Mount  Diablo  coal  mines 232 

Black  Diamond  coal  mines 233 

Pittsburg  railroad 234 

Teutonia  coal  mines 235 

Union  coal  mines 235 

Independent  coal  mines 235 

Eureka  coal  mines 235 

Central  coal  mines 235 

Pacific  coal  mines 236 

Labor,  wages.  &c 236 

Coal  mines  of  Oregon 237 

Coos  Bay  coal 237 

Coal  in  Washington  Territory 238 

Tuca  Straits  coal  mines 238 

Other  coal  mines  in  Washington  Territory. . .  24.0 

Coal  in  Nevada 240 

Coal  in  Utah 240 

Vancouver  Island  mines 240 

Concluding  remarks 240 

Marble,  limestone,  &c 241 

Indian  diggings 243 

Coifax  quarries 243 

Other  localities  where  marble  has  been  found.  244 

Limestone  and  lime 244 

Sulphate  of  lime 244 

Dolomite  or  maguesian  limestone 245 

Hydraulic  limestone 245 

Oregon  limestone 246 

Nevada  limestone 247 

Building  materials 247 

Granite 247 

Sandstone 248 

Bricks , 248 

Roofing  slates 249 

Steatite  or  soapstone 249 

Clays 250 

Kaolin 230 

Pipeclay 231 

Coloring  earths 251 

Sands 251 

Plumbago  or  black  lead 252 

Eureka  plumbago  mine 2;r2 

The  Mine 252 

Processes  for  cleaning  the  ore 252 

Separating  works 253 

Costs  of  production 253 


INDEX. 


671 


Miscellaneous  minerals— Continued.    Page. 

Other  deposit*  of  graphite 253 

Importance  of  graphite 254 

Salt 254 

Salt  in  California 254 

Salt  in  Oregon 255 

Salt  in  Nevada 256 

Salt  in  Arizona 256 

Salt  in  Utah 256 

Willamette  saltworks 256 

Carmen  Island  salt 256 

Price  of  salt 256 

Asphaltum 256 

Petroleum L58 

Composition  of  California  coal  oil 259 

Manufacture  of  coal  oil 2(Jl 

Mode  of  occurrence 262 

Quicksilver 263 

Redington  mine 264 

New  Idriamine 264 

Borax 264 

Sulphur 266 

SECTION  XXL 

Agricultural   resources  of  Califor- 
nia  266 

Exports  of  California  from  1860  to  1867 271 

Climate  of  California 275 

Principal  routes  through  California 280 

Distances,  fares,  and  freights 261 

SECTION  XXII, 

General  summary 289 

Area  of  California 289 

Arable  lands 289 

Precious  metals 291 

Shipments  of  treasure 292 

Total  deposits  and  coinage  — 298 


NEVADA. 


SECTION  I. 

Topography,  physical  features,  and 
natural  productions  .................  299 

Svstcin  of  mountains  .......................  21)9 

Plains  and  viilk-ys  .  ,  .......................  300 

Sinks,  hloughri,  and  lakes  ...................  301 

Alkali  flat*  and  mud  lakes  .................  304 

Rivers  and  streams  ...................  _____  H'i-1 

Springs  of  Nevada  .........................  3i  n> 

Salt  beds  ..................................  309 


SECTION  U. 

Woodlands,  coal,  Ac  ....................  312 

Coal  ......................................  312 

Whitman  coal  mines  .......................  312 

Other  discoveries  ..........................  313 

Crystal  Peak  ..............................  315 

SECTION  IIL 

Copper  .....................................  316 

Peavine  district  ............................  316 

Walker  River  copper  region  ...............  317 

SECTION  IV. 

Meteorology,  botany,  zoology,  Ac  ..  319 

SECTION  V. 

Social,  industrial,  and  educational 


prog 


321 


SECTION  VL 


Iboiig'las  county 322 

Carson  valley 322 

Timber  lands 322 

Agriculture 323 

Cupriferous lodea 323 


SECTION  vn. 

Page. 

Ormsby  county 324 

Population 324 

Mountains 324 

Streams  and  wood  lands 324 

Mineral  products 325 

SECTION  Vin. 

Washoe  county 325 

Valleys 325 

Agricultural  resources 326 

Mineral  deposits 327 

SECTION  IX. 

Storey  county 327 

Mining  excitements 328 

Quartz  mills 328 

Population 323 

SECTION  X. 

Lyon  county 328 

Ledges 328 

Quartz  mills 329 

SECTION  XI. 

Roop  county 329 

Surprise  valley 329 

Climate 330 

Population 330 

Warm  springs 330 

SECTION  xn. 

Hnmboldt  county 330 

Alkali  lakes 330 

Population 330 

Arable  land :m 

Cereals 331 

Towns 331 

Hnmboldt  canal 33L 

Mills 331 

Smelting  establishments 331 

Mining 332 

SECTION  Xin. 

Churchill  county 333 

Population 333 

Salt  bods 333 

Hot  springs 333 

1  ).-scrt  district 334 

Mining  operations 334 

SECTION  XIV. 

Esmeralda  county 334 

Mineral  productions 3:54 

Population 335 

Agricultural  resources 335 

Mills 335 

Mining 336 

Towns 3:J6 

Argentiferous  veins 3.'37 

Columbus  district 337 

Salt  deposits 338 

Silver  Peak  district 338 

SECTION  XV. 

Lincoln  county 339 

Discovery  of  silver 339 

Mineral  deposits 340 

Woodlands 340 

Climate 340 

Pahranagat  valley 340 

SECTION  XVI. 

The  Comstoclt  lode 341 

Character  of  lode 34 1 

Length  of  lode 341 

Enclosing  rocks .  •«.&..»-  342 


672 


INDEX. 


The  Comstock  lode— Continued.  Page. 

West  wall 342 

Width  of  lode 342 

Filling  of  the  vein 342 

Bonanzas 343 

Ores 343 

Developments  on  the  lode 343 

Mode  of  mining 344 

Tunnels  and  drifts 345 

Pumps 348 

Amount  of  ore  raised  from  the  mines 349 

Yield  of  ore  per  ton 349 

Cost  of  mining  per  ton 351 

Process  of  reduction 361 

Cost  of  reduction 362 

Percentage  of  yield  and  loss 364 

Hale  and  Norcross  mine 365 

Gould  and  Curry  mine 366 

Concentration 366 

SECTION  XVII. 

Yield  of  mines,  net  profits,  Ac 367 

Products  of  principal  mines 367 

Costs  and  losses  on  silver  mining 370 

Bullion  product  of  the  Comstock  lode 380 

Assay  offices 380 

Stage  routes  centring  at  Virginia  City 380 

Stage  routes  centring  at  Carson  City 381 

SECTION  XVHI. 

Virginia  and  adjacent  districts 381 

Facilities  for  obtaining  fuel 381 

Coal 381 

Consumption  of  firewood  and  lumber 382 

Other  mineral  deposits 382 

Number   of  mining   locations   claimed  and 

opened 383 

Cost  of  materials 383 

Population  of  towns 384 

Mode  and  cost  of  living 384 

Pacific  railroad  and  its  branches 385 

SECTION  XIX. 

Sntro  tnnnel 387 

Yield  of  bullion 387 

Valenciana  mine 388 

English  Real  Del  Monte  Company 388 

Abandonment  of  the  mine 390 

Mining  in  Europe 390 

Mining  in  Germany 390 

Freiberg  district 391 

Ernst  August  tunnel 391 

Description  of  tunnel 391 

Necessity  of  a  tunnel  to  the  Comstock  lode..  391 

Continuity  of  the  Comstock  lode 391 

Sutro  tunnel 392 

Time  required  to  finish  tunnel 394 

SECTION  XX. 

Eastern  Nevada 394 

Reese  River  district 396 

Mode  of  working 397 

Description  of  ores 397 

Sherman  shaft 399 

The  Timoke '..'.'.'.  400 

Plymouth  Silver  Mining  Company 400 

Savage  and  other  mines. . .  400 

Mills ;;;;;  451 

Official  returns 403 

Amador  district 408 

Mount  Hope  and  other  districts 408 

Cortez  district 408 

Newark  district "  410 

White  Pine  district 411 

Diamond  district 411 

Eureka  district 411 

Gold  Canon  district 411 

Kinsley  district 411 

Yreka  district *~  413 

Battle  Mountain  district 412 

Ravenswood  district 413 

Big  Creek  district 413 

Washington  district ..  413 

Marysville  district 413 


Eastern  Nevada— Continued.  Page. 

Smoky  valley 413 

Toyabee  mountains 413 

Santa  F6  district 414 

Bunker  Hill  and  Summit  district 414 

Blue  Springs  district 414 

Smoky  Valley  salt  field 414 

North  Twin  River  district 414 

Twin  river 415 

McDonald  mine 417 

South  Twin  River  district 418 

Hot  Springs  district 418 

El  Dorado  district 418 

Peavine  district 418 

Smoky  valley 418 

San  Antonio  district 418 

Silver  Peak  district 419 

Red  Mountain  district 419 

Palmetto  district 419 

Lida  district 419 

Edmonton  district 419 

Columbus  district 419 

Volcano  district 419 

Clarendon  district 419 

Paradise  district 419 

Pilot  district 419 

Mammouth  district 419 

Union  district 419 

jNorth  Union  district 419 

New  Pass  district 420 

Silver  Bend  district 420 

Philadelphia  district 420 

Official  returns 423 

Northumberland  district 423 

Danville  district 423 

Hercules  Gate  district 424 

Hot  Creek  district 424 

Reveille  district 425 

Empire  district 425 

Milk  Springs  district 425 

Morey  district 425 

Phranagat  district 426 

Colorado  district 429 

Tuscarora  district 429 

Catalogue  of  minerals 430 

SECTION  XXI. 

The  overland  telegraph 431 

History  of  its  construction 432 

Completion 433 

First  message 434 

System  of  working 435 

Breaks  HI  line 436 

Effects  of  climate 437 

Natural  obstacles ' 438 

Difficulties 439 

Telegraphic  laws 440 

Connections ;  table  of  distances 441 

ARIZONA. 


General  features  of  country 443 

Mountain  ranges 443 

Mining  districts 4i3 

SECTION  II. 

Southern  Arizona 443 

Colorado  mine 444 

Santa  Rita  mine 445 

Sopori 447 

Mowry  mines 447 

Olive  mines 448 

San  Antonio  mines 448 

Cababi  mines 449 

Sierriti  mi  ies 449 

Ajo  mines 449 

Santa  Rosa  mines 450 

Apache  Pass 450 

Mines  near  Tucson 450 

Lee's  mine 450 

LaParmine    450 

Spangler  mine 450 

San  Pedro  lodes «. 450 

Maricopa  lodes 4:50 

General  remarks...  45^ 


INDEX. 


673 


SECTION  III. 

Page. 

Colorado  river 452 

Silver  district 452 

Castle  Dome 452 

Weaver  district 453 

Constantia  mine 455 

Conquest  mine 455 

Cruc  mine 455 

Picacho  mine 455 

Peach  Bloom  mine 455 

Williams  Fork 456 

Mineral  Hill 457 

Sun  Francisco  district 457 

Sacramento  district 460 

Wauba  Yuma  district 461 

General  remarks 461 

SECTION  IV. 

Central  Arizona 466 

Prescott  region 467 

Tonto  plateau 467 

Sierra  Prieta 468 

( Granite  mountain 468 

Structure  of  the  range 468 

Timber  of  Sierra  Prieta 469 

Water  system  of  Sierra  Prieta 470 

Grass  plains  near  Prescott 470 

•Skull  valley 471 

Lynx  creek 474 

Sterling  mine 475 

Montgomery  mine 475 

Often  mine 475 

Guadaloupe  mine 475 

BigBugmine 476 

Ticonderoga  mine 477 

Cbapparal  mine 477 

Dividend  mine 477 

Turkey  creek 477 

Bradshaw  district 477 

Pine  flat 477 

Walnut  grove 477 

Vulture  mine 477 

General  remarks 478 

UTAH. 

SECTION  I. 

General  features 482 

Wusatch  mountains 482 

Colorado  river 482 

Salt  lake 482 

Utah  lake 483 

Salt  Lake  City 483 

Irrigation 484 

SECTION  H. 

Mines  and  mining 484 

Minersville 484 

Rush  Valley  district 484 

Coal 484 

Pacific  railroad 485 

Iron 485 

Salt 485 

General  conclusions 486 

MOXTANA. 

SECTION  I. 

Area  and  population 487 

Mountains ." 487 

Vegetable  products 489 

Timber 491 

Climate 491 

Navigable  waters 492 

Flint  creek 494 

Deer  Lodge  valley 494 

Town  of  Cottonwood 494 

SECTION  II. 

mines  and  systems  of  mining: 496 

Bannock  placers 498 

Bannock  quartz .498 

43 


Mines,  «fcc.— Continued.  Page. 

Dakota  lode 499 

Argenta  district 499 

Summit  district 500 

Hot  Springs  district 501 

Helena  mines 501 

Montana  bar 503 

Diamond  bar 503 

Highland  district 503 

Comstock 505 

Flint  creek 505 

Jefferson  basin 505 

Bannock  City 506 

Stinking  Water 506 

Alder  gulch 506 

Summit.  City 509 

Nevada 509 

Valley  of  the  Stinking  Water 509 

Gallatin  valley 509 

Other  valleys  and  placers 510 

Helena 510 

Bar  mining 510 

Confederate  gulch 510 

IDAHO. 

SECTION  I. 

Area  and  population 512 

Mountains 512 

Rivers 513 

Shoshone  falls 513 

Salmon  falls 514 

Valley  of  the  Snake 514 

Sagebrush 514 

Boise  basin 514 

Towns ..  516 


SECTION  II. 

Mines,  districts,  and  system  of  min- 
ing  

Salmon  River  district 

Lemhi  mine's 

Boise  Basin  district 

Rocky  Bar  district 

Atlanta  and  Yuba  district 

Owyh  •  •  iniii'-s 

Oro  Fino  mines 

Boorman  mines 

Flint  district 

Climate 

Quartz  mills 

Prospecting  for  mines 

General  remarks 

Product  of  Idaho 

WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. 


517 
518 
518 
518 
520 
520 


529 
530 
532 
534 


SECTION  I. 

Geographical  memoir 537 

Cascade  mountains 537 

Columbia  river 538 

Navigability  of  the  Columbia 539 

Natural  divisions 539 

Bays  and  harbors 541 

Rivers  emptying  into  Puget  sound 541 

Rivers  and  bays  on  the  Pacific  coast 544 

Gray's  harbor 545 

Shoal-water  bay  and  the  Willopah  valley 546 

Tributaries  to  the  Lower  Columbia 546 

Olympic  or  Coast  range  of  mountains 547 

Climate  of  Western  Washington 547 

Central  Washington 550 

Climate  of  Central  Washington 553 

Eastern  Washington 534 

Climate  of  Eastern  Washington 559 

Counties  of  Washington  Territory 560 

SECTION  IL 

Mineral  resources 567 

Coal 568 

Bellingham  Bay  mines 568 

Stoluauamah  coal 571 

Skookum  Chuck  coal  fields 571 

Clallam  Bay  mines 571 


G74 


INDEX. 


Mineral  resources— Continued.  Page. 

Seattle  mines 572 

Lake  Washington  coal  fields 572 

Shipbuilding --  573 

Puget  sound  arid  the  northern  fisheries 574 


OREGON. 

SECTION  I. 

Boundaries,  subdivisions,   naviga- 
ble rivers,  towns,  «&c 576 

Subdivisions 576 

Navigable  rivers 578 

Portland 580 


SECTION  II. 

Agriculture * 582 

Miscellaneous  resources 583 


SECTION  III. 

Mineral  resources 590 

Willow  Creek  mines 590 

Quartz  lodes 592 

Iron  interest ,  592 


ALASKA. 

Mineral  resources 597 

Timber 597 

Importance  of  the  acquisition 597 

Mr.  Seward 598 

Bibliography  of  Alaska 598 


GENERAL,   OBSERVATIONS  ON    THE 

PA€IFI€     SLOPE;      PROGRESS    OF 
SETTLEMENT;  IMMIGRATION  AND 

LABOR. 

SECTION  I. 

Influence  of  mining-  on  other   in- 
terests    605 

Cost  of  labor  and  expenses  of  living 607 

Wages  generally  and  demand  for  labor 610 


CM 
G19 
C21 
023 
623 


SECTION  II. 

Page. 

General  considerations  on  the  pre- 
cious metals 615 

Why  gold  and  silver  are  used  for  money 615 

Quantity  of  the  precious  metals  in  Greece 

and  Rome 616 

Principal  epochs  in  the  production  of  pre- 
cious metals 

Stock  of  precious  metals 

The  drain  of  silver  to  Asia 

A  great  increase  of  production  probable 

Relative  value  of  gold  and  silver 

How  individuals  are  enriched  by  mining 627 

How  nations  are  enriched  by  mining 627 

How  the  precious  metals  fall  in  value 628 

Influence  of   increased    production   on   na- 
tional debts 628 

Foreign  States  and  Territories 630 

Lower  California 630 

Mexico 639 

Sinaloa 647 

Chihuahua 648 

South  America 649 

Peru 649 

Bolivia 649 

Chili' 650 

Brazil 651 

British  Possessions 651 

British  Columbia 651 

Australia 652 

Stations  of  Victoria 652 

New  South  Wales 653 

New  Zealand 653 

Russian  Possessions 654 

Siberia 654 

Total  production  of  gold  and  silver  in  1867 655 

APPENDIX. 

Instructions  from  the  Commissioner  of  the  Gen- 
eral Land  Office  to  the  registers  and  receivers.  656 

Supplementary  instructions 03tf 

Abstract  of  duties 653 

Legislation  in  regard  to  mineral  interests 659 

Importance  of  a  national  school  of  mines 659 

Opinions  of  eminent  public  men 663 

Mr.  Stewart's  bill. . .  665 


